The Team
The Founder
Undergraduate Education
In 2016, Langston was awarded the Posse Scholarship and attended Grinnell College to study political science. During his time at Grinnell, Langston participated in grassroots organizing efforts, conducted research, and studied abroad in Ecuador for two semesters. In 2020, he graduated with honors and was selected to serve as a Youth Development Coordinator in Peru with the Peace Corps. When Covid-19 stalled his deployment, he returned to the D.C. metropolitan area and participated in the George Floyd and Brianna Taylor protests.
Social Work in the Public & Private Sectors
That summer, Langston also worked as an immigration paralegal for the private law firm, Benach Collopy LLP. After one year at the firm, Langston worked as a tenant organizer for Housing Counseling Services, Inc. – a HUD-approved nonprofit organization (NPO) that advocates for tenant rights and provides technical assistance to low- and middle-income tenants across D.C. Despite helping individuals and families navigate the immigration and housing landscapes, his efforts in the public and private sectors failed to challenge the underlying systemic factors that produce the suffering and dysfunction endemic to the immigration and housing ecosystems. In reflecting on the limitations of electoral politics, grassroots organizing, and social justice in the public and private sectors, Langston founded Democratic Systems Inc. (DSI) to target the roots of systemic inequalities and empower vulnerable communities with substantive and sustainable solutions.
Doctoral Education
In 2022, Langston attended Georgia State University as a political science Ph.D. to deepen his understanding of systemic inequalities in democratic nations while building DSI. His research examines the concept of democracy, the underlying factors that cause and sustain systemic inequalities in democratic societies, and the nature of institutions (social, economic, and political), particularly in shaping the preferences, actions, and experiences of the masses.