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CULTURAL STUDIES
The History of American Music, as Recorded in Richmond, Indiana
How one Midwestern record company changed the course of popular music.
The History of American Music, as Recorded in Richmond, Indiana
How one Midwestern record company changed the course of popular music.
Featured
HISTORY
A Visit to Milwaukee’s Last Public Drinking Well
The Pryor Avenue Iron Well is a remnant of the past—and maybe a glimpse of the future.
INDIGENOUS DESK
A Public Art Project Tackles Unceded Land in Chicago
'Whose Lakefront' marks the Indigenous history of the Lake Michigan coast.
ENVIRONMENT
The Bird Patrol
Chicago is the most dangerous city in the country for birds. Meet the people who want to change that.
FOOD & DRINK
Searching for the Elusive Plum Dumpling
Could the dish reconnect me with my Slovak heritage?
Searching for the Elusive Plum Dumpling
Could the dish reconnect me with my Slovak heritage?
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More Stories
Greening West Woodlawn
The West Woodlawn Arboretum, in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, reflects a "new narrative" of "joy and abundance."
Ohio’s Indigenous Landscapes
Documenting the indigeneity embedded in the culture and geography of the state.
Urban Renewal Today
Tracing the past, present, and future of housing development and displacement in Detroit.
Movie Palaces of the Rust Belt
The rise and fall (and rise) of the Main Street theater.
Why Indigenous Place Names Matter
Our origin stories, histories, languages, and cultures are tied to our homelands.
Hair and History in ‘Akron’s Harlem’
On Howard Street, in downtown Akron, Black life and culture flourished.
What’s Next for Public Safety in Minneapolis?
Inside the push to transform the department that killed George Floyd.
My Garden Folly
Backyard gardens are for you. Front yard gardens are for others.
Fire in Peshtigo
The deadliest fire in U.S. history happened one hundred and fifty years ago near Peshtigo, Wisconsin. You’ve probably never heard of it.
Building a Black-Owned Food Ecosystem in Detroit
Detroit’s Black-owned food businesses thrive through networks of collaboration and support.
Modernist Post Offices of Michigan
Eight mid-century post offices from small towns and exurbs across the state.
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From the Archives
Climate Emergency and Environmental Justice in the Rust Belt
Stories on climate change, industrial legacies, and planning for a just future.
The Rubber Industry’s Toxic Legacy in Akron
The stories of workers and their families reveal "unintended consequences" for life and health in the community.
Rust Belt Recipes
Recipe: Whiskey Cider from Detroit
Make it like the professionals at Detroit Farm and Cider.
Recipe: Pittsburgh’s Turkey Devonshire
Make it like the professionals at Union Grill.
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