An ambient walk through the Vietnam Veterans Memorial grounds in Washington D.C.
This piece originally appeared on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
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A group of people arranged in the shape of the United states of America map.
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Where Is the “Real America”?
Apr 23, 2025
Is there such a thing as a “real America”? A battle now rages over this simple question. Some Democratic party operatives claim the real America are so-called “Trump voters,” who they say they need to better “study” in order to win future elections. Many Republican voices argue the real America are just those who support the new administration 100% of the time. Still, others assert that different demographics or geography comprise the real America. It’s as if the real America is one particular slice or another of our nation.
These caricatures lead us sorely astray. But there is a real America. I work in it every day.
Just last week, I spoke to a gathering of over 100 Black elected officials from all across Mississippi. They represented very different communities—from cities to the Delta. This is the real America.
Back in March, I spoke at Goodwill Industries International’s annual leadership convention, which was attended by hundreds of local Goodwill leaders from practically every state. They were some of the strongest workforce development and disability advocates I’ve ever met. This is the real America.
Earlier this year, I was in Selma, AL, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. I marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with thousands of my fellow Americans who represented all kinds of political backgrounds, ethnicities, and creeds. This is the real America.
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In just the past year, I’ve worked with communities in rapidly-growing North Carolina, the breadbasket of California, suburban Connecticut, rural Kentucky, and post-industrial Michigan. I’ve been engaging with community leaders in Jim Jordan’s district in Ohio, Matt Gaetz’s district in Florida, and Lauren Boebert’s district in Colorado. For years now, I’ve been working deeply with scores of community members in Reading, PA, a once predominantly-white community that today is over 70% Latino. Every single one of these communities is the real America too.
Everywhere I go, I find the real America. Because it is all of these places. It is all of us.
We must urgently embrace the notion that the real America includes all of us. The very future of our country depends on it.
Make no mistake, we do have real differences in this country. Our divides can be sharp at times, even threaten to overrun us. But the concerns I hear from people across our nation have grown increasingly consistent, which is something we can build upon. They say we’ve lost our sense of decency, compassion, and empathy for one another. Many people feel increasingly left out and left behind. And amid this reality, I find enormous agreement among Americans about what really matters to us in our daily lives; Issues like healthcare, community safety, youth and education, and mental health. These are universal.
Please don’t mistake this as an argument simply about how we have more in common than most people think. That has almost become cliché these days. It’s true but there’s something deeper and more profound that we must lift up if the real America includes everyone.
Because here’s what else I’ve experienced across the real America. People today have a deep and abiding yearning to step forward and help put their communities and this nation on a better path forward. Apathy is not the issue. We are not passive, wishing for some elected politician to wave a wand that magically solves our shared concerns. People feel an urge to step forward and take action together, but many of us feel stuck, unsure of what to do and how to move forward effectively. And many of us are frustrated—indeed, even enraged—that only some of us are deemed part of the real America, that only some of our voices matter, that only some of our contributions are judged worthy.
To create a sense of belonging and possibility, we must embrace the idea that the real America is all of us. We must commit to seeing and hearing one another. We must put each other’s innate dignity back at the top of the agenda. And we must commit to building together.
Only by building together can we restore our belief that we can get things done together. Not as Republicans or Democrats or Independents. Not as urban or rural or suburban enclaves. But as Americans.
Because we—all of us, no exceptions—are the real America.
Rich Harwood is the president and founder of The Harwood Institute.
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The African American Mayors Association holds its 11th annual conference, this year in Washington, D.C.
Imagine Photography, Heaven Brown
Job Cuts, Climate Threats, and the Power of Now: Black Mayors Seek Strength in Solidarity
Apr 23, 2025
WASHINGTON – Black mayors from across the country gathered in the nation’s capital for the annual African American Mayors Association Conference last week and strategized ways to govern their cities despite ongoing federal job cuts and recent actions coming from the Trump administration.
At the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, President Donald Trump conducted his second round of mass firings. Those who were not fired were told to go back to in-person work the same week in late March.
Currently, around 2,400 people have reportedly been laid off.
“People that are employed in Atlanta, particularly the CDC workers, do an amazing job at helping the world live and thrive and fight disease and really enable us to work across the world in a way that a lot of structures don’t,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said. “So when the Trump Administration is DOGEing these hard workers, it gives me heartburn.”
Over 170 mayors used the “The Power of Now” themed conference to brainstorm how to manage the fallout from Trump’s agenda on everything from public safety and infrastructure to the impacts of climate change on their residents’ health.
“This is a pivotal time for all of our cities, and I hope this year brings together new partnerships and an exchange of information about what's working and what's not in each of our cities as we move forward to serve,” association president Steven Reed said, who currently serves as mayor of Montgomery, Alabama.
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For Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, the 2nd vice president of the association, infrastructure is key to having “healthier and more vibrant neighborhoods” for cities around the country, especially in urban areas. He pointed to Baltimore launching the Office of Infrastructure Development during his first term as an example.
“These efforts are about more than just concrete and steel,” Scott said. “They are about connecting residents to jobs, to schools and essential services, especially in neighborhoods that have been overlooked for too long.”
LaToya Cantrell, the Mayor of New Orleans, also highlighted the importance of having federal government agencies, like the Environmental Protection Agency, in coastal cities like hers, where they face constant climate change threats.
“There have been commitments made to our city, and we want to ensure that those resources come, so that we can do the work that has been mandated for us to do,” said Cantrell.
With the CDC layoffs, Atlanta has become a focal point of how federal actions could lead to serious local difficulties.
On Tuesday, a group of protesters, with U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock and Representative Hank Johnson, met in front of the headquarters to rally in support of those recently fired. They criticized the negative impacts the administration could have on health in the city and the U.S.
“The other thing that happens then is you have unemployment that now grows in the city where we’ve had low unemployment for so long,” Dickens said. “I’m hopeful we can help them find employment through all of the various challenges that we may have.”
Association members said it is important not only to highlight solidarity among city officials during uncertain times like these but also to promote transparency and unity throughout all government levels.
“We know that when the federal, state and local leaders work together, monumental change is possible in our communities. That’s why we're grateful for the support that we have received, but we also recognize the work and the need to continue that as we move ahead,” Scott said.
Jordan Owens is a journalism student at the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, pursuing a master’s of Journalism, Politics, Policy & Foreign Affairs Specialization.
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aerial photography of rural
Photo by Breno Assis on Unsplash
Innovative Local Solutions Can Ease America’s Housing Crisis
Apr 22, 2025
Across the country, families are prevented from accessing safe, stable, affordable housing—not by accident, but by design. Decades of exclusionary zoning, racial discrimination, and disinvestment have created a housing system that works well for the wealthy but leaves others behind. Even as federal cuts to public housing programs continue nationwide, powerful, community-rooted efforts are pushing back and offering real, equity-driven solutions led by local voices.
Historically, states like New Jersey show what’s possible when legal advocacy and grassroots organizing come together. In 1975, the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Mount Laurel ruling established that every municipality in the state has a constitutional obligation to provide its fair share of affordable housing. This landmark legal ruling reshaped housing policy and set a national precedent. Today, organizations like Fair Share Housing Center continue to defend and expand this right, ensuring that local governments are prohibited from using zoning laws to exclude working-class families or people of color.
Nationally, organizations like the Grounded Solutions Network are also leading the housing justice fight through community land trusts (CLTs), which help keep homes affordable by removing them from the for-profit housing market. In a CLT, a non-profit organization owns the land and the homeowner owns the building, ensuring that the home remains affordable for future generations, even as neighborhood prices increase.
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Community development financial institutions (CDFIs)—like the Four Bands Community Fund—are expanding access to homeownership in reservation land and Indigenous communities that have been long excluded from conventional financial systems. CDFIs operate in urban, rural, and tribal communities nationwide. They are mission-driven lenders that provide loans, financial services, and support to individuals who are often overlooked by big banks. They invest in communities based on relationships and people, not just credit scores.
These are not one-size-fits-all solutions, but they are grounded in a shared belief: that housing is not a privilege. It is a human right, and essential for a healthy, equitable future.
We know the impact of these resources firsthand because they helped us secure the futures of our families.
Fair Share Housing Center, Grounded Solutions Network, and Four Bands Community Fund helped us secure not just physical shelter, but emotional security. They allowed us to provide a sanctuary where our children could heal, grow and feel safe, and they enabled us to achieve our dreams of homeownership.
Through these experiences of loss and recovery, we understand that stable housing is foundational to everything else. Home is the space where memories are built and family traditions are created. Housing enables individuals to maintain steady employment, access healthy food, and lay the groundwork for building generational wealth. Above all, housing is health.
The connection between housing and health is not abstract. People living in overcrowded or unstable housing are more likely to experience asthma, chronic illness, and poor mental health. Children who move frequently or live in unsafe conditions are at higher risk for developmental delays and emotional stress. Pregnant women who face housing insecurity have worse birth outcomes. When housing falls apart, so does public health.
Stories of housing security achieved through local solutions despite systemic challenges are being written all the time. Across the country, families are building stability through grassroots programs that work. But instead of supporting these models, the federal government is walking away from its responsibility to ensure that housing is accessible to all.
Federal funding for housing programs is being slashed at a time when more families than ever are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Recent cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are projected to result in the elimination of tens of thousands of rental assistance vouchers and significant reductions in homelessness prevention programs. These choices aren’t just bad policies, they are a direct attack on the people who need support the most.
Community-centered housing justice groups like Fair Share Housing Center, Grounded Solutions, and Four Bands need investment. Community-based housing initiatives are often underfunded, overlooked, or burdened by red tape, even though they deliver real, measurable results. Meanwhile, billions of dollars are funneled into programs that benefit private developers or maintain the status quo. If policymakers are truly committed to solving the housing crisis, then it is time to fully invest in what’s working and trust the communities doing the work.
Our journeys are featured in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Housing Justice docuseries, “From Hope To Home.” Through these three short films, we share our own stories, and the stories of others like us, to lift up the real people behind the housing crisis and the grassroots solutions making a difference. These films aim to inspire viewers—not just to be moved, but to be motivated.
Access to housing should never be up for debate. It’s health care. It’s safety. It’s education. It’s the foundation for good jobs, stable families, and thriving communities. It’s time the policies reflected that truth. Let’s get to work.
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person wearing white cap looking down under cloudy sky during daytime
Photo by Coronel Gonorrea on Unsplash
Pope Francis and Democracy: Navigating Beliefs and Political Systems
Apr 21, 2025
Pope Francis is being remembered for his reformist stance that both challenged conservative elements within the Catholic Church and resonated with progressive movements. The 88-year-old Argentina-born pontiff passed away on Monday following a series of health complications.
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church often shared his perspectives on various societal issues, including the relationship between faith and democracy. His tenure as pope was marked by a commitment to social justice, human rights, and the dignity of all individuals, which naturally intersects with democratic ideals.
In a social media message last December, marking Human Rights Day, Pope Francis again pleaded for governments "to listen to the cry for peace of the millions of people deprived of their most basic rights due to war," which, he said, "is the mother of all poverty."
While visiting the headquarters of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD) on September 20, 2024, Pope Francis called for a fight against social injustices, reiterating his proposal for a Universal Basic Income and higher taxes for billionaires.
He warned that if there are no just policies ensuring access to land, housing, and fair wages, “the logic of material and human waste will spread, paving the way for violence and desolation.”
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“Unfortunately,” he added, “it is often the wealthiest who oppose the realization of social justice or integral ecology, out of pure greed.”
During an annual Roman Catholic Church convention on social affairs last year, Pope Francis expressed concerns about the state of democracy, highlighting that many individuals feel excluded, particularly the poor and vulnerable, who are left to navigate challenges on their own. He remarked, "It is evident that democracy is not in good health in today’s world," criticizing the growing polarization and partisanship observed in society.
Pope Francis likened ideologies to the Pied Piper of Hamelin, stating that while they can be appealing, they ultimately lead individuals to deny their true selves. He pointed out that this "crisis of democracy" is a shared issue affecting various countries worldwide.
Francis clashed repeatedly with President Donald Trump in recent years.
During the 2016 election, Pope Francis expressed strong criticism of Donald Trump's campaign proposal to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," Francis said.
Trump, who aggressively courted evangelical Christian leaders and voters during his campaign, fired back immediately, saying, "For a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful," reported NPR.
In February, amidst the second Trump administration's efforts to tighten immigration policies, Pope Francis issued a rare public criticism of the president's approach. In a letter addressed to U.S. Catholic bishops, he referred to the mass deportation program as a "major crisis."
Francis wrote, "The act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness."
President Trump announced he will attend Pope Francis' funeral, marking what would be his first international trip during his second term in office.
Editor's Note: Hugo Balta is the executive editor of the Fulcrum and a board member of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund, the parent organization of The Fulcrum. He is the publisher of the Latino News Network and a trainer with the Solutions Journalism Network.
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