One protester turned into two Wednesday afternoon, and two men who never met before became friends over a cause.

“I heard through Facebook that people have been throwing stuff at him. I got out of work early today and wanted to come show him that not everyone is like this,” said Robert Stuby.

Stuby joined Steven Faulkenberry at the intersection of Routes 209 and 534 - near the Kresgeville Deli & General Store - on Wednesday afternoon.

They were quiet, peaceful protesters with signs, smiles and positive words. There were no riotous moments or police presence.

Just two men with a powerful message and hopes for systemic change.

“We all know all lives matter. However, when we say, ‘Black Lives Matter,’ we are not saying they only matter or that they are the only ones that are done wrong by the law. We are saying that their heritage is becoming more of a target for injustice,” Faulkenberry said.

Faulkenberry, who graduated from a high school in South Carolina in 2007 and moved to this area in June 2018, began protesting at the Kresgeville intersection on Sunday.

Before that he had joined groups in Stroudsburg and Philadelphia.

“He is definitely dedicated to this cause,” said his cousin, Jennifer Candelario, via Messenger.

Candelario, a Pleasant Valley graduate who moved out of the area, has been following his protest efforts through posts and photos on Facebook.

“I know that in my small town where my family and I reside, there is racism. I believe that one person can possibly start change,” Faulkenberry said.

He holds a sign, rings a cow bell, waves to passers-by and loves when people honk the horn.

One side of Faulkenberry’s sign says, “Racism is a pandemic.” The other side says, “Black Lives Always Matter.”

For the most part, drivers respond favorably to his presence.

On Wednesday, several drivers yelled, “I love what you’re doing,” or slowed down to hand bottles of cold water to Faulkenberry and Stuby.

Sunday was his worst day.

That day, and a few times during the other days, he heard a lot of criticism.

Litter, broken tools and other junk were thrown at him.

“They can throw things, say things and even spit, but that will not change the reason why I’m there. With every cuss word thrown my way, I give them a huge smile and yell, ‘I love you.’ With every finger gave to me, I yell, ‘I love you.’?”

Faulkenberry chose this intersection due to the amount of traffic that passes through there.

The intersection is close to where he, his wife and two children live. As a biracial couple, they have experienced racism and injustice. Faulkenberry’s other children live out of state with their mother.

Stuby also lives near the intersection.

He and Faulkenberry met Wednesday for the first time.

“I’ve been here about 17 years. My family moved here from inner-city New Jersey for a better life.”

He is also married and father of 12-year-old Madison Stuby.

Father and daughter had a lengthy conversation about George Floyd, whose death by police brutality was caught on video and resulted in protests around the nation and world.

He did not feel comfortable bringing her to the protest area, as some motorists have yelled profanities and thrown things at Faulkenberry.

While he was at work Wednesday, she spent her day painting a rainbow sign and writing many names of those victimized for being black.

It says, “We stand with you” and has a black and white fist in the center.

He proudly waved that sign next to Faulkenberry for several hours Wednesday.

“Me, you, him - we can end racism by talking about it with our children,” Stuby said.

Faulkenberry said he plans to stay at the intersection to protest each day “until we get justice and equality. We have gotten a lot of change so far throughout the country. Some laws have been changed.”

As he finished that thought, he shared a message with a driver stopped at the red light: “Change will come.”

This week, he has been shown a great amount of love.

“An entire family came back and brought me a whole lunch from their family cookout! There are truly amazing people here that do respect what I’m doing,” Faulkenberry said.

A few local businesses have provided food and drinks while he protests for six hours or more at a time.

Local police have not stopped to join the protest or shut it down. Instead, they have shared words of encouragement as they drove by, he said.

He has also experienced a great amount of hate.

“There is no need to fight hate with hate or violence with violence. What does that change? Nothing at all,” he said. “It does not get equality rights for all. It does not get justice for all. It does not get liberty for all. It does not get peace for all. It only creates and repeats injustice and inequality.”