The Rhythmic Lens in a World of MAGA and DOGE

Betting on the culture itself to deliver truth and new leadership.

We launched The Rhythmic Lens four years ago in the wake of the George Floyd Moment as the flagship podcast of The New Obsidian, joining the national conversation on fairness, justice, and transformation. From day one, we’ve stood for the same virtues now under attack by MAGA and DOGE’s crusade against all things “DEI.”

Today, DEI, along with immigration and other scapegoats, are the rallying cries for those hell-bent on tearing down norms and lives—delivered with a childlike glee—while the rest of the world watches in astonishment. But in moments like these, it’s important to keep our heads. Play the long game.

We know that behind the demonized acronym lie the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion—ideas that aren’t radical, but fundamental. They are critical to realizing America’s founding ideals, as enshrined in its documents—whether MAGA and DOGE’s followers want to acknowledge that or not.

So, we ask the obvious: If someone is literally against diversity, equity, and inclusion, what exactly are they for? Homogeneity, privilege, and exclusion?

In no way is that a morally or intellectually sustainable position.

However, it is a position that worked for MAGA in the last election.

Scapegoats, Strawmen, and Oligarchs

In 2024, the incumbent party failed to recognize and address some critical weaknesses. As such, they had just a few short weeks to run a campaign that usually spans years. MAGA leveraged these weaknesses and packaged a suite of straw man arguments and scapegoats expertly suited to exploit those vulnerabilities. Think, “She’s for they/them, and he’s for us,” and you’ll understand the false choices that swayed the election. We believe Kamala Harris would have been great for America, but the short campaign, missed opportunities, and the heavy hand of the Billionaire class at the close proved to be the difference.

Free reign for oligarchs. Billionaires are getting their kicks deciding what is of value—under no Constitutional authority. (Let alone a moral or intellectual authority)

However, the winning party was in no way handed a mandate. Claiming it anyway, they have taken a symbolic chainsaw to the nation’s inner and outer workings in a haphazard attempt to smash the scapegoats mentioned above out of existence and “make America great again.”

What they certainly are accomplishing, however, is making America ugly again. Consider all the activity to smash DEI and “those Venezuelan and Columbian gangsters.” Pronouncements like “Who cares about those starving people we were wasting money on? Get rid of USAID”. “Move those people out of Gaza, turn it into a resort.” “Let’s retake the Panama Canal.” It’s not even just people of color: Look at what they're doing to Ukraine and Canada. This is bullies preying on those who are less rich and/or strong.

Bullies or not, MAGA and DOGE are following through on their promises. Will they prevail?

We don’t think so. We’re betting that the culture’s going to clap back.

Truth begets Culture begets Change.

Truth emerges in culture in ways that can’t be dictated or limited by those who hold the levers of power. The culture and its arts shape a people’s ideals, aspirations, and goals. Unlike cheap scapegoats and straw man arguments, these are forces that last. Things that can’t be erased. Just as Frederick Douglass’s rhetoric dismantled the lies of slavery and as Zora Neale Hurston’s words and Alvin Ailey’s dance productions shattered the pretenses of Jim Crow, the art of today and tomorrow will expose the anti-intellectual, immoral, and untruthful positions of this moment—and bring change.

We know this.

Strong statements are already on the record, and more are coming in new music, literature, visual art, and film. These cultural statements will not only bring change but will also inspire new leadership, so we’re keeping The Rhythmic Lens pointed right at the culture.

We’ll keep bringing you the cultural truths and statements that matter, with the determination of a Harriet Tubman, the clarity of a Malcolm X, and the resilience of a Nina Simone.

Nina Simone sang with power and resilience in “Mississippi Goddam,” her fiery response to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, which killed four little girls in 1963.

Like Nina’s career after releasing Mississippi Goddam, it won’t necessarily be easy. It could be years, even decades. But look at the names we cite for inspiration—some go back over a century. These visionaries played the long game. And they show us the way forward. They represent the culture we speak of, right alongside today’s voices like Isabel Wilkerson, Amanda Gorman, and Kendrick Lamar.

Kendrick Lamar’s symbolic Super Bowl halftime show spoke truths about the fabric of a multi-layered America.

So, taking notes from their playbooks, our first podcast episode of 2025 (in a week or so) will turn the Lens to the artist Amy Sherald. Her portraits of African Americans—rendered in striking gradations of gray—celebrate the excellence of ordinary people while challenging assumptions about race. One of her most well-known works is her official portrait of Michelle Obama—an image of grace and power that captures not just a First Lady, but a lineage of resilience and sophistication.

You’ve heard it from us before: The arts and life are one.

We hope you’ll join us as we step right on through this time.

Jason, Kim, and Ron
The Hosts of The Rhythmic Lens & Editors of The New Obsidian