Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

One community at a time: A pledge for hope and unity

Close up of people holding hands
Maki Nakamura/Getty Images

Becvar and Nevins are co-publishers of The Fulcrum. Becvar is executive director of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund, and Nevins is the the organization’s co-founder and board chairman.

In this time of division, the rise of hatred based on race, religion and ethnicity casts long shadows across our communities. Inspiring movements like the Central Florida Pledge highlight the paths we can take toward unity and acceptance.

Central Florida is renowned for its spirit of inclusivity, welcoming people from diverse backgrounds. The pledge is a community-led initiative that looks to uphold and strengthen this tradition by creating a safe and welcoming environment for everyone who calls Central Florida home.


It is crafting a future filled with hope and unity by asking residents to sign the pledge and become involved in creating a community where respect and shared goals are at the forefront.

It envisions a community where everyone, without exception, feels safe and respected, regardless of faith, race, gender, ethnicity, culture, beliefs or identity. They believe that our diversity is not just a buzzword but a true strength, and they are committed to creating a community where everyone can thrive.

The pledge’s values can be an inspiration to us all.

Inclusion: We believe that everyone belongs in Central Florida, and we are committed to creating a community where everyone feels welcome.
Respect: We believe that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their background.
Education: We believe that education is essential to combating hate and discrimination. We are committed to educating ourselves and others about the dangers of prejudice and bigotry.
Action: We believe that words are not enough. We are committed to taking action to create a more just and equitable community.

How wonderful would it be if citizens from across the country asked residents from their town, city or region to step forward and join this transformative movement by signing a pledge advocating for a community that values understanding and mutual respect.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

Check out the video to learn more about how they are doing this in Central Florida. It’s time to build a harmonious future together!

Tired of Toxic Dialogue? Ready to Be Part of Something Bigger? Join Central Florida’s Call to Unity!www.youtube.com

Read More

Is This What Education in a Democracy Looks Like?

Students raising their hands on a class at school.

Getty Images, Skynesher

Is This What Education in a Democracy Looks Like?

On February 14, the Trump Administration sent a Valentine’s Day shocker to American higher education and schools nationwide. The Department of Education sent them a mandate for a new educational orthodoxy, prescribing institutional policies at a level of detail seldom seen in this country.

The Department of Education’s “Dear Colleague” letter, the vehicle through which its Office of Civil Rights communicates policy guidance, delivered a radical redefinition of what it calls “the nondiscrimination obligations of schools and other entities that receive federal financial assistance from the United States Department of Education.” And, while claiming to take inspiration from the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which curtailed affirmative action in college admissions, the Dear Colleague letter goes well beyond that decision while also ignoring or pushing aside key elements of Chief Justice Roberts’ majority opinion in that case.

Keep ReadingShow less
No Going Backwards: Cannot Take Down DOE

A young student studying at school.

Getty Images, Westend61

No Going Backwards: Cannot Take Down DOE

Growing up in New Castle, Pennsylvania, where every public school received extra federal support due to the city’s high poverty levels, I saw the importance of governmental assistance.

New Castle Area School District, one of the poorest in Pennsylvania, relied on Title I to fund essential services like tutoring, after-school programs, smaller class sizes, and specialized instruction. It was also vital in making sure that everyone had a chance to succeed in this country, despite economic disadvantages. The goal was for no child to be left behind.

Keep ReadingShow less
DEI programs are essential to tackle systemic barriers

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

CT Mirror

DEI programs are essential to tackle systemic barriers

By executive order, the Trump administration has called for an end to “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) schemes.

Growing up, my cultural identity was nurtured by my family but when I stepped beyond the safeguards of home, my experiences as an undergrad and grad student were revealing. My journey was marked by the absence of Latina representation in required texts and academic spaces. Revolutionary figures like U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, U.S. Surgeon General Antonia Coello Novello, writer Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, and others were glaringly omitted.

Keep ReadingShow less
Raised hands with diverse skin tones
2021 Diversity Report shows progress … and a long way to go
https://thefulcrum.us/voting/military-voting

Even Without The Acronym, Diverse Workforces Thrive

The good of diversity must not be jettisoned from the workplace or eliminated from core American values in one sweeping move.

The recent Executive Order eliminates initiatives “including illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.”

Keep ReadingShow less