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How does humor help democracy?

How does humor help democracy? (feat. Trevor Noah)

As far back as Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain, humor has been used to call into question the actions of those in power. And that tradition continued throughout our nation‘s history in humorists such as Mort Sahl, Lenny Bruce, Dick Gregory, Jonathan Winters, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah and many, many more.

At the National Democratic Institute’s Democracy Gala in 2019 Trevor Noah, Madeleine Albright and NDI President Derek Mitchell provided their thoughts on how humor helps democracy.


Mitchell said, “The core of humor and laughter is a freedom of spirit, certainly of speech, an irreverence, an assertion of individualism that are essential to a democratic culture.”

Watch this video from the event and see if you agree with us that comedy can be a powerful force to raise awareness to the realities of the political and social imperfections in our country, and by doing so can open our minds to the corrective actions needed.

If you have current or past examples of how political comedy has been more civil, please email us at pop-culture@fulcrum.us.

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Where’s Athlete Activism During Trump’s Second Term?

Antoine Bethea #41 and Rashard Robinson #33 of the San Francisco 49ers raise their first during the anthem as Eli Harold #58 while teammates Colin Kaepernick #7 and Eric Reid #35 take a knee, prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi Stadium on October 2, 2016 in Santa Clara, California.

(Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)

Where’s Athlete Activism During Trump’s Second Term?

Despite the 2016-17 NFL season featuring Tom Brady and the New England Patriots’ iconic 28-3 comeback over the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl, the retirement of legendary quarterback Peyton Manning, and the emergence of Joey Bosa as one of the top defensive players in the league, one monumental event stands above the rest: Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem in the heart of Donald Trump’s first term to protest racial injustice and police brutality in the United States.

Kaepernick spawned one of the most talked-about protests in the history of American sports, leading to national conversations about police brutality while earning himself severe backlash in the process.

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Political Spectacle: Sydney Sweeney’s “Great Jeans”

A digital advertising display featuring US actress Sydney Sweeney is seen outside an American Eagle store in Times Square in New York City on August 4, 2025.

Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

Political Spectacle: Sydney Sweeney’s “Great Jeans”

What began as a denim campaign has morphed into a political spectacle, with far-right groups, conservative commentators, and progressive critics all weighing in on Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad. The slogan—“Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”—was interpreted by many as a pun on “genes,” sparking accusations of racial messaging and white supremacist undertones.

- YouTube youtu.be

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A Place for Women of Color: Woman Made Gallery

Building a Home Out of Dirt (2018)

A Place for Women of Color: Woman Made Gallery

While the Trump administration seeks to erase places for those with historically marginalized identities, Woman Made Gallery offers more than representation—it offers response. Through exhibitions like the most recent Acts of Care, the gallery creates an intentional space where women, women of color, and nonbinary artists don't have to ask for permission to belong—they build that belonging themselves. As a nonprofit rooted in justice and community dialogue, Woman Made Gallery continues to model what inclusive, women-of-color-led spaces can look like: ones that honor lineage, complexity, and care as forms of resistance.

For Program Coordinator Corinne Pompéy, the mission of Woman Made Gallery is more than just representation—it’s about creating an entry point for connection and care. “Our goal is to ensure women and nonbinary artists are seen in the art world,” she said. “But more than that, we want people to feel something when they walk in—whether that’s reflection, joy, or even release.”

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House Committee on Homeland Security Discusses Public Safety During the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics

Witnesses are sworn in at the House Committee on Homeland Security hearing, Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

(Medill News Service/Erin Drumm)

House Committee on Homeland Security Discusses Public Safety During the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics

WASHINGTON— Police leaders from cities across the United States that have experienced deadly attacks at major gatherings urged Congress Tuesday to provide adequate federal funding to cities hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games.

Security concerns were top of mind for law enforcement officials at a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing as the United States prepares to host mass events with millions of international travelers for its 250th anniversary and the FIFA World Cup, which will hold games in 11 cities across the country in 2026. The United States will also host the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

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