Pat Nelson, an African-American queer woman, is the owner and principal of NelsonWorks LLC, partnering with individuals and small/home businesses in the how-to’s of information technology. Her love of technology also lead her to become a licensed Ham Radio operator. Previously Pat worked in health care. She holds a BS in Management and an MS in Community Health and Health Care Administration from Long Island University in New York.
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Kim Hines is an African-American queer woman who is a theater artist, author, mentor and educator. She has been in the business of theater over 50+ years and her plays have been performed around the country.
Belonging to a family of doctors and medical professionals, she is well-versed in health issues and her family has been severely impacted by the vast array of disinformation surrounding COVID-19. KFAI’s Dixie Treichel spoke with Hines about her personal and professional experiences throughout the pandemic.
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Jerome Evans is an African-American queer man who works in marketing with the Minnesota Service Cooperatives. He is also co-chair of the Public Health Advisory Committee for the City of Minneapolis and host of the TV show “Bottomless Coffee with Jerome” on MCN6 sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Health. KFAI’s Dixie Treichel spoke with Evans about how his work has met the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen here:
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In this edition of First Person Plural, we hear the story of Richard “Dick” Bancroft, who used his passion for social justice to become a documentary photographer for the American Indian Movement (AIM). Bancroft began working with AIM in the Twin Cities in the 1970s and travelled the world, covering many of the movement’s political, spiritual and cultural activities for more than 40 years. This story was produced by Dixie Treichel.
Listen here:
Photo of Indigenous Delegations & Russell Means at the World Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, 1977 by Dick Bancroft.
First Person Plural is funded in part by the Minnesota Humanities Center with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
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Writer and scholar Gerald Vizenor, of the White Earth Nation, wrote the screenplay for the film Harold of Orange in 1983 while teaching at the University of Minnesota. It’s a playful film about a modern day trickster played by Native American actor/comedian Charlie Hill (Oneida). Set in Minnesota and filled with comedy and irony, the film explores the interaction between Native Americans and philanthropic foundations. It premiered in Minneapolis in 1984 at the Uptown Theater. KFAI’s Dixie Treichel has the story.
Listen here:
Photo courtesy Vision Maker Media.
This work is funded in part by the Minnesota Humanities Center with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
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In the 1970s, throughout the Twin Cities and beyond, the FBI infiltrated activist organizations and disrupted these groups using the grand jury system. The Minnesota Citizens Review Commission on the FBI listened to testimonies from a variety of communities who were being harassed and intimidated by the FBI. The Review Commission’s goal was to educate and inform citizens about the FBI’s tactics and explore what could be done if targeted. KFAI’s Dixie Treichel has more. Listen here:
Photos courtesy of the MIGIZI Legacy Radio Archive.
This work is funded in part by the Minnesota Humanities Center with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.”
Search for more First Person Plural Stories at KFAI.org.
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Anishinaabe-Dakota hip-hop artist KITTO is set to release his new album “1999” later this summer. The new album riffs on themes of personal loss, social justice, and healing. In this candid interview with KFAI’s Dixie Treichel, KITTO speaks about the past year, and what it means to him to live for the moment.
Listen here:
Support for MinneCulture on KFAI comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
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In the early 1970’s, Native American youth were experiencing discrimination in the Twin Cities public schools that created turmoil and high drop out rates. This lead to the creation of an alternative accredited educational place named The Red School House. KFAI’s Dixie Treichel filed this report. Listen below.
“Being at Red School House, you didn’t have anyone telling you you couldn’t be who you are,” said Dorene Day, a former Red School House student. “We were encouraged to delve into every aspect of our life as a Native person.”
The Red School House began in February of 1972. The idea was hatched by concerned parent Charlotte Day alongside St Paul American Indian Movement Executive Director Edward Benton-Benai. Day and Benton-Benai then developed the concept with members of the community. First Person Radio interviewed Edward Benton-Benai in 1976.
“So our relationship with the public school system of St. Paul has not been one of romance. They had threatened to pick all the kids up from school and charge them with truancy at one time. When that call came, we sent out a call to the Indian community. In about 40 minutes there were about 250 Indians that surrounded the building and dared them to come and get the kids. And we knew too that we had a responsibility to live up to and that was the maintaining and enlarging of the school.”
This work is funded in part by the Minnesota Humanities Center with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
Photograph Courtesy of the American Indian Movement Interpretive Center.
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