News and Public Affairs

Retro Local

Retro Local is a companion initiative to Retro Report on PBS, highlighting local headlines and the historical seeds that were planted years ago in communities across the country. We’ll explore stories from eight PBS member stations on topics ranging from the environment to civil rights, from mental health to immigration, learning more about today by diving into the past.

Las Vegas: Built on a Bad Hand, Redeemed on the River

6m 20s

Nevada has a unique water history, which has shaped the development of Las Vegas and the rest of the state. Conservation and compromise continue to shape the future of Nevada.

Episodes

  • The Repeating History Behind the FAMU Hospital Closure: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Repeating History Behind the FAMU Hospital Closure

    S1 E12 - 13m 23s

    With the passing of the civil rights act in 1964, integration has been repeatedly used as a reason to close historically black Institutions. This story explores how the creation and closing of one African American hospital on the Florida A&M Campus impacted a local community.

  • The Urban Renewal and the Legacy of Smokey Hollow: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Urban Renewal and the Legacy of Smokey Hollow

    S1 E11 - 6m 36s

    What happened to the Tallahassee African American community of Smokey Hollow in the 1960's? Explore how the decisions made 60 years ago still impact how people think about urban renewal today.

  • Redlining: The Jim Crow Laws of the North: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Redlining: The Jim Crow Laws of the North

    S1 E10 - 6m 38s

    Why does Minnesota suffer through some of the worst racial disparities in the nation? One answer is the spread of racist, restrictive real estate
    covenants in the early 20th century. Jim Crow of the North charts the progression of racist policies and practices from the advent of restrictive
    covenants after the turn of the last century to their final elimination in the late 1960s.

  • The Return of Indian Island: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Return of Indian Island

    S1 E8 - 8m 46s

    From KEET in California: Indian Island has long been the center of the Wiyot tribe’s spiritual universe. In 1860, however, settlers from Eureka paddled across Humboldt Bay in the middle of the night to massacre women and children on the island who’d come out to conduct the World Renewal Ceremony. The city voted in December 2018 to finally return the island to the Wiyot people.

  • Searching for Solutions to Ohio's Roadway Woes: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Searching for Solutions to Ohio's Roadway Woes

    S1 E7 - 5m 48s

    From WGTE in Ohio: With aging bridges and roads deteriorating at alarming rates, Ohio is looking to higher gas taxes to increase funding for infrastructure maintenance. Examine the historical influences that have led to today’s infrastructure problems and the various innovative solutions being considered by the Ohio government.

  • How Algae Led to a Lake Erie Bill of Rights: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    How Algae Led to a Lake Erie Bill of Rights

    S1 E6 - 5m 7s

    From WGTE in Ohio: In 2019, voters amended the Toledo City charter to state that the Lake Erie watershed has legal rights to “exist, flourish, and naturally evolve.” The amendment fueled an immediate a legal battle that is still playing out. Explore how the idea of citizens stewardship led to a Lake Erie Bill of Rights.

  • The History of the Memphis' Kendrick Consent Decree: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The History of the Memphis' Kendrick Consent Decree

    S1 E5 - 6m 32s

    From WKNO in Tennessee: A 1978 court decision created a legal stumbling block for Memphis police tracking protesters in the present. And when the ACLU took the city to court in 2018 for violating the Kendrick Consent Decree, Memphis had to develop policies and guidelines for police investigations that touch upon political expression and free speech.

  • Restorative Justice in Alaska's Native Communities: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Restorative Justice in Alaska's Native Communities

    S1 E4 - 5m 39s

    From Alaska Public Media: In Alaska, sky-high rates of domestic violence and sexual assault are closely connected with the state’s law enforcement and criminal justice systems - systems that have experienced massive transformation over the course of Alaska’s history. Could restoring traditional methods of justice help improve public safety and strengthen Alaska communities?

  • Isolation to Inclusion: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Isolation to Inclusion

    S1 E3 - 7m 26s

    From WITF in Pennsylvania: Today, most people with intellectual disabilities are living in the community. But, does living in the community mean you’re truly a part of it? Isolation to Inclusion examines the long road in the 20th century towards inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities.

  • Economics, Immigration and the Changing Face of Alaska: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Economics, Immigration and the Changing Face of Alaska

    S1 E2 - 5m 47s

    From Alaska Public Media: Over the course of little more than a century, Alaska communities transformed from primarily indigenous to some of the most culturally diverse in the United States. What changed? A combination of economic and political forces combined to reshape the population - and the effects still linger today.

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