In the small town of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, something is happening that goes far beyond a typical tattoo festival. It’s not just a place to get a new design on your skin – it’s a space where people erase their past to start living anew. The ninth annual Stop the Hate in the 918 festival brought together over twenty tattoo artists who work for free, helping participants cover up tattoos associated with gang or racist symbols.
From One Artist’s Idea to a City-Wide Movement
The initiator of the project was local tattoo artist Jamie Midg. A few years ago, he decided that instead of arguing online about hate and prejudice, it would be better to do something real. Thus, the idea was born: to help people who want to leave their past behind by covering old tattoos with new, positive images.
After almost a decade, the project has grown into a large-scale event that changes the lives of hundreds of people across the state. Midg admits that he didn’t expect such a scope initially: “It was my personal initiative. We just wanted to help people. And now we are changing their lives.”