Skip to content
Project 2025
Donate to support
diverse voices
Search

Latest Stories

Follow Us:
Top Stories
We Can’t Let Hegseth Win His War on Women

We Can’t Let Hegseth Win His War on Women

Trump’s Plan to Gather Data on Every Voter Will Cripple Democracy

Trump’s Plan to Gather Data on Every Voter Will Cripple Democracy

A car with a bullet hole in the windshield.

States Sue D.C. at Record Levels — MN Case May Be the Turning Point

People voting at voting booths.

The Quiet Campaign That Could Rewrite the 2028 Election

Can Things Get Even Worse for Mike Johnson?

Can Things Get Even Worse for Mike Johnson?

A democracy roadshow

A democracy roadshow
Darwin Brandis/Getty Images
David L. Nevins
By David L. NevinsFeb 21, 2023
David L. Nevins
David L. Nevins serves as publisher of The Fulcrum. Additionally, Nevins serves as co-founder and Board Chairman of the Bridge Alliance. Nevins brings business acumen, vision and a tireless this-must-and-can-be-done zeal to the burgeoning movement to bridge divides to transform the political process. As a business leader, Nevins excels at building bridges between people and organizations from the right, left and center for civilized conversation and then action. He co-founded the Bridge Alliance because, as he says, “No matter how well managed and how well funded anyone organization is, significant political reform will not happen without an alliance to further collaborative interactions. Together we can and will raise the collective impact of all.” He is a member of the Aspen Institute Society of Fellows, with a focus on the Aspen Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership, he established and continues to work with The Nevins Democracy Leaders program at Penn State University. Nevins graduated with honors in economics from Penn State in 1969 and received an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1971.
See More Writings by author

Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

As the chairman of the board of the Bridge Alliance, I’ve been working with our incredible team and our more than 100 member organizations for the last seven years to create a movement for a thriving, just and healthy democratic republic.

For true change to happen in our democratic republic, Americans must become involved and realize they have the power to bring about the change they desire.

The Fulcrum and our sister project, Citizen Connect, serve as the connective tissue to activate 12 million Americans through our collective network.

Yet I believe more must be done and we have to think outside the box to engage, excite, and involve more citizens. This past year the pop culture section of The Fulcrum has proven to be one of our most popular sections of our publication. The power of connecting the dots between pop culture and activating millions of Americans to create a functioning and healthy democracy is something I strongly believe in as a catalyst for change.

The Fulcrum has been honored to celebrate 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. Many of you have taken the journey with us as we shared stories, music, poetry and dance to inspire our better angels as a way of addressing our problems and creating solutions. We won’t rest on our laurels and we are focusing on new ways to amplify the power of pop culture to engage millions more of you in our movement.

This past year has proven to us that art has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. Music, theater, poetry, and all forms of pop culture have amazing healing and connecting powers. We know that when we join people together their energy for good can be amplified and scaled to help power our movement. The role of music in particular can play an important role in celebrating what unites us - rather than dividing us - in activating millions of Americans in a movement.

In the words of the great jazz artist Wynton Marsalis, “Music heals people because music is vibration, and the proper vibration heals.” Music indeed brings people together and multiplies their energy. When we join as one, we are more than the sum of our parts.

My dream is a Democracy Concert followed by a yearlong Democracy Call To Action Roadshow designed to Build a Movement; a movement that dismisses old definitions of right and left, and focuses instead on values, and an optimistic vision for the future of America. The roadshow I envision will inspire citizens to become active participants for healing and change. Imagine the passion and positive impact celebrities could inspire in this time of social media and internet driven divisiveness. Imagine the power of music and celebrity coming together, demonstrating unity for Democracy.

A kick-off concert bringing together artists from across the political spectrum - right, left and center - that includes a diverse group of musicians and celebrities of all genres would create a powerful tapestry representing the diversity of music in America while also reflecting the diversity of the citizens that is America. Musicians of all genres coming together can demonstrate a unity for Democracy. This is not about being a Democrat, Republican or Independent. It is about using the power of music to create a grassroots movement for a stronger Democracy, as well as a more diverse, more equitable, and inclusive Democracy.

Celebrities are powerful influencers in our society. The following are just a few examples of songs that provide the powerful message to bring Americans together:

Through the power of music and celebrity the healing power generated can drown out the divisive voices of the extremes on both the left and the right. I believe most Americans want leaders to exemplify the best in America and are willing to take the lead to bring our country together and to create the Republic that we all deserve.

In the fight for a more representative democracy, our greatest strength is our people. Everyday Americans are the muscle behind change, they are the faces to our stories, they are the carrot and the stick in elections. A Democracy concert and yearlong Democracy Call To Action Roadshow can be the catalyst to reach people’s souls so we can engage them to join in a grassroots movement that scales and amplifies our victories and advances our values for lasting impact.

So WE can make a difference!


Latest news

USA, Washington D.C., Supreme Court building and blurred American flag against blue sky.
Ethics & Leadership

Hypocrisy in Leadership Corrodes Democracy

ICE Shooting of Renee Good Revives Kent State’s Stark Warning
Democracy

ICE Shooting of Renee Good Revives Kent State’s Stark Warning

Portrait of John Adams.
Ethics & Leadership

John Adams and the Line a Republic Must Not Cross

Read More

Chicago’s First Environmental Justice Ordinance Faces Uncertain Future in City Council

David Architectural Metals, Inc. is a longtime Chicago metal fabrication company for commercial and industrial construction. The company is situated in the same area as the other sites.

Chicago’s First Environmental Justice Ordinance Faces Uncertain Future in City Council

CHICAGO— Chicago’s first environmental justice ordinance sits dormant in the City Council’s Zoning Committee. Awaiting further action, some activists and alders have been pushing to get it passed, while others don’t want it passed at all.

At a Nov. 3 rare special committee meeting, Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th Ward), chair of the City Council’s Zoning Committee, said he would not call for a vote on the ordinance. His decision signaled the measure may lack enough support to advance, but its sponsors think there is enough community support to push it forward.

Keep ReadingShow less
Democrats' Affordability Campaign Should Focus on Frozen Wages
fan of 100 U.S. dollar banknotes
Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash

Democrats' Affordability Campaign Should Focus on Frozen Wages

Affordability has become a political issue because the cost of basic necessities - food, health and child care, transportation, and housing - for 43% of families today outruns their wages.

Inflation is one factor. But the affordability issue exists primarily because inflation-adjusted (real) wages for 80% of working- and middle-class men and women have been essentially frozen for the past 46 years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Silence, Signals, and the Unfinished Story of the Abandoned Disability Rule

Waiting for the Door to Open: Advocates and older workers are left in limbo as the administration’s decision to abandon a harsh disability rule exists only in private assurances, not public record.

AI-created animation

Silence, Signals, and the Unfinished Story of the Abandoned Disability Rule

We reported in the Fulcrum on November 30th that in early November, disability advocates walked out of the West Wing, believing they had secured a rare reversal from the Trump administration of an order that stripped disability benefits from more than 800,000 older manual laborers.

The public record has remained conspicuously quiet on the matter. No press release, no Federal Register notice, no formal statement from the White House or the Social Security Administration has confirmed what senior officials told Jason Turkish and his colleagues behind closed doors in November: that the administration would not move forward with a regulation that could have stripped disability benefits from more than 800,000 older manual laborers. According to a memo shared by an agency official and verified by multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions, an internal meeting in early November involved key SSA decision-makers outlining the administration's intent to halt the proposal. This memo, though not publicly released, is said to detail the political and social ramifications of proceeding with the regulation, highlighting its unpopularity among constituents who would be affected by the changes.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2026