There are many quotes about showing up, from the anonymously sourced "The world is run by those who show up" to Woody Allen's "90% of success is showing up" to Aaron Sorkin's "Decisions are made by those who show up." What all these quotes have in common is the importance of being present. Anyone who has faced a personal trial or tragedy knows that you remember who was there to help and support you, as well as who wasn't.

That was how Post-Dispatch columnist Lynn Schmidt opened her Sunday column asking " Where was BLM? " after the St. Louis tornado.

As a frontline activist in the Black Lives Matter movement, I have an answer: They have been showing up every day.

When Ferguson erupted after Michael Brown's killing, it was people like Kayla Reed, Ohun Ashe, Tef Poe, Mike Avery, Karissa

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