We thought the world had already hit rock bottom when we took a week off. We’re back to give our take on the current state of affairs related to protests around the country demanding justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other victims. DISCLAIMER: We endeavored to approach this week’s discussion as allies, and do not claim to have all the answers. For rounded coverage from our black brothers and sisters, we recommend Code Switch, The Breakfast Club, Jamele Hill is Unbothered, ‘Black Trauma And Showing Up At Work‘, and ‘Okay, white people, here’s what you can do now.’

• Andrew discovers quarantine birthdays suck, Lady Gaga drops ‘Chromatica,’ and John Krasinski can go to hell.
• Pam gives her review of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and her take on whether this is a compelling addition to the Hunger Games universe.
• This week in Corona: U.S. deaths have surpassed 100,000, and we’re disgusted by the lack of national mourning.
• Theme parks won’t let that stop them, though – Disney and Universal are set to re-open with strict social distancing and masking guidelines.
• We react to the horrific murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and give our take on the protests happening across the country.
• While the media selectively portrays the protests as violent, they seem to be missing the point: there are tanks in our streets, tear gas and rubber bullets flying. How the fuck did anyone think that would have a positive outcome?
• Resource: Ethel’s Club is providing free grieving and healing sessions to black folks around the world, led by licensed black therapists.
• #Millennial’s recommendations to fight white supremacy:
  • Educate yourself: Prison Culture blog essential reading, Abolitionist Futures
  • VOTE for candidates and legislation to hold authorities accountable
  • Understand racism doesn’t “go away” – it mutates.
  • Confront your implicit biases 
  • Amplify the voices of people of color (and know when to shut up and listen)
  • Support organizations across the country covering the bail and legal fees for arrested protestors: The Bail Project, Minnesota Freedom Fund, Brooklyn Community Bail Fund, Atlanta Solidarity Fund, The National Bail Fund Network. 
  • Support black businesses in your area: Official Black Wall Street, EatOkra (iOS and Android).
•  We see you, we stand with you, we’re here for you. #BlackLivesMatter
• This week’s show recommendations: AMC’s Quiz (Andrew), Netflix’s Dead to Me (Laura), and ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race’ by Reni Eddo-Lodge (Pam). 

And in this week’s installment of After Dark, available on Patreon:

• JK Rowling showing some TERF-dom… again…
• How does this impact our love of the Harry Potter series?
• We confront some of our own implicit biases. After taking this implicit bias test on race, we share our results, what they mean, and how we can get better.

Download now