Episode 90: Falling Out of Summer: Fireside Chat 2026
In this annual fireside chat, host Mary Morten reconnects with Angelique Power of the Skillman Foundation and Tracie Hall of the HBCU Library Alliance for a conversation about memory, education, and what it takes to carry the baton in a moment when history is under pressure. From the opening of the Obama Presidential Center to the progress happening in Detroit's public schools, they look at who gets to tell our stories and why staying vocal matters.
Episode Highlights
- Mary on being featured in the Obama Presidential Center museum through her film “Woke Up Black,” and the story of trying to sneak a DVD into the White House
- Angelique on stepping into the Obama Presidential Center and feeling like she had "unzipped the current timeline," plus Tracie on why every family's keepsakes are archives worth protecting
- Angelique on Detroit's gains in reading, math, and graduation, and Mary on why she insists young people be on every panel, because her film's teens are "exceptional, but not exceptions"
- Tracie on her work with 105 HBCU libraries and how censorship fights that began at school boards now reach libraries, museums, and universities, plus all three on passing the baton and caring for themselves along the way
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Gathering Ground and leave us a review! Follow Morten Group, LLC on Instagram @mortengroup for more updates.