Mabel Norris Reese shone a light on racism and injustice in Lake County Fla. in the 1950s and 60s before the racist element drove the newspaper editor out of town. Strange Country cohosts and former reporters Beth and Kelly talk about this intrepid journalist and wish that Bugs Bunny gif of him sawing off Florida could somehow come true.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Explore Florida's Civil Rights History – US Civil Rights Trail.” Civil Rights Trail, https://civilrightstrail.com/state/florida/. Accessed 21 August 2023.   Florida Frontiers: Journalist Mabel Norris Reese. Performance by Ben Brotmarkle, Florida Frontiers, 2022. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcVisOvMAFw.   Fortin, Jacey. “Florida Apologizes for 'Gross Injustices' to Groveland Four, Decades Later (Published 2017).” The New York Times, 27 April 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/us/groveland-four-apology-florida.html?searchResultPosition=1. Accessed 21 August 2023.   “Freedom Never Dies: The Story of Harry T. Moore - Florida Terror - Groveland - Introduction.” PBS, https://www.pbs.org/harrymoore/terror/groveland.html. Accessed 21 August 2023.   Holpuch, Amanda. “Groveland Four Are Exonerated More Than 70 Years Later.” The New York Times, 22 November 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/22/us/groveland-four-exonerated-florida.html. Accessed 16 August 2023.   King, Gilbert. Beneath a Ruthless Sun: A True Story of Violence, Race, and Justice Lost and Found. Riverhead Books, 2018.   Mettler, Katie, and Aaron Wiener. “'Groveland Four' exonerated 72 years after false rape allegation - The Washington Post.” Washington Post, 23 November 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/11/23/groveland-four-florida-exonerated-rape/. Accessed 21 August 2023.   Ortiz, Erik. “Groveland Four, the Black men accused in a 1949 rape, get case dismissed.” NBC News, 22 November 2021, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/groveland-four-black-men-accused-1949-rape-get-case-dismissed-rcna6016. Accessed 16 August 2023.