Jim Crow of the North Stories Connects Minnesota’s Past to its Present
In early 2019, we premiered a new Minnesota Experience documentary called Jim Crow of the North , which seeks to answer the question, “Why does Minnesota suffer from some of the worst racial disparities in the nation?” As the film explores, the practice of including racist, restrictive real estate covenants on properties in the early 20th Century — which has a lasting impact today, even though it was eliminated in the 1960s — offers one conclusive answer to that question. On Martin Luther King Day this year, we will premiere a digital-first series, Jim Crow of the North Stories , that uncovers this dark history of systemic racism, but also lifts up Black resistance and resilience in the past and the present-day changemakers bringing it to light and looking to right historical housing injustices. The four-part series of short documentaries is hosted by local historian Acoma Gaither. TPT members get exclusive early access to the first two episodes on Passport on January 9. Starting January 16, everyone can watch weekly episodes on the PBS Video App and on the Twin Cities PBS YouTube channel ( youtube.com/twincitiespbs ).
Minneapolis border. And we hear from the founder of Just Deeds, Maria Cisneros, about the current work the city is doing to address this dark past. EPISODE 2: With a legacy of housing discrimination and systemic racism, what do reparations mean for MN? Following Free the Deeds, an artist-activist group working to raise awareness on the history of racial covenants in south Minneapolis through art, engagement, and the simple lawn sign, we explore reparations and the work it takes to prompt these majority-white neighborhoods to engage critically with this difficult history.
EPISODE 3: What are the real stories of Black homeownership in Minneapolis?
Free the Deeds not only wants to raise aware- ness of this history, but also to connect with the heart of the issue: what homeownership means to families. In this episode, we follow storyteller Hawona Sullivan Jansen as she sits down with two Black families who share their stories of homeownership in Minneapolis. We hear the contrasting tales of Black homeownership in North and South Minneapolis, and see how the arts can move people to think more deeply about this history.
EPISODE 1: How can a local municipality reckon with their past of racist housing and policing?
EPISODE 4: What is a land trust and how can it be a real form of reparations?
Since the release of Jim Crow of the North , activist groups have jumped into action in the Twin Cities and across Minnesota. One of the first was Just Deeds, a group based in Golden Valley, looking to raise awareness of their own city’s role in this legal segregation. Jazz musician Oliver Lyle shares his story of standing up to police harassment at the Golden Valley/North
What was the outcome of the hard work of these organizations? Host Acoma Gaither checks in with Just Deeds and Free the Deeds to talk numbers, including money raised for the City of Lakes Land Trust. We look at how the land trust works and how it is working toward housing justice.
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