Duluth, Minnesota has had booming periods of greatness and times when it looked like the whole city might be canceled. Tony Dierckins, an author who has written extensively about Duluth’s history, sets the scene for the state of the city going into the 1920 lynchings of Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson and Isaac McGhie. Heidi Bakk-Hansen, a writer and activist, puts it into context considering the race riots of the previous year, dubbed Red Summer. Duluth might have been primed for a major racial event when the John Robinson Circus pulled into town on June 14, 1920.
For an episode guide, which includes links to sources and visuals, go to duluthnewstribune.com.
