Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Bridge the Divide Part 1

Bridge the Divide Part 1
Our Last Night - "Common Ground" (OFFICIAL)

The suffocating partisanship that most Americans abhor has reached historic levels. Our elected leaders focus on accusations, innuendos, misinformation and vilifying those with opinions that differ from our own, rather than attempt to find any common ground to solve the serious problems facing our nation.

The vicious “winning is all” climate, the “meant to mislead” rhetoric, the extreme and polarizing factions, and the sheer lack of decency are tethering our nation to a new low.


As we watch so many of our leaders posturing against each other with twisted facts and vitriolic disdain, solely to win the sacred trust of the electorate, we ought to be asking ourselves, “Is this particular behavior having the effect of raising or lowering the level of discourse and understanding between and among us as citizens?”

It is time for us to realize that we the people are as much to blame for this unacceptable behavior as the politicians. More and more we are separated in our own silos, communicating only with those who share our opinions, embracing information that supports our beliefs, and ignoring or distorting evidence contrary to our beliefs. Although understandable, this tendency can blind us from the facts and the truth.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

Fortunately, there are many song writers and performers who through it all try to use their platforms to find common ground.

Enjoy the first of a five-day series of “Bridge the Divide” performances from an array of artists who address the subject from different perspectives but all with the same goal: finding common ground.

As Americans it is time for us to see through the charade and step up to the plate and support leaders who want something better. The division will continue unless We the People demand something better.

Enjoy “Common Ground,” a powerful song by Our Last Night that has been viewed by more than 3 million people since it was first produced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjGzRCD7B14

Do these lyrics resonate with you?

It's so hard to find the truth

When the other side wants to bury you, to bury you

And it's so hard to find a way

When the other side wants to play you like a game

It's all about who's wrong and who's right

Don't wanna learn, we just wanna fight

If different thinkers are enemies

Just think what we could be if our thoughts were in harmony

I know we both want to do the right thing

But the needle in our compass is trembling

Trapped in the flame as our house burns down

Left for dead 'cause we can't find common ground

Read More

Megan Thee Stallion in front of an audience waving "Kamala" signs

Singer Megan Thee Stallion performs at a Kamala Harris rally in Atlanta on July 30.

Julia Beverly/Getty Images

Do Charli XCX’s and Kid Rock’s endorsements make a difference? 19% of young people admit they might.

Longoria is an associate professor of political science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

British pop star Charli XCX sent many young people’s group text chats and social media feeds wild when she endorsed Kamala Harris by playing off a term she coined in a song, and posted on X, that “kamala IS brat.”

While this endorsement, which happened in July 2024, likely means very little to most adults who don’t follow the singer’s music, it is considered high praise among young people. Harris’ campaign astutely embraced Charli XCX’s support – temporarily changing the background of its X profile to the same shade of lime green that Charlie XCX favors.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande

Sarah Morris/WireImage/Getty Images

Ariana Grande for Harris. Kanye West for Trump. Does it matter?

Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

It didn’t take long after Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and Kamala Harris became the odds-on favorite to be the Democratic Party's nominee for the celebrity endorsements to follow. Within a few days, Ariana Grande, Cardi B and John Legend all publicly announced their support for Harris.

Of course, not all celebrities are Democrats and Donald Trump has his share of celebrity support as well — people like Ye (Kanye West), Jason Aldean and Kid Rock, who endorsed Trump in the past and are likely to endorse him once again.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jay-Z on stage

Hip-hop legend Jay-Z performs at a 2012 rally for President Barack Obama, who changed how politicans connect with pop culture icons.

Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images

From Rock the Vote to TikTok: Pop culture’s political influence

Johnson is a United Methodist pastor, the author of "Holding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community" and program director for the Bridge Alliance, which houses The Fulcrum.

In 1992, a young Bill Clinton tried to connect with Generation X by joking around and soulfully playing the sax on “The Arsenio Hall Show.” It was a game-changer that forever shifted how presidential candidates court younger voters.

Nowadays, it's not about late-night talk shows but about getting attention on social media platforms like TikTok. The relationship between pop culture and politics has evolved with each generation, keeping pace with the changing times and new technologies. It's crucial to understand this evolution and what it means for how future generations will engage with politics.

Keep ReadingShow less
Simone Biles
Tom Weller/VOIGT/GettyImages

Simone Biles wins gold in life’s balancing act

Lockard is an Iowa resident who regularly contributes to regional newspapers and periodicals. She is working on the second of a four-book fictional series based on Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice."

The closing ceremonies of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will take place this Sunday, Aug. 11. Officially called the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, they have provided a thrilling spectacle, a glimpse of the world together and on its best behavior.

Team USA’s Simone Biles will leave the City of Lights with an additional four Olympic medals, three gold (the team event, all around and vault) plus a silver in floor exercise, bringing her Olympic treasure trove to 11. Added to her 30 world championship medals, Biles is the most decorated gymnast ever. With five awe-inspiring skills named for her, she dominates the sport — truly the Greatest of All Time.

Keep ReadingShow less