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What are the core values of the No Kings collective?
Executive summary
No Kings appears in two different contexts in the sources provided: as a political protest campaign (“No Kings” national actions) that centers on mass, nonviolent civic mobilization, and as a Washington, D.C.–based creative collective/agency that markets itself on collaboration, hustle, and hands-on art/design work [1] [2]. The political “No Kings” messaging emphasizes a commitment to nonviolent and lawful action and people-powered democracy [3] [4], while the creative No Kings Collective foregrounds DIY arts culture, artist exposure, collaboration, and “hustle” [5] [6].
1. Two different “No Kings” identities — know which one you mean
Reporting and organizational pages show that “No Kings” is used by both a civic mobilization campaign—framed as nationwide Days of Defiance and mass actions asserting “America has no kings” (political activism)—and by a DC creative agency/art collective that produces murals, events, and experiential design (commercial/artistic practice) [1] [2]. Available sources do not mention a single unified mission that covers both uses; each presents distinct core themes tied to different goals [1] [2].
2. For the political campaign: nonviolence, lawfulness, and popular power
The public-facing documents tied to the political No Kings events repeatedly state a “commitment to nonviolent action” and ask participants to de-escalate confrontations and “act lawfully” at events [3]. Partner organizations’ coverage likewise stresses a “commitment to nonviolent and lawful action,” and frames actions as asserting that power belongs to the people—not to a “king” or powerful few [4] [1]. Media and partner quotes suggest the campaign’s explicit value proposition: collective, peaceful protest as a means to defend democracy [1] [3].
3. For the creative No Kings Collective: collaboration, hustle, and DIY arts culture
Pages describing the creative agency make different claims: founders Brandon Hill and Peter Chang position No Kings Collective as a hustling, problem-solving studio that collaborates with a “family of hand-picked artists” to deliver art-centric, DIY, multidisciplinary projects and events [5] [7]. Local coverage frames their work as promoting artist exposure, community-oriented gallery/events, and public art that reflects neighborhood identity and values [8] [6]. Those descriptions present core values of creativity, versatility, collaboration, and “hustle” [5].
4. Community focus and “power to the people” language in political sources
Political partners and commentators tie No Kings to language about democratic power and collective refusal to cede authority to a few—“America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people”—and frame mass action as a means to harness community energy for civic aims like midterms and resisting perceived abuses of power [1] [9]. That rhetoric emphasizes collective agency and broad participation as central values [1] [9].
5. Overlap and potential confusion — messaging vs. organizational aims
There is no source here connecting the creative agency’s stated values (art, hustle, design-build work) to the political campaign’s stated values (nonviolent civic defiance, people-powered democracy). The shared name creates potential confusion: readers should distinguish whether references to “No Kings” in a given article concern protest organizing or a design collective, because each set of materials highlights different core commitments [2] [1]. Available sources do not mention any formal relationship linking the two entities under a single mission.
6. What the sources reveal and what they don’t
The political No Kings materials repeatedly cite nonviolence and lawful action as a core principle [3] [4]. The creative No Kings Collective emphasizes collaboration, community art, and “hustle” in delivering projects [5] [7]. Sources do not provide a single, consolidated list of “core values” for an overarching No Kings brand that spans both uses; they also do not mention internal governance, equity policies, or detailed codes of conduct beyond the protest nonviolence statements [3] [5]. If you want a formal written statement of values, available reporting does not mention such a document for either entity.
7. How to use this distinction as a reader or researcher
When assessing claims about “No Kings” values, cite the specific source: use protest-organizer pages and partner press releases to support claims about nonviolence and people-powered democracy [3] [4], and profile pieces, institutional bios, and event blurbs to support claims about the creative collective’s collaborative, DIY, art-first ethos [5] [6]. If you need governance documents or a full mission statement, note that current sources do not provide those details (not found in current reporting).
If you want, I can pull direct quotations from one of the listed pages (e.g., the No Kings events guidance or the No Kings Collective “about” copy) so you have verbatim language to cite in a report.