For months, community members in the small, coastal town of Coos Bay, Oregon have been voicing their concerns about a prominent local figure who was identified as an active leader in the neo-Nazi movement.

The attempted insurrection threatened our democracy, but it’s important to remember it was exactly that — a failed attempt.

The re-election of Donald Trump brings us to another disheartening moment in our nation's history. The dangers of Trump and his allies returning to power are significant. They’ve made clear their intent to rewrite the rules, target our communities and replace democracy with authoritarianism. In many ways, the last decade laid bare again the dangers of white nationalism, xenophobia, bigotry, and political violence. Like Trump's first presidential victory, Western States Center is not surprised — we’re ready. 

Western States Center’s Culture Lab program has released Smoke & Mirrors, a collaborative album focused on the importance of pro-democracy efforts as the nation approaches the 2024 Presidential Election. Co-facilitated by Alabama civil rights activist and hip-hop artist Evan Milligan and former Detroit Mello Music Group rapper Chris Orrick, the album features a range of hip-hop artists, including PremRock (Brooklyn), SKECH185 (Brooklyn), Steel Tipped Dove (Brooklyn), miles cooke (Brooklyn), James Gardin (Lansing, Michigan), Rich Jones (Chicago), Juiccy Da Master (Prichard, Alabama), and Brezzy Monroe (Birmingham, Alabama)