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Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs on stage

Luke Combs, politics and healing our nation's divide

Capitol Dome surrounded by red, white and blue balloons

Ten steps toward a better democracy

A fictional, fanciful sign depicts the results of voter suppression through the unfair, partisan manipulation of district lines (gerrymandering).

The worst congressional gerrymanders of the 2020s

Stevie Nicks hopes Vladimir Putin never sleeps again

Stevie Nicks hopes Vladimir Putin never sleeps again

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Our Staff
By Our StaffApr 18, 2022
Our Staff
The Fulcrum staff.
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Iconic singer/songwriter Steve Nicks keeps a journal that she turns to in times of crisis.

The legendary voice of Fleetwood Mac recently posted a poem to Vladimir Putin and held nothing back as she expressed her anger at the man responsible for the atrocities happening in Ukraine.

Nicks began:

“Are you lonely, Mr. Putin? Is that why you sit at your long, long marble table, alone in the night and through the day and talk to ghosts? Because you really have no friends — everyone is afraid of you; afraid to even offer up good advice, because great emperors don’t listen to anyone but ghosts. Your ghosts must be shaking their heads concerning the killing of children and young people and destroying the houses of young families just for support. Your ghosts disapprove.”

The full text of the poem appears below.

From my journal...pic.twitter.com/X1JeLrd3gG

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The role of theater in fostering constructive political dialogue
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The role of theater in fostering constructive political dialogue

While it may seem like our country is more politically divided than ever, political division has been a recurring theme throughout American history.

The Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the struggle for civil rights, the protests surrounding the Vietnam War and similar events highlight how deeply divided opinions can become. Each of these periods had its own complex set of issues and emotions, and they shaped the nation in significant ways.

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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.

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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.

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Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande

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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.

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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.

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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.

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