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 4, 2012 - MPR’s Brandt Williams profiles a group of Minnesota parents as they reflect on the 40th anniversary of their efforts on school desegregation.
May 10, 2012 - Penumbra Theater is presenting James Baldwin's "The Amen Corner" at the Guthrie. Director Lou Bellamy says he's waited 30 years to do the show, but now he has all the elements he needs, including his own perspective.
May 18, 2012 - Is life better for an African American artist today living in the Twin Cities than it was twenty or thirty years ago?
August 31, 2012 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports that August is the deadliest month in Minneapolis for homicides, and most are African American men. Williams profiles a few young Black men trying to beat the odds by leaving the path that often leads to early death or prison.
November 30, 2012 - MPR’s David Cazares profiles all-Black jazz group Mother of Masks, a group that blends spoken word, poetry and improvised music in a blues-based fountain of black creative consciousness.
March 15, 2013 - MPR’s Tom Weber speaks with Lou Bellamy, artistic director of The Penumbra Theatre, about organization overcoming recent financial crisis.
April 5, 2013 - MPR’s Tom Crann interviews Supreme Court Justice Alan Page about the Page Educational Foundation.
April 25, 2013 - MPR’s David Cazares profiles acclaimed pianist, composer, and Golden Valley native Craig Taborn. In the jazz world, some listeners might yearn for tradition, while others listen for signs of authenticity. Taborn doesn't worry about such hang-ups. Whether on solo piano, in a trio, or experimenting with electronic music, he tries to reflect an evolving culture.
August 9, 2013 - Is there room in the hyper-masculine hip-hop world for gay artists? Minneapolis rapper Kevin "Kaoz" Moore thinks so. MPR’s Nikki Tundel interviews Moore about being Black and gay in the rap music scene.
January 13, 2014 - MPR’s Euan Kerr reports on announcement of Sarah Bellamy as new artistic director at Penumbra Theatre and its five-year plan in stabilizing organization after financial struggle.