My Racist Friend

Episode 3.03: A Union With Purpose

Fresh off of another successful peaceful transition of power in the U.S.—and despite attempts to the contrary two weeks earlier—Don and Amy enjoy the moments of joy that broke through the clouds in the form of President Joe Biden's inauguration, even as they acknowledge the problems that persist. The highlight of that event for many came from poet Amanda Gorman, whose words spoke of the messy and unfinished nature of this country. Their conversation also touches on the cult of QAnon, a new podcast where a man listens to women, growing up in the Bicentennial, and the two degrees of separation that connect them to the T.V. show "Glee."
Additional resources:
"The shock and awe of Donald Trump's final days" (Salon, by Heather Digby Parton, January 22, 2021)https://www.salon.com/2021/01/22/the-shock-and-awe-of-donald-trumps-final-days/?fbclid=IwAR1C3XVD28cUaL0Pkru37XNxPwtKzM3ZW1HjbMZ9WPVKIVqe-TLIFyBmGXw 
"QAnon believers are in disarray after Biden is inaugurated" (CNN Business, by Brian Fung and Karen Yurieff, January 21, 2021)https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/20/tech/qanon-believers-inauguration-reaction/index.html 
"How Stuart Watson became 'A Man Listening' to women" (WBUR, January 19, 2021)https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/01/19/stuart-watson-man-listening 
"Poet Amanda Gorman reads 'The Hill We Climb'" (YouTube, ABC News, January 20, 2021)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz4YuEvJ3y4 
"READ: Transcript of Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem" (The Hill, January 20, 2021)https://thehill.com/homenews/news/535052-read-transcript-of-amanda-gormans-inaugural-poem 
"The Story of the 1975-1976 AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN" (by Larry Wines)https://www.freedomtrain.org/american-freedom-train-home.htm 
"Choir director earns Lifetime Achievement Award" (The Republic, by Brian Blair, June 3, 2016)http://www.therepublic.com/2016/06/04/a_salute_to_the_choirmaster/ 
"From 'Nip/Tuck' to High School 'Glee'" (NPR Fresh Air, by Terry Gross, May 15, 2009)https://www.npr.org/transcripts/104199257 
"Chicago native uses real life for 'Glee' inspiration" (Chicago Tribune, September 9, 2009)https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2009-09-09-0909090178-story.html 
"Biden inheriting nonexistent coronavirus vaccine distribution plan and must start 'from scratch,' sources say" (CNN, by MJ Lee, January 21, 2021)https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/politics/biden-covid-vaccination-trump/index.html 
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes

Episode 3.02: Super Intentions

Amy and Don discuss a statement from the Monroe County Black Democratic Caucus seeking transparency in the search for a new superintendent to head the local school corporation. This conversation covers the importance of representation and the problems inherent in sustaining a Good-Ol'-Boy network. The friends also note the similarities between the people who stormed the Capitol last week and those who arrived in 2019 to support the presence of white supremacists in the city farmers' market.
Additional resources:
"As a community that strives and struggles ..." (Press Release, by Monroe County Black Democratic Caucus, January 13, 2021)https://www.facebook.com/MCBlackDems/posts/2146847068784500
The Mill: Fast 15 (Dimension Mill, December 22, 2020)https://dimensionmill.org/fast15-awards/?fbclid=IwAR09DZAfJTyCYK_6FWA0QlbM_XmTFajQLE4jHyS4T89Hwp1gM-IkwzpTdh0#markay
"Indiana students wore a Confederate flag to school. Now the flag is banned." (Indianapolis Star News, by Vic Ryckaert and Holly V. Hays, October 27, 2016)https://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2016/10/27/indiana-students-wore-confederate-flag-school-now-flag-banned/92823636/ 
"Towing company employee fired for video about death of George Floyd" (WTHR, by Emily Longnecker, June 12, 2020)https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/george-floyd-tik-tok-video-towing-company-employee-fired/531-59a2a9a8-1910-4d5c-a63f-bcbb5391e7fd 
"Timeline: How Trump mob stormed the US Capitol, forcing Washington into lockdown" (USA Today, by George Petras, Janet Loehrke, Ramon Padilla, Javier Zarracina and Jennifer Borresen, January 13, 2021)https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2021/01/06/dc-protests-capitol-riot-trump-supporters-electoral-college-stolen-election/6568305002/ 
"Decoding the extremist symbols and groups at the Capitol Hill insurrection" (CNN, by Mallory Simon and Sara Sidner, January 11, 2021)https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/09/us/capitol-hill-insurrection-extremist-flags-soh/index.html 
"Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" (Wikipedia)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Hill_Autonomous_Zone 
"The Things You Are Getting Wrong About White Supremacists Is What Allows Them To Grow" (Medium, by Gwen Frisbie-Fulton, January 12, 2021)https://gwenfrisbiefulton.medium.com/the-things-you-are-getting-wrong-about-white-supremacists-is-what-allows-them-to-grow-553fa1cf54c8 
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes

Episode 3.01: The Longest Month

Back after a holiday hiatus, Don and Amy try to catch up on the events of the day: an attack on the U.S. Capitol building that delayed the certification of electoral votes for President and Vice-President. Discussion includes reactions by various groups, the comfort of being believed, and the differences in approach to mob actions by police.
Additional resources:
"If you had the Indiana Football Coaches Association ..." (Twitter, by @AustinHoughTGN, January 6, 2021)https://twitter.com/AustinHoughTGN/status/1346963999800356865?s=20
"147 Republican lawmakers still objected to the election results after the Capitol attack" (Vox, by Li Zhou, January 7, 2021)https://www.vox.com/2021/1/6/22218058/republicans-objections-election-results
"Longtime Arizona QAonon supporter in horned helmet joins storming of U.S. Capitol" (Arizona Republic, by Richard Ruelas, January 6, 2021)https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2021/01/06/arizona-qanon-supporter-jake-angeli-joins-storming-u-s-capitol/6568513002/
"Man In Capitol Mob Fired After Wearing His Company ID Badge To Riot" (Forbes, by Joe Walsh, January 7, 2021)https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/01/07/man-in-capitol-mob-fired-after-wearing-his-company-id-badge-to-riot/?sh=2d8632b3514a
"Buffalo protester Martin Gugino has a fractured skull and cannot walk" (CNN, by Jacqueline Rose and Eric Levenson, June 16, 2020)https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/16/us/martin-gugino-protester-skull/index.html
"Capitol Police Didn't Open Gates for Rioters, Says Man Behind Viral Video" (Newsweek, by Matt Cannon, January 7, 2021)https://www.newsweek.com/capitol-police-didnt-open-gates-rioters-viral-video-1559728
"Anti-Racism and Dr. Susan Moore's Legacy" (University of Michigan Health Lab, by Matthew Wixson, January 7, 2021)https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/rounds/anti-racism-and-dr-susan-moores-legacy
"Brad Stevens Speaks Out Against Capitol Riot, President Trump; Celtics Walk Off Floor In Miami" (CBS Boston, by CBSBoston.com Staff, January 6, 2021)https://boston.cbslocal.com/2021/01/06/celtics-brad-stevens-speaks-out-against-capitol-riots-president-trump-nba/
"The insurrection is happening at state capitols, too" (Vox, by Fabiola Cineas, January 6, 2021)https://www.vox.com/2021/1/6/22217736/state-capitol-stop-the-steal-protests-rallies
"Olive Garden Yanked Into Trump Culture War With CNN Comment" (Bloomberg, by Anne Riley Moffat, January 8, 2021)https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-08/olive-garden-yanked-into-trump-s-culture-war-with-cnn-comment
"Thread ... I got arrested for sitting on the floor in a Senate office ..." (Twitter, by @jenniferflynn, January 6, 2021)https://twitter.com/jenniferflynn/status/1346987188408508416?s=21
"Institutional racism contributes to Covid-19's 'double whammy' impact on the Black community, Fauci says" (CNN Health, by Jacqueline Howard, December 18, 2020)https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/23/health/coronavirus-pandemic-racism-fauci-bn/index.html
"Demonstrations & Political Violence in America: New data for Summer 2020" (ACLED, by Roudabeh Kishi and Sam Jones, September 3, 2020)https://acleddata.com/2020/09/03/demonstrations-political-violence-in-america-new-data-for-summer-2020/
"An Incomplete History of White Election Violence" (The Root, by Michael Harriot, November 2, 2020)https://www.theroot.com/an-incomplete-history-of-white-election-violence-1845533143 
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes

Episode 2.29: Working As Designed

Don and Amy are joined by Dr. Maureen Walker in discussing disruptive empathy and the challenge of engaging across difference, especially when part of that difference rejects the humanity of the other. They also explore the persistence of white supremacy across our history and within groups that are not white.
This episode contains several mentions of the N-word.
Additional resources:
"Exclusive: Lee Atwater's Infamous 1981 Interview on the Southern Strategy" (The Nation, by Rick Perlstein, November 13, 2012)https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/exclusive-lee-atwaters-infamous-1981-interview-southern-strategy/ 
"Notes on the State of Virginia" (by Thomas Jefferson, February 27, 1787)https://docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/jefferson/jefferson.html 
"The Wife of His Youth" (The Atlantic, by Charles W. Chesnutt, July 1898)https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1898/07/the-wife-of-his-youth/306658/ 
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes

Episode 2.28: Yet Another Boss Level

Amy and Don share their "After-election Word Barf" to reflect on a projected victory for Joe Biden and end to the Donald Trump administration. While recognizing lots of work and difficult times remain, the friends discuss the challenges of talking to people mired in fear and end with a list of three good things that lift their spirits.
Additional resources:
"U.S. Presidential Election Results 2020: Biden Wins" (NBC News)https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-elections/president-results 
"Laugh? We nearly all died - Why my US failed state Twitter thread went viral" (The Guardian, by Patrick Gathara, November 15, 2020)https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/nov/15/patrick-gathara-donald-trump-us-election-joe-biden-twitter-thread 
"Police groups break with Biden" (Politico, by Marc Caputo and Natasha Korecki, June 4, 2020)https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/04/police-groups-joe-biden-300222 
"Transforming Community Through Disruptive Empathy" (Whole Person, by Maureen Walker, June 9, 2016)https://wholeperson.com/blog/transforming-community-through-disruptive-empathy  
"Give Us Life" (Spotify playlist, compiled by Kevin Makice for pandemic 2020)https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6oTK358qK5GPsWVpmRvXAW?si=KtFLxKuvRSmpLMjL3up1eQ 
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes

Episode 2.27: Plug the Hole

As Election Day approaches, Amy and Don talk about efforts to put social workers in the local police department, and the problems inherent in that approach. Don shares the second half of a story he started in a previous episode about being harassed by local law enforcement. Plus, a little more Lovecraft Country and a plug to watch Schitt's Creek.
If you missed the first half of Don's story, listen to Episode 2.23 ("Love Louder").
By the time the next episode comes out, the country will have finished casting their votes to shape the course of the nation for the next four years. #Vote, if you haven't already. Be respectful, and be safe.
Additional resources:
"How Zello Became A Recruitment & Organizing Tool For The Far Right" (WNYC Studios, On the Media, October 16, 2020)https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/how-zello-became-recruitment-organizing-app-far-right 
"A friend in NE Iowa works as a child care provider ..." (Twitter, by Sarah Ziegenhorn, October 13, 2020)https://twitter.com/sarah_ziggy/status/1316045446553321472 
"Activists want to defund police departments. What could that look like in Bloomington?" (Indiana Daily Student, by Vivek Rao and Kaitlyn Radde, October 8, 2020)https://www.idsnews.com/article/2020/10/activists-want-to-defund-police-departments-what-could-that-look-like-in-bloomington-black-lives-matter 
"Letter to Council Members" (Defund12)https://defund12.org/bloomington 
"Bloomington To Create Two New Racial Equality Task Forces" (Indiana Public Media, by Ethan Burks, October 21, 2020)https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/bloomington-creates-two-new-racial-equality-task-forces.php 
"City Proposes A New Commission On Public Safety" (Indiana Public Media, by Ethan Burks, October 29, 2020)https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/city-proposes-a-new-commission-on-public-safety.php 
"Episode 2.23: Love Louder" (My Racist Friend, September 13, 2020)https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-eg3hd-eb5edb 
"Why the hope and optimism of Schitt's Creek matters" (Medium, aristhought, December 30, 2019)https://medium.com/@aristhought/why-the-hope-and-optimism-of-schitts-creek-matters-18fbbe3acae4 
"5-hour Empathy" (SNL, October 17, 2020)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP0H0j4pCOg 
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes

Episode 2.26: Sharing the Messy Parts of Relationships

Don and Amy participated in a virtual session at the Flyover Podcast Festival, hosted online by Dimension Mill on October 8-9, 2020. In their session—"Sharing the Messy Parts of Relationships"—they talked about how they started this podcast, the impact it has had, and what they hope to accomplish by continuing to share their conversations.
Thanks to Rachel Kucera, Gretchen Knapp, and everyone at Dimension Mill (including Sweetwater, for sponsoring the event).
Additional resources:
"Letter alleges white supremacists sell at farmers' market" (Indiana Daily Student, by Ellen Hine, June 11, 2019)https://www.idsnews.com/article/2019/06/letter-alleges-white-supremacists-sell-at-farmers-market  
"Bloomington Community Farmers' Market releases apology after controversial statement" (Indiana Daily Student, by Lauren McLaughlin, June 12, 2020)https://www.idsnews.com/article/2020/06/bloomington-community-farmers-market-releases-apology-after-controversial-statement 
"Digging Into Solutions for Bloomington Farmers Market" (WBIW, August 13, 2019)http://www.wbiw.com/2019/08/13/digging-into-solutions-for-the-market/  
Proud Boys (Southern Poverty Law Center)https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/proud-boys  
Dimension Millhttps://dimensionmill.org/ 
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes

Episode 2.25: See Change

Fresh news that Donald Trump was hospitalized after contracting coronavirus is fodder for a discussion about loving kindness toward harmful people and the generational traumas of both enabling and suffering oppression. Amy and Don talk about the importance of making the negative impact of power visible, because you can't change what you won't acknowledge.
In this episode Amy incorrectly attributes an article on power. The article, written by Jean Baker Miller in 2010, is included in the resource links below
Additional resources:
"How Trump Could Have Exposed Biden and Others to COVID at the Debate" (Scientific American, by Tanya Lewis, October 5, 2020)https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-trump-could-have-exposed-biden-and-others-to-covid-at-the-debate/ 
"Here's a timeline of Trump's Covid-19 illness so far" (CNN, by , October 5, 2020)https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-covid-19-updates-monday/h_af259942e082eb5da10230e33f2da6fe
Street Lovingkindness Video Series (Sharon Salzberg)https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/street-lovingkindness-video-series/ 
"A 'Karen' by Any Other Name ..." (Maureen Walker, October 1, 2020)https://maureenwalker.com/a-karen-by-any-other-name/ 
"Telling the Truth About Power" (Women & Therapy Journal, by Jean Baker Miller, November 29, 2010)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02703140802146282 
"Bias in your body" (My Racist Friend podcast, May 13, 2020)https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-tdjw6-dc5097 
"Clear Language on Slavery" (Twitter, @AbsurdistWords, June 24, 2020)https://twitter.com/absurdistwords/status/1275896853326897153 
On October 8, 2020, Don and Amy will participate in a virtual session at the Flyover Podcast Festival, hosted online by Dimension Mill. In their 2p session—"Sharing the Messy Parts of Relationships"—they will talk about how they started this podcast, the impact it has had, and what they hope to accomplish by continuing to share their conversations.Get tickets to the October 8-9 festival at half price by using the discount code "FRIENDZ".
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes

Episode 2.24: Standing at the Wall of the Middle School Dance

Our friends discuss threatening comments posted in response to Don sharing an article on Facebook about vehicles being used as weapons against protestors, and the limits of engaging violent speech. Amy and Don share their frustration and confusion about exchanges irreconcilable with their desire to connect across differences. Plus, more examples of things that give them strength.
Additional resources:
"What Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court Nomination Means For The 2020 Election" (NPR, by Deirdre Walsh, September 27, 2020)https://www.npr.org/2020/09/27/917303199/what-amy-coney-barretts-supreme-court-nomination-means-for-the-2020-election
"Long-concealed Records Show Trump's Chronic Losses and Years of Tax Avoidance" (New York Times, by Russ Buettner, Susanne Craig and Mike McIntire, September 27, 2020)https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html 
"Explained: How Trump's strategy to deter 3.5m Black Americans from voting worked in 2016" (YouTube, Channel 4 News, September 28, 2020)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reae0qgZ8bM 
Ween on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/3u1ulLq00Y3bfmq9FfjsPu?autoplay=true 
"Vehicles are being used as weapons against BLM protesters" (CNN Tonight, by Evan McMorris-Santoro, September 2020)https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/09/26/vehicles-weapons-against-protesters-mcmorris-santoro-dnt-ctn-vpx.cnn 
Iamtabithabrown (TikTok)https://www.tiktok.com/@iamtabithabrown 
"#166 Country of Liars" (ReplyAll, by PJ Vogt, September 18, 2020)https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/llhe5nm 
"I Won't Let You Down" by OK Go (iTunes)https://music.apple.com/us/album/i-wont-let-you-down/1329026488?i=1329026709 
On October 8, 2020, Don and Amy will participate in a virtual session at the Flyover Podcast Festival, hosted online by Dimension Mill. In their 2p session—"Sharing the Messy Parts of Relationships"—they will talk about how they started this podcast, the impact it has had, and what they hope to accomplish by continuing to share their conversations.Get tickets to the October 8-9 festival at half price by using the discount code "FRIENDZ".
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes

Episode 2.23: Love Louder

Lovecraft Country again serves as a catalyst for conversation, with a recent episode of the TV series touching on the dangers to Black residents when integrating white neighborhoods. Don and Amy talk about school districting and home purchases, sparking an eclectic conversation that includes cultivating community and the recurring trauma Black people experience during this cultural awakening to white supremacy.
Additional resources:
"Ossian Sweet (1895-1960)" (Black Past, by Susan Bragg, July 18, 2007)https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/sweet-ossian-1895-1960/ 
"The 'Lovecraft Country' House Attack Sequence Evoked the 1951 Cicero Race Riots" (Men's Health, by Josh St. Clair, August 31, 2020)https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a33809239/lovecraft-country-cicero-housing-riots-true-story/ 
"Bright Size Life" by Pat Metheny (Apple iTunes)https://music.apple.com/us/album/bright-size-life/1523943125?i=1523943437 
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes