Episode 3.08: Mr. Griffin Goes to Morton Street
03/09/21 • 29 min
Don confirms his good news about a role change that will have him playing a large role in bridging and resolving issues within the Bloomington community. Amy shares her joy for Don as he takes on a new challenge, as well as apprehensions about increased criticism. Also included are some brief discussion of "Coming to America" and poet Amanda Gorman being followed home.
Additional resources:
- "Deputy Mayor Mick Renneisen Plans Retirement in April" (City of Bloomington, February 17, 2021)
https://bloomington.in.gov/news/2021/02/17/4767 - "Mayor Hamilton Announces Don Griffin, Jr. to be Next Deputy Mayor" (City of Bloomington, March 4, 2021)
https://bloomington.in.gov/news/2021/03/04/4785 - People's Cooperative Market
https://www.peoplesmarketbtown.org/ - "Bloomington police respond to records request, release footage of Seminary Park welfare check on man found dead hours later on Christmas Eve" (B Square Beacon, by Dave Askins, March 2, 2021)
https://bsquarebeacon.com/2021/03/02/bloomington-police-respond-to-records-request-release-footage-of-seminary-park-welfare-check-on-man-found-dead-hours-later-on-christmas-eve/ - "Eddie Murphy And Arsenio Hall Say That 'Coming To America' Was Forced To Include A White Person" (Shadow and Act, by Niko Rose, March 4, 2021)
https://shadowandact.com/eddie-murphy-and-arsenio-hall-say-that-coming-to-america-was-forced-to-include-a-white-person - "Amanda Gorman Says A Security Guard Followed Her Home Because She 'Looked Suspicious'" (Blavity, by Leslie D. Rose, March 6, 2021)
https://blavity.com/amanda-gorman-says-a-security-guard-followed-her-home-because-she-looked-suspicious
Special thanks to BCC interns, Rylie Cook and Constance Johnson, for helping with research for this episode.
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes
Don confirms his good news about a role change that will have him playing a large role in bridging and resolving issues within the Bloomington community. Amy shares her joy for Don as he takes on a new challenge, as well as apprehensions about increased criticism. Also included are some brief discussion of "Coming to America" and poet Amanda Gorman being followed home.
Additional resources:
- "Deputy Mayor Mick Renneisen Plans Retirement in April" (City of Bloomington, February 17, 2021)
https://bloomington.in.gov/news/2021/02/17/4767 - "Mayor Hamilton Announces Don Griffin, Jr. to be Next Deputy Mayor" (City of Bloomington, March 4, 2021)
https://bloomington.in.gov/news/2021/03/04/4785 - People's Cooperative Market
https://www.peoplesmarketbtown.org/ - "Bloomington police respond to records request, release footage of Seminary Park welfare check on man found dead hours later on Christmas Eve" (B Square Beacon, by Dave Askins, March 2, 2021)
https://bsquarebeacon.com/2021/03/02/bloomington-police-respond-to-records-request-release-footage-of-seminary-park-welfare-check-on-man-found-dead-hours-later-on-christmas-eve/ - "Eddie Murphy And Arsenio Hall Say That 'Coming To America' Was Forced To Include A White Person" (Shadow and Act, by Niko Rose, March 4, 2021)
https://shadowandact.com/eddie-murphy-and-arsenio-hall-say-that-coming-to-america-was-forced-to-include-a-white-person - "Amanda Gorman Says A Security Guard Followed Her Home Because She 'Looked Suspicious'" (Blavity, by Leslie D. Rose, March 6, 2021)
https://blavity.com/amanda-gorman-says-a-security-guard-followed-her-home-because-she-looked-suspicious
Special thanks to BCC interns, Rylie Cook and Constance Johnson, for helping with research for this episode.
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes
Previous Episode
Episode 3.07: Traditional White Art
Don and Amy start this week's discussion with a job listing by the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields that sought a director to “attract a broader and diverse audience while still maintaining the Museum’s traditional, core, white art audience.” The conversation also includes antique shops selling symbols of white supremacy in Oregon, students calling out teachers and organizations for racism, and a possibly inevitable revisiting of John Hughes films.
Additional resources:
- "Newfields job posting sparks community controversy" (The Butler Collegian, Emma Quasny, February 17, 2021)
https://thebutlercollegian.com/2021/02/newfields-job-posting-sparks-community-controversy/ - "Letter from our Board of Trustees and Board of Governors" (Newfields, February 27, 2021)
https://discovernewfields.org/statement - "Curator calls Newfields culture toxic, discriminatory in resignation letter" (Indianapolis Star, by Domenica Bongiovanni, July 28, 2020)
https://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/arts/2020/07/18/newfields-curator-says-discriminatory-workplace-toxic/5459574002/?fbclid=IwAR2DlqMFjJR-_w4HhZtr8ZwODyjVXnVbmhhvj0vLNGoCeg9MkDgD1RpekwA - "The Indiana Murals" (Indiana University Bloomington)
https://murals.sitehost.iu.edu/history/index.html - "Symbols Of White Supremacy Confront Oregon Shoppers At Antiques Mall" (NPR, by Emily Cureton, February 14, 2021)
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/14/961532763/symbols-of-white-supremacy-confront-oregon-shoppers-at-antique-mall - Oregon black exclusion laws (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_black_exclusion_laws - "When Portland banned blacks: Oregon's shameful history of an 'all-white' state" (The Washington Post, by DeNeen L. Brown, June 7, 2017)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/06/07/when-portland-banned-blacks-oregons-shameful-history-as-an-all-white-state/ - "Black Voices: IU Panhellenic Association member says group's post promoted white saviorism" (Indiana Daily Student, by Agness Lungu, February 11, 2021)
https://www.idsnews.com/article/2021/02/iu-panhellenic-sororities-white-saviorism-circle-of-sisterhood-instagram - "Teacher redefines n-word to Black student in AP history class" (NBC, by Dave Elias, February 16, 2021)
https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2021/02/15/teacher-redefines-n-word-to-black-student-in-ap-history-class/ - "What About 'The Breakfast Club'?" (New Yorker, by Molly Ringwald, April 6, 2018)
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/what-about-the-breakfast-club-molly-ringwald-metoo-john-hughes-pretty-in-pink
Special thanks to BCC interns, Rylie Cook and Constance Johnson, for helping with research for this episode.
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes
Next Episode
Episode 3.09: Fighting Time
Don and Amy welcome back Dr. Amy Banks, who brings her co-author, Isaac Knapper, to discuss their upcoming book, "Fighting Time"—a story of their 36-year journey from murder to meeting. Dr. Banks' father, Ronald, was shot and killed on April 29, 1979, as he left the Hyatt Regency hotel in New Orleans. Isaac, who along with Amy was 16 at the time, was wrongfully convicted of the murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in the Louisiana State Penitentiary. She and her younger sister, Nancy, traveled to meet and ultimately befriend Isaac in 2015.
Additional resources:
- "Fighting Time" (Regal House Publishing, by Amy Banks and Isaac Knapper, 2021)
https://www.regalhousepublishing.com/product/fighting-time/ - "How Can White Folks Join the Fight to End Systemic Racism?" (Pact Press, by Amy Banks, September 16, 2020)
http://pactpress.com/2020/09/how-can-white-folks-join-the-fight-to-end-systemic-racism/ - "The Social Impact of Wrongful Conviction" (YouTube, Wellesley Centers for Women, April 7, 2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10kzlovflQ8 - "Wrongly Incarcerated Singer Archie Williams Delivers Unforgettable Song - America's Got Talent 2020" (YouTube, by America's Got Talent, May 22, 2020)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShgOH1u78XA - "What AGT didn't tell you about Archie Williams | America's Got Talent 2020" (YouTube, by Epic Top Trending, May 30, 2020)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-lRVS9DNK0 - "The last time New Orleans Mardi Gras parades were canceled, here's what happened" (NOLA, by Matt Sledge, February 7, 2021)
https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/mardi_gras/article_3ab27242-6804-11eb-b241-176657eea9a2.html - Banks v. Hyatt Corp. (April 11, 1984)
https://www.ravellaw.com/opinions/e61e4dbb2ff1dfc5691f607065c49c0c
Special thanks to BCC interns, Rylie Cook and Constance Johnson, for helping with research for this season.
Buy "Your Racist Friend" by They Might Be Giants on iTunes
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/my-racist-friend-67559/episode-308-mr-griffin-goes-to-morton-street-12012348"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to episode 3.08: mr. griffin goes to morton street on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy