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.
November 8, 2017 - MPR’s Peter Cox profiles Melvin Carter, who won in his election for the mayoral seat of St. Paul. Carter received more than 50% of the vote in a field of ten candidates.
December 27, 2017 - MPR News with Tom Weber presents a full program dedicated to James "Cornbread" Harris, Sr. Earlier in 2017, the 90-year-old rock 'n' roll pioneer (also known as Jimmy "Jam" Harris, Jr.'s dad) visited The Current's studios to record an in-studio session with Local Show host Andrea Swensson and MPR News host Tom Weber to kick off their Summer Music Series. Program includes song performances and sharing stories of his life and career.
March 30, 2018 - An MPR News Presents broadcast of New York University historian Thomas Sugrue speaking at the Minnesota Historical Society's History Forum. Sugrue, author of Sweet Land of Liberty: The Forgotten Struggle for Civil Rights in the North, a book exploring the stories of Northern activists who challenged racial inequality.
April 4, 2018 - MPR’s Marianne Combs reports on “Dead King Mother,” a composition created by local composer Davu Seru, who calls piece a "blues for chamber ensemble." The subject matter is a 1968 incident in which Clarence Underwood, a Minneapolis Black man, who upon hearing the news of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, told his wife, "My King is dead." He vowed to kill the first white man he found. Underwood went on to murder John F. Murray, a white man in neighborhood.
October 16, 2018 - MPR’s Peter Cox reports on creation of Josie Robinson Johnson fellowship. The University of Minnesota is establishing a fellowship in the name of one of the state's foremost civil rights leaders. The Josie Robinson Johnson fellowship will go to graduate students at the Humphrey School for Public Affairs who have specific interest in addressing racial inequities and injustices - a subject Johnson and other luminaries reflected on at event announcement.
April 3, 2019 - MPR’s Marianne Combs presents a profile of Josie Johnson, renowned local civil rights activist. Feature includes interview with Johnson about her life and book, and comments from Vernon Jordan and Walter Mondale, amongst others. Johnson’s memoir is titled "Hope in the Struggle."
July 31, 2019 - MPR’s Elizabeth Shockman reports on racist incidents at Metcalf Middle School in Burnsville. Students and staff recount multiple experiences of racial slurs at school, including offensive words spoken by principal Shannon McParland.
August 16, 2019 - MPR’s Tarkor Zehn reports on Because Black Life Conference, which entails about a dozen workshops that explore an array of issues impacting black life. Examples of topics include being black and Muslim in the current political climate and reparations. The underlying common thread in most of the workshops is healing.
February 19, 2020 - MPR’s Melissa Townsend reports on City of Minneapolis plans for Upper Harbor Terminal and it’s potential impact to community in North Minneapolis. Segment includes interviews with city officials, developers, and city residents.
July 14, 2020 - MPR’s Dan Kraker interviews John Staine, a real estate appraiser at St. Louis County courthouse, who in an effort to address racial bias in the workplace, started a direct dialog about race with his fellow 2,000 St. Louis County employees.