“How Do Activist Artists and Cultural Organizers Resist: Lessons from the Anti-Authoritarian Frontlines

What do the arts have to do with resisting authoritarianism? And how do we, as creative community leaders, keep pushing for democracy when the odds feel stacked against us?

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the news, discouraged by political setbacks, or unsure how artists and cultural organizers fit into this urgent fight, you’re not alone. This episode brings powerful insights from the 22nd Century Initiative Gathering in Atlanta—where movement leaders, activists, and artists came together to ask the big questions: How do we stop the rise of authoritarianism? And what does it look like to build a resilient, creative resistance?

• Discover the proven strategies of nonviolent resistance that have toppled regimes and fortified democracies around the world.
• Learn why loneliness fuels authoritarianism—and how art can be the antidote by reconnecting communities.
• Hear how artists are not just reflecting change, but making it: organizing, blocking, bridging, and building democracy in real time.

Listen now to explore how you—as an artist, funder, or cultural leader—can be a strategic force in resisting authoritarianism and imagining a democratic future worth fighting for.

Here’s an expanded list of the key figures, events, organizations, and publications mentioned in the podcast transcript—now with richer context and updated hyperlinks for deeper exploration:

👤 1. People

• Daniel Hunter – Founder and co-director of Choose Democracy, renowned civil resistance trainer and author of Building a Movement to End the New Jim Crow
• Maria J. Stephan – Co-lead and Chief Organizer at the Horizons Project, political scientist and co-author of Why Civil Resistance Works
• Ash‑Lee Woodard Henderson – Co-Executive Director of the Highlander Research & Education Center, organizer in the Movement for Black Lives
• Emory Douglas – Minister of Culture and graphic artist for the Black Panther Party, his visuals became iconic protest art
• Lily Yeh – Founder of the Village of Arts and Humanities in Philadelphia, pioneer of community-based public art

📅 2. Events & Movements

• Civil Rights Movement – Legendary U.S. nonviolent struggle for racial justice, often cited as a model of civil resistance
• Protests against Authoritarian Leaders – Global instances (e.g., Brazil’s Bolsonaro, Hungary’s Orban) illustrating the worldwide struggle to defend democracy
• 22CI Gathering – The Twenty‑Second Century Initiative conference focused on resisting authoritarianism and fostering democratic resilience

🏛️ 3. Organizations

• Choose Democracy – Nonpartisan group preparing Americans to resist undemocratic power grabs through training and strategic organizing