Podcast Summary: The Preamble

Episode: The State of Black History and Journalism in 2026

Host: Sharon McMahon
Guests: Ernest Crim (Educator and Author), Katie Couric (Journalist)
Date: February 16, 2026

Overview

This episode of "The Preamble," hosted by Sharon McMahon, examines the evolving challenges around Black history education and the current state of American journalism. McMahon's conversations with educator/author Ernest Crim and renowned journalist Katie Couric reveal how both Black history and journalism are under pressure—politically, socially, and institutionally—and why engagement, advocacy, and honesty matter more than ever.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Urgency of Teaching Black History

Guests: Sharon McMahon, Ernest Crim
Timestamps: 03:56–23:38

• Motivations for Teaching:

  • Crim shares how his journey began after taking his first Black history course in college, which reshaped his understanding of himself and systemic issues.

    “There's nothing wrong with you. Something happened to you. And I think that's the best way to encapsulate what history did for me.” — Ernest Crim (07:40)

  • He explains that personal experience with a hate crime motivated him to become a public educator online, not just in the classroom.

• Barriers and Restrictions in Education:

  • McMahon highlights restrictive environments, especially in states like Florida, where even mentioning political figures or systemic issues is forbidden (10:19–11:29).
  • Both discuss the difficulty of teaching “the truth” about race, civics, and systemic injustice given increasing legislative oversight and cultural backlash.

• Insufficient Civics Education:

  • Many states don’t require government/civics classes to graduate—leaving students uninformed about their rights.

    “In over half of states right now, you can graduate from high school without ever having taken a required government class.” — Sharon McMahon (11:29)

  • Repeated exposure is necessary for real mastery, not just token coverage.

• Call to Civic Engagement:

  • Crim urges listeners to start locally: register to vote, learn about city councils and school boards, show up at meetings, and join organizations to amplify voices.
  • Both agree that engagement is most powerful when collective:

    “Everybody thinks they need to reinvent the wheel… No, there’s power in numbers. This is how it has always worked.” — Sharon McMahon (16:43)

• Making Black History Essential and Accessible:

  • McMahon asks how to move beyond surface-level Black history, e.g., only learning about King and Parks in February (17:43–21:31).
  • Crim suggests utilizing lived experience, free resources, and letting white allies use their privilege to advocate. He emphasizes the universal benefit:

    “Black history doesn't just benefit black folks. This is something that, if you learn that perspective, is going to enrich us all.” — Ernest Crim (18:49)

  • He encourages risking mistakes for the sake of progress:

    “Sometimes that takes metaphorically raising your hand and getting it wrong and staying curious. I always judge people based off intent.” — Ernest Crim (20:10)

• Hope as an Orientation:

  • McMahon closes the segment by shifting hope from feeling to action, quoting Bryan Stevenson:

    “Hope is not a feeling, hope is an orientation of the spirit.” — Sharon McMahon (22:10)

  • She insists that people themselves write the ending.

Notable Segment:

• [07:40] – Crim's transformation through Black history and the emotional impact of systemic education
• [11:29] – McMahon on the decline in civics education requirements
• [16:43] – Advocacy for joining organizations
• [22:00] – Bryan Stevenson’s lesson on hope

2. Journalism in Crisis: Truth, Trust, and the Trump Era

Guests: Sharon McMahon, Katie Couric
Timestamps: 26:57–50:26

• Capitol Hill Hearings & Media Manipulation:

  • The hosts discuss the unprecedented, combative nature of the recent Pam Bondi hearing regarding the Epstein files, describing it as orchestrated for political theater, not truth-finding.

    “It was so orchestrated and it completely defeated the purpose of what the hearing was all about.” — Katie Couric (27:38)

  • Lack of compassion for victims and heavy reliance on opposition research highlighted further erosion of congressional norms.

• Erosion of Trust in the Press:

  • Couric reflects on the hostile environment for journalists post-2016, the weaponization of “fake news,” and the impact of polarization on both legacy media and independent media.

    “We are just two different Americas now.” — Katie Couric (43:16)

  • Sharon elaborates on the downsides of paywalling facts, noting that vital journalism is increasingly out of reach for young or lower-income people, leaving them to social media's distortion.

    “We are putting verifiable facts, quality journalism behind a paywall...and leaving the general public to decipher what's real... on the free version of the Internet.” — Sharon McMahon (35:02)

• The Trump Effect:

  • Couric asserts Trump’s presence has fundamentally changed the nature of journalism and presidential power:

    “If you truly believe that he poses an existential threat to democracy... it's very hard to both sides what's going on.” — Katie Couric (36:31)

  • They agree that the usual efforts to “soft-pedal” facts or be neutral often obscure reality.

• What Comes Next?

  • The pendulum will swing, McMahon says, as it always has in U.S. history, but how far depends on citizen action.

    “That moral arc doesn't bend just because it exists. It bends because people reach up and pull it down.” — Sharon McMahon (45:38)

  • Both call for compassionate, principled leadership and warn against governing through division and fear.

    “We want a leader…who has a moral center, who has compassion, who doesn’t govern through insults and hate and demonizing the opposition.” — Katie Couric (46:55)

• Elections and Disinformation:

  • Couric and McMahon touch on the deliberate eroding of trust in elections, false claims around voter fraud, and the dangers posed when foundational lies become widespread belief:

    “The entire foundation is a lie that the 2020 election was stolen...” — Sharon McMahon (49:36)

Notable Segment:

• [27:38] – Couric on the Bondi hearing’s political performance
• [32:14] – Both on paywalls and public access to facts
• [36:31] – The impossibility of “both-sides” neutrality in the face of existential threats
• [45:38] – The necessity of citizen action to turn the tide
• [46:55] – The hunger for compassionate, unifying leadership

Notable Quotes

• “There's nothing wrong with you. Something happened to you.”
  — Ernest Crim (07:40)

• “If you understand what your rights are, you can much better advocate for yourself and your neighbors. And if you don't... it's easy to become manipulated and taken advantage of.”
  — Sharon McMahon (13:21)

• “No, there’s power in numbers. This is how it has always worked.”
  — Sharon McMahon (16:43)

• “Black history doesn't just benefit black folks... we cannot be whole unless we put the pieces back together.”
  — Ernest Crim (18:49)

• “Hope is not a feeling, hope is an orientation of the spirit.”
  — Sharon McMahon (22:10)

• “It was so orchestrated and it completely defeated the purpose of what the hearing was all about.”
  — Katie Couric (27:38)

• “We are putting verifiable facts, quality journalism behind a paywall... and leaving the general public to decipher what's real... on the free version of the Internet.”
  — Sharon McMahon (35:02)

• “We want a leader…who has a moral center, who has compassion, who doesn’t govern through insults and hate and demonizing the opposition.”
  — Katie Couric (46:55)

Timeline of Key Segments

• 03:56–09:31 – Ernest Crim describes his Black history journey, impact of lived experience, barriers in education
• 11:29–13:59 – Civics education is lacking; students graduate without basic knowledge
• 16:43–18:49 – Importance of organizing for advocacy and moving beyond surface-level education
• 22:00–23:38 – Hope as action, not just emotion
• 27:38–31:47 – Katie Couric on the Epstein hearing’s political orchestration
• 32:07–36:31 – Crisis in journalism: mistrust, paywalls, fragmentation
• 43:16–47:42 – Discussion on divisiveness, leadership, hope for restoration
• 49:19–50:26 – Final thoughts on disinformation, the pain of believing lies

Tone and Style

The episode is honest, direct, and urgent but also emphasizes hope and collective action. Both McMahon and her guests communicate in a candid, approachable style, using personal stories and contemporary examples to drive home systemic challenges, yet always circling back to agency—what individuals and communities can do.

Conclusion

This wide-ranging episode connects the historical struggle for representation and truth in both education and journalism with the present-day crises facing America. It urges listeners not just to understand these challenges, but to participate, advocate, and refuse cynical hopelessness.

For those looking for actionable steps:

• Get involved locally (vote, attend meetings, join organizations)
• Educate yourself and others continually
• Don’t wait for “perfect” knowledge to advocate—show up, make mistakes, learn
• Support honest journalism and push for its accessibility
• Remember: “Hope is an orientation of the spirit”—action creates the conditions for hope and progress

Listen to the full episode for more in-depth stories, resources, and the ongoing movement to shape a more just, informed future.