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
        A Democrat's Plan for Ending the War in Gaza
    
Ronald L. Hirsch
16h
Rule of Law
        Killing Suspected Traffickers Won’t Win the War on Drugs
    
Bruce  Lowe
16h
Bridging & Common Ground
        The Season to Remember We’re Still One Nation
    
Joe Palaggi
16h
News
        “We’re Watching”: How Advocates Are Holding Detention Centers Accountable by ‘Witnessing’
    
Isabella  Jacob
16h

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
The Indiana State House is the site of the latest political fight over new congressional maps for the 2026 election.
 Lee Klafczynski for Chalkbeat

        How the Unprecedented Redistricting War Is Harming Election Officials, Politicians, and Voters
    
Nathaniel Rakich, Votebeat
Dec 16, 2025
The redrawing of states’ congressional districts typically happens only once per decade, following the release of new U.S. Census data. But we’re now up to six states that have enacted new congressional maps for the 2026 midterms; that’s more than in any election cycle not immediately following a census since 1983-84. Even more are expected to join the fray before voters head to the polls next year. Ultimately, more than a third of districts nationwide could be redrawn, threatening to confuse and disenfranchise voters.
The truly unusual thing, though, is that four of those states passed new maps totally voluntarily. Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina all redrew their districts after President Donald Trump urged them to create more safe seats for Republicans to help the GOP maintain control of the House of Representatives next year, and California did so in order to push back against Trump and create more safe seats for Democrats. (The other two states redrew for more anodyne reasons: Utah’s old map was thrown out in court, and Ohio’s was always set to expire after the 2024 election.) To put that in perspective, only two states voluntarily redistricted in total in the 52 years from 1973 to 2024, according to the Pew Research Center.
Keep ReadingShow less
Recommended
Glossary
        Redistricting
    
The Fulcrum
01 January
Democracy
        Balance – The Golden Mean
    
Amy Lockard
19 May
Rule of Law
        The Legal Costs and Risks of Trump’s 328 Lawsuits
    
Steve Corbin
21 May
Ethics & Leadership
        Best and Worst U.S. Presidential Cabinets Ranked: What the Research Reveals
    
Steve Corbin
03 September
Ethics & Leadership
        Behind the “Lie of the Year,” some bitter truths
    
Clarence Page
08 January
Elections
        Worst Gerrymandered States Face Showdown as Indiana Republicans Defy Trump’s Redistricting Plan
    
David L. Nevins
12 December
What is wokeness? A philosophical critique of its evolution, its roots in postmodernism, and how both left and right now wield it as a political weapon.

        Getty Images, MicroStockHub
    

        The Battle Over Wokeness: Definition, Debate, and Political Power
    
Seth David Radwell
Dec 15, 2025
And the frontrunner in the battle for most befuddling political concepts of the 21st century is: “woke” or “wokeness.” We read about it on a daily basis, in contexts both noble and merciless. Yet its core essence remains elusive; we rarely encounter attempts to define it, much less debate its nuances and implications. Not only stateside, the term is now used frequently on the other side of the Atlantic, most notably in France, without offering further clarity. In discussing this dilemma, the political philosopher, Susan Neiman, reports: 
Like its predecessor “political correctness,” “wokeness” quickly became a term of abuse, complicating the already thorny attempts to define it. Attacks on “woke Marxist lunatics” betray so much ignorance that it’s tempting to give up analysis entirely. Yet analysis is needed, for criticisms of wokeness have come from across the political spectrum.
Keep ReadingShow less

        Protesters hold signs outside a government building.
    

        Photo by Leo_Visions on Unsplash

        Leaders Fear Accountability — Why?
    
Carolyn  Goode
Dec 15, 2025
America is being damaged not by strong leaders abusing power, but by weak leaders avoiding responsibility. Their refusal to be accountable has become a threat to democracy itself. We are now governed by individuals who hold power but lack the character, courage, and integrity required to use it responsibly. And while everyday Americans are expected to follow rules, honor commitments, and face consequences, we have a Congress and a President who are shielded by privilege and immunity. We have leaders in Congress who lie, point fingers, and break ethics rules because they can get away with it. There is no accountability. Too many of our leaders operate as if ethics were optional.
Internal fighting among members of Congress has only deepened the dysfunction. Instead of holding one another accountable, lawmakers spend their energy attacking colleagues, blocking legislation, and protecting party leaders. Infighting reveals a failure to check themselves, leaving citizens with a government paralyzed by disputes rather than focused on solutions. When leaders cannot even enforce accountability within their own ranks, the entire system falters.
Keep ReadingShow less
Generative AI and surgical robotics are advancing toward autonomous surgery, raising new questions about safety, regulation, payment models, and trust.

        Getty Images, Luis Alvarez
    

        Will Generative AI Robots Replace Surgeons?
    
Robert  Pearl
Dec 15, 2025
In medicine’s history, the best technologies didn’t just improve clinical practice. They turned traditional medicine on its head.
For example, advances like CT, MRI, and ultrasound machines did more than merely improve diagnostic accuracy. They diminished the importance of the physical exam and the physicians who excelled at it.
Keep ReadingShow less
Load More