They call it now the “foxhole,” the psychological place where the North Idaho men dwelled together while doing battle against the white supremacists who wanted to make North Idaho into an Aryan homeland. Dozens of women and men fought for civil rights during the 1980s and 1990s in North Idaho, but the core group included Tony Stewart, the subject of our leadership dialogues profile today, the late Bill Wassmuth, whose house was pipe-bombed by racist extremists in 1986, the late Larry Broadbent, a Kootenai County undersheriff who hated the hatred in his community, attorney Norm Gissel and real estate agent Marshall Mend.

Great leadership requires unwavering support from tough and kindred spirits. Stewart felt supported in his leadership during the hardest times of the civil rights movement in North Idaho. In turn, he gave support to the men with whom he shared the foxhole. This is how two of them remember that support:

Norm Gissel: “We had conversations among ourselves whether we should even continue. It’s one thing to volunteer for a civic endeavor. But it’s a complete new concept when your efforts can end in death.

“Tony’s leadership never wavered. We had to keep our eye on the prize, he said. Tony was raised in the South. He, more than anybody, understood the cultural disease of racism. He announced early on his intentions to move forward, because he knew what was at stake. And so it was everybody’s heartfelt decision that we must press ahead.”

Marshall Mend: “I was investing in real estate when I moved here in 1980. The last thing on my mind was getting involved in human rights. And then this Aryan Nations member threatened a family (who had) biracial children. And then there was no saying no. We all had death threats.

“Tony’s leadership style? He never did anything in a small way. He always did it bigger and better. We went to him asking for one program, one speaker, at the Popcorn Forum. He brought in seven speakers. It went for a whole week. We had (national civil rights leader) Julian Bond here!

“The things we did, the places we spoke. It was the highlight of my life. We went to Noxon, Mont., together, and we spoke to a group of 400, and about 45 or 50 in the audience were Nazis. Our message: ‘This is the United States of America and it’s for all people. We all have the same rights.’ “