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JULY 22, 2020 · VOL. 34 · NO. 29 · FREE

South Somewhere Else

Nana Grizol’s New Album Speaks on Queer Identity and Allyship p. 10

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My COVID-19 Has Lasted 10 Weeks I am one of those long-haul (30 daysplus) COVID-fighter people—10 weeks for me of a moderate case that got better at times, then worse, then better again. I am very glad to say that the last two weeks I have been feeling immensely better. (I waited to make sure sure it wasn’t just another blip before announcing it.) Now, I am somewhere back to my “normal” Chronic Fatigue self. The symptoms of CFIDS are so similar to COVID long-haul that it would be hard to tell the difference in general, but my sudden onset and severe symptoms of COVID that were different from CFIDS are gone. Some of the weird things about having COVID-19: • I never really had the fever or even problems breathing, just many of the other debilitating symptoms—many more than are listed or were even known to exist when I had them. • I had been quarantined by myself for a month before I was exposed to the virus, and I was wearing a triple-layer mask and being very careful, breaking quarantine by going to a procedure at a pain clinic that had been planned since December. I had called ahead to make sure the office was following safe guidelines, but no one there was wearing a mask. • I am often very foggy, forgetful, can’t think of words, but while having COVID, there were times I could not speak one regular sentence. My Facebook activity was mostly just liking/loving or sad/angering— unless I was in a temporary upswing and could type words. • The first time in my illness that I seriously thought I needed to get myself to the ER was in Week 10. That was because of severe rib cage/heart/chest pain. (I thought I had gotten over it three times by that point.) • I never once tested positive with the virology test (negative twice). Yet my doctor did diagnose me as having COVID from video and telephone appointments. • Some people consider my case to be mild because I did not have to go to the hospital, and as fortunate as I feel that it wasn’t worse, I am seeing some people have flu-like

symptoms for a week or even less and that is what I would call “mild.” • Mild, moderate, serious, severe, extreme, death: You do not know which one of these you are passing on to someone else by not wearing a mask or keeping your distance—because you may be pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic. • I had hoped that by the time my fourmonth quarantine was over, that y’all would have contained this and shut it down, but it is worse now. • According to doctors and Tom Hanks, I might not even have antibodies, and even if I do, I might not have them for long. • Someone like me may still have the virus or damage in internal organs, even though we test negative from nasal swab tests. • So I will continue to not be in enclosed spaces with people, wear my mask, stay home as much as I can, keep my distance, disinfect everything—for your health as well as mine. • I am so grateful for all my support crew. (You know who you are.) Thank you. I feel like it will soon be time for me to be paying it forward as this virus explodes. • Melatonin, famotidine, selenium, zinc, vitamins C, A, D; soluble fiber, Pepto Bismol, Ricola throat drops, 15-plus kinds of probiotics, CBD oil, topical magnesium oil, constant fluids, low sugar-wheat-dairy diet, highly digestible green protein drinks, peanut butter, vegetables, oatmeal, fruit juices, antacids, Tylenol, Xanax. (Not all at one time! Do your research to see if they are right for you!) These are the things that helped me through. Good luck out there! Angie Grass Athens

Improve Crisis Response As a white, 69-year-old person who owns property in Clarke County, I support our county commission in doing whatever needs to be done to remove the knee from the throats of our communities of color. I support the defunding of the police if this means redirecting a significant amount of the law enforcement budget to fund a totally new department for crisis response. The end result would be to provide 911 dis-

Residential • Office • Construction • Move In • Move Out

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Taking precautions to ensure everyone stays healthy and disinfecting high touch surfaces. Adilene Valencia 706-424-9810 aecleanathens@gmail.com

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patchers another alternative to the current three responses available—fire department, police department and EMT. This AthensClarke County Crisis Response Department (ACCCRD) would be staffed to the point of being able to respond to multiple situations simultaneously 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A domestic disturbance is reported at a residence: Dispatch the ACCCRD. Gunshots are heard within a residence: Dispatch the ACCPD. A man is reportedly asleep in his car blocking a drive-through restaurant: Dispatch the ACCCRD. A man is reportedly robbing a restaurant: Dispatch the ACCPD. A man is reportedly passing counterfeit money or selling marijuana: Call the ACCCRD to investigate. A man is reportedly running down the street naked: Call the ACCCRD. The ACCCRD would have the authority to call in other agencies—fire, police and EMT—if the situation warrants it. Those who are employed by this newly created Athens-Clarke County Crisis Response Department would be highly trained in the skills of observation and negotiation. They would have their own hierarchy, uniform and arrest powers. They would carry no weapon, but would be trained to use a weapon that is securely kept in the car. They can also help maintain order at UGA football games and downtown events. They can investigate crimes that have already occurred and use the same database as the police. If the Clarke County School District wants to hire law enforcement for the schools, let the officers come from the ACCCRD, not the ACCPD. Only by creating a crisis response department that is budgeted as an equal partner of what we currently call “law enforcement” will all communities in Athens-Clarke County be protected from the various types of disruptions to the social order. Greg Davis Athens

Social Workers Are Important I am writing in response to the article I read about the commission approving to move the monument and vote down police cuts. I can understand people wanting to keep some Confederate monuments around to memorialize their fallen loved ones, but that is the reasoning our government wants you to believe. However, those monuments were put up with the intention to further ideals of white supremacy. Most of these monuments were built in the 1950s and 1960s during crucial civil rights movements.

[Editor’s note: Athens’ monument was erected in 1872.) The government was trying to push further their white supremacy agenda by disenfranchising African Americans through systematic racism. Conveniently erecting these Confederate statues during this time is a slap in the face for everyone fighting for equality. This situation has its parallels with the current condition of civil rights movements and Black Lives Matter. Racism is real, and the South’s history cannot be changed, but its future can be. Speaking of civil rights and equality, I think it is fitting to replace the monument on Broad Street with a rainbow crosswalk as requested by the Athens PRIDE organization, and to announce this in June during Pride is perfect. I think moving the monument to the only place where there even was any Civil War action in Athens is a perfect compromise, because for those who wish to have a way to memorialize their fallen loved ones, they will still have that monument in a more fitting location. As for defunding the police and the commission’s plans to implement and budget for it, I think it is a wonderful idea, and it is nice to see that there are compromises instead of one group or another giving up something completely. You cannot make everyone happy, but you can make things right as best you can. Commissioner Mariah Parker’s idea to cut the number of police officers in half over a 10-year period is a good way to transition into prioritizing public health and child care, which will as a natural result eliminate a lot of issues that would cause police to be involved. If we help people at the root of the issues and begin where they are, be understanding and try to help, a lot of problems will be eliminated. As a social worker who is currently working on her master’s degree at UGA, I can speak to the need for social workers to help people, more so now than ever before. It is and has been on us to connect people to the proper resources they need to live life like everyone else: happy and healthy. Sometimes people need a little extra help or some guidance. Not all police officers are bad. I think it would be a great idea to have social workers working in tandem with police officers because we can all learn a great deal from each other. As with any issue, it all begins at home, with the individual; and placing time, effort and funds into public health and childcare is the perfect way to begin the journey to equality and coexisting as one nation like we should. Elizabeth Zezulka-Byers Athens

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R.I.P. John Lewis (far right) with Bayard Rustin, Andrew Young, William Fitts Ryan and James Farmer 1965.

Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 NEWS: City Dope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

This Modern World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Masks Are Required; School Is Delayed

Comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

NEWS: Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

COVID Grows; Beds and Tests Are in Short Supply

Street Scribe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Curb Your Appetite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Threats & Promises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Record Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

ARTS & CULTURE: Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Nana Grizol Chronicles the Queer South

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Adopt Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Sudoku . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

NEWS: Kiddie Dope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Talk to Your Kids About Black Lives

Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Art Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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CITY EDITOR Blake Aued ARTS & MUSIC EDITOR Jessica Smith OFFICE MANAGER AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Zaria Gholston CLASSIFIEDS Zaria Gholston AD DESIGNERS Chris McNeal, Cody Robinson CARTOONISTS Lee Gatlin, Missy Kulik, Jeremy Long, David Mack PHOTOGRAPHER Whitley Carpenter CONTRIBUTORS Bonita Applebum, Elijah Johnston, Gordon Lamb, Jessica Luton, Kristen Morales, Dan Perkins, Deirdre Sugiuchi, Ed Tant, CIRCULATION Charles Greenleaf, Christopher Linter, Mike Merva EDITORIAL INTERNS Lily Guthrie, Elijah Johnston, Amber Perry COVER ART from Nana Grizol’s new album, South Somewhere Else, was painted by Athens artist Patrick Sprague (see story on p. 10) STREET ADDRESS: 220 Prince Ave., Athens, GA 30601 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603 EDITORIAL: 706-549-9523 · ADVERTISING: 706-549-0301 · FAX: 706-548-8981 CLASSIFIED ADS: class@flagpole.com ADVERTISING: ads@flagpole.com CALENDAR: calendar@flagpole.com EDITORIAL: editorial@flagpole.com

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VOLUME 34 ISSUE NUMBER 29

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comments section This company must be affiliated with CNN… FAKE NEWS BULLSHIT!!! If it’s not true don’t publish it!!!!!! Liar Liar liar!!!!!! I thought at one time reporter’s would fact find first and then print. Not today though!!!!! That is what is wrong with the News in today’s world…Can’t believe anything they say. — Jeff Fincher From “Athens Hospitals Were Full and Diverting Patients Wednesday” at flagpole.com

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Keep Your Mask On ATHENS DEFIES KEMP’S ORDERS, AND MORE LOCAL NEWS By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com People in Athens are still required to wear a mask inside businesses and other public places despite Gov. Brian Kemp’s order overturning local laws mandating face coverings, Mayor Kelly Girtz said last week. “We still have a local ordinance in place, and we are not going to rescind it,” Girtz said. Kemp renewed an executive order July 15 keeping pandemic-related restrictions on restaurants and other businesses in place for at least another two weeks. He did not issue a statewide mask mandate, as many health care workers had called on him to do, and also specifically prohibited cities and counties from enacting or enforcing mask ordinances like the one the AthensClarke County Commission passed earlier this month. Kemp’s office sued the City of Atlanta on July 16 seeking to block its mask ordinance. Since the law took effect July 9, ACC hasn’t issued any fines for violating it, Girtz said. Instead, police and code enforcement officers are carrying masks with them to hand out to violators. Girtz said officers will continue to educate people and seek voluntary compliance rather than hand out tickets. Girtz said he’s spoken to ACC attorneys, as well as other Georgia mayors, about local mask mandates, and is confident they’ll hold up in court. “We believe we have every right to do that as local governments,” he said. He said he’s “frustrated” with Kemp’s “ad hoc” approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that health outcomes should be driving policy. “Instead, it’s been like pulling a rabbit out of a hat,” he said. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson was more blunt, tweeting: “Governor Kemp doesn’t give a damn about us.” Savannah was the first city in Georgia to pass a mask ordinance, preceding Athens’ by a week. Others quickly followed suit. On the same day that Kemp took aim at local mask ordinances, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statewide order requiring masks in indoor public places. At least 25 states have some type of mask law—including several, like Ohio and Texas, that are run by Republicans—and in many states that don’t, cities and counties have issued their own requirements. Kemp is the only governor who’s banned local COVID-19 regulations. In addition, several major retail chains— including Walmart, Kroger, Target and CVS—have announced in recent days that they’ll start requiring masks inside their stores. Many smaller retailers also asked Girtz to pass the local mask ordinance to level the playing field among small businesses, the mayor said. “They’re concerned for the health of their employees,” as well as about liability issues, he said.

CCSD Will Delay School Start Until last week, the state Department of Public Health advised school districts not to reopen if their community had over

100 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. Clarke County, with more than 800 cases per 100,000 people, is firmly within that “red zone.” But DPH recently rescinded that guidance. “I think the reason they did that is our whole state is in the red zone right now,” Amy Roark, director of nursing for the Clarke County School District, told school board members last week. With COVID-19 cases spiking in Athens and all over the state, officials face some tough decisions. Is it safe to bring back 14,000 students and 2,400 employees for in-person instruction in the middle of a pandemic? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? The Clarke County Board of Education voted to move the start of the school year back more than a month, to the Tuesday after Labor Day. Delaying the first day of school will give teachers more time to prepare for the possibility of shifting to distance learning in case it’s unsafe for students to return to class in person this fall, Chief Academic Officer Brannon Gaskins said. Almost 60% of more than 3,600 parents and teachers who responded to a survey said they preferred Sept. 8 over Aug. 3 or Aug. 17. But that survey wasn’t representative of the whole district—some schools had more participation than others, and few people filled out a paper survey, indicating that those without internet access were not fully included. “Although there was an overwhelming choice for Sept. 8, we acknowledge that some communities did not participate in that decision,” Gaskins said. Currently, CCSD plans to offer parents the option of in-person or distance learning. A later start date gives parents more time to choose an instructional model. “We don’t want them to feel rushed in making that selection,” Gaskins said. If the pandemic doesn’t improve, high schools and eighth-graders may start the year at home. “We are ready to have that serious conversation with our principals tomorrow,” Gaskins said. Elementary school students will stay in the same class all day, reducing their exposure to coronavirus, but high school students don’t. And because elementary school classes are more isolated, a COVID case would just require quarantining one class. A COVID case at a middle or high school might mean shutting down the whole school. “It’s going to be very hard to prevent teenagers from intermingling and switching classes and exposing others in the hallways,” Roark said. “That seems logistically unsafe at this point to me.” If middle and high school students are learning at home, elementary school students could use those buildings, giving them more room to spread out. Chief of Operations Dexter Fisher said his team measured classrooms, and there is space for 12–15 students to stay eight feet apart. Putting elementary school classes in middle and high school classrooms would further

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reduce class sizes. One concern about distance learning, though, is internet access. Gaskins said the district has eight “community hot spots” that can be placed on school buses and parked in neighborhoods to provide wi-fi, and is planning on buying more. The school board also recently approved the purchase of digital devices for all kindergarten, first and second grade students. Students in other grades still have the devices they were issued last year. As for school buses, Fisher said they will be filled two per seat, or 48 total passengers. All riders will be required to wear masks, and masks will be provided if someone forgets theirs. Once parents decide on in-person or distance learning and the district knows the numbers, teachers will be assigned to classroom or virtual teaching. “Model teachers” and instructional coaches hand-picked by principals—”the best of our best,” Gaskins said—will create online lessons for each school based on district and state curriculums, and will receive an additional stipend. Board President LaKeisha Gantt, a psychologist, raised the issue of mental health for distance learners. Problems might be hard to recognize online, she said. Gaskins said that staff should take courses on trauma “so we have an eagle eye on not only some students who are suffering from mental illness or struggles, but that some staff are suffering.” Despite the later start date, the school year will still end May 20. Some holidays and parent-teacher conference days will be eliminated, but students will still only receive 155 days of instruction, as opposed to 176 if school were to start Aug. 3 as originally planned. However, 15–20 instructional days could be restored if the state receives a waiver on standardized testing. Under the approved calendar, spring break will be Apr. 2–9. CCSD’s spring break has traditionally coincided with UGA’s in early to mid-March so that parents who work at the city’s largest employer can stay home with their children or schedule vacations. But two-thirds of those surveyed wanted a later spring break this year. Board member Patricia Yager pushed to

eliminate more vacation days to provide more instruction, especially for high-school students whose first semester will be broken up by winter break thanks to the new block schedule, and some of whom will be taking AP classes in an abbreviated time period. “Nobody is visiting Grandma on Thanksgiving when we’re in the middle of a pandemic,” Yaeger said. The board decided to give administrators the authority to adjust the calendar as needed. The vote was 8–1, with Antwon Stephens voting no. For the second meeting in a row, Gaskins was filling in for interim Superintendent Xernona Thomas. Last week, Thomas revealed that she had been hospitalized with COVID-19. “As I can attest, the health and safety of our staff and students is paramount,” Thomas said in a written statement. “My own experience has helped the team recognize the challenges that accompany the pandemic. We will continue to work together to provide the best instruction and support to our students, faculty and staff.”

Athens Transit Is Charging Again Athens Transit started charging bus riders again July 15 after suspending fares during the pandemic. Riders had been boarding at the rear doors since March in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus between drivers and passengers. Now, they’re boarding at the front again, with a plastic shield between the driver and the farebox. Masks are required on the bus, and reusable cloth masks are available while supplies last for those who don’t have one of their own. The fare is $1.75 for most adults. Buses accept cash, but no change is given. Singleand multi-ride passes are available at the Multimodal Transportation Center and through the Token Transit smartphone app. Twenty-two-ride passes are $31. Youth 18 and under, senior citizens 65 and older, the disabled, ACC employees, and UGA students, faculty and staff (with UGA cards) can continue to ride for free. Starting Jan. 1, night and weekend buses will be free for everyone. f

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The COVID Crisis

Cases Grow in Athens as Tests and Hospital Beds Are in Short Supply By Jessica Luton news@flagpole.com

ocal, state and national coronavirus statistics continue to increase each day, to the dismay of everyone from parents, teachers and students to local leaders, business owners and public health experts alike. Looking ahead to fall, the numbers do not bode well anytime in the near future for how local schools and UGA will hold classes, much less for the prospect of football, concerts or other large events that bring visitors to Athens.

Cases Are Spiking Looking at the numbers in detail, it’s clear there’s been a tremendous spike in cases in July. Before the July 4th weekend, AthensClarke County had a cumulative total of roughly 400 positive, confirmed cases since the pandemic hit locally in March. On July 10, the number had more than doubled to 897. As of July 19, Athens-Clarke County had 1,238 positive cases and 15 deaths. That means cases nearly tripled in two weeks. While deaths haven’t increased drastically, the death count usually lags behind increases in positive cases by a few weeks. The real concern, whether deaths are increasing or not, is that an increase in cases will further stress the local healthcare system. Hospitals are stressed with everyday patients already. Increasing coronavirus hospitalizations would further stress resources for hospitals. On Wednesday, July 15, Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Russell Edwards reported that both St. Mary’s Hospital and Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center were diverting non-emergency patients. Only seven critical-care beds remained open at local hospitals, and 63 beds were occupied at that time, according to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. Last week, 84 percent of all the critical care (or ICU) beds were in use statewide. That meant only 16 percent of all the beds in the state were available for patients who require hospitalization and ICU care. “I think that we have tipped over into exponential growth,” said Amber Schmidtke, a public health microbiologist who is monitoring the COVID-19 situation. “So I am not shocked by where we are. I think that we’re going to have several record-setting days in our future. I am concerned about how our hospitals are coping with the increase not just in cases, but in hospitalizations.”

Testing Isn’t 1, 2, 3 Despite what President Trump has suggested in recent weeks, the numbers are not just going up because we’re testing more. The percentage of daily positive cases has gone up and shows no signs of letting up any time soon. We’re actually testing more robustly and getting a better understanding

of cases now than we were at the outset of the pandemic, Schmidtke said. “We’re doing better than we were at the earlier stages of the pandemic, and another development is that our testing output has become far more consistent, and so that’s a really good sign, but we are still seeing a really high positivity rate on a day to day basis,” she said. “The reason that’s important is that the [World Health Organization] recommends that you get at or below a 5% positive rate, because that’s a sign that you are testing widely enough that you’re likely not missing any asymptomatic cases.” New York, for example, had very high positivity rates at the beginning of the pandemic, but they’ve since knocked their transmission rate down so much that they have very few cases on a day-to-day basis, with a daily positivity rate of 3%. Georgia’s positive test rate is nearly 15%.

spokesperson told Flagpole earlier this month that they have expanded their contact tracing capability and added an additional 18 contact tracers to help track and isolate those who have been exposed to someone with a positive case. Given the increase in cases, however, that could mean an exacerbated and unmanageable case load for local contact tracers. DPH did not respond to additional inquiries about how the spike in numbers is affecting contact tracing locally. While the ACC Commission did pass a mandatory mask policy for the county earlier this month, Gov. Brian Kemp on July 15 extended coronavirus restrictions and added language that specifically bans local governments from passing face mask ordinances for public places. That likely will not help the situation here in Athens. Edwards, after learning

Here are the coronavirus statistics for the 10-county Northeast Health District region, as reported by the Georgia Department of Public Health on July 19. COUNTY

CASES

PER 100,000

HOSPITALIZATIONS

DEATHS

Barrow

760

880

137

Clarke

1,238

954

Elbert

235

1,240

Greene

161

860

Jackson

618

827

Madison

225

746

Morgan

107

559

Oconee

289

692

Oglethorpe

137

899

Walton

645

673

GEORGIA

143,123

N/A

15,010

3,173

Up-to-date statistics are available at dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report.

Locally, it has become more difficult in recent weeks to get a testing appointment in a timely manner and get results quickly. Upon inquiring with a local CVS, for instance, Flagpole learned that testing appointments were booked up for almost the whole next week. This lag time, notes Schmidtke, is concerning but isn’t a problem unique to Georgia. Nationwide, there are testing supply shortages again. “We know there’s a bottleneck right now in terms of test availability, not just as our sample collection goes, but also the test itself. The materials… are in short supply, so that’s part of it,” she said. “We’re also having pretty significant backlogs.” The lag time puts the whole system of trying to curb the spread in danger, she added. If you’re supposed to shelter in place while you wait for test results, a 10–14 day delay in getting results is going to make people less inclined to stay home and won’t prevent people from exposing others if they decide not to wait until they get their results. A local Department of Public Health

the tenuous situation at local hospitals, implored the governor to take statewide action and help curb the spread of the virus. Instead, when he renewed his emergency order July 15, Kemp not only did not mandate mask-wearing, he specifically barred local governments from doing so. “We’re not on an island here in Athens,” Edwards said. “People come and go from all the surrounding counties, so no matter what laws we passed locally, their effectiveness is diluted by the fact that there is no statewide policy providing any protection. “The real hope,” he added, “is that Gov. Kemp will muster the courage to enact public health laws that studies have proven exhaustively worldwide help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is increasing evidence that masks help keep people who unknowingly have COVID-19 from spreading it to others. “We are not defenseless against COVID-19,” CDC Director Robert R. Redfield said in a July 14 news release. “Cloth face coverings are one of the most

powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus—particularly when used universally within a community setting. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families and their communities.”

What’s Ahead There is some glimmer of hope ahead on the scientific front. Locally, the University of Georgia has received the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification, meaning that they can now test human samples. That designation could make an impact locally, especially as students return to town. UGA would be able to help process samples and, in theory, their additional resources and assistance could improve return time on results. Another positive point: The mandate for everyone to wear masks on the UGA campus, as well as the local mandate to wear masks in public in Athens-Clarke County, are both likely to help curb the spread of the virus, if they’re done in conjunction with social distancing and regular hand-washing. On the other hand, UGA students coming back to town bring a lot of concern, as they may further stress testing capacity and ignore CDC guidelines to practice social distancing and wear masks around others outside of class at social gatherings. While younger people are less susceptible to the disease, most public health experts believe they’ve been driving the recent spike in the South as they flocked to reopened bars, leading the governors of Texas, Florida and Louisiana—though not Georgia—to close them again. While UGA is not ready to present their plans officially, interim Senior Executive Director for Marketing and Communications Gregory Trevor offered the following statement in response to questions about UGA’s plans for testing and other potential measures in the fall: “From the outset, the University of Georgia’s primary commitment has been to the health and safety of our faculty, staff and students. We have been working diligently—with the engagement of faculty health and medical experts—to prepare our campus for the resumption of in-person instruction this fall in a manner consistent with federal and state health and safety guidelines. “These preparation efforts are ongoing, and we are developing plans for testing, screening and surveillance, which will be shared with the campus community when they are complete. “Contact tracing remains the responsibility of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “The university continues to provide regular updates to the campus community about our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These updates are also available on the university’s COVID website: uga.edu/ coronavirus/info.php.” f

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County slaughtered a group of Black men for participating in the Colored Farmers Alliance. The monument also stood sentinel back in 1964, when a Black minister led his parishioners to register to vote at the courthouse, and the police department attacked the congregation with German shepherds. To date, 48% of African Americans, who By Deirdre Sugiuchi news@flagpole.com make up 70% of Greenwood’s population, live below the poverty line. Three blocks from my childhood home, the wrongs enacted by white elites before As an adult, I live in Athens, GA, the Mississippi’s second largest Confederate the Civil War and during its bloody afterstate with the most Confederate monumonument stands on the lawn of math, whitewashing white supremacy into ments in the nation. Athens is guarded by Greenwood’s Leflore County Courthouse. heritage. a monument of its own, erected in 1872, Five figures carved from marble shortly after the war, at the end of surround the base. The sixth figure, Reconstruction, a time when the Ku standing on the monument’s pinKlux Klan was organizing to discournacle, is of Gen. Benjamin Grubbs age Black equality. It is the second Humphreys, who, despite being monument in Georgia and ninth in removed as Mississippi’s governor the nation. in 1868, was celebrated for institutFundraising for Athens’s moning the Black Codes in 1866. These ument was led by Laura Cobb laws criminalized Blackness and Rutherford, sister of Howell Cobb, led to the rise of sharecropping and a five-term member of the United convict leasing, which fueled white States House of Representatives and Greenwood’s economic fortune. speaker, who also served as Georgia’s Fundraising for Greenwood’s 40th governor and was President monument was led by Lizzie George Buchanan’s secretary of the treasury. Henderson. Before her marriage, In 1856,Cobb published A Scriptural Henderson served as secretary to her Examination of the Institution of father, Sen. J.Z. George, a planter Slavery in the United States, which and Confederate colonel who helped argued that African slavery was a craft the Mississippi Plan, which punishment “inflicted upon the disenfranchised most Blacks of the enslaved for their wickedness,” right to vote via poll taxes and selecand that “slavery, as it exists in the tive literacy tests. United States, is the Providentially Henderson was president of arranged means whereby Africa is the national chapter of the United to be lifted from her deep degradaDaughters of the Confederacy, an tion, to a state of civil and religious organization whose goal was to liberty.” instruct and distill in the “descenHowell Cobb was one of the dants of the South a proper respect founders of the Confederacy, servfor the pride in a glorious war ing as president of the Provisional history.” The UDC controlled how Congress of the Confederate States, the Civil War was remembered by and he oversaw the drafting of the The 1872 Athens Confederate memorial will be moved to a site near sponsoring patriotic essay contests Confederate constitution. In his the Battle of Barber Creek. and by placing Confederate flags, last public speech at Bush Arbor in portraits of Confederate leaders and Atlanta in 1868, Cobb argued for pro-Confederate history books in public The Greenwood monument was erected the reestablishment of a white supremacist school classrooms. They led fundraising for in 1913. The name of my great grandfather, government in Georgia, encouraging his monuments erected across the nation and son of a Confederate and former mayor of listeners to “rid yourselves of the miserahelped shape Southern and national white Greenwood, was among those read at the ble vermin who are fastening themselves opinion into a pro-Confederate consensus. ceremony. The monument was erected 24 upon you, who are calling on you to appoint These efforts created a social silence on years after a posse of white men in Leflore them to the Supreme Court, to the Superior

news

Celebrate Removal

WHITE SUPREMACISTS RAISED THE CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS

WHITLEY CARPENTER

Court, and the District Court, and who, in the better days of the Republic, never would have presumed to solicit the appointment of a doorkeeper or of a messenger, men whom you know to be unworthy.” The Confederate dead on the Athens monument are listed in alphabetical order after Gen. T.R.R. Cobb, Laura and Howell’s brother, who died in 1862 at the Battle of Fredericksburg. T.R.R. Cobb was an author of the Confederate constitution and of Cobb’s Inquiry, which argued that the “negro race” was built for labor due to physicality, that their mental capacity “adapts them for the direction of the wiser race,” and that their “moral character renders them happy, peaceful, contented and cheerful in a status that would break the spirit and destroy the energies of the Caucasian or the native American.” To date, 26.4% of the residents of Athens-Clarke County are Black, and 39.2% of them live below the poverty line. Recently, in both Greenwood and Athens, local governments have voted to remove the monuments. The decision is controversial. In Athens, the Sons of Confederate Veterans filed a lawsuit (later thrown out) to prevent the monument’s removal, arguing that would be “an act of terrorism, equivalent to the atrocities performed by the Taliban and ISIS to erase the heritage and culture in their region,” sentiments reflected by some in Mississippi. Regardless, commissioners in both towns have agreed to continue with their plans for removal. In effect, they are acknowledging that the monuments were erected by white supremacists to celebrate former slave owners who enacted racist policies which have led to people of color being disproportionately poor and overrepresented in the prison system today. It’s a move we should all celebrate. By removing the monuments, we are able to show respect to the African Americans enslaved here in the South and to their descendants—and also honor those who have spent the past four centuries fighting for equality. We should all celebrate this rejection of white supremacy, and view the removals as a new beginning, an investment in an equitable, antiracist future, not just in our communities, but in America. f

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Real American Heroes ROSA PARKS AND MORE IDEAS FOR TRUMP’S STATUE GARDEN By Ed Tant news@flagpole.com Speaking at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota on July 3, President Donald J. Trump seemed small indeed beneath the granite gazes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt carved into the face of a mountain on land that was sacred to Native Americans before it was stolen by white men in the 19th Century. Trump used the occasion to lambast the left and call for the creation of a National Garden of American Heroes, what he called “a vast outdoor park that will feature the statues of the greatest Americans to ever live.” The proposed statue garden would include 31 statues, including inventors like the Wright Brothers, civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Frederick Douglass, soldiers Audie Murphy and George Patton, and right-wing icons President Ronald Reagan and Justice Antonin Scalia. One does not have to look too far to come up with worthy Americans who were heroic in their times and are deserving of commemoration today.

How many Trump supporters know that this nation’s Pledge of Allegiance was written by a socialist?

“

While Trump and his supporters waved the flag and fireworks exploded over Mount Rushmore, one had to wonder how many of them know that this nation’s Pledge of Allegiance was written by a socialist. Francis Bellamy (1855–1931) was a writer and a Christian minister who once preached a sermon titled “Jesus the Socialist.” He penned the pledge for a children’s magazine in 1892, the 400th anniversary of the voyage of Christopher Columbus. Though he was a minister, his original pledge did not include the phrase “under God” because Bellamy believed in a country of inclusiveness for all citizens of every creed. “Under God” was tacked onto his pledge during the repressive McCarthy era of the 1950s. Albert Parsons (1848–87) was a labor leader and anarchist orator who was hanged in Chicago in 1887 after the infamous Haymarket Riot. A Southerner who served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, Parsons came to view the conflict as “the slave-holders rebellion.” Parsons was scorned in his native South after the war because of his

radical views and for his interracial marriage to Lucy Parsons, a woman of AfricanAmerican and Hispanic descent. The couple worked for better wages and working conditions for laborers during the “Gilded Age” of plutocrats against the poor. They took prescient stands against child labor and police misconduct. The couple deserves to be honored as what John Lennon called “working class heroes.” Marine Gen. Smedley Butler (1881– 1940) was a two-time Medal of Honor recipient who at the time of his death was the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. He became a leading antiwar voice who famously said, “War is a racket,” and fumed that he was used as “a hit man for big business” during his military career. He stood against the Businessmen’s Plot of the 1930s that sought to remove President Franklin Roosevelt in a military/corporate coup d’etat. Alice Paul (1885–1977) endured prison for her tireless work for women’s right to vote. She was a leader of the Woman Suffrage Procession that upstaged the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson in Journalist Ida B. Wells would make a fine addition to a statue garden of American heroes. 1913, when thousands of suffragists filled the streets of the nation’s capital. Ida B. Wells (1862–1931) was a writer and a civil rights to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom advocate whose journalism exposed the horrors of lynching and equality and justice and prosperity for all people.” She in the Jim Crow South. An African-American woman who was an inspiration for all people of every race. called on this nation’s Black people to arm themselves as Two American heroes died on the same day recently, protection against white supremacy, she also defied the and both should be remembered and revered in any gallery more genteel segregation of the 1913 women’s suffrage of great Americans. Civil rights icons John Lewis and C.T. march in Washington by linking hands and marching with Vivian both passed away on July 17. Lewis was 80 and white women in the parade. Vivian was 95. Both were champions of the freedom moveRosa Parks (1913–2005) earned her nickname as “the ment against segregation in the Jim Crow South and both Mother of the Movement” for civil rights when she took a were beaten and jailed during their long struggle for racial stand for justice by sitting down in the “whites only” secjustice. Both fought heroic battles for the right to vote for tion of a city bus in Alabama in 1955. Her act of defiance all Americans of every race, and the words of Congressman led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott that catapulted a young Lewis are more relevant now than ever during this crucial minister named Martin Luther King Jr. into the national election year: “The vote is precious. It’s almost sacred, so go spotlight. Parks was a black woman who said, “I would like out and vote like you never voted before.” f

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South Somewhere Else

music

feature

Nana Grizol Investigates Queer Identity and a Complex History of Place By Jessica Smith arts@flagpole.com

wonder and the heartache that we feel at different times in our lives—and the wonder one could never imagine until one feels it! The first song on the album is actually the last one that we wrote the lyrics to. The song was inspired by a conversation with our good friend, Jess, while we were recording in Greensboro, NC. She wrote great lyrics about the same concept.

about family and intimacy outside of nuclear, heteropatriarchal constructions. I wrote it on tour, thinking about the people I’m close to that I see for a day, or a few days, and then leave, or people I’ve felt some kind of intimacy with soon after meeting and maintain a connection to as pen pals and friends.

or well over a decade, Nana Grizol has crafted tender folk-punk melodies that serve as cathartic, vulnerable reflections on the Southern queer experience. After relocating to New Orleans in 2015, singer-songwriter Theo Hilton now has enough distance to view his hometown Athens from a new vantage point—a place “South Somewhere Else” is about growthat, despite celebrating itself as a liberal We wrote “Jangle Manifesto” really early ing up in Athens in a white, liberal, univerisland in a sea of red, still passively harbors on in the process of the album. It’s really sity-educated family, and feeling a sense of many of the same injustices and inequalities about the idea that powerful narratives— measured distance from “the South” and that plague the larger region. The band’s like those informed by nationalism and the complicated histories of place. I rememfourth studio album, South Somewhere Else, capitalism—really work to divide people ber as a kid feeling like relatives elsewhere not only re-examines Hilton’s self-identity from one another. It introduces a major in the region were worlds away, and like we and personal concept of home, but confronts a complicated history of place, where rose-colored romanticism often obscures an underlying perpetuation of racial violence. The album was recently co-released through record labels Arrowhawk and Don Giovanni. Creating the album involved several commutes back to Athens to practice with longtime members Matte Cathcart, Robbie Cucchiaro and Jared Gandy, as well as a week-long trip to Legitimate Business Studio in Greensboro, NC. Though primarily written and recorded last summer, the lyrics swiftly traverse subjects that are all the more pertinent today, as the Black Lives Matter movement spurs a long-overdue cultural overhaul. Hilton considers a significant influence of the album to be the LGBTQ liberation organization Southerners On New Ground, which has informed his personal Nana Grizol members (top, from left) Theo Hilton, Matte Cathcart, Robbie Cucchiaro and Jared Gandy pursuit into abolitionist political work and solidarity-building. Marginalized as a queer person, yet privitheme on the record, which is the ways we were somehow more enlightened because leged as a white cisgender man, he uses his are taught to understand the world through we lived in this college town and knew peomusical platform as a call for activism, allycategories that exist to oppress. ple from other college towns. These binary ship and accountability of both ourselves constructions enabled us to tell ourselves a and our communities. “Plantation Country” is a protest song story that “racism isn’t here, it’s there,” or “The album’s lyrics contemplate my own about tourism branding of the southeastern “homophobia isn’t here, it’s there,” etcetera. socialization as a white, male-bodied queer United States. The song asks what it means That narrative, in turn, kept us from asking person in a Southern college town, and for state tourism boards to promote whitequestions about the segregation and exclutry to parse out ways in which that condiwashed versions of these places as sites of sion all around us. tioning is ever-present in my experience,” leisure, and the psychic damage these narIt was really hard to begin reckoning says Hilton. “My hope is that these songs ratives do. It probes how symbols of white with that. Talking about whiteness means can contribute to an understanding of how supremacy simultaneously uphold and white folks acknowledging the ways that we our lived experiences relate to structures obscure present-day connections to plantareap benefits from investing in white priviof power—both in terms of what we can tion pasts. Written from the perspective of lege every day. That’s not just in Athens, or attain, and what we can imagine.” someone socialized as white in the shadow in “the South.” That’s all of us white folks, of these places, “Plantation Country” everywhere. We need to be really skeptical Below, Hilton presents a track-by-track explores the hurt these narratives continue of the impulse to try to locate ourselves guide for listening to South Somewhere to inflict. It looks to self-work and solidaroutside of it. And most importantly, we Else. ities across difference for the potential to need to stop buying into histories and politunlearn this harmful conditioning ical frameworks that center the actions and “Future Version” is a song for our desires of a few white men. younger selves. Or rather, it’s a song for “Not the Night Wind,” which is about the selves we see in our younger friends learning how to find queer connection, “Quiet, I Can Feel It” is about trying to and family members, who remind us of the could be taken a lot of ways for thinking let go of the simplistic narratives we tell

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about ourselves and our relationships. My experience of queerness is made possible by so many people’s different stories and expectations and dreams and activism and lives and deaths. This song thinks specifically about the queer rights movement, about ACT UP and Stonewall, and how those stories are so important for us to understand what we’re doing today. And it’s about how one of the best parts of those movements is that they fought for queer people to be themselves in expansive ways—that’s so important to not forget. “We Carry the Feeling” is about my experiences of what it felt like to be a queer person in the Athens punk scene of the late 1990s and early 2000s. In that community, I discovered leftist politics and aesthetics, and my queerness found some sense of acceptance, but never quite inclusion. I didn’t have the language for it then, and I was unable to see how heteronormativity rigidly shaped the expectations of people around me, as well as my own self-perception. I learned that the collectives we create are always imperfect; we perpetuate what we critique in ways that are often difficult to see. I wrote the lyrics for “Autumn” in the car while listening to an audio book of Toni Morrison’s God Help The Child, her last novel (she read all her own audiobooks…so cool!). Like much of Morrison’s work, it also talks about reckoning with constrictive narratives. There’s this section three quarters of the way through the book where the protagonist is thinking about his childhood and this terrible thing that happened to his brother, and how that shaped his understanding of himself and the world, and it just fit in along these themes we were already working with about socialization and breaking out of structures—and so I just kept pulling over and writing lines. “Brilliant Blue” is kind of a continuation of “Bright Cloud” from Ursa Minor. It is about exploring openness in a primary relationship, moving forward but never feeling super linear in that, and learning to stay open to what may come as you settle down in some ways. “About the Purpose That We Serve” is kind of bratty. It’s about believing that we all have the power to see and change the world within us, and we’ve got to listen to each other and trust each other and ourselves to try to make good choices. And to put more trust in each other than people who are positioned as “experts.” f

music

threats & promises

For Starless Nights and Quiet Times PLUS, MORE MUSIC NEWS AND GOSSIP By Gordon Lamb threatsandpromises@flagpole.com DUSK TO DIGITAL: Perhaps better known in the

brick-and-mortar club land for his work with Jet Engine Dragons and Beast Mode, guitarist Corey Flowers is also an accomplished classical guitarist and composer. Indeed, he holds both a minor in composition and a doctorate in guitar performance from the University of Georgia. His newest solo work is titled For Starless Nights and Quiet Times. The five pieces here showcase Flowers’ talent in a taut package which serves as a nice insight into his sense of structure with regard to his other projects. This isn’t in any way an easy listening record or a by-the-numbers classical guitar record. Reflective of its title, the pieces here contain soothingly Corey Flowers calm sections accompanied by huge swaths of despair-ridden emptiness and coldness. Also, this is fully electric and, as such, reveals a musical kinship to both black metal and experimental metal in ways that an acoustic rendering would not. Check it out at coreyflowers.bandcamp.com. THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS: Longtime experi-

menter Michael Pierce, who’s spent several years now making music with Wet Garden and as the solo act Leisure Service, has a new project named sweetearthflying. And what does everyone with a new project do? Make a record, that’s what. This one is named spells to hasten the end of u.s. imperialism, and is—purportedly, but I’ve no reason to believe otherwise—11 spells dedicated to the realization of its title. I

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of having all the illness tumble out of it, thus bringing an end to the war in Vietnam. Pierce’s purpose here is much broader, and Norman Mailer is dead. So if you dig his thing, he’s gonna need your support. Point your magic wand toward sweet earthflying. bandcamp.com, and get in on this. TWIN ENGINES: There’s a new split cassette

have it on good authority that Pierce used “a modular synthesizer called the CiatLonbarde Cocoquantus. The circuit board of the Cocoquantus is laid out based on a map of the Pentagon, and these musical excursions are actual spells…[performed] against the U.S. military industrial complex.” Each of the 11 tracks is improvisa-

available between Wuornos and Ihlyatt. Although you can only preview two tracks without laying down some bucks, each is a representation of the artists involved. Wuornos has “bright the hawk’s flight on the empty sky” up for listening, and it draws in the listener with a nicely repetitive melody before breaking off into a modulating howl which then disintegrates into a screech. Ihlyatt’s preview track, “A Quietly Humming White Box” sounds like exactly that; something ill-grounded that creates a slightly irritating digital earwig. This would be a cool jam to experience in person but this particular track isn’t terribly compelling, which was surprising as Ihlyatt’s other recent work most certainly has been. At any rate, this is also available digitally, but the tapes are limited to an edition of 15. Press

the play button over at pisshelltapes.band camp.com, and see what you think. PURE POP FOR NOW PEOPLE: I’ve written a hell

of a lot about our local noise/experimental scene over the past few months, so here’s something that’s decidedly… not that. Pure pop rock band Cloudland has steadily released singles and EPs since 2017, the latest single being “Walking Away,” which came out July 10. More than any other local artist I can think of, this band is 100% of its time. Current fans of Imagine Dragons, Twenty One Pilots, et al will feel quite at home with these dudes on the stereo. Importantly, to me at least, there’s no trace of cynicism anywhere across their multiple tunes. No contempt for their audience, no marked lack of hope, and also no clear aping of anyone else, modern influences notwithstanding. Maybe it’s because of our current inundation of bad news, bad vibes and overall global gloom that Cloudland, who as recently as a year ago might have seemed painfully earnest, is today a much needed moment of fresh air. Find these guys on Spotify, or head to cloudlandband.com for more information. f

record review

tional, and though they were each recorded the same day (July 4, natch!), they do seem to arrive as movements. Spells one–four act as an invocation of sorts, introducing the listener to the project via aggressive and purposefully disjointed electro bit-n-bobs. Tracks four–seven calm down only in the very slightest way, but, not insignificantly, introduce the first barely-there instances of melody and guitar. Finally, tracks eight–11 wrap it all up while bringing the tension back up a decent amount. Further, the listener gets all of this through head-splitting monophonic delivery. The best tracks here are the ones with room to breathe, and that would mean Spells eight and 11. Man, I dunno. I mean, the Yippies tried to levitate the Pentagon back in ’67 for the purposes

LOCAL NEWS

Nicholas Mallis: The Final Station (Laser Brains) Released almost a year after being recorded, there’s nothing stale about The Final Station, the energized new record from Nicholas Mallis. Running a tight 27 minutes, The Final Station creates an immersive palette that ably explores the tension between the heart, the mind and the body. Mallis spends a good bit of time dealing with the synthetic; there’s lush synthesizer tones, vintage drum machines and plenty of reverb, but he’s always ready and able to drop a killer bassline or a post punk guitar riff before things become too robotic. This tightrope walking is echoed in many of the lyrics as well. Mallis is equally likely to sing about alien mind control conspiracies or the existential trap of consumerism as he is to conjure up deeply human images: playing ding-dong ditch up and down Boulevard, avoiding your friends at the store, finding peace in familiar culture. Mallis seals the deal throughout with his penchant for dynamics, especially on “The Final Station” or “When Karen Comes Home,” when he slows the propulsive songs down to increase the power of their solid hooks. With knowledge of the past and an ear to the ground, Mallis keeps making music that will make you stop to think and start to dance in equal measure. [Elijah Johnston]

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cla cl assifi fie eds Buy It, Sell It, Rent It, Use It! Place an ad anytime, email class@flagpole.com

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REAL ESTATE APARTMENTS FOR RENT 3BR/2BA apartment. Remodeled, new flooring and paint on five acres. Please call 941-962-4933 for more information.

CONDOS FOR RENT

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Beautiful 2BR/2BA condo for rent. Upstairs features master suite w/ large bedroom, walk-in closet, full bath and access to two walk-in attic storage areas. Downstairs has large living room and dining area, full bath and kitchen w/ appliances and granite countertops. Laundry area near rear entrance, W/D included. Exte ri or s t or ag e s h e d attached to unit. Private back patio and parking. Utilities not included. No pets or smoking, please. $1200/mo. For more information contact 559-7317851.

ROOMS FOR RENT

HOUSES FOR RENT

Office space available at 220 Prince Ave. Flagpole has more space then we need in the 1907 two-story house that we rent across from The Grit and Hendershot’s! Three spaces available on the second floor: $800/ month for large office; Facing Prince Ave., lots of windows, built-in bookcase and decorative fireplace. $600/month for medium office; 17ft x 14ft, decorative fireplace and storage closet. $350/month for small office; Perfect for space for a single person to get some work done. All spaces include parking for the renter and a guest, all utilities (except phone) including inter net and use of shared conference room. Must have limited foot traffic. No reception available. Please email ads@flagpole.com for more information or to set up an appointment.

Newly renovated 2BR/1BA in Historic Normaltown. $1400/month. Available mid-July or August. Please visit www.133LenoirAvenue.com for more details.

flagpole classifieds Reach Over 30,000 Readers Every Week! Business Services Real Estate Music For Sale

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HOUSES FOR SALE

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Townhome in the Oak Grove community. 3BR/2.5BA. Immaculate home in a desired community w/ amenities. Perfect for professionals, family or college students. Minutes from downtown Athens. $259,900. For more infor mation or a showing contact Marcy Cheatham, Keller Williams. 678-863-4071/marcy cheatham@kw.com

SUB-LEASE Looking for someone to take up my lease from Oct. 2020–June 1, 2021. Bogart apartment in a quiet neighborhood near Atlanta Hwy. Easy access to post office, library, downtown Athens, etc. Includes living room, kitchen, laundry room, b e d ro o m , s m a l l b a t h room, easy parking and more. $675/mo. Must have a credit score at 600 or above. Call or text Jen at 410-212-2657.

MUSIC EQUIPMENT Nuçi’s Space needs your old instruments & music gear, especially drum equipment! All donations are tax-deductible. 706227-1515 or come by Nuçi’s Space, 396 Oconee St. Sell your musical equipment in the Flagpole Classifieds.

INSTRUCTION Athens School of Music. Instruction in guitar, bass, drums, piano, voice, brass, woodwinds, strings, banjo, mandolin, fiddle & more. From beginner to expert. Visit www.athensschoolof music.com, 706-543-5800.

SERVICES HOME AND GARDEN Plumber Pro Service & Drain. Upfront Pricing. Free Estimates. $30 Flagpole Discount. Call 706-7697761. Same Day Service Available. www.plumber proservice.com. Flagpole ♥s our readers.

PETS

PART-TIME

PAWSitively Dawg Sitter: Helping with your individual needs during your vacation. Responsible and reasonable rates. Love for dawgs! Five Points/ Beechwood area. Please call: 706-461-6884.

Seeking excellent typists (65+ WPM) to start immediately. Flexible schedules with 16 hours/per week minimum. Office policies include mandatory cleanings, socially distant workstations and no unauthorized visitors. Pay starts at $9.25 with $1/hour or higher raises after training. No previous transcription experience required. Apply at www.ctscribes.com

JOBS FULL-TIME ABC Package is hiring par t-time and full-time team members to assist customers on the sales floor, front end cashiers and merchandiser/stock associates. Must be 21. Please apply at 2303 W. Broad St. Clocked is looking for experienced, professional, kitchen staff. Must have at least two years of fine dining, fast-casual culinary experience. Starting wages at $15/hour with benefits. Needs to be fun, creative and dedicated to providing good comfort food and service to customers. Resumes only. hollandshield@gmail.com Find full-time and part-time employees by advertising in the Flagpole Classifieds.

ADOPT ME!

BASIC RATES*

Seeking vir t ual assistant, preferably a literature graduate student interested inpublishing industry. Applicant will research publishing houses and agencies and assist author in submission process. Part-time but looking for long-term working relationship. Excellent organizational s k i l l s a m u s t . $ 1 5 / h r. Contact Dr. Kuhl at joseph kuhl@gmail.com.

NOTICES MESSAGES Flagpole subscriptions delivered straight to the mailbox! Perfect present for your buddy who moved out of town! $45 for 6 mos. or $80 for 1 yr. Call 706549-0301.

Visit athenspets.net to view all the cats and dogs available at the shelter

Individual $10 per week Real Estate $14 per week Business $16 per week (RTS) Run-‘Til-Sold** $40 per 12 weeks Online Only*** $5 per week *Ad enhancement prices are viewable at flagpole.com **Run-‘Til-Sold rates are for MERCHANDISE ONLY ***Available for individual rate categories only

PLACE AN AD • Call our Classifieds Dept. (706) 549-0301 • Email us at class@flagpole.com

• Deadline to place ads is 11:00 a.m. every Monday for the following Wednesday issue • All ads must be prepaid

Royal (53459)

There isn’t much info available about this sweet girl right now, but what we do know is that she’s a year old, spayed and 44 pounds. To learn more about Royal and how you can meet her, please give the shelter a call!

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Sam (53344)

If you want a pup that loves to chill on the couch but will also show off the sticks he’s found outside, look no further! Sam is furever home ready and can’t wait to meet you, so set up an appointment and meet this guy, ASAP!

Toby (53691)

Pictures of Toby show us that he’s a charming and playful dog that definitely deserves a loving home. Toby is a year old, neutered and weighs in at 50 pounds, so there’s ample pup to bond with here!

These pets and many others are available for adoption at:

Athens-Clarke County Animal Control 125 Buddy Christian Way · 706-613-3540 Call for appointment

flagpole

Edited by Margie E. Burke

2 3

5 7

HOW TO SOLVE:

Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3 by 3 boxes must contain theofnumbers 9. Week 7/20/201- to 7/26/20

The Weekly Crossword 1

by Margie E. Burke

7 27 3 34 1 38 8 43 6 48 4 2 55 5 9 62

Solution to Sudoku: 25 24

8 28 2 6 9 3 5 1 56 4 7

4 9 5 2 7 1 6 857 3

1 8 4 7 944 2 552 3 6

9 6 2 293 5 735 4 6 2 3 7 8 39 40 6 5 1 4 45 1 4 5 2 349 8 6 9 8 9 3 7 7 2 9 581 4 1 8 635

5 1 36 9 3 8 7 53 4 6 2 64

23 26

30 37 41 46

42 47

50 54 59

65 68 71

ACROSS 1 Down in the 52 ___ no evil dumps 53 Figure out 5 Acted like 55 Field laborer of 9 Loses color old 14 Litter's littlest 59 Maine capital 15 Quaker's "you" 62 Color of honey 16 Say "y'all," say 63 Right on the 17 Math computation map? 18 Youngster 65 Diving bird 19 Firing place 66 Get a whiff of 20 Many May babies 67 Smart-___ 22 Wrongdoing 68 Surrounded by 24 Olympic lake in 69 Astronaut Ride NY 70 Kin's partner 26 ___-Atlantic 71 Count (on) 27 Small night bird 29 Materials for DOWN Renoir 1 Boast 34 Like some music 2 Fishing item 36 Web developer's 3 Out of work concern 4 Amazon, e.g. 37 Kind of sign 5 Room at the top? 38 Playfully shy 6 Prefix with 39 Acrobat's attire "therapy" 42 Phone's ABC 7 Comics shriek 43 Anagram for 8 Consider to be "ruse" 9 Iran, once 45 Caesar's hello 10 Finder of a 46 Perfume sampler magic lamp 48 Superfluous 11 Place to wait 51 Ball VIP 12 Result of honing

13 Farmer's purchase 21 Birth-related 23 BMW, e.g. 25 Swell, as the abdomen 27 Come to pass 28 Which person's? 30 Shepherd's locale 31 Annoying 32 Spa handout 33 Siesta sound 35 Hard to lift 40 In vitro items 41 Fix, as software 44 Monroe's co-star in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" 47 Worldly 49 Almost 50 Child's china 54 Like Rembrandt 55 Mountain route 56 Austen heroine 57 Son of Adam 58 Boat-building wood 60 Work hard 61 Opie's dad 64 Frazier foe

Puzzle answers are available at www.flagpole.com/puzzles

arts & culture

kiddie dope

Anti-Racism Starts at Home TIPS FOR TALKING TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT BLACK LIVES By Kristen Morales news@flagpole.com Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be… white supremacists. With all the talk lately around Black lives and systematic oppression and what’s fair and right in this world, it only makes sense that we as white parents consider the ways our children could mess up—and how we can keep that from happening. You’re probably feeling frustrated. You might feel disconnected from a larger movement because you don’t want to take your kids to a protest. (We’re in a pandemic—it’s OK to have those thoughts.) You might feel isolated in your family unit, with some difficult conversations bubbling up about national events. You might even have some people in your inner circle you don’t get along with. But the current state of affairs—being tied to our houses and barely coming into contact with anyone we’re not related to—is a uniquely perfect opportunity to evaluate how our kids are being exposed to messages of racism. It’s also a great time to analyze our own family dynamics and look for patterns that can reinforce white supremacy down the road. Wait, dynamics within a family can have larger implications within society? Yes. But I’ll get to that in a minute.

at messages from white supremacists, how do we identify that?” asks Martinez. “Or, if we’re looking at misinformation, how do we identify misinformation? We verify sources or cross-check information.” GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER: How about when your kids aren’t

staring at a screen? This is where family dynamics come into play here. “Your family is your child’s first introduction to community. So, in what community do you want them to live?” asks Martinez. “Is it equitable and just, where their voice is heard? Or, are their needs valued?” Something as simple as chores can play a role here. You can pay kids to do chores—or, they can do chores because they are expected to do them as a member of the household, and by taking part in the upkeep of the house, it lessens the burdens for others. In other words, you’re teaching equity without even leaving the house. KRISTEN MORALES

SUDOKU

Difficulty: Easy

CHECK YOUR SCREEN TIME: You’ve probably talked with your kids about what to do if they get a message from a stranger online, or if they see a sexually graphic video or feel like they’re being bullied. (If you haven’t started having these talks, please start. They’ve probably seen this School board president LaKeisha Gantt recently organized a Timothy Road family-friendly protest of recent stuff already.) police killings. That said, have you talked about how race is repreMartinez makes another point: Often, parents say sented online? Specifically, have you talked to your chilwe want to raise our kids to be independent. But that’s dren—who are probably spending at least an hour or two a not exactly what happens—we’re all dependent on other day on some sort of digital device—about videos promotpeople, whether it’s for a job or for cooking a meal or ing racism or violence against others based on race? With for following simple traffic rules. So instead of focusing everything that’s happening in the news lately, your kids on independence, she says, we should focus on healthy are going to see a lot of videos on the subject. You probainterdependence. bly don’t want that TikTok video to be the first discussion “We want our kids to grow up and be in healthy relationabout race that your child hears, because it’s going to have ships, with solid communication and emotional skills and an influence on them. tools,” says Martinez. “So how does that change how we For many kids—in particular, white kids—these videos parent? How does that change our values? How does that and online chats are the first time they’re having a discusinspire our values to give up some of the real or perceived sion about race that include whiteness. If parents begin privileges we have to make sure others are elevated among a basic discussion of right and wrong, it will help frame us?” future content that our kids may see online, says Shannon What does this mean in practice? It means we need to Martinez, an Athens resident and senior consultant with go beyond providing food, shelter and clothing. We need to PERIL at American University. PERIL—Polarization and be sure that our children can give love and be loved, can see Extremism Research and Innovation Lab—connects and be seen and feel a meaningful connection to something research with practical intervention methods to combat bigger than themselves, says Martinez. extremism, particularly among youth. She’s the expert, but here’s how I view this: Give your I know it’s cringey when we, as parents, talk to our kids kids space to be both gentle and rambunctious. Don’t blow about a trending video on TikTok. But by helping to define off what your kids say by falling for the old trope of, “Those what’s right and what’s wrong, we give kids a framework kids today.” They know a lot more than you think. Consider to view content we can’t police. “They become aware of it,” what it takes to help everyone in your family thrive—and says Martinez, an expert in white supremacy tactics. Even this includes moms, who are too often shouldering housesomething as simple as explaining basic marketing techniques can help lead them away from a potential rabbit hole work during all this at-home time. If you frame your family dynamic around everyone feelto racist content. ing loved and having the ability to give love, you’re already Talk to your kids about where videos come from and ways to learn more facts about a situation. “If we’re looking on your way down the path to a better future for us all. f

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bulletin board Deadline for getting listed in Bulletin Board is every THURSDAY at 5 p.m. for the print issue that comes out the following Wednesday. Online listings are updated daily. Email calendar@flagpole.com.

Art ARTS IN COMMUNITY AWARD: RESILIENCE (Athens, GA) The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission awards grants of $2,000 each to public art projects, events and activities that promote creative placemaking in the community. Grants will be awarded based on the level of community enrichment through the arts, contribution to the local identity and quality of artistic merit. Artists, local organizations and groups can apply. Deadline Aug. 7, 11:59 p.m. Fill out online proposal. info@athenscultural affairs.org, www.athenscultural affairs.org/calls-for-artists CALL FOR PUBLIC ART: DUDLEY PARK (Athens, GA) The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission invites professional artists to submit proposals for consideration in the picnic shelter and restroom facility area at the park. Proposals due Aug. 30. www.athensclarkecounty.com/9519

Auditions FRUITCAKES (Elbert Theatre, Elberton) Encore Productions hosts auditions for the final show of its 2020 season. The director is looking to cast a mid-sized group of adult men, adult women and children ages 10–12. Be prepared to read excerpts from the script. Auditions on Aug.

31–Sept. 1, 6–8 p.m. Rehearsals will be held mid-September through mid-November. Performances held Nov. 6–8 & 13–15. 706-283-1049

Classes DEDICATED MINDFULNESS PRACTITIONERS (Online) Weekly Zoom meditations are offered every Saturday at 8 a.m. Email for details. jaseyjones@gmail.com DRAWING WITH HEATHER JOSHI (OCAF, Watkinsville) Classes cover outlining, contouring, hatching, crosshatching and scumbling techniques. Classes include video demos, slide shows and examples using Google Classroom. Aug. 3–31. $120–150. www.ocaf.com MINDFULNESS PRACTICE EVENINGS (Online) Discuss and practice how to change your relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions. Email mfhealy@bellsouth. net for the Zoom link. Second Friday of the month, 6–7 p.m. FREE! OLLI@UGA CLASSES (Online) OLLI offers 28 different classes through Zoom. Topics include photography, bats and coronavirus, how changing diets can impact vision and cognition, mindfulness and more. For ages 50 & up. Held daily at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. through Aug. 6. www.olli.uga.edu SPANISH CLASSES (Athens, GA) For adults, couples and children.

art around town AMICI (233 E. Clayton St.) Jennifer Wallens Terry is a medium, pet psychic and spiritual coach. Her abstract paintings focus on texture and color, while others feature celestial and symbolic imagery. Through July. CITY OF WATKINSVILLE (Downtown Watkinsville) “Public Art Watkinsville: A Pop-Up Sculpture Exhibit” consists of sculptures placed in prominent locations around downtown. Artists include Benjamin Lock, William Massey, Stan Mullins, Robert Clements, Harold Rittenberry and Joni Younkins-Herzog. • “Artscape Oconee: The Monuments of Artland” features a total of 20 paintings on panels installed around town. Artists include Claire Clements, Peter Loose, Andy Cherewick, Lisa Freeman, Manda McKay and others. EARTH FARE (1689 S. Lumpkin St.) Tom Hancock creates abstract paintings that incorporate mixed media and found objects. Through August. GEORGIA MUSEUM OF ART (90 Carlton St.) “Louis Comfort Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection” features over 60 objects spanning over 30 years of the famous stained-glass artist’s career. • “Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidates Exhibition” is an annual exit show for the graduating master of fine arts students at the Lamar Dodd School of Art. • “Rediscovering the Art of Victoria Hutson Huntley” contains approximately 30 lithographs and two paintings. • “Drama and Devotion in Baroque Rome” celebrates Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s influence. Through Aug. 23. • “Altered Landscapes: Photography in the Anthropocene” includes images that demonstrate humanity’s impact on the natural world. Through Sept. 27. • “Recognizing Artist Soldiers in the Permanent Collection” includes artists who served in conflicts from the Revolutionary War through World War II, as well as those who served in the 1950s. Though the museum is temporarily closed, many of the exhibitions, as well as the permanent collection, are currently available to view online at georgiamuseum.org. GLASSCUBE@INDIGO (500 College Ave.) “Supple Moments, Dark Corners” is a site-specific installation by Eli Saragoussi that is accompanied by a soundscape by Max Boyd called “Jungle Drone.” Saragoussi recently incorporated additional set pieces built for Ad•Verse festival. JITTERY JOE’S DOWNTOWN (297 E. Broad St.) Susan Pelham’s collages are influenced by Magic Realism, Surrealism, fables and folklore. Through August. LAMAR DODD SCHOOL OF ART (270 River Rd.) “Amiko Li: The Purpose of Disease” presents the explorations of the Dodd MFA Fellow in photography into acupuncture, palm reading, psychogenics, herbal supplements, anti-

Learn from experts with years of professional experience. Contact for details. 706-372-4349, marinabilbao 75@gmail.com YAMUNA AND MORE (Elevate Athens, Online) Nia Holistic Fitness and Yamuna Body Rolling are held on an ongoing basis. $20/class. www.elevateathens.com

Events ATHENS FARMERS MARKET (Bishop Park) The market is open with safety precautions in place. Wear a mask, pre-order when possible, keep your family home and use cashless payments. Saturdays, 8 a.m.–12 p.m. www.athensfarmers market.net THE CRY BABY LOUNGE PRESENTS (Online) Eli Saragoussi hosts bimonthly shows using YouTube Premeire. Pearl and the Oysters (Los Angeles), Br. Lydian (Athens) and Dream Chambers (Nashville) will play July 24 at 7:30 p.m. with donations benefiting the Shadow Support Network. Michael Potter, Esme Patterson (Denver) and Cicada Rhythm will play Aug. 7 at 7:30 p.m. with donations supporting Color of Change. Find The Cry Baby Lounge on Facebook. thecrybabylounge@gmail.com, bit. ly/TheCryBabyLounge THE ENGLISH PATIENT (Pittard Park) The Winterville Library Book

Club will discuss the book in the outdoor pavilion. July 30, 6 p.m. FREE! dmurray@athenslibrary.org JULY EVENTS (Southern Brewing Company) Cornhole ATL league every Wednesday, 6:30–9:45 p.m. Sunday Trivia with Solo Entertainment every Sunday at 5 p.m. Live music by Alex Culbreth on July 25 from 5–7 p.m. www. sobrewco.com LIVE WIRE SUMMER EVENTS (Live Wire Athens) Wedding Industry Happy Hour, every Wednesday from 5–6 p.m. Darts, every Wednesday from 5–10 p.m. Fresh Garden Jam with live jamming, every Thursday from 5–10 p.m. Love Music Live Stream offers bands streamed from the main stage, every Friday 5-10 p.m. www.livewireathens.com/ calendar RC COWBOY (Hendershot’s Coffee Bar) RC Cowboy performs on guitar. Aug. 3, 9:30 p.m. www.hendershotscoffee.com

Kidstuff ACTING CLASSES (Madison County Recreation Department) “Acting Basics for Kids” is a six-part course that covers pantomime, improvisation, scene study and public speaking. “Auditioning and Scene Study 101 for Kids” is a six-part series that places an emphasis on the art of auditioning for television, commercial and film roles. Both courses are for ages 8–14 and held Mondays, Aug. 24–Oct. 5 (skip Sept. 7), 5:30–6:30 p.m. (acting basics) and 6:45–7:45 p.m. (auditioning). $80/ course. Register online. www.mad

biotics and the regeneration of limbs. • “KITCHEN” is a new animation by New York-based artist and former Athenian Michael Siporin Levine, inspired by his quarantine experience. • In “Mors Scena,” photographer Rachel Cox documents the viewing rooms and visitation spaces of funeral homes, drawing attention to how we mourn and memorialize the dead in America. • Atlanta-based artist Michi Meko’s 2017 installation, “One Last Smile Before the Undertow,” is a suite of works addressing black life in America postObama. • “Silver_Page_Radio_Light” is a collaboration between Austinbased photographer Barry Stone and New York-based photographer Lucy Helton, who faxed each other an image each day for a portion of quarantine. • In “Optical Illusion,” Zipporah Camille Thompson juxtaposes organic and inorganic materials. Exhibitions are available online at art.uga.edu. LYNDON HOUSE ARTS CENTER (293 Hoyt St.) The “45th Juried Exhibition” presents 199 works by 144 local artists. Through July. • On view in the Lounge Gallery, see a collection of paintings by Lee Coffey. Through Aug. 1. • “Collections from our Community” presents the peels of bananas that were eaten by Hue Henry and photographed as a still life by Carole Henry. Through Sept. 1. • In the Lobby Case, view a collection of charming ceramic house sculptures by Frank Jackson. Through Sept. 1. • The Lyndon House is currently open to the public, with precautions in place. Daily installments of artwork and activities are also available on Instagram and Facebook, using the hashtags #45JuriedShowOnline and #ArtsCenterOnline. MADISON-MORGAN CULTURAL CENTER (434 S. Main St., Madison) “Lambs to Lillies” is an online exhibition featuring impressionistic oil paintings by Cynthia Perryman. Through Sept. 11 at mmcc-arts.org. OCONEE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION (34 School St., Watkinsville) The Annual Members’ Exhibition presents works by the gallery’s member artists. Louisiana Tech University School of Design professor Frank Hamrick’s handmade artist’s book, “It was there all along,” is presented as an online exhibition of wet plate collodion tintypes addressing water-related issues. Both shows are available online at ocaf.com through Aug. 1. UGA OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY (1180 E. Broad St.) “The Earth Day (Art) Challenge” is a virtual exhibition of works commemorating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Visit sustainability.uga.edu/earthday-art-challenge-exhibit. UGA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIES (300 S. Hull St.) Online exhibitions include “Steele Vintage Broadcast Microphone Collection,” “Foxfire on Display at UGA: 50 Years of Cultural Journalism Documenting Folk Life in the North Georgia Mountains, September–December 2016,” “Covered With Glory: Football at UGA, 1892–1917” and “Fighting Spirit: Wally Butts and UGA Football, 1939–1950.” Visit digilab.libs.uga.edu/scl/exhibits.

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“Magic Eye” is included in Atlanta-based artist Zipporah Camille Thompson’s online exhibition, “Optical Illusion,” a collection of sculptural works that juxtapose organic and inorganic materials. View the show at art.uga.edu. corec.com GARDEN EARTH EXPLORERS (State Botanical Garden of Georgia) Families can choose one of six 90-minute programs and enjoy their own private garden adventure with the garden’s education staff. Box lunches available. Themes include sensory garden, really remarkable rainforest, eco health, stream ecology, Georgia discovery quest and treasure hunt. $50/three participaints, $10 per additional person. botgarden.uga.edu/garden-earthexplorers-summer-expeditions SPLASH PAD (Multiple Locations) ACC pools and splash pads are open through Aug. 2. Pools are located at Bishop Park, East Athens Community Center, Lay Park, Memorial Park and Rocksprings Park. Splash pads are at Virginia Walker Park and Rocksprings Park. FREE! www.athensclarkecounty.com/ splashpad VIRTUAL SUMMER CAMPS (Treehouse Kid and Craft) Each camper will receive a bundle of supplies to keep, organized projects, play dough, home rules, art bingo and more. Themes include creative beasts, under the sea, food trucks, insects, matchbox mice miniatures, slime and more. www. treehousekidandcraft.com WE ROCK ATHENS CAMP ONLINE (Online) Girls Rock Athens presents online classes in instruction, musicianship, self-empowerment and community care. For ages 9–17. Classes include guitar, bass, drums, keys, vocals, DJing, body image and media literacy, DIY crafts, poetry, activism, volunteerism and more. Ongoing. Sliding scale tuition. girls rockcampathens@gmail.com, www. girlsrockathensga.org WE ROCK ATHENS YOUTH BOOK CLUB (Online) Participants will spend six weeks reading The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez, exploring music, creating zines and doing other activities. July 28–Sept. 1, 4 p.m. $20 (financial aid available). girlsrockcampathens@ gmail.com, ww.girlsrockathensga. org/signup

Support Groups AL-ANON 12 STEP (Multiple Locations) Recovery for people affected by someone else’s drinking. Visit the website for a calendar of electronic meetings held throughout the week. www.ga-al-anon.org ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (Athens, GA) If you think you have a problem with alcohol, call the AA hotline or visit the website for a schedule of meetings in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee

Counties. 706-389-4164, www. athensaa.org RECOVERY DHARMA (Recovery Dharma) This peer-led support group offers a Buddhist-inspired path to recovery from any addiction. Visit the website for info about Zoom meetings. Thursdays, 7–8 p.m. FREE! www.athensrecoverydharma. org SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS (Athens, GA) (Email for Location) Athens Downtown SAA offers a message of hope to anyone who suffers from a compulsive sexual behavior. www.athensdowntownsaa.com

On the Street CORNHOLE LEAGUE REGISTRATION (Southern Brewing Company) Register for CornholeATL Athens’ seven-week cornhole league that begins in September. The fall league offers four different divisions of play to accomodate all levels. www.cornholeatl.com SEEKING BANDS (Athens Regional Library System) Seeking musicians of every genre for a Facebook Live Music Series. Email your name, band name, contact information and a link to your music. Artists will be requested to send a video of three to four songs to release through Facebook. Songs must be radio appropriate. jmitchell@athens library.org STORMWATER CALENDAR (Athens, GA) The ACC Stormwater staff is seeking photos of water and nature scenes from all around Athens to create a wall calendar for 2021. Submit photos by email with the name of the photographer and a description of where, when and why it was taken. Deadline Sept. 25. stormwater@accgov.com SUMMER READING PROGRAM (Athens Regional Library System) All ages can participate in this year’s summer program, which has the theme “Imagine Your Story.” Patrons can check out digital eBooks, audiobooks and magazines online, or place holds for curbside pickup weekdays 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Prizes will be given to readers. www.athens library.org TRASHERCISE (Athens, GA) Complete your own Trashercise workout by walking, jogging or running along, trails, roads and neighborhoods. Bring a bag, gloves or a grabber, and pick up any trash you see. Share photos through #trasherciseathens. Report your cleanup online, and Keep AthensClarke County Beautiful will send a prize. carlos.pinto@accgov.com, www.keepathensbeautiful.org, www. accgov.com/aahcleanupreport f

advice

hey, bonita…

My Boo Dismisses BLM ADVICE FOR ATHENS’ LOOSE AND LOVELORN By Bonita Applebum advice@flagpole.com Hey Bonita, I’m white and so is my boyfriend. Since all of the protests have begun, he’s been really dismissive of the Black Lives Matter movement, and even commented once that “it won’t help anything.” I tried to tell him why organized resistance is important historically, but he keeps saying that the protesters are “doing it wrong,” though he’s not very specific when I ask him what he means. He just talks about rioting (which I correct him on and specify that these are uprisings) and the message being lost. He even started talking about ghettos and black-on-black crime. I can’t believe I’m dating a guy that’s so ignorant, and I wonder if I should try to work with him and help him or just dump him.

Sexual Health & Wellness comfortably and assume that the oppressed want to mete out the same brutality to them. They’re the ones who decry defunding the police by arguing that we want anarchy, not justice. They conflate public demonstrations and aggressive protest signage as a nihilism that wants to destroy whiteness. Such a simplistic, self-centered view of social change is a sad result of white privilege run amok and unchecked, and the value of that privilege is so ingrained and unquestioned that any attempt to even out the playing field is interpreted as a threat to the status quo. Don’t get me wrong—we are absolutely threatening the status quo. But that status quo ain’t your

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Hey hun, I’d bet you a dollar that your boyfriend exalts the mythology of Martin Luther King Jr., who was arrested 29 times in his lifetime of demonstrating for civil rights. Anyone making a straw man out of MLK or implying that people of color are unevolved in their fight for justice has a lot of work to do on themselves. Your boyfriend sounds very uninformed, and it’s a serious red flag when someone critiques any action without actually trying to fix the problem that they see. I know that right now a lot of white people are going through some serious self-reflection as the concept of white privilege becomes an accepted fact of life, and some people decide to use that privilege for good. They go to demonstrations and stand between the cops and people of color, knowing that police enact brutality on white bodies much less than they do to people of color. They join diversity committees at their jobs, and they challenge their institutions to do better. They stop and watch and videotape cops while they detain people. Then there are people who decide to interpret this public outcry as an attack on themselves, an attack on all white people and all authority, and they question the motivations of demonstrators. They see a reflection of the racism that they’ve lived in

boyfriend, and it’s not the average white American dealing with the same social and economic stratification that marginalized people do. Your boyfriend will better understand this moment in time if he unclutches his pearls at the sight of people in the streets and instead listens to what they’re trying to say. He should not fall back on casual racism when trying to undermine the dignity of demonstration, and it’s really troubling that he does. You ask if you should dump him, and I don’t know. Personally, I’d dump the hell out of this idiot and tell all of my homegirls about how stupid he is, but I’m a Black woman who becomes an unmovable object when I feel that my race is being disrespected. But you, friend, have a real opportunity here to do the hard work of allyship. Since white people invented racism, I’d say that it’s your job to do the heavy lifting of dismantling it, so it’s time for you to work on your guy. This is your boo, and I assume that you feel something like love for him at least once in a while, so show your love by helping him become a better person. There are all kinds of listicles on the internet with resources on books and films to help people better understand antiracism, so get to Googling and schedule some antiracist date nights. f

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READY. SET.

GO SAFELY. ATHENS, GA

Athens-Clarke County is committed to prioritizing your health and safety and mitigating the spread of COVID-19. To do so, we recognize that community-wide measures and guidelines must be established and followed. READY, SET, GO SAFELY is a collaborative community effort to promote and encourage protocol, sanitization measures, and safety guidelines so that we can safely go forward together.

To Ready, Set, Go Safely, we are encouraging all businesses to commit to these 6 guidelines:

Ready.

Set.

Establish and follow approved protocol.

Follow CDC standards for sanitizing and disinfecting.

Monitor and follow distancing and capacity guidelines.

Train employees on protocol to reduce the spread.

As you start to venture out, we ask that you commit to go safely:

Go Safely. Wear cloth face coverings and maintain 6-feet of distance. Welcome patrons who are following guidelines.

Limit close contact and maintain 6-feet of distance. Avoid large gatherings. Wear cloth face coverings in public. Wash hands or use hand sanitizer. Clean and disinfect personal items and surfaces. Respect people and guidelines.

Athens is closely following the guidelines and recommendations set forth by the State of Georgia and the CDC. At present, we are beginning to reopen as a community and several of our businesses are safely welcoming visitors and patrons. However, many are still operating under reduced hours and restricted capacities, so we encourage you to ready and set before you go safely. We invite you to explore all that Athens has to offer as you seek safe things to do this summer!

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