Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Sport is more than just a game in America

Jackie Robinson: The First African American to Play in the MLB | Mini Bio | BIO

The Fulcrum is committed to connecting pop culture to democracy. That includes music, theater, poetry and so much more.

As we think about the many aspects of American culture that are connected to democracy, we would be remiss if we did not include sports.


No one can deny the important role sports play in American society. But perhaps more important than the game itself are the values of justice, fair play and teamwork that emerge when sport is at its best.

Perhaps more than any other social institution in America, sport has contributed to racial and social integration.

One prime example is the role Jackie Robinson played in 1947 as he broke Major League Baseball's decades-old "color barrier" when he made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

It is almost unfathomable today to think that "America's pastime" excluded people of color from playing. There is no doubt that Robinson impacted more than just the game of baseball, as his outspoken activism in his later years helped set the stage for the burgeoning civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Robinson was a man of courage. As he was taunted and insulted with racial epitaphs he repeatedly stated that he was not concerned with whether people liked him or disliked him: "All I ask is that you respect me as a human being."

His endurance at being "first," is honored one day every baseball season, when all players wear his number, 42. It's a tribute to a man who experienced the flaws of our nation through bigotry and chose to serve his community throughout his life. He was a team player.

There are many examples of how athletes have impacted our society and our democracy in ways that model the character needed to endure, offer support and be a good human being. Things far more important than the winning or losing of a game.

As The Fulcrum embarks on this journey of connecting American sport to democracy we want to hear your stories, your examples of sport connecting to democracy — whether by advancing social justice, economic rights or gender equality; placing the team above the individual; or honoring one's opponents.

There are so many powerful forces beyond the field or the arena. Which is your favorite? Do you have other examples? Please send your ideas to pop-culture@fulcrum.us.

Read More

Musician Nimo Patel Reminds Us To Take Our Time

Empty Hands Music Founder Nimo Patel’s new music video, "Takin' My Time," reminds us that taking time for yourself allows us to heal and thrive.

Getty Images, pocketlight

Musician Nimo Patel Reminds Us To Take Our Time

So far in 2025, we honored and celebrated culture as a bridge to the latest news and analysis of politics, policy, and the birth of a new civic and political voice to build greater social cohesion, civic engagement, and problem-solving.

We hope you have taken the journey with us as we shared stories, music, poetry, and dance to inspire our better angels as part of our continuing coverage of the problems and solutions of our times.

Keep ReadingShow less
Red, White, and Blue-tiful: America's Sporting Hype
Getty Images, vm

Red, White, and Blue-tiful: America's Sporting Hype

By now, you've seen the highlight reels: Christian Pulisic juking defenders like he's dodging TSA agents at JFK. Coco Gauff digging deep, her serve as fierce as her post-match interviews. The U.S. Women's National Team is still fighting for greater pay and respect, even after collecting more World Cup trophies than the men's team has, and still has excuses. It's another summer of global competition, and Team USA is, as always, performing for an audience of millions—many of whom only care about soccer every four years but will die on the hill that "we invented sportsmanship."

Welcome to the American sports paradox, where patriotism is a jersey worn as needed. We drape ourselves in flags when we win and drape our failures in "well, it's not our real sport anyway" when we lose. We're a nation obsessed with winning but allergic to the humility that comes with actually playing the world's games on the world's terms.

Keep ReadingShow less
From Vision to Action: 
Remaking the World Through Social Entrepreneurship
blue and brown globe on persons hand
Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

From Vision to Action: Remaking the World Through Social Entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurs are people who launch ventures aimed at promoting positive change in their community and in the world. I am such a person. In 1982, I founded a nonprofit organization called Search for Common Ground (informally known as “Search”). My bottom line was not financial gain but making the world a better place.

My credentials as a social entrepreneur grew out of my hands-on involvement in building Search from zero into the world’s largest nonprofit group involved in peacebuilding. My partner and closest collaborator wasand ismy wife, Susan Collin Marks. By the time we stepped down from Search’s leadership in 2014, we had a deeply committed staff of 600 employees working out of offices in 35 countries. In 2018, Search was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bruce Springsteen Speaks Out: Rise With Us and Raise Your Voices

Bruce Springsteen and Max Weinberg perform during the first night of 'The Land of Hopes and Dreams' tour at Co-op Live on May 14, 2025 in Manchester, England.

Getty Images, Shirlaine Forrest

Bruce Springsteen Speaks Out: Rise With Us and Raise Your Voices

During Bruce Springsteen’s recent Land of Hope and Dreams tour in Europe, the legendary musician drew the ire of President Trump at a concert in Manchester, England, on May 14, 2025. Springsteen openly criticized the Trump administration, calling it "corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous" and urging the audience to stand against authoritarianism.

He expanded on his concerns during the introduction to My City of Ruins, delivering a powerful statement on the state of democracy. Addressing the crowd, he declared: "There’s some very weird, strange, and dangerous shit going on out there right now. In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now. In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now."

Keep ReadingShow less