Artists reflect the times they live in - The Fulcrum

Top Stories

Home>
Pop Culture>

        Artists reflect the times they live in
    
play icon

        Hozier - Nina Cried Power ft. Mavis Staples
    
www.youtube.com
By David L. NevinsSep 20, 2021
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 
Nina Simone, an American singer, songwriter, musician, arranger and civil rights activist, passed away in 2013.
In speaking about the role of artists in society, Simone said: 
"An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times. I think that is true of painters, sculptors, poets, musicians. As far as I'm concerned, it's their choice, but I CHOOSE to reflect the times and situations in which I find myself. That, to me, is my duty. And at this crucial time in our lives, when everything is so desperate, when everyday is a matter of survival, I don't think you can help but be involved. Young people, black and white, know this. That's why they're so involved in politics. We will shape and mold this country or it will not be molded and shaped at all anymore. So I don't think you have a choice. How can you be an artist and NOT reflect the times? That to me is the definition of an artist."
Now, almost 20 years after Simone's death, our country faces great challenges and divisions. The Fulcrum will turn to artists to help us think about who we are as a people and what We the People can do ... or must do. 
We believe music, theatre, film and the arts in general can serve a valuable role in expressing the feelings and emotions around the news that we report on, in a manner that heightens one's interest in becoming involved and working toward a stronger and more vibrant democracy. 
As so we present to you a song that hopefully will move you to consider the possibilities … to think outside the box … to dream big and to work hard.
Join us in listening to "Nina Cried for Power."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2YgDua2gpk 
 Please let us know if this song resonates for you, and why or why not. Who knows, perhaps we will find a song that ignites a movement that brings us together in new ways that shape and mold us as a nation. And if not we'll at least enjoy some great music.
Latest news
Democracy
        For the People, By the People
    
Carolyn  Goode
1h
Health
        The Health Care Debate & Feldstein’s Fix
    
Scott Miller
2h
Governance & Legislation
        ENDING THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF NON-GOVERNING
    
Jeff  Dauphin
2h
Health
        When Medical Misinformation Costs Lives: Balancing Free Speech and Public Health
    
Lynn Schmidt
2h

The Top 5

Discover More

Nina Simone, an American singer, songwriter, musician, arranger and civil rights activist, passed away in 2013.

In speaking about the role of artists in society, Simone said:

"An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times. I think that is true of painters, sculptors, poets, musicians. As far as I'm concerned, it's their choice, but I CHOOSE to reflect the times and situations in which I find myself. That, to me, is my duty. And at this crucial time in our lives, when everything is so desperate, when everyday is a matter of survival, I don't think you can help but be involved. Young people, black and white, know this. That's why they're so involved in politics. We will shape and mold this country or it will not be molded and shaped at all anymore. So I don't think you have a choice. How can you be an artist and NOT reflect the times? That to me is the definition of an artist."

Now, almost 20 years after Simone's death, our country faces great challenges and divisions. The Fulcrum will turn to artists to help us think about who we are as a people and what We the People can do ... or must do.

We believe music, theatre, film and the arts in general can serve a valuable role in expressing the feelings and emotions around the news that we report on, in a manner that heightens one's interest in becoming involved and working toward a stronger and more vibrant democracy.

As so we present to you a song that hopefully will move you to consider the possibilities … to think outside the box … to dream big and to work hard.

Join us in listening to "Nina Cried for Power."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2YgDua2gpk

Please let us know if this song resonates for you, and why or why not. Who knows, perhaps we will find a song that ignites a movement that brings us together in new ways that shape and mold us as a nation. And if not we'll at least enjoy some great music.

From Your Site Articles

Related Articles Around the Web

Read More
Utah Republican Spencer Cox and Pennsylvania Democrat Josh Shapiro appear on CNN
Political violence traumatized their states. A GOP and a Dem governor join to plead: Tone it down.

        Governors Cox and Shapiro Urge Nation to “Lower the Temperature” Amid Rising Political Violence
    
Hugo Balta
Dec 13, 2025
In the days following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, I wrote Governor Cox’s Prayer Wasn’t Just Misguided—It Was Dangerous, an article sharply criticizing Utah Gov. Spencer Cox for his initial public response. Rather than centering his remarks on the victim, the community’s grief, or the broader national crisis of political violence, Cox told reporters that he had prayed the shooter would be from “another state” or “another country.” That comment, I argued at the time, was more than a moment of emotional imprecision—it reflected a deeper and more troubling instinct in American politics to externalize blame. By suggesting that the perpetrator might ideally be an outsider, Cox reinforced long‑standing xenophobic narratives that cast immigrants and non‑locals as the primary sources of danger, despite extensive evidence that political violence in the United States is overwhelmingly homegrown.
Recently, Cox joined Pennsylvania Governor, Democrat Josh Shapiro, issuing a rare bipartisan warning about the escalating threat of political violence in the United States, calling on national leaders and citizens alike to “tone it down” during a joint interview at the Washington National Cathedral.
Keep ReadingShow less
Recommended
Glossary
        Redistricting
    
The Fulcrum
01 January
Democracy
        Balance – The Golden Mean
    
Amy Lockard
19 May
Business & Democracy
        If Countries Stop Buying U.S. Debt, Everything Changes.
    
David L. Nevins
14 April
Ethics & Leadership
        Best and Worst U.S. Presidential Cabinets Ranked: What the Research Reveals
    
Steve Corbin
03 September
Rule of Law
        The Legal Costs and Risks of Trump’s 328 Lawsuits
    
Steve Corbin
21 May
Business & Democracy
        Just the Facts: U.S.–Canada Tariff War Escalates As Trump Raises Stakes
    
David L. Nevins
05 November
New research shows Americans overwhelmingly support collaboration across differences and look to charitable foundations and nonprofits to model unity and real problem-solving.

        Getty Images, FilippoBacci
    

        As Americans Look for Unity, The Charitable Sector Provides a Model
    
Kathleen Enright
Dec 12, 2025
As the United States confronts the limits of its own divisions, it can feel as though blame has replaced problem-solving in nearly every area of public life. That perception has led to public trust in just about every major institution—from government to media, religious institutions, and nonprofits—reaching historic lows. 
But Americans are tired of division—and new research confirms that. A national survey by the Council on Foundations and Hattaway Communications found that nearly nine in ten Americans (89%) support working across differences, and 80% believe charitable foundations should play an important role in modeling that collaboration. The vast majority—across political lines—remain optimistic about the future, and fewer than one in four believe the country is “hopelessly divided." And despite narratives to the contrary, they believe charitable foundations and nonprofits should play a leading role in modeling how to bring people together.
Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks to members of the US military on November 26, 2025 in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The Vice President visited Fort Campbell to serve a Thanksgiving meal to service members ahead of the holiday.

        Getty Images, Brett Carlsen
    

        Vice President J.D. Vance’s Tiebreaking Senate Votes, 2025
    
Jesse Rifkin
Dec 12, 2025
On issues including tariffs, taxes, public media like PBS and NPR, and Pete Hegseth’s confirmation as Secretary of Defense, Vice President J.D. Vance broke seven tied Senate votes this year.
Here’s a breakdown of Vance’s seven tiebreaking votes.
Keep ReadingShow less

        Multicolored megaphones.
    

        Getty Images, MicroStockHub
    

        My First Adult Experience with Getting ‘High on Life’
    
Sam Daley-Harris
Dec 12, 2025
Efforts to protect children around the world from malnutrition and preventable disease are saving nearly 10 million young lives a year compared to the early 1980s. (Good luck finding that in the news.) When volunteers in the anti-poverty lobby RESULTS began their advocacy in 1984, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that 40,000 children were dying each day from things like measles or diarrheal dehydration coupled with malnutrition. This year, the United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation reported 13,125 daily deaths, a 66 percent drop. (A drop that Messrs. Trump, Musk, and Rubio seem determined to reverse.)
Much of this progress was fueled by what I call transformational advocacy, where you work to change an issue, and you are changed in the process. But transformational advocacy requires risk, moving out of your comfort zone and into unfamiliar territory guided by training, support, and empathy for children and families you’ll never meet. Because this advocacy began in the early 1980s, RESULTS is losing many of the people who helped launch it—advocates whose shoulders today’s successes stand on.
Keep ReadingShow less
Load More