Avalon, Rise

Emma, a mother of two young boys, Martin (7) and Teddy (under 5), is overwhelmed by parenting challenges. Martin exhibits disruptive behavior, flapping his arms and cawing like a bird, while Teddy remains calm and dependent, nursing frequently. Emma feels exhausted and resentful, particularly due to a clogged milk duct in her right breast, which has become a painful, swollen mass. Her frustration peaks when she threatens to throw Martin’s toys away if he doesn’t stop his behavior. Despite her exhaustion, she manages to take the boys to the park, partly due to guilt over her impending divorce and her temporary living situation with her mother, Eloise, in Avalon, Ohio.

Nation Awake is a white nationalist organization planning its first annual White Family Picnic in Avalon, Ohio, in 2017. The group aims to build identity, support community, and gain local political power. Its membership has grown by at least 50% nationally in the past year. The organization chose Avalon because the town’s population of 24,000 is 91.7% white (22,000 people), and it views the region as a stronghold of pure Scots-Irish ancestry. The picnic is scheduled to coincide with a counterprotest at 1 p.m., as advised by the mayor, who encouraged businesses to close and residents to stay home. Eloise, Emma’s mother, supports attending the counterprotest to oppose Nation Awake.

Nation Awake promotes a white nationalist ideology, which asserts that European ancestry is a source of pride and should not be considered shameful. The group frames its mission as defending the land and the people from darkness, referencing the mythical Avalon, a legendary island associated with King Arthur. The organization’s rhetoric reflects a belief in endemic cultural Marxism, a far-right conspiracy theory claiming that left-wing ideologies are oppressing white people. Nation Awake’s spokesperson, who remains anonymous due to perceived oppression, justifies its focus on Appalachia by stating that the region is overwhelmingly European, making it an obvious choice for their event.

Eloise, Emma’s mother, expresses strong opposition to Nation Awake’s ideology, calling it shameless and criticizing media coverage as voyeuristic and breathless. She references the White Family Picnic in the context of events like the Charlottesville rally in summer 2017, where white nationalists clashed with counterprotesters, resulting in violence. Eloise argues that white families need to say no to such groups, implying that Emma should bring her children to the counterprotest. She also dismisses Emma’s concerns about the event’s size, asserting that Avalon is significant enough to be noticed by white nationalist groups.

At the park, Emma attends the counterprotest on the side designated for opponents of the White Family Picnic. The opposing side is sparsely populated, with only a few members of the League of the South, a white nationalist group, present. Emma’s side includes her mother, aunt Dev, and others handing out placards reading NO WHITE SUPREMACISTS ALLOWED. The turnout is low, and Emma’s breast pain intensifies, with a white scab forming on her nipple. She struggles with breastfeeding Teddy, who refuses to nurse from her painful breast, while Martin mocks her by calling her breast a disgusting monster boob.

Dev, Eloise’s best friend, mentions the Discipline Café, a childcare cooperative located at Mother Ginger’s, which was formerly an uncooperative hardware store. The café is presented as a resource for parents seeking alternative disciplinary methods. Emma’s family tensions escalate when Martin mimics her by threatening to spank Teddy, and Eloise defends her own past use of corporal punishment, arguing that reflexive violence is different from systemic violence. Emma reflects on her own struggles with disciplining Martin, acknowledging that she often resorts to spanking despite knowing it is ineffective and harmful, as stated by the American Academy of Pediatrics.