MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds

Seth Eastman was a soldier and an artist stationed at Fort Snelling in the 1830s and the 1840s. As MN90 producer Marisa Helms reports, Eastman’s greatest contribution to history was his accurate and un-romanticized depictions of Dakota and Ojibwe people in the area of the Fort during the 1840s. Because Eastman took an anthropological view in his art, today’s historians can learn about American Indian practices and cultural artifacts from the era. [Read Transcript...]

For sighted persons, staying up to date on the day’s news is easy. It’s much more challenging for the visually impaired—which is why Radio Talking Book’s 24-hour closed-circuit broadcast has been indispensible since it was introduced in Minnesota over 40 years ago. [Read Transcript...]

Allan Spear accomplished a lot in his three decades in the Minnesota Senate. But it’s the 1993 Minnesota Human Rights Act that he would call his “proudest legislative victory.” MN90 Producer Andi McDaniel finds out how one of the first openly gay Americans serving in elected office made Minnesota proud. [Read Transcript...]

The musician Yanni is famous for his New Age style and prolific solo career. But before he went out on his own, he was part of a “bombastic pop band” in the Twin Cities called Chameleon. MN90 Producer Andi McDaniel gives Chameleon a closer listen. [Read Transcript...]