MPR has been recording decades of material that reflect the Black experience in Minnesota directly from the voices of members in the community. The wide-ranging subject matter of civil rights, politics, arts & culture, sports, music, education, and business are captured in the stories, memories, commentary, and speeches.
May 5, 1999 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from St. Cloud State University as part of MPR's week-long project called "Hidden Rainbow: The Changing Face of Minnesota." In this first hour of program, Rachel Reabe hosts a discussion on racism in St. Cloud with Ralonda Mason, a local lawyer handling racism cases for St. Cloud Area Legal Services; Taye Reta, former St. Cloud business owner and member of the State Council on Black Minnesotans; Susan Ihne, executive editor at The St. Cloud Times; and Vusi Khamalo, director for the Multicultural Services at St. Cloud Technical College.
May 6, 1999 - John Lyght, former Cook County Sheriff, talks about being born and raised in Cook County, along Minnesota's far Northeastern corner. With his parents, and eventually 14 brothers and sisters, the Lyghts were the first African American family that settled among the Swedes and Norwegians on Lake Superior's North Shore.
May 31, 1999 - A PRI presentation of "The Mississippi River: A River of Song" by Smithsonian Productions. This program in series is titled “Land of Lakes and Immigrant Songs.”
November 1, 1999 - MPR’s Euan Kerr interviews Minneapolis author Alexs Pate about his book “The Multicultiboho.” The book opens with an police officer entering a South Minneapolis apartment to find a dead body and a live African-American writer, named Ichabod Word.
November 29, 1999 - To close out the millennium, Minnesota Public Radio's All Things Considered presents a look back at Minnesota life in 1900 via a 12-part series, entitled “A Minnesota Century.” This segment is the story of Fredrick McGhee, a civil-rights advocate and Minnesota's first black lawyer, who left an important local and national legacy.
December 27, 1999 - As part of our Voices of Minnesota series, MPR’s Dan Olson profiles Internationally acclaimed singer and actor Joe Carter, who talks about his life and career.
March 17, 2000 - On this Word of Mouth program, MPR’s Chris Roberts brings together Lou Bellamy, Penumbra Theatre artistic director; and Dominic Papatola, Pioneer Press critic, to discuss viewpoints on poet Rita Dove’s "The Darker Face Of The Earth" play that was performed at the theatre.
March 23, 2000 - MPR’s Brandt Williams profiles Neva Walker, a Minneapolis resident looking to become the first Black woman elected to the Minnesota Legislature. Walker, DFL-endorsed candidate for District 61B, is a local activist born in raised in South Minneapolis and project coordinator for United Way of Minneapolis program.
October 6, 2000 - MPR's Brandt Williams reports on dirt finally being turned on the long underdeveloped parcel of land in downtown Minneapolis known as Block E.
December 28, 2000 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer interviews Neva Walker, who was elected to represent District 61B in South Minneapolis. In a weeks time, she will be sworn-in as the first African American state legislator. Walker is a DFLer who, like all new legislators, will have to transition into her new job.