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.
December 23, 2016 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports on Lyndale Community School’s Kwanzaa celebration. Twenty years ago, Titilayo Bediako, a Minneapolis public school teacher started telling her students about Kwanzaa - the week-long African centered celebration of black heritage and values which begins the day after Christmas. She discovered that the underlying principles of the non-religious holiday resonated with students from diverse backgrounds. Now that early classroom lesson has grown into an institution which hosts an annual musical Kwanzaa recognition.
April 20, 2017 - Although Prince's death had a profound impact on fans of all racial backgrounds, for some black Minnesotans his loss was especially meaningful. MPR’s Doualy Xaykaothao talks with two local musicians who reflect on Prince on a personal level.
April 24, 2017 - MPR’s Emma Sapong reports on the black women entrepreneurs entering the markets of hair extensions and other products tailored to African American women. The industry for Black hair products has been run largely by South Koreans, but efforts of Black business store owners are changing that.
May 25, 2017 - MPR presents “74 Seconds: The Traffic Stop,” a step by step through a fatal traffic stop, which went from flashing lights to firing shots in just 74 seconds.
June 16, 2017 - All Things Considered’s Tom Crann provides a recap of the murder trial verdict of Jeronimo Yanez, the St. Anthony police officer who shot and killed Philando Castile during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, a St. Paul suburb.
August 18, 2017 - The Minneapolis City Council chambers erupted in applause and a standing ovation Friday morning, as Medaria Arradondo was appointed the city's first African American police chief. One of the dozens of supporters in the chamber today was civil rights legend Dr. Josie Johnson. MPR’s Brandt Williams asked Johnson what Arradondo's appointment signals to members of the city's African American community.
August 23, 2017 - MPR News host Tom Weber talks with Art Blakey, Minnesota State Fair police chief, as he prepares to retire. For 37 years, Blakey has overseen it all as chief of police on the fairgrounds.
August 29, 2017 - MPR’s Marianne Combs profiles J. Otis Powell‽, a well-respected local poet, playwright, and performer, who died on August 28th, 2017. Those who knew him say he was an uncompromising artist, a provocateur and — perhaps most importantly — a mentor to generations of other writers and performers.
October 20, 2017 - MPR’s Tim Nelson profiles Nekima Levy-Pounds, a local civil rights activist who is a candidate in the Minneapolis mayor’s race. Levy-Pounds gained prominence as a Black Life Matters spokesperson and a leader in numerous public protests.
November 8, 2017 - On Tuesday, NOV 7th, 2017, voters elected two out transgender candidates to the Minneapolis City Council, marking the first such victories for transgender people in a major American city council race. Report includes an interview with then-candidate Andrea Jenkins.