Something Happened in Our...Country...

About this episode

Courtney and Jennifer discuss the children's picture book 'Something Happened in Our Town' and its themes of racial injustice while also sharing lighter moments.

Courtney and Jen take on the children’s picture book Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, with illustrations by Jennifer Zivoin. This book cuts through the noise with a rare clarity—offering a way to talk about racial injustice to kids without drowning them in despair. It also exposes a harsh truth: white children often grow up cocooned from these realities in ways children of color never do. Amid these weighty discussions, Jennifer and Courtney find lighter moments such as: If Mad Men were a drink, would it be whiskey? And procedurals like Bones —are they more like wine coolers or Kirkland Light? And why must significant others be so judgy about the TV shows we like? It’s near impossible to unpack every crisis swirling around us today, but this episode’s mantra seems to be: “Know better, do better.” Keep those tough conversations alive about the value of every life, and keep pushing back against the idea that white lives hold more worth than Black, Brown, Indigenous, or any other lives. In 2026 alone, at least 9 people have lost their lives due to the Trump administration’s illegal and inhumane policies. Say their names just as…

People in this episode

Hosts: Courtney, Jennifer

Topics covered

• racial injustice
• children's literature
• conversations about race
• cultural commentary
• media analysis

Keywords

• racial injustice
• children's picture book
• Something Happened in Our Town
• Courtney
• Jennifer
• media commentary
• cultural discussions

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Something Happened in Our Town

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