• Home
  • Opinion
  • Quizzes
  • Redistricting
  • Sections
  • About Us
  • Voting
  • Events
  • Civic Ed
  • Campaign Finance
  • Directory
  • Election Dissection
  • Fact Check
  • Glossary
  • Independent Voter News
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Subscriptions
  • Log in
Leveraging Our Differences
  • news & opinion
    • Big Picture
      • Civic Ed
      • Ethics
      • Leadership
      • Leveraging big ideas
      • Media
    • Business & Democracy
      • Corporate Responsibility
      • Impact Investment
      • Innovation & Incubation
      • Small Businesses
      • Stakeholder Capitalism
    • Elections
      • Campaign Finance
      • Independent Voter News
      • Redistricting
      • Voting
    • Government
      • Balance of Power
      • Budgeting
      • Congress
      • Judicial
      • Local
      • State
      • White House
    • Justice
      • Accountability
      • Anti-corruption
      • Budget equity
    • Columns
      • Beyond Right and Left
      • Civic Soul
      • Congress at a Crossroads
      • Cross-Partisan Visions
      • Democracy Pie
      • Our Freedom
  • Pop Culture
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
  • events
  • About
      • Mission
      • Advisory Board
      • Staff
      • Contact Us
Sign Up

Deke Copenhaver

    FollowUnfollowFollowing
    Leadership

    Prayers from a former mayor: Ending our divides starts with us

    Deke Copenhaver
    November 09, 2022
    red and blue divide
    Westend61/Getty Images

    Copenhaver, a former mayor of Augusta, Ga., is founding Partner ofStarts With Us and author of “The Changemaker: the Art of Building Better Leaders.”

    During a recent healing service at my church, I was asked by the two priests officiating what I would like for them to pray for before they anointed my head with oil. I almost couldn’t believe what I was asking for when I simply replied, “Please pray that our nation gets through the midterm elections with no political violence.”

    In the wake of the senseless attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, I now pray that political violence (across the ideological spectrum) hasn’t sadly and sickeningly become our “new normal.”

    Having served nine years as mayor of Augusta, Ga., I can attest firsthand to the fact that politics are not for the faint of heart and have always involved negative rhetoric. During my time in office, there was a seemingly endless stream of issues our local government dealt with that became heated, but never turned truly dangerous. Even in the midst of our most controversial issues, I continued to intentionally interact with people at the grassroots level in all areas of our city in order to keep my finger on the pulse of our community. I was always aware that I had vocal detractors but at no time did I fear for my safety. When I exited office nearly eight years ago, I would have never imagined the dangerous state our nation finds itself in during a critical juncture in history at a national and global scale.

    Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

    Keep ReadingShow less
    polarization

    Join an Upcoming Event

    View All Events
    Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
    Follow
    Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
    Follow
    Contributors

    Reform in 2023: Leadership worth celebrating

    Layla Zaidane

    Two technology balancing acts

    Dave Anderson

    Reform in 2023: It’s time for the civil rights community to embrace independent voters

    Jeremy Gruber

    Congress’ fix to presidential votes lights the way for broader election reform

    Kevin Johnson

    Democrats and Republicans want the status quo, but we need to move Forward

    Christine Todd Whitman

    Reform in 2023: Building a beacon of hope in Boston

    Henry Santana
    Jerren Chang
    latest News

    Podcast: Deepening democracy in the states

    Our Staff
    16h

    Ask Joe: Fostering social activism

    Joe Weston
    16h

    With an eye on 2024, some states consider new protections for election workers

    Barbara Rodriguez, The 19th
    17h

    The crook and the fumbler

    Lawrence Goldstone
    26 January

    Pragmatism is the way forward

    Dave Anderson
    26 January

    Podcast: How the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack impacted politics

    Our Staff
    26 January
    Videos

    Video: Meet the citizen activists championing primary reform

    Our Staff

    Video: Veterans for Political Innovation - Who we are

    Our Staff

    Video: Want to fight polarization? Take a vacation!

    Our Staff

    Video: Kevin McCarthy is Speaker, but he's got a tough job ahead

    Our Staff

    Video: #ListenFirst Friday End of Year

    Our Staff

    Video: Minnesota Gov. Walz asks fellow Democrats to ‘Think Big’ when it comes to fixing voting issues

    Our Staff
    Podcasts

    Podcast: Deepening democracy in the states

    Our Staff
    16h

    Podcast: How the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack impacted politics

    Our Staff
    26 January

    Podcast: Why we misunderstand independent voters

    Our Staff
    25 January

    Podcast: What does the House Speaker election say about the Republican Party?

    Our Staff
    24 January
    Recommended
    Podcast: Deepening democracy in the states

    Podcast: Deepening democracy in the states

    Podcasts
    Ask Joe: Fostering social activism

    Ask Joe: Fostering social activism

    Pop Culture
    With an eye on 2024, some states consider new protections for election workers

    With an eye on 2024, some states consider new protections for election workers

    Elections
    The crook and the fumbler

    The crook and the fumbler

    Elections
    Pragmatism is the way forward

    Pragmatism is the way forward

    Big Picture
    Podcast: How the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack impacted politics

    Podcast: How the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack impacted politics

    Podcasts