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Black History Month: Lovecraft Country Edition P1

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Recorded  January 3, 2021

Visiting faculty (Guest): Jesse Hamilton McCoy Click here for Bio 

Topics:

I’m living proof you don’t have to watch or love the show Lovecraft Country (LCC) to glean significant historical value from the script. Here to illuminate the Black history references with his down-to-earth, no non-sense yet comical insights, is Professor Jesse Hamilton McCoy.  

Historical References:

  1. The Freeman family (Get it? Free man) is venturing to recreate a travel guide known as the Negro Motorist Green Book. The Green book lists safe places to for Black people to stay and eat in the United States.
  2. Colorism is address but not symbolized in the juxtaposition of skin complexion and life burden between the two sisters Ruby and Lettie.
    • It’s at this point in the recording that I realize that I would have enjoyed LCC so much better if Jessie had been providing cliff notes after each episode.
  3. Sundown Towns - Towns or neighborhoods in the US that practice racial discrimination by enforcing discriminatory laws and policies  and violence against non-whites who remain in the area after the sun goes down.  **
  4. Illusion Rooms - The manipulation of black people with kindness, pleasantries, and distractions so they will be lured into behaving against their best interests.
  5. Monsters - Monsters are scared of light. They can’t survive if you shine a light on them.**
  6. Tulsa Race Riots - In 1921 a racially charged mass attack on black people, their bodies, homes, and businesses in Greenwood District of Tulsa Oklahoma.

This show is full of historical references so stay tuned for part 2 airing next week!

Quotes:

“They’d call their friends in the fraternity Kappa Kappa Kappa (KKK) on black bodies not being where they were supposed to be [after 5pm].” - Jesse

“[America’s] got bells and whistles and we’ve got monsters. But if you illuminate what’s going on then all these “monsters” become minuscule.” - Jesse

” If HBO knew [what this show was really about], this show would have been cancelled” - Jesse 
NOTE: At the time of this airing, it has not been picked up for season 2. 

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Guest

Book:  Illiumatic by J. Hamilton McCoy

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