Learning How to Work With Your Enemies with Sharon McMahon | SXSW EDU 2025 Rewind

In this time of intense and seemingly insurmountable divides in our country, it might seem impossible to find common ground with those whose belief systems don’t align with our own. At SXSW EDU, we believe in the power of collaboration and coming together to solve the biggest challenges, even when the conversations are difficult. So we looked to Sharon McMahon, “America’s history teacher,” to help us chart a path forward.

“When we look at the biggest changemakers in history, they almost always have a teacher that they can point to behind who they became.”

Sharon McMahon

Throughout the session, Sharon cited stories from movements across American history to showcase the importance of coalition and consensus building in changemaking. Drawing from the story of Septima Clark – a black educator who was pushed out for her civil rights activism, but was then elected to the same school board that fired her – she underscored the role of educators as movement leaders. Citing more examples, such as the personal story of Virginia Durr and the bi-partisan roots of the Voting Rights Act, Sharon further emphasized how only working with those who you already agree with can be antithetical to real change. Conjuring Septima Clark’s words: “They might have a change of heart at any moment.”

But Sharon acknowledged that reaching across the divide has become even harder in our algorithm-driven online environment that feeds us information we already agree with. The process of confronting new information and changing people’s belief systems is incredibly uncomfortable.

“The space between not knowing and knowing is a tremendously frustrating space.”

Sharon McMahon

After laying out the importance of working with your enemies, the conversation turned to key strategies for coalition building across divides:

1. Relationship building: warm relationships set the stage for dialogue
2. Stories matter: Sharing stories helps people understand the impact and creates human connections
3. Establish permission structure: Start by setting the expectations that people don’t need to give up their beliefs to work together. This can be disarming and opens channels for communication
4. Identify the common cause: Rather than focusing on what we disagree on, we can focus on what we both care about to move the conversation forward
5. Come from a place of calm, transparency: Communicating from an active state fosters disconnect and further escalates conflict
6. Do what’s needed: It’s not everyone’s job to solve every problem. If you feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenges, focus on rightsizing and accomplishing the immediate next step.

“I think, rather than allowing ourselves to feel paralyzed by the enormity of the challenges, that we can each choose everyday, and sometimes this is a moment by moment thing, to do the next needed thing… Many of the changemakers throughout history have made big changes by doing the next needed thing.”

Sharon McMahon

Ending on a message of how hope is a choice we make each day, for educators to model this work and encourage their students to engage in difficult conversations is crucial for social change at scale. Watch the full session to learn more about how to work with your enemies.

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Photo by Amanda Stronza