Defending Democracy through
Public Art, Community Engagement and Civic Education
Conceived and developed in Rhode Island
DEMOCRACY StopTheSteal.US (DSTS.US) aims to
Engage, Educate and Activate Americans locally and across the United States to:
Recognize and Resist the Red Flags of Authoritarian Leadership
Educate others in their community to identify the tactics and strategies being used to Steal Democracy from We the People
Contribute to the build out of a national grassroots network of resistance in the run up to the 2026 mid-term elections
The Work
Traveling throughout the country in the run up to the 2026 midterms, the DSTS.US project will engage with communities across the country to raise awareness, recognize and resist the Authoritarian Red Flags, as well as contribute to the build out of a national grassroots network of resistance.
The DEMOCRACY StopTheSteal.US mass banner hanging events will capture the community's attention and validate people's discomfort, unease and confusion around the current state of democracy in the United State.
Using current and historical examples, the Authoritarian Red Flags workshops will educate community members about the strategies and tactics used by authoritarian leaders in the US and around the world to dismantle democratic forms of government, amass control and steal power from the People.
Finally, the DSTS.US project will encourage participants to educate others in their community to recognize and resist the Authoritarian Red Flags.
The Why
I created this project because I believe that there are millions of Americans across the country who - in this current moment - are feeling uneasy, uncomfortable and alarmed at the words and actions of the current administration.
Much like an abusive relationship, if an individual has no knowledge of or previous experience with the Red Flags (warning signs) of Authoritarian behavior they often struggle to describe or explain these feelings of unease while simultaneously questioning whether their feelings are "legitimate" and if they are "over reacting."
Using public art (the DEMOCRACY StopTheSteal.US banners) to both validate and amplify the feelings of those Americans who are dismayed and confused by the current political reality - "Yes, your feelings are legitimate. There IS something wrong."
Through civic education the Authoritarian Red Flags workshops give participants a larger framework - the words, names, language and historical context - to see, understand and interpret the toxic, abusive and authoritarian behavior of the leadership at the highest levels of US government.
