Social Issues

A tribute to Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson, the black player who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, died 35 years ago this week. The Kennedy Library in Boston hosted a recent forum on Robinson's life and historical significance.
The challenge of affordable housing
As the Metropolitan Council requires Twin Cities communities to build thousands of units of affordable housing, cities and residents raise concerns about sharing the burden and the opportunity.
Alcohol exposure affects generations on Indian  reservations
The incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome, or FAS, among American Indians is 30 times higher than among whites. Indians in Minnesota say fetal alcohol damage is causing huge problems. Some say it's the No. 1 problem facing Indian communities.
Last week's feud between Rep. Michele Bachmann and local TV stations over an ad raises the question: can voters believe what they see?
Shakopee tribe's gift moves U closer to stadium fundraising goal
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community boosts University of Minnesota stadium fundraising and starts a scholarship fund.
Birth control in middle schools
A school committee in Maine has agreed to provide access to birth control pills to a public middle school. While some are applauding the move, critics say middle school is too early to provide kids with contraception.
Jerry Wayne produces a bleak view of Los Angeles
Jerry Wayne knows all about the good and the bad of Los Angeles. As a kid from central Minnesota, he headed west to try to make it in the music business. He saw how some people succeed, but many don't.
How to solve a family crisis the democratic way
The child welfare system traditionally diagnoses a family crisis and then tells the family how to fix it. But another model called Family Group Decision Making gives the family in crisis a voice in the decision making process. One family in St. Paul experienced this kind of democracy first hand.
Vernon Bellecourt laid to rest in White Earth
White Earth Tribal Chairwoman Erma Vizenor gave a eulogy Wednesday for late American Indian Movement leader Vernon Bellecourt. She said his protest tactics were controversial, but of great importance to Native Americans everywhere.
Edward P. Jones writes about the real Washington
Edward P. Jones writes about Washington D.C. Not the Washington of politicians and the government offices, but the Washington neighborhoods filled with people struggling to get by.