>> CATHY: NEXT WEEK, TWIN CITIES PBS WILL PREMIERE "HOPE IN THE STRUGGLE," A DOCUMENTARY FROM MINNESOTA EXPERIENCE SHOWCASING THE LIFE AND WORK OF JOSIE JOHNSON, A PROMINENT CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST BOTH IN MINNESOTA AND NATIONWIDE.

FROM LOBBYING FOR FAIR HOUSING TO BEING A PART OF THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON, JOHNSON REFLECTS ON HER LIFE, INCLUDING SEVEN DECADES OF ACTIVISM, AND OBSERVES FUTURE GENERATIONS TAKING UP THE MANTLE.

HERE'S AN EXCERPT OF JOHNSON LOOKING BACK AT A PART OF THAT ACTIVISM.

>> MY FEAR WAS MORE IN '64 WHEN I HAD TO GO TO MISSISSIPPI.

♪♪ >> IN 1964, DOROTHY HEIGHT, WHO WAS HEAD OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEGRO WOMEN, DOROTHY AND SOME OF HER JEWISH FRIENDS WORKED ON INVOLVING WOMEN IN THE STRUGGLE.

THEY ORGANIZED WHAT THEY CALL WEDNESDAYS IN MISSISSIPPI.

AND THEY INVITED GROUPS OF WOMEN TO GO DOWN TO JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, SO IT WAS AN ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN FOR WOMEN, ABOUT WOMEN, BUT THAT IT WAS TO BE A SECRET.

WE COULDN'T TELL ANYONE.

IT WAS ERY DANGEROUS, PEOPLE KILLED AND HOMES BOMBED AND CHURCHES BOMBED AND CHILDREN THROWN IN JAIL.

MY HUSBAND AND I HAD QUITE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER I SHOULD GO.

I HAD THREE DAUGHTERS, 6, 8 AND 10, ND THE QUESTION WAS, WHAT IF I DIDN'T COME BACK.

>> CATHY: JOINING US NOW TO TALK MORE ABOUT "HOPE IN TTHE STRUGGLE" AND OTHER PROJECTS IN THE HISTORY PIPELINE, MINNESOTA EXPERIENCE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER DANIEL BERGIN.

WELCOME BACK.

WOW, THAT WAS A SERIOUS SOUND BITE THERE.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I DIDN'T COME BACK.

>> YEAH, RIGHT.

YEAH, JOSIE, THAT KIND OF CIVIL RIGHTS ESPIONAGE FROM WEDNESDAYS IN MISSISSIPPI WAS PRETTY AMAZING, ONE OF THE MANY STORIES AND IT REMINDS US AS POISED AND TOGETHER AS SHE WAS, THAT ERA ID HAVE REAL DANG GEAR.

>> Eric: SHE'S BEEN CALLED THE FIRST LADY OF MINNESOTA SELF RIGHTS, FAIRLANE FOR HER?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

WE KNOW HERE THERE IS A HISTORY THERE BEFORE JOSIE BUT IN TERMS OF THE MODERN CIVIL RIGHTS ERA, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

IN ADDITION TO BEING THAT FIRST LAID, SHE'S ALSO LIKE ONE OF THE LAST FREEDOM FIGHTERS FROM THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA IN MINNESOTA SO SHE'S EVEN MORE PRECIOUS AND THE STORY IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT FOR THAT REASON.

>> Cathy: WHY IS Dr. JOHNSON'S STORY SO IMPORTANT?

>> YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S -- YOU MENTIONED FAIR HOUSING, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, HER WORK IN A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS, ON BOARDS, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, PROBABLY ISN'T AN ALMANAC VIEWER WHO HASN'T BEEN TOUCHED BY JOSIE JOHNSON.

YOUR POLITICAL LEADERS WHO WILL BE ON LATER, THEY'RE ALL KINDS OF WALKING IN THE PATH OF THIS AMAZING POLITICAL LEADER WHO I THINK ALSO CREATED A CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND A STATESWOMANSHIP AND A POISE IN THE WAY SHE DID IT THAT REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE.

>> Cathy: WE ALL HERE HAVE COVERED Dr. JOHNSON OVER THE MANY YEARS, RIGHT?

AND I KNOW YOU KNOW HER.

DID YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW THAT YOU HADN'T ABOUT HER IN THIS DOCUMENTARY?

>> YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE DELIGHTFUL ASPECTS OF THERE DOCUMENTARY THE AUDIENCE WILL SEE IS MEETING HER FAMILY.

SHE'S SO PROUD OF THEM AND HER DAUGHTERS AND ER GRAND DAUGHTERS, WHO ARE KIND OF FEATURED IN THE FILM SO THAT WAS FUN TO KIND OF PUT A FACE ON THE LEGACY SHE IS AMONG SO MANY THINGS, A DOTING MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER AND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER SO THAT WAS REALLY KIND OF NICE TO SEE.

>> Eric: YOU PREMIERED THIS LAST MONDAY AT THE HUMPHREY SCHOOL AND SHE WAS THERE.

>> SHE WAS THERE.

>> Eric: WHAT ERE HER THOUGHTS ON THE FINISHED PRODUCT HERE?

>> SHE REALLY APPRECIATED IT.

SHE'S SO THANKFUL AND SOME PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WERE LIKE, INCLUDING SENATOR KLOBUCHAR VIA VIDEO, WE'RE LIKE, THANK YOU, JOSIE JOHNSON, THANK YOU, BUT SHE JUST REALLY ENJOYED IT, SEEING HER OLD BUT' MAHOUD KATI IN THE AUDIENCE AND SO MANY OTHERS SHE'S WORKED WITH AND GUIDED AND MENTORED SO I THINK SHE RELEVANT ENJOYED IT.

>> Cathy: WE SHOULD ALSO SAY THIS DOCUMENTARY WAS PUT TOGETHER BY AWARD-WINNING PRODUCER STEVE SPENCER WHO NO LONGER WORKS HERE AND WHY, WHEN YOU GUYS WERE SHOOTING IT AND PUTTING THIS THING TOGETHER, WHAT WAS THE MESSAGE YOU WANTED TO LEAVE, YOU WANT TO LEAVE WITH VIEWERS?

>> YEAH, YEAH, AND THANKS FOR THAT.

STEVE, AMAZING PROLIFIC PRODUCER AND DEAR FRIEND, AND THEN MIRANDA WHO WAS WORKING WITH US WHO HELPED BRING IT TO THE FINISH LINE IN THE EDIT SUITE DID AN AMAZING JOB, JOSIE'S LEGACY IS MANY THINGS AND THERE ARE SO MANY WORDS AND WAYS TOO DESCRIBE IT, AND WE HOPE AUDIENCES WILL FIND THEMSELVES IN THE STORY AND SOME OF THAT LEGACY, AND THE LEGACY INCLUDES TPT.

ONE OF THE FUN ASPECTS OF IT IS THE ARCHIVAL, YOU TWO ARE IN IT IN RAY WAY BECAUSE THERE'S ALMANAC CLIPS AND IT'S A REMINDSER OF TPT REPORTERS, PRODUCERS, BUT ALSO CREW, THE AMAZING JIM CROHN, MINNESOTA'S MOST PROPER LIVING VIDEOGRAPHER WHO'S ON THE FOOTAGE THAT WE USED.

>> Eric: WHAT ELSE IS COMING UP?

>> THERE'S BEEN BUZZ ABOUT THE ELECTRIC INDIAN, HAD A GREAT EVENT AND PREMIER IN WARROAD, HOCKEY DAY, AT A SCREENING HERE IN THE CITIES BUT IT STILL HASN'T COME OUT YET SO WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE VIEWERS SEE HENRY BOUCHEARNINGS -- >> Eric: HE SAW IT BEFORE HE PASSED?

>> HE DID, HE SAW A ROUGH CUT.

HE WAS VERY PROUD, VERY GREAT TO WORK WITH AND HE AND THE FAMILY REALLY ENJOYED THE PROCESS AND THE FAMILY CONTINUES TO AND WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM.

AND AFTER ELECTRIC INDIAN, A REALLY BEAUTIFUL FILM ABOUT KIND OF LATINA HISTORY, COLD PROFAY.

AND THAT WILL I THINK CHANGE THE VIEW ON CULTURAL EDUCATION IN MINNESOTA.

>> Cathy: GLAD YOU MENTIONED JIM CROHN AND STEVE SPENCER AND THIS TEAM OF INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY DO FANTASTIC WORK, DOCUMENTING MINNESOTA HISTORY HERE AT TWIN CITIES PBS.

SO WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO TELL THESE STORIES?

>> YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE HEADLINES THAT YOU ALL ARE DISCUSSING TONIGHT, THERE'S HISTORY BEHIND THOSE HEADLINES.

ALMANAC HAS ALWAYS KIND OF FRAMED IT THAT WAY AS HAS TPT.

SO FOR ME, YOU KNOW, KNOWING HOW WE GOT TO NOW, SOME OF THE STRENGTHS OF MINNESOTA, SOME OF THE STRUGGLES.

WE LEARNED MORE ABOUT THAT WHEN WE LEARN ABOUT HISTORY AND THAT'S WHY MINNESOTA EXPERIENCE IS SO IMPORTANT.

>> Eric: 8:00 p.m. TUESDAY, TWIN CITIES ONLY, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT WILL BE IN OUR MARKET EVENTUALLY, IT WILL GO BEYOND -- HER FAMILY ARE IN ATLANTA AND THEY'RE LIKE WHEN WILL IT BE ON HERE BUT EVERYONE CAN WATCH IT ON THE WEBSITE.