Upcoming Events

“Where do we go from here?”: A Transylvania Partners for Democracy Community Forum

Mary Jenkins Center, July 22, 7 p.m. Please note the time change!

 Transylvania Partners for Democracy invites you to a community forum at the Mary Jenkins Center on July 22 at  7 p.m. We hope you will more formally join TPD  (click on the link) as we consider how we can come together and resist what we believe to be  the growing threat to our values and to our democracy.  

Individuals from Martin Luther King to former Vice-President Mike Pence have described our federal budget as  a moral document that reflect the values of our nation.  But what is the morality of a federal budget that—in order to maintain and expand tax cuts for the wealthy—incurs a $3.2 trillion debt for future generations while cutting Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and other programs for low-income Americans by more than one trillion dollars?

And what are the dangers of an administration that rejects science, dehumanizes undocumented immigrants, and uses the enormous power of the federal government to threaten, investigate and sue judges, colleges and universities, prominent law firms, independent  media organizations and anyone perceived as an “enemy” of the President and his administration?

In early 2024, we formed Transylvania Partners for Democracy because we saw a growing threat to democracy, a threat that has only grown as the current administration—unchecked by a subservient congressional majority and a deferential Supreme Court—undermines our Constitution’s system of checks and balances and seeks to place unlimited power in the hands of an imperial President.

If you  share our concerns, we encourage you to attend our July 22 meeting and consider joining Transylvania Partners for Democracy.  By joining TPD, you will have the opportunity to engage with other local residents  in programs and actions that resist these attacks upon  our values and our constitutional democracy.  As a member, we hope you will attend our events and meetings, when possible, encourage friends, neighbors and business and community partners to learn about TPD and its mission, and support TPD financially, for example through  annual (voluntary) membership dues of $20.

Our gathering will begin with a brief informal social gathering, with light refreshments, for those attendees wishing to meet other members of the community who want to join together in conversation and action.

The official meeting opens with a brief description of what has always been our primary goal: to present fact-based programs that highlight the threats to our democracy and help us act together.

The primary purpose  of the evening, however,  will be to gather your thoughts and ideas for the work ahead.  We will be dividing participants into smaller groups led by one of the TPD board members who will structure discussion and feedback around several critical questions.

1 – What are the  most important issues that you believe we should explore in the coming months?

2 -  What other opportunities do you see that would allow us to work together in ways beyond informational public programs?

3 -  We want to hear your thoughts about how you might become involved in this process by becoming a member of Transylvania Partners for Democracy (TPD).

After these smaller groups meet, we  will reconvene for a brief summary of these group discussions from TPD moderators. 

Past TPD Events

The Threat to American Education: Public and Private. Wednesday, May 28, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Fact Sheet on Education: Education Under Siege (Click on the link to see the entire Fact Sheet)

Protecting our Veterans and Our Forest: A Public Forum, Monday, April 28, 2025

Nancy McClean

August 29, 2024: Community Forum, “Project 2025: It Can Happen Here”

July 10, 2024: Tom and Lib Campbell, “Have We Witnessed America’s Best Days?”

June 12, 2024: Gene Nichol, UNC Professor of Law, “The North Carolina General Assembly's War on Democracy and Equality” Mr. Nichol’s talk can be viewed here.

May 2, 2024: Dr. Dan Carter on the 2024 Presidential Election Dr. Carter’s talk can be viewed here.

Collaborative Co-sponsored Events

Save the Forest Rally, Saturday, July 5, 2025

No Kings Rally, June 14, 2025

Guard the Earth Rally, Saturday, April 1, 2025, 1-2:30 PM

Saturday, April 5, 2025 “Hands Off Transylvania Rally”

Transylvania County Courthouse, 1 -3 PM