Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

North Flint Neighborhood Action Council build community roots

North Flint Neighborhood Action Council build community roots
Getty Images

McNeal is Director of the North Flint Neighborhood Action Council. He works to empower residents to create positive change in the community. Born and raised in Flint, Pastor Patrick graduated from Northwestern High School, earned a Bachelor's Degree at Davenport University, a Master's Degree in Education Leadership at Eastern Michigan University, and a Master's of Divinity at Regent University in Virginia.

In response to the vital need for greater empowerment of socially and politically vulnerable communities, the North Flint Neighborhood Action Council and Community Roots joined forces in the summer of 2023 to revolutionize community-informed participatory engagement.


The North Flint Neighborhood Action Council is a Non-profit organization with the mission to address issues related to safety, education, communication, housing and beautification of North Flint, Michigan.

The 20 diverse engagement sessions held this summer in Flint and Genesee County, gave a voice to the disenfranchised, fostering collaboration among local entities. The participants included neighborhood associations, faith-based organizations, and city government with the hope of the data being used to bring forth community centered and designed approaches to solve some of the most difficult problems facing Flint.

Proponents of this approach assert that inclusive decision-making and targeted focus on resident-oriented policies not only bridge gaps in social equity but also pave the way for burgeoning community growth and development.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

This participatory model of democratic involvement illustrates the power of collaboration of churches, neighborhood associations, senior centers, organizations serving youth, and the city of Flint itself. Far from a superficial act, this grassroots engagement approach strives to enrich the lives of all residents by insisting on their dynamic involvement in decision-making processes.

From these engagement sessions emerged three pivotal themes:

  • Intense listening that values the input of residents from all walks of life.
  • A commitment to returning to the community with the data that was collected.
  • Advocacy, after the engagement sessions to ensure that the resident voice is honored and the recommendations followed.

Resident engagement requires more than a single meeting. Ongoing discussions are the heart of the Community Informed Participatory Engagement process.

By emphasizing education and crafting opportunities for young talent to stay within the community, this campaign acknowledges the importance of cultivating robust family values in Flint.

During conversations around economics and developmental opportunities, residents voiced their apprehension regarding the perceived need for more family consideration in decision-making processes. Moreover, participants accentuated that any strategy to enhance quality of life must prioritize supporting families while retaining valuable regional resources.

Community members also underscored the need to place children at the core of community development efforts. They conveyed that every aspect of local governance should aspire to generate a flourishing environment for young individuals. This unified sentiment speaks volumes to the belief that healthy communities are those where children prosper and thus any strategic plan must include this important tenet.

The spirit of democracy encapsulated by such community outreach initiatives underlines genuine empowerment through participation; particularly among historically marginalized groups. By offering a platform to those most affected by policy decisions, the community-informed participatory program helps communities identify what are the greatest problems and then creates a collaborative process to find solutions.

This phenomenal initiative deserves accolades and replication nationwide, highlighting the critical role it plays in fostering social equity and inclusion among all communities. By using the Community Engagement process of working collaboratively with and through groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity, special interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting the well-being of those people, most impacted communities across the country can create a new paradigm of community problem solving.

We appreciate the Community Foundation of Greater Flint's support of this work. Likewise, we are excited about the encouragement and support of the Bridge Alliance and The Columbus Community Foundation in piloting this work in select communities in 2024.

Read More

"Voter Here" sign outside of a polling location.

"Voter Here" sign outside of a polling location.

Getty Images, Grace Cary

Stopping the Descent Toward Banana Republic Elections

President Trump’s election-related executive order begins by pointing out practices in Canada, Sweden, Brazil, and elsewhere that outperform the U.S. But it is Trump’s order itself that really demonstrates how far we’ve fallen behind. In none of the countries mentioned, or any other major democracy in the world, would the head of government change election rules by decree, as Trump has tried to do.

Trump is the leader of a political party that will fight for control of Congress in 2026, an election sure to be close, and important to his presidency. The leader of one side in such a competition has no business unilaterally changing its rules—that’s why executive decrees changing elections only happen in tinpot dictatorships, not democracies.

Keep ReadingShow less
hundred dollar bills.
Getty Images, boonchai wedmakawand

Congress Bill Spotlight: Donald J. Trump $250 Bill Act

The Fulcrum introduces Congress Bill Spotlight, a weekly report by Jesse Rifkin, focusing on the noteworthy legislation of the thousands introduced in Congress. Rifkin has written about Congress for years, and now he's dissecting the most interesting bills you need to know about but that often don't get the right news coverage.

Trump reportedly tips his Mar-a-Lago groundskeepers with $100 bills. What if his own face appeared on them?

Keep ReadingShow less
Introducing The Expand Democracy 5

Introducing The Expand Democracy 5

In March, Rob Richie and Eveline Dowling launched a new Expand Democracy publication: The Expand Democracy 5. Each week they lift up five stories connected to their core belief: if democracy is not expanding, it is shrinking. They’re on the lookout for informative articles and timely news associated with a pro-democracy proposal that they believe warrants greater public awareness, often with links allowing readers to go deeper and connect with those advancing the idea.

In keeping with The Fulcrum’s mission to share ideas that help to repair our democracy and make it live and work in our everyday lives, we intend to publish The Expand Democracy 5 in The Fulcrum each Friday, beginning today.

Keep ReadingShow less
Defining the Democracy Movement: Karissa Raskin
- YouTube

Defining the Democracy Movement: Karissa Raskin

The Fulcrum presents The Path Forward: Defining the Democracy Reform Movement. Scott Warren's interview series engages diverse thought leaders to elevate the conversation about building a thriving and healthy democratic republic that fulfills its potential as a national social and political game-changer. This initiative is the start of focused collaborations and dialogue led by The Bridge Alliance and The Fulcrum teams to help the movement find a path forward.

Karissa Raskin is the new CEO of the Listen First Project, a coalition of over 500 nationwide organizations dedicated to bridging differences. The coalition aims to increase social cohesion across American society and serves as a way for bridging organizations to compare notes, share resources, and collaborate broadly. Karissa, who is based in Jacksonville, served as the Director of Coalition Engagement for a number of years before assuming the CEO role this February.

Keep ReadingShow less