Zapatistas (EZLN) – A revolutionary leftist group in Mexico that emerged in 1994. Solnit highlights their innovative tactics and focus on dignity and autonomy.

Vaclav Havel – Former president of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, playwright, and dissident. He is referenced for his writing on "the power of the powerless."

Howard Zinn – Historian and activist, author of A People’s History of the United States. Solnit draws from his perspective on history from below.

Rachel Carson – Marine biologist and author of Silent Spring. She symbolizes the environmental movement and the power of individual voices.

Civil Rights activists – Including figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and countless unnamed individuals who participated in the movement.

Anti-globalization and peace protesters – Particularly those involved in the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle and the global anti-war movement before the Iraq War.

Everyday activists and unnamed resisters – Solnit emphasizes the importance of people who work behind the scenes, grassroots organizers, and those whose names are not remembered but whose actions made a difference.