“It stands for freedom and that’s the message I want people to understand. It’s a celebration of freedom,” said Twin Cities filmmaker Lee Jordan. His cinematic mission has been to bring forth insightful, thought-provoking and truthful information about Black history. Jordan wants to shine a light on the monumental African Americans who helped create the fabric of American … [Read more...]
North Mpls history told by residents who lived it
“Northside Oral History Project” showcases the voices of Black people who have lived in North Minneapolis over the last 50 years. Plymouth and Penn Avenue in North Minneapolis has a tall new building across the street from the Urban League. Inside the new building, the Regional Acceleration Center, is a well of local Black history on the fourth floor that houses the … [Read more...]
Twilight reflections of a Rondo native son
Melvin Whitfield Carter, Jr. is a 28-year St. Paul Police Department veteran // Photo courtesy of MN Historical Society Press Melvin Whitfield Carter, Jr. went from heading down a dead-end path in his youth to becoming a 28-year St. Paul police veteran. He also built a rich family legacy challenging racism and segregation within the police department and becoming the … [Read more...]
Black History Month Calendar: Feb. 12-21
Each week this month, MSR editors share their top picks for events celebrating Black History Month. February 12 History Lounge: Reconstruction in Minnesota 7-8 pm @ Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. Free When emancipation became the law of the land, White Minnesotans — who had previously championed African Americans in the state — began to … [Read more...]
‘Sights, Sounds, Soul’ offers vivid images of Twin Cities Black history
Sights, Sounds, Soul: The Twin Cities through the Lens of Charles Chamblis (Minnesota Historical Society Press, $25.95) is proof positive that, as the saying goes, anything worth doing is worth doing well, even a coffee table book. Accordingly, this admirably fills the bill, a catalog of richly compelling images chronicling Black Minneapolis and St. Paul circa the 1970s and … [Read more...]