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It’s time for all of us to get in the game

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Aaron Maybin at Joseph Gross Gallery on August 15, 2015 in New York City.

Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images
David L. Nevins
By David L. NevinsMay 09, 2023
David L. Nevins
David L. Nevins serves as co-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.
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Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

In America we love our superstar athletes. Whether they are college or professionals, today’s star athletes are some of the most recognized pop culture icons that America has to offer.

While some of us may think of them only as sport icons, many of them are using their stardom to positively impact their communities and the nation more than they ever possibly could have on the field of competition.

This is not new in America. In the early 1950’s Jackie Robinson built upon his stardom as America’s first African-American player in Major League Baseball to use his stature to advance civil rights throughout his career.

In this first of an ongoing series in The Fulcrum, we will highlight the work of athletes off the field as they set an example of how America is stronger if we become more civically engaged.

The story of Aaron Maybin who walked away from a successful NFL football career to pursue a career as a professional artist, activist, writer, educator and community organizer is a perfect example.

Maybin is an artist who uses his art to express his vision, perspective and views on American society. For democracy to endure we must be open to perspectives different from our own. As a powerful medium, art fosters a sense of understanding and caring for our fellow man.

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In 2009, Aaron established Project Mayhem to provide aid, both personal and economic, to help underserved and at risk youth excel beyond their current conditions. Through his work with Project Mayhem and as a teacher, Aaron has implemented art workshops and curricula into many schools in the Baltimore City area that have had budget cuts due to a lack of funding.

Aaron teaches creative arts and literacy in Baltimore’s public schools, created his Art Activism Curriculum (being taught in several Baltimore City Schools), and also co-founded the Operation Heat Campaign, raising more than $90,000 for schools struggling with heating issues in the wintertime.

Enjoy this video to learn more about how Aaron is now a star off the field:

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Advance DEI, do not retreat from it

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Advance DEI, do not retreat from it

  • President Donald Trump has directed that employees of federal offices focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) be placed on paid administrative leave.

This action is part of a broader initiative led by Elon Musk, who heads the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has previously criticized DEI initiatives, labeling them as detrimental.

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January 20 marked the 26th time in U.S. history that the ultimate position of power in the country transferred from one party to another. This is an awesome and unparalleled track record. The peaceful transfer of power could well be America’s greatest innovation, fundamental to our liberty and our prosperity.

But this time, power passed to a man who tried to sabotage the 2020 elections and then pardoned the massive assault on January 6th. On his first day in office, Trump paid homage to the denial of the rule of law, the essential element to the peaceful transfer of power.

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In the years ahead, independents, as candidates and as citizens, should emerge as peacemakers. Even with a new administration in Washington, independents must work on a long-term strategy for themselves and for the country.

The peacemaker model stands in stark contrast to what might be called the marriage counselor model. Independent voters, on the marriage counselor model, could elect independent candidates for office or convince elected politicians to become independents in order to secure the leverage needed to force the parties to compromise with each other. On this model, independents, say six in the Senate, would be like marriage counselors because their chief function would be to put pressure on both parties to make deals, especially when it comes to major policy bills that require 60 votes in the Senate.

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Tariffs: Not a tax, and not free money

During the recent election season, there was much talk of Trump’s plan to lay tariffs on the importation of foreign goods. Pundits, politicians, and journalists to the left of center consistently referred to them as a tax on the American people. Many of those to the right of center, especially those of the MAGA contingent, seemed to imply they are a pain-free way for the federal government to raise money.

Some correctly said that the country essentially ran on tariffs in its early history. Alexander Hamilton, the first Treasury Secretary and arguably the godfather of our initial financial system, successfully proposed and implemented a tariff system with two goals in mind. Fund the young American government and protect young American businesses against competition from established foreign companies. The second bill signed by President George Washington was a broad tariff bill.

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