Future Hindsight – “We Are Changemakers: Sharon McMahon”
Date: September 4, 2025
Host: Mila Atmos
Guest: Sharon McMahon (Author, Creator of "Sharon Says So," Host of "Here’s Where It Gets Interesting")
Episode Overview
This episode features Sharon McMahon, acclaimed Instagram civic educator and author of The Small and the Mighty: 12 Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement. Host Mila Atmos delves into McMahon’s exploration of “changemakers”—ordinary people whose cumulative, hopeful efforts shaped American democracy. The conversation offers encouragement for listeners feeling powerless in today’s tumultuous climate, illustrating how seemingly small actions ripple into societal transformation.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Living through a Pivotal Historic Moment
- Current Era as History: McMahon emphasizes that, much like the Great Depression or the Cold War, these past few years—from the pandemic through political and civic upheaval—are a pivotal epoch.
- Quote: “This is a moment that future historians will be examining for centuries...this is one of those moments that we are living inside of.” (Sharon McMahon, 02:16)
- Generational Perspective: Teens today jokingly call this the “Great Dumpster Fire,” expressing both the malaise of living through upheaval and the sense of living inside history.
- Quote: “[Teens] may have a different perspective in 15 years. The future's still being determined.” (Sharon McMahon, 03:28)
2. Motivation for Writing the Book
- From Guidebook to Storytelling: McMahon shares that she initially set out to write a government “how-to,” but pivoted. She wanted to address the pervasive hopelessness she saw by spotlighting real-life stories of everyday citizens making a difference.
- Quote: “The thing that I kept coming back to was just how hopeless so many people tell me that they feel...this book was really born out of a desire...to share stories that are not well known...of ordinary people.” (Sharon McMahon, 04:34)
- Preparation Meets Opportunity: The changemakers profiled built character over years so that, when their moment came, they could act courageously.
3. The Common Thread: Hope as a Choice
- Hope vs. Hopelessness: True change requires a mindset that what you do will matter—even when there’s no guarantee of success.
- Quote: “Hope is a choice...despite evidence to the contrary.” (Sharon McMahon, 07:36)
- Quote: “The people in this book prove over and over and over again that...the mindset of ‘I’m just going to keep doing what I can where I am, with the resources available to me’...will matter.” (Sharon McMahon, 09:59)
4. Unexpected Histories: Sears, Roebuck & Co. as a Force for Change
- Business as Agent of Equality: A standout story is how Sears, Roebuck unexpectedly challenged Jim Crow barriers by allowing African Americans in the South to order goods by mail—bypassing racist gatekeepers.
- Quote: “The retailer has no idea who they are. They can't see that the person ordering is African American. That begins to change the structure of society in the South.” (Sharon McMahon, 13:34)
- Julius Rosenwald’s Philanthropy: Rosenwald’s partnership with Booker T. Washington led to the building of over 5,000 schools for Black children—the Rosenwald Schools—impacting generations.
- Quote: “The impact is in the tens of millions of people.” (Sharon McMahon, 17:47)
- Memorable Detail: Rosenwald refused to let his name be attached to the schools, making his transformative contribution relatively unknown today.
5. Empowerment through Citizenship Schools: Septima Clark’s Legacy
- Grassroots Civic Empowerment: After being fired for refusing to renounce her NAACP membership, Septima Clark began the Citizenship Schools to teach skills from literacy to voter registration, broadening African American civic participation.
- Quote: “The purpose of citizenship school was to help African Americans...have access to full participation in what it meant to be an American.” (Sharon McMahon, 25:54)
- Inclusivity & Networking: The movement tapped nontraditional educators (like her cousin, a hairdresser), and became the training ground for future civil rights leaders—including Rosa Parks.
6. Incremental Action vs. All-or-Nothing Thinking
- Change Starts Small: Real transformation happens by helping one person at a time. Clark’s story illustrates that actions for one individual are as worthy as attempts to solve systemic problems in one sweep.
- Quote: “If something is worth doing in society, say, making sure kids have food to eat, it's worth doing for one person.” (Sharon McMahon, 28:39)
- Working with Those Who Disagree: Clark’s wisdom—“I have learned that I can work with my enemies because they might have a change of heart at any moment”—challenges the modern reflex to disengage from opponents.
- Quote: “Never give up on somebody...how would your enemies ever have a change of heart if they are never around someone to show them the way?” (Sharon McMahon, 29:38)
7. The Dark Mirror: Power and Choices in History
- Impact of Individual Choices: Season 17 of McMahon’s own podcast focused on Joseph Stalin to illustrate how one person’s choices can shape, or devastate, history.
- Quote: “If you don’t think one person makes a difference, take a look at Stalin’s life.” (Sharon McMahon, 32:17)
- Contrast: Stalin’s path shows the dangers of self-serving action, in contrast to the hope-driven approach of the book’s subjects.
8. Advice for the Present: Finding Your “Next Needed Thing”
- Action in Your Sphere: Don’t let what you can’t do paralyze you. Focus on where your passion and skill meet community need.
- Quote: “Let other people who are good at that thing be good at that thing. It's not just okay. It’s needed for each person to bring what it is that they're passionate about and skilled in to the table.” (Sharon McMahon, 35:07)
- Mindset Shift & Hopeful Persistence:
- Quote: “I think it’s a mindset shift from ‘nothing I do matters’ to ‘I will have hope that what I do will matter, that's a choice that we can make.’” (Sharon McMahon, 37:46)
9. Signs of Hope
- Civic Awakening: McMahon expresses hope in a new wave of civic involvement among ordinary citizens—including demographics historically less engaged.
- Quote: “This sort of awakening to this idea that… what we do does make a difference and I am capable of impacting somebody, that gives me a tremendous amount of hope.” (Sharon McMahon, 38:50)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“Hope is a choice...despite evidence to the contrary.”
— Sharon McMahon, 07:36 -
“If something is worth doing in society...it's worth doing for one person.”
— Sharon McMahon, 28:39 -
“I have learned that I can work with my enemies because they might have a change of heart at any moment.”
— Sharon McMahon (on Septima Clark), 29:36 -
“If you don’t think one person makes a difference, take a look at Stalin’s life.”
— Sharon McMahon, 32:17 -
“Let other people who are good at that thing be good at that thing...it's needed for each person to bring what it is that they're passionate about and skilled in to the table.”
— Sharon McMahon, 35:07 -
“I think it’s a mindset shift from ‘nothing I do matters’ to ‘I will have hope that what I do will matter’...”
— Sharon McMahon, 37:46
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Pivotal moment in history – 02:16
- Writing for a hopeless audience – 04:34
- Hope as an active choice – 07:36
- Sears, Roebuck’s impact & Julius Rosenwald – 11:34 to 19:51
- Legacy of anonymity & giving – 19:51
- Septima Clark & Citizenship Schools – 23:44
- Working with your enemies – 28:39
- Stalin as case study in the power of one – 32:17
- The “next needed thing” & individualized action – 34:54
- Mindset shift to hope – 37:46
- Signs of a civic awakening – 38:50
Actionable Takeaways
- Change your mindset: Move from “nothing I do matters” to “what I do will matter.”
- Identify your sphere: Find the “next needed thing” in your community or field of passion/skill.
- Embrace incremental impact: If change is worth making, it’s worth starting with one person.
- Collaborate beyond allies: Keep open the possibility for adversaries to become change partners.
- Remember the power of small actions: History is shaped by the hope-driven efforts of ordinary people.
Tone & Language
The episode is earnest, encouraging, and practical, blending accessible storytelling with historical rigor. McMahon and Atmos gently challenge feelings of cynicism while offering real world precedents for hope and action.
This summary is designed to help listeners who missed the episode gain deep insights and inspiration for their own roles as changemakers in today's civic landscape.