Minnesota History

Phyllis Wheatley center, once a Green Book haven for Black students and artists, turns 100
Providing kids the chance to explore the outdoors, listen to the sounds of nature and take a dip in a lake had been a high priority for the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center. It began summer camp programs in 1932. The mission of “the Wheatley,” as many refer to the center, has always been service to the community. 
Man who stole ‘Wizard of Oz’ ruby slippers avoids prison time
A federal judge told the man who stole a pair of the iconic ruby red slippers slippers worn in the classic film “The Wizard of Oz” that his crime was “extraordinary in its stupidity, selfishness and impact,” yet he did not sentence him to any prison time because the thief is terminally ill.
As Dorothy's ruby slippers theft trial concludes, the mystery endures
Nearly two decades after the theft of a pair of slippers used in “The Wizard of Oz” the man who admits he stole them will receive sentence in Duluth Monday morning. Some of what happened all those years ago has been revealed — but not all.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s visits to Minnesota more than 50 years ago still resonate
On what would have been King’s 95th birthday, many are celebrating the civil rights leader, while also reflecting on what his words reveal about the march for justice still ahead.
Human remains held by U's medical school raise questions around tribal consultation
A preliminary review found that some of the remains are likely Native American in origin.  A newly revised federal law protecting Indigenous human remains went into effect Friday.
Small land transfer may be a big deal in tribal lands debate
In what could become a blueprint for similar Minnesota communities, Lake City, southeast of the Twin Cities, has returned ownership of Dakota burial mounds back to their modern-day relatives at Prairie Island Indian Community. Two communities historically at odds now may be ushering in a period of understanding.