Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.
Debilyn Molineaux is a visionary, storyteller, innovator and entrepreneur. Her life’s purpose is bringing about a thriving, just and healthy democratic republic in the United States. She launched the latest expression of her work, American Future, in late 2023, noting that imagination lays the tracks for the reality train to follow.
Unleashing Americans’ imagination about the future we want is the antidote to the malaise left by the conflict profiteers.
As a pioneer in the democracy ecosystem, Molineaux also offers consulting services to nonprofits, philanthropists, corporate leaders and foundations. She has co-founded or led initiatives over her 20-plus-year career to reach millions of Americans. Empowering her fellow citizens and scaling the work of her fellow leaders continue to be Debilyn’s passion and mission. Her actions help nurture and drive the large-scale collective action that moves our democracy forward.
Debilyn has initiated, partnered and advised on a multitude of big ideas:
- American Future, to add everyday people’s voices to the future narrative.
- Bridge Alliance, where hundreds of organizations became a pro-democracy ecosystem.
- National Week of Conversation, to provide a central annual event that promotes healthy engagement instead of toxic division.
- Living Room Conversations, to provide do-it-yourself conversation guides for understanding people with differences.
- Inter-Movement Impact Project, to connect several aspects of democracy work together.
- The Fulcrum, a news platform that covers democracy reform efforts at state and national levels.
- Bridging Movement Alignment Council, a network of more than 500 "bridging divides" organizations.
- JEDI Fellows (DEI initiative), to assist the pro-democracy ecosystem be representative using a four-fold diversity model (ideological, generational, gender and race/ethnicity representation) of the United States.
She brings a big idea or vision to reality by:
- Employing deep listening for underlying assumptions, blind spots and hidden assessments.
- Guiding purposeful conversations to ground dreams into action plans.
- Networking with people, sources and ideas that can be additive or collaborative to your idea.
- Challenging conventional wisdom and channeling missing voices.
- Communicating diplomatically, especially on tough topics.
I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Molineaux in June for the CityBiz “Meet the Change Leaders” series. Watch to learn the full extent of her democracy reform work:
The Fulcrum interviews Debilyn Molineaux, President & CEO, Bridge Alliancewww.youtube.com
An Independent Voter's Perspective on Current Political Divides
In the column, "Is Donald Trump Right?", Fulcrum Executive Editor, Hugo Balta, wrote:
For millions of Americans, President Trump’s second term isn’t a threat to democracy—it’s the fulfillment of a promise they believe was long overdue.
Is Donald Trump right?
Should the presidency serve as a force for disruption or a safeguard of preservation?
Balta invited readers to share their thoughts at newsroom@fulcrum.us.
David Levine from Portland, Oregon, shared these thoughts...
I am an independent voter who voted for Kamala Harris in the last election.
I pay very close attention to the events going on, and I try and avoid taking other people's opinions as fact, so the following writing should be looked at with that in mind:
Is Trump right? On some things, absolutely.
As to DEI, there is a strong feeling that you cannot fight racism with more racism or sexism with more sexism. Standards have to be the same across the board, and the idea that only white people can be racist is one that I think a lot of us find delusional on its face. The question is not whether we want equality in the workplace, but whether these systems are the mechanism to achieve it, despite their claims to virtue, and many of us feel they are not.
I think if the Democrats want to take back immigration as an issue then every single illegal alien no matter how they are discovered needs to be processed and sanctuary cities need to end, every single illegal alien needs to be found at that point Democrats could argue for an amnesty for those who have shown they have been Good actors for a period of time but the dynamic of simply ignoring those who break the law by coming here illegally is I think a losing issue for the Democrats, they need to bend the knee and make a deal.
I think you have to quit calling the man Hitler or a fascist because an actual fascist would simply shoot the protesters, the journalists, and anyone else who challenges him. And while he definitely has authoritarian tendencies, the Democrats are overplaying their hand using those words, and it makes them look foolish.
Most of us understand that the tariffs are a game of economic chicken, and whether it is successful or not depends on who blinks before the midterms. Still, the Democrats' continuous attacks on the man make them look disloyal to the country, not to Trump.
Referring to any group of people as marginalized is to many of us the same as referring to them as lesser, and it seems racist and insulting.
We invite you to read the opinions of other Fulrum Readers:
Trump's Policies: A Threat to Farmers and American Values
The Trump Era: A Bitter Pill for American Renewal
Federal Hill's Warning: A Baltimorean's Reflection on Leadership
Also, check out "Is Donald Trump Right?" and consider accepting Hugo's invitation to share your thoughts at newsroom@fulcrum.us.
The Fulcrum will select a range of submissions to share with readers as part of our ongoing civic dialogue.
We offer this platform for discussion and debate.