In the 1970s, lesbian and feminist organizations popped up in cities across the nation. Minneapolis and Saint Paul were no exception. Here in the Twin Cities, the Amazon Feminist Book Store, Lesbian Resource Center, and Lesbian Feminist Organizing Committee all provided space and community for newly out lesbians and queer women. At the same time, a…

Take a dive into comedic history in this story about the beginnings of the Brave New Workshop. The Brave New Workshop was founded by a former circus former named Dudley Riggs. In the mid 20th century, a new kind of humor was taking the world by storm, and Riggs tapped into the zeitgeist of improvisation that had no limits. KFAI's Sheila Regan weave…

KSTP-AM is one of Minnesota’s oldest and formerly most successful radio stations. By the 90's, it had been mostly forgotten, as fans flocked to FM. While music fans enjoyed the stereophonic sounds on the other side of the dial, a new form of radio program began to emerge. Before long, talk radio flourished across the United States, and nowhere was …

Minnesota was the first state to take Big Tobacco to trial in 1998. The biggest lawsuit in the state’s history forced the tobacco industry to take down cigarette billboards and release millions of internal documents that filled a Minneapolis warehouse. When vaping e-cigarettes gained popularity among youth in the late 2010s, the Minnesota Attorney …

Mike Sawyer fell in love with old folk music in his 20s, picking up the banjo and playing at festivals and jams around the state. But after a while, he began to wonder why nearly all the songs he and his fellow musicians were playing came from Appalachia and the South. What happened to early musical traditions from Minnesota? Now, Mike’s on a missi…

Every year, people on a canoe trip to Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) need to be rescued from a dangerous situation. In modern times, the call for help can come from a cell phone, a satellite phone, or an emergency beacon like a Garmin inReach. But it wasn't always this easy to help people who recreate across the canoe-coun…

Peter Jesperson is a music legend. Born in Minnesota, Jesperson was a seminal figure in the Minneapolis punk and new wave scene of the 1970's and 1980's. He co-founded Twin/Tone Records, worked at Oar Folkjokeopus record store and the Jay's Longhorn bar, and is credited with discovering the Replacements. He later served as the band's manager. In "L…

MinneCulture is BACK for season 8! This season, we are bringing you 7 brand new audio documentaries about the people, places, and cultural phenomena that make Minnesota...well, Minnesota. Make sure you're subscribed to MinneCulture so you don't miss any of these fascinating stories about our state. Season 8 is produced by Michelle Bruch, Joe Friedr…

In the most basic sense, what’s commonly referred to as “the fur trade” was a period of cultural and economic exchange between Native Americans and European Americans, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. As the pages of history were put down, one aspect that was continually overlooked is the role women played at home, in the woods, and t…

By 1965, the Beatles were the biggest music group in the world. They sold millions of records. They recorded songs that were not only popular but also took music in new directions. And everywhere they went, they stirred up an excitement so hysterical and commonplace there was a word for it: Beatlemania. Minnesota fans had fallen in love with the La…

Archives tell an important story. The people in them—and the people left out—say a lot about our politics, culture, and consciousness. In the 20th century, it wasn’t uncommon for archivists to choose which artifacts made it into the official record based on what they thought defined our history. This means that a lot of people—especially queer peop…

Today on MinneCulture, we’re headed all the way back to 1900, when Minneapolis was a very different place than it is now. As the mill capital of the world, Minneapolis was packed to the brim with seasonal workers, thriving brothels, and scheming card sharks. But to Mayor Albert Alonzo Ames, it was just a piggy bank waiting to be smashed open. Over …

The history of the Animal Humane Society offers a jaw-dropping glimpse into Minneapolis life in the late 1800s. This was a time when horses struggled to pull loads up Lowry Hill and dogs at the pound were drowned in the Mississippi River. As part of a national movement, the humane society formed to prosecute cruelty to animals — and they prosecuted…

Ta-Coumba Aiken and Seitu Jones are two Twin Cities based artists that have international reputations. Forty years ago, the two were part of the vibrant African American Cultural Center, a place where Black Art was being nurtured, rediscovered, and celebrated. In today's episode, Sheila Regan explores the Center's history and it's legacy. Support f…

Eva Valesh was only 22 when she first went undercover to report on women workers in the 1880s for the St. Paul Globe. She wrote under the pseudonym Eva Gay. Each week, she would either sneak into a workplace to speak to the workers, or she would simply fabricate her references and apply to a job herself. She visited clothing factories, laundries, d…

In the late 1800’s, European immigrants — mostly German and Scandinavian — flooded Minnesota, and the population boomed like few other times in history. This new majority of people in a new land needed myths and stories to fill in the blanks about why and how they came here. Like the story of Kensington Runestone. A purportedly 'discovered' rune st…

With its haunting call, distinctive black and white plumage, and intense, almost otherworldly red eyes, the Common Loon is an icon of northern Minnesota wilderness. But some researchers believe future generations of the beloved bird in this region may be in jeopardy.A recent study in Wisconsin showed some worrying trends. Chicks are getting smaller…

Historians have argued that the history of America can be told through the history of meat. The meat industry was often the first to innovate and make use of modern technologies: from the railroad and refrigerated cars to meat packing plants' dis-assembly lines that inspired Henry Ford’s assembly line. This is especially true for Minnesota. The Uni…

MinneCulture returns in 2023 with more stories of Minnesota arts, history, and culture. In season 7, we'll get to know some prominent Minnesotan activists, unravel some of our favorite myths and legends, and tell stories about the people who make up our great state. New episodes dropping every two weeks, starting Thursday January 5. Subscribe to KF…

For a few short years, St. Paul was the Blue Cheese Capital of the World. In the season finale of season 6, producer Tony Williams takes us on a tour through the secret history of moldy cheese in Minnesota — a story full of twists and turns including libidinous sheep farmers, Nazis, and cave explorers. Grab some crackers and join us! Support for Mi…

Mother Alfred Moes was an immigrant from Luxembourg, a woman religious, and the founder of two Franciscan congregations. She was also the first person to advocate for the hospital in Rochester that would become Mayo Clinic. While her visionary leadership proved essential to the founding of St. Mary's Hospital, her strong influence often put her in …

A series of wildfires made headlines across Minnesota during the drought-plagued summer of 2021. Among them was the massive Greenwood Fire. This wildfire burned nearly 27,000 acres and led in part to the closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. And while some view them simply as destructive forces of nature, wildfires played a signific…

Meridel LeSueur was a writer and activist whose influence has long shaped the Twin Cities' populist movements. Although the McCarthy era blacklist attempted to squash her distinctive, creative voice, she was later embraced by the countercultural wave of the 1960s and 70s, particularly the feminist movement. KFAI’s Sheila Regan talks to LeSueur’s fa…

From about 2006 to 2013, the moose population in northeastern Minnesota dropped dramatically, from almost 9,000 animals to about 2,700. And no one knew why. Dr. Seth Moore began searching for answers, working with a team at the Grand Portage Trust Lands Agency. They started collaring moose, tracking them to find their killers. And they discovered t…

When you think about the industrial revolution you may think of trains, factories, and assembly lines. The image of billowing smoke and giant machines cranking away may pop into your head. But the industrial revolution was not confined to just factories and trolleys — it seeped out into all areas of life during the early 1900s. And none were as vis…

The MinneCulture Podcast is BACK! On season 6, we'll be riding long-lost roller coasters, meeting a feminist activist, learning about efforts to protect Minnesota's wilderness, sampling local cheese, and more. Check your podcast feed on Thursday May 26. New episodes every Thursday. Get your ear buds ready....…

Superman. Charlie Brown. Donald Duck. The existence of these 'toons all have roots in Minnesota. In this episode of the MinneCulture Podcast, KFAI's Britt Aamodt introduces us to a cartooning historian who helped preserve the backstory of some iconic characters. Support for MinneCulture on KFAI comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fu…

In wilderness settings, there are connections people can make to the land, regardless of their age, race or gender, by walking in the footsteps of those who have come before them. With this in mind, a group of Minnesota paddlers set out in the fall of 2020 to travel across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to retrace the steps of a wilderne…

James Garrett Jr. is an architect at 4RM+ULA architects, one of the only Black-owned architecture firms in Minnesota. Garrett and his family have deep ties to St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood. During his childhood in St. Paul, James fell in love with buildings and the bustle of urban landscapes. Later, while in college, he would discover that he himse…

Polka dancing was once a staple of small-town Minnesota, enjoyed by German, Polish, and Scandinavian immigrants who settled in farming communities throughout the state. Today, polka dancing and ballrooms have mostly disappeared. But, for the residents of rural Sibley County, the legacy of one legendary polka venue still looms large. Producer James …

The plain, uninteresting Mary Fridley Price. Not the sort of girl anyone would notice—except now she'd gone and leapt over a cliff to save her poor dog. The dull—and now very dead girl—was suddenly front-page headlines. No one was supposedly more grief-stricken than her charming husband Frederick Price, who found comfort in his wife's inheritance—a…

Anthony Brutus Cassius was questioned by the FBI, fought to be the first Black person in Minnesota to get a liquor license, and his famous greasy burgers were once mentioned on the Johnny Carson show. But above all, starting in the 1930s, Cassius created space for the Twin Cities Black community to eat, drink, organize and connect. Even today, ther…

In July 1981, the New York Times published an article about a mysterious illness plaguing gay men in New York City. After reading the article, Bruce Brockway, a gay activist and publisher of the Twin Cities' first LGBT newspaper, turned to his partner and said, "I think I have that." That was AIDS and Bruce was right. Numbers-wise, Minnesota was ne…

This summer on the MinneCulture Podcast, it's all about Minnesota History. As we kick-off Season 5 during Pride month, we celebrate one of the first well-known venues in the Twin Cities exuberantly claimed by gay men, a nightclub called The Gay 90s in downtown Minneapolis. The Gay 90’s hasn’t always been gay. The bar began as a supper club for a st…

When George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on Memorial Day, pain and anger blasted like a shock wave across the Twin Cities and the world. Floyd’s death was followed by a week of protests, marches and sometimes destructive unrest. In this episode, KFAI’s Melissa Olson takes us to the intersection of 38th and Chicago Ave, where Native jingle…

We’re still social distancing and we’re still making stuff. Some artists have changed what they make. Others have changed how they make it. KFAI’s Barb Abney hosts from home and shares an uplifting interview with Twin Cities hip-hop artist Nur-D, who just dropped an EP recorded entirely from his bedroom. We also hear a tender, slightly gloomy audio…

Hear stories of Minnesota artists making it work in this time of social distancing. Barb Abney hosts the Season 4 launch from her daughter's bedroom while social distancing at home. In an audio diary, Haitian dancer Djenane Saint Juste fields a robocall from a bill collector, shares intimate scenes sheltering in place with her mother, then hosts a …

For our Season 3 finale, stories about the late, great Prince Rogers Nelson. You'll hear from the guy credited with "discovering" Prince, what it was like to get phone calls from Prince at 3 a.m., and we take of tour of "Purple Places" that mark Prince's roots in North Minneapolis. This episode was produced by KFAI’s Nancy Rosenbaum. Support for Mi…

There are often parts of a job no one else understands or even knows about. We're talking about the unheralded tasks that are executed in the shadows, after hours, void of glory. On this episode, we meet two Minnesotans, an elementary school principal and the CEO of a hip-hop record label, each fulfilling the last line of their job description: "Ot…

Minnesota's oldest auctioneer reflects on rural life, the Kim Loo Sisters face discrimination in the jazz scene during the 1930s and 1940s, and a rusticly bunking historian sheds light on the history of slavery in Minnesota. The episode was produced by KFAI's Emily Bright.Par KFAI

For some artists, sickness can fuel their creativity. But for others, illness can drain the inspiration right out of them. In this episode, musician P.O.S and radio producer Katie Thornton discuss the ways chronic illnesses has affected their lives. This episode was produced by KFAI's Sophie Nikitas.…

In this episode, we meet Minnesota musicians that take old music, and put their own twist on it. Host Jumondeh Tweh goes backstage at a Saint Paul jazz club with Debbie Duncan who’s known as the Twin Cities’ “First Lady of Song.” We travel to South Minneapolis, where Minnesota’s oldest African American drum corps is keeping an old musical tradition…

Immigrants are spicing up Minnesota food. In this episode of the MinneCulture podcast, host Jumondeh Tweh gets cooking tips from his Liberian mother and listens in on stories about Hmong and Somali food. KFAI's Emily Bright produced this delicious audio treat.Par KFAI

In Minnesota, freezing winters and big snowfalls come with the territory. But three feet of snow on Halloween? That was a day to remember. In the premiere of Season 3, Jumondeh Tweh plays a documentary produced by Britt Aamodt about the Halloween Blizzard of 1991, which remains one of the largest and most memorable storms in Minnesota history.…

Fresh Fruit is the longest running queer radio program in the US. It has aired on KFAI Community Radio in Minneapolis, Minn. for over 40 years. MinneCulture host Jumondeh Tweh speaks with KFAI’s Dixie Treichel, who produced a radio documentary on this legendary radio show, tracking down former hosts and gathering the history of Fresh Fruit.…

It wouldn’t be a Minnesota podcast if we didn’t take you outside. It’s cold outside, baby, with rabid Minnesota Wild fans and anglers who won’t let a little ice get in their way. The MinneCulture crew bundles up and hits the ice to tell the unfrozen stories of the cold, bold North.Par KFAI

Despite the sizable Somali community in Minneapolis, Somali art hasn’t broken through to the mainstream. Known as a “nation of poets,” those who seek out the oral traditions of Somalia through poetry and music are greatly rewarded. Meet Nimo Farah, a Somali poet and activist, who is working to keep Somali oral traditions alive in America. In this e…

Forget the Spoonbridge and Cherry—these are landmarks that have secrets to tell, even when they’re gone. In this episode, we explore one that fell to the forces of urban renewal; one that closed because of the owner’s health issues; and one that is stuck between a rock and a hard place of history and gentrification. Host Jumondeh Tweh checks out Mi…

What does it mean to “break the mold”? A hard-boiled lesbian detective breaks through the lavender ceiling, a Sudanese model refuses to lighten her skin to fit in and an Ojibwe rapper wants to be the spark that ignites the fire in his people. Nyakim Gatwech is the “queen of dark,” a Sudanese model in Minnesota with unapologetically dark skin. She h…

How has immigration, migration, and connection to the rest of the world shaped the sights and sounds of Minnesota? Meet Siama Matuzungidi, a Congolese soukous musician. He moved to Minnesota in the late 90s after having a prosperous career in Congo, Uganda, and Kenya. His life and music flow like his native Congo River, and today, the Mighty Missis…