On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, North Star Journey Live will explore the topic of intergenerational trauma in the Black community with journalist and author Lee Hawkins Jr. at the 3M Auditorium at the Minnesota History Center in St Paul. Hawkins, who grew up in Maplewood, will sit down with MPR News host Angela Davis to talk about his new podcast What Happened in Alabama? and his forthcoming book, “Nobody’s Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free.”
About our Host
Angela Davis is the host of MPR News with Angela Davis, a weekday talk show that airs at 9 a.m. She joined MPR News in November 2018 after more than 25 years of television reporting and anchoring in the Twin Cities and other cities throughout the country. Davis leads conversations on a wide variety of topics including how the state is changing, Minnesota’s persistent racial disparities, economic issues, education and mental health. The program includes insight from experts and listeners who call in during the live broadcast.
About our guest
Lee Hawkins is the author of the forthcoming book, NOBODY’S SLAVE: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free (HarperCollins 2025). He is working with APM Studios as an EP and Host of What Happened in Alabama?, a long-form limited series podcast about the intergenerational ripple effect of slavery and Jim Crow segregation on his family, dating back to 1600s. Before venturing into podcasting, he worked as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal for 19 years.
About the Podcast
What Happened in Alabama? is a series born out of personal experiences of intergenerational trauma, and the impacts of Jim Crow that exist beyond what we understand about segregation. Through intimate stories of his family, coupled with conversations with experts on the Black American experience, award-winning journalist Lee Hawkins unpacks his family history and upbringing, his father’s painful nightmares and past, and goes deep into discussions to understand those who may have had similar generational – and present day – experiences. What Happened In Alabama? is a series to end the cycles of trauma for Lee, for his family, and for Black America.
About the Series
North Star Journey Live is a series of events that explores issues of equity in Minnesota and doesn’t look away from our persistent racial disparities. Through live conversations with community leaders, shaped by our curious and engaged audience, we shine a light on systemic racism that impacts the lives of Minnesotans and the solutions designed to make a new path forward.
