Episode 2.22: Living in Lovecraft Country

My Racist Friend

Don and Amy discuss the impact of the new HBO series 'Lovecraft Country' (while trying to avoid any spoilers) and how it relates to the local and national stress surrounding race in America. Don shares an experience near his home confronting a group protesting the Bloomington mayor in support of law enforcement, and how his courage to challenge racist narratives online is impacting his business.

NOTE: This is the second episode of the pandemic where these two friends were in the same physical space, this time out amongst tree trimmers, construction, and the prelude to 2021's return of the cicadas. As a result, there is a lot of background noise throughout their discussions.

Additional resources:

• "RallyMayor2" (Facebook, by the Bloomingtonian, August 23, 2020)
  https://www.facebook.com/290914014937212/videos/306912050755160
• "Gallery: Red, White and BLUE rally at the Courthouse Square"
  (Bloomingtonian, by Jeremy Hogan, August 23, 2020)
  https://bloomingtonian.com/2020/08/23/gallery-defend-the-police-rally-at-the-courthouse-square/
• "Black Lives Matter demonstrators attack “elderly man wearing oxygen.”" (Politifact, by Tom Kertscher, June 29, 2020)
  https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/jul/07/facebook-posts/older-man-was-struck-demonstration-not-oxygen/
• "New Jersey BLM leader charged with shoving elderly man during rally" (New York Post, by Lee Brown, August 19, 2020)
  https://nypost.com/2020/08/19/blm-leader-charged-with-punching-elderly-man-during-rally/
• "Few African-American golfers on the PGA tour" (Richmond Free Press, by Fred Jeter, June 25, 2020)
  http://richmondfreepress.com/news/2020/jun/25/few-african-american-golfers-pga-tour/
• "American Tennis in Black and White" (New Yorker, by Gerald Marzorati, August 3, 2016)
  https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/american-tennis-in-black-and-white
• "Wisconsin police shoot a Black man as his children watch from a vehicle, attorney says" (CNN, by Eliott C. McLaughlin and Amir Vera, August 24, 2020)
  https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/24/us/kenosha-police-shooting-jacob-blake/index.html

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