Chalk bloomed across Campus Center steps, with bright slogans, drawings, and urgent messages stretching across the concrete. The steps had transformed into a canvas, each handwritten message adding a new voice to the growing display. Students moved in and out of the space, some contributing, others pausing to read. What emerged was not just art, but a shared moment of expression.

“Resistance takes different shapes, and it doesn’t always have to be conventional,” said Amelia Sofos, president of the UH Mānoa College Democrats and a junior majoring in political science and interdisciplinary studies. “If people can come together to write messages in solidarity with each other on the Campus Center steps, there’s a lot of hope for what we can achieve together in larger forms of protest.”

The “Art Kills Fascism” event took place on the Campus Center steps on April 28. Organized by the College Democrats alongside other student groups, the event invited participants to engage in open chalk art. 

It was planned in response to the “America Needs Godly Men Tour,” a speaking event affiliated with Turning Point USA scheduled to take place later in the week. 

Designed as both a creative outlet and a form of political expression, the gathering encouraged students to contribute in whatever way they felt comfortable, whether by drawing, writing messages, or simply observing and engaging with others. Boxes of chalk were made available throughout the day, making the event accessible to a wide range of students.

“We’re trying to make things accessible for anyone, because we know that some people aren’t always as comfortable as, say, myself, getting out as the face of opposition,” Sofos said.

The atmosphere was notably inclusive and energized, with more students attending than had been seen at similar campus events.

“Getting people comfortable with coming to these kinds of events is great because the turnout was crazy,” said Vincent Tempurino, the newly elected president of the Associated Students of the University of Hawai‘i and a junior business major. 

Sofos estimated that approximately 20–30 students actively participated in writing messages, alongside steady foot traffic passing through the space.

Art Kills Fascism was part of a broader tradition of protest art at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. According to Sofos, different student faculty groups came together to protest the proposed time, place, and manner restrictions with two events, the initial Art Kills Fascism event, and “When ICE Melts, Flowers Grow,” which specifically targeted ICE. Time, place, and manner (TPM) restrictions are rules that regulate when, where, and how speech or protest can happen, rather than what is being said. 

The theme drew inspiration from those earlier campus demonstrations that similarly used creative expression as a form of resistance, reinforcing the idea that art can serve as both a political tool and a unifying force.

Sofos emphasized the role of art as a means of communication.

“Art is a very good way to express things we often have trouble articulating,” Sofos said, explaining that this form of protest can be an easier medium to communicate through, especially when emotions are heightened.

Attendees contributed messages reflecting a variety of issues and identities, connecting personal experiences with larger social concerns. Rain Angala, an undergraduate student in mathematics, highlighted how creative expression can deepen understanding and encourage reflection.

“Art is political. Art is meaningful, and I think this is where art helps create more depth, to help us realize, as humans, how serious our situation is right now, and how concerning it is,” Angala said.

Angala drew inspiration from the range of messages around her, noting how many different causes were represented in the artwork.

The visual display also reflected the diversity of the campus community, with students incorporating their own languages and cultural backgrounds into their work. Angala, who is Filipina, contributed a message in Filipino:

“Para sa tao, para sa bayan – for the people, for the nation. As people, we all should recognize our rights and responsibilities, and our responsibility is to help other people,” she said. “We do this for those who can’t do it for themselves. We, who are privileged enough, should do it for them, which will also affect the nation.”

A Visiting Voice: TPUSA Speaker Bishop Luigi Figueroa Initiates Discourse Between Student Campus Groups 

The “America Needs Godly Men Tour,” organized through Turning Point USA programming, is a speaking tour focused on discussions of faith and masculinity from a Christian perspective. 

Initially scheduled to speak was Shane Winnings, a traveling Christian evangelist and CEO of the men’s organization Promise Keepers. He had to cancel due to scheduling constraints. Instead, TPUSA UHM welcomed Bishop Luigi Figueroa, part of Reflame Ministries International in Ewa Beach, O‘ahu, at the Campus Center Courtyard as a replacement speaker for their event. Figueroa said he was invited shortly before the event after speaking at a separate community gathering. 

Student organizer and freshman marketing major Teagan Miley, president of TPUSA UHM Chapter, described this event as a way to amplify Figueroa’s voice as a means to spread the word of Jesus. 

As a pastor, Figueroa said his message centers on spirituality and personal responsibility. When asked what it means to be a “godly man,” he emphasized moral discipline. 

“A godly man chooses to do right at all times and operates in the spiritual, not just the physical,” Figueroa said.

Figueroa described the event as encouraging men to strengthen their relationship with God and take on leadership roles rooted in religious values. 

Rather than organizing a direct counter-protest, Sofos framed the art event as a more convenient, preemptive alternative, one that allowed students to communicate their views in a less confrontational setting. The idea emerged after students became aware of the planned visit.

Miley said she was aware of this preemptive action as well as others across campus and expressed support for students’ rights to protest regardless of their opposing views. 

“What I don’t support is that they don’t give us that same right. I agree with their right to organize, but not their efforts to shut us down,” she said. “We give them that respect, and we expect the same in return.” 

Sofos said that after learning earlier in the month that Turning Point USA planned to host Shane Winnings on campus, many students involved who view Christian nationalism as a branch of fascism saw the America Needs Godly Men Tour as representing that ideology. 

Christian nationalism is a political and religious ideology that blends Christian identity with national identity, often suggesting that the United States was founded as, or should function as, a Christian nation. Critics of the ideology argue that it can blur the separation of church and state. 

“Especially in the United States, given all the authoritarian-esque policies we’re seeing come down by Christian nationalists, it is scary to see it being promoted on our campus,” Sofos said. 

She noted that this perspective was shared among several student groups involved in organizing the event, reflecting broader concerns some students have voiced about political rhetoric on campus.

“We felt that we needed to say something because we noticed that the last time we had some folks independently chalk ahead of one of their other events, they got really upset about that,” Sofos said. “They said that anti-fascist messaging goes against their principles.”

Figueroa pushed back on that characterization, rejecting the idea that the event promotes Christian nationalism.

“I don’t think it’s Christian nationalism. What we’re trying to promote is a relationship with God and to get to a place of understanding of who God is,” Figueroa said.

Miley reiterated that sentiment. 

“Christian Nationalism is a label that we get assigned without people really understanding what we are. We are not christian nationalists,” she said. “We love our country and we love Jesus, but that does not make us Christian Nationalists.” 

Miley encouraged direct dialogue with people to help them better understand what TPUSA is. 

“If you really think these things about my group, I urge you to reach out to us, DM us, come up to us in person and ask questions,” she said. “Don’t just hide behind a screen and be a cowardly person.” 

The “Carrying Holy Fire” event was met more with resistance than curiosity, particularly among UH Mānoa students with opposing views on religion and government. A group of students sat on the Campus Center steps in solidarity against TPUSA, surrounded by the anti-fascist messages left behind from the earlier “Art Kills Fascism” gathering. 

Some held signs and engaged in debate from within the crowd, displaying messages such as “NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION,” “STOP THE WAR ON IRAN,” and “WHEN WOMEN AREN’T FREE, NO ONE IS FREE.” Among them was Averi Peoples, who attended with signs to express opposition while still engaging with the discussion.

“I decided to come out because I think it’s important to see both sides, but I brought signs because I didn’t want them to think that I supported the TPUSA event,” Peoples said.

Peoples described the turnout as relatively small and noted limited audience interaction.

“The turnout was very low, and there wasn’t much engagement, so they had someone associated with them continue to go up and ask questions,” he said.

He said his concerns centered less on the speaker himself and more on the broader messaging he perceived from organizers.

“It wasn’t so much the speaker, because he wasn’t getting much response, but more so the message being pushed,” Peoples said. “I saw it as promoting ideas like men being superior to women and reinforcing traditional gender roles.”

Peoples also expressed concern about the political implications of the event’s themes, such as saying women should strive to reproduce or that America is saving Iran from their government. 

“I think it’s the pushing of traditional gender roles, the restrictions they want for others, and the judgments they pass,” he said. “Christian nationalism is a very dangerous political belief.”

Tempurino underscored the importance of proactive engagement.

“I think having somebody at the helm of student government being able to advocate for student voices like this is important,” Tempurino said. “I think if you’re complacent, the administration is going to get ahead of you in action, so you have to make a stand right now.”

At the same time, Tempurino pointed to art as a powerful tool for bridging these difficult conversations.

“Freedom of expression on these steps is something that could be taken away, so we really need people to be involved politically. These kinds of events promote that,” Tempurino said.

While the Art Kills Fascism was sparked by a specific moment on campus, Sofos said the intention was to create a space where students from different backgrounds could come together.

“A lot of people have comments about fascism beyond just partisan politics, and we want it to be a more inclusive space for students to say no in solidarity regardless of what your views are,” she said.

She also pointed to the broader climate surrounding the event, noting that although it was inspired by a specific event, it reflects a larger trend of increasing hateful rhetoric directed at marginalized communities.

At the same time, Sofos framed art as a forward-looking tool, “Life imitates art, so it’s a way to manifest what we want to see in the world and what change we want to bring.”

Sofos emphasized that the goal was not to force agreement, but to foster a sense of shared respect among students with differing views. 

“We don’t have to agree on any form of personal ideologies, but we shouldn’t be tearing down one another, we should be supporting one another,” she said. 

Tempurino highlighted the importance of education alongside expression.

“Education kills fascism. The more you know about political systems, the more we can have clear discussions across political boundaries,” he said.

Ultimately, Angala expressed hope that even small acts of expression could contribute to something larger.

“The messages that we write down here are one step that gets us closer to equality and basic human decency,” she said.

She also emphasized the need for action as Rainbow Warriors.

“We need to stand and fight for that ray of sunlight through whatever way we can, including creative things like art,” Angala said.

She returned to a message of unity:

“Regardless of where we’re from, we can all be united by humanity.”