Ghost of a Chance

Latest Episodes:

The Headstone Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

When Eric realized Clementine Robinson never got the headstone that she wanted, it felt wrong. And he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. This is the story of how a group of strangers got together to grant the last wish of a woman they never met.

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BONUS: The Speech Feb 17, 2025

Show notes

Eric finds a book that includes a jaw-dropping piece of history from a prominent Black woman who lived in Minneapolis in the 1920s and 30s. Her words become the name of this podcast. This is the speech that inspired the title “Ghost of a Chance.”

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The Dividing Line Feb 10, 2025

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Episode 6 -- To find out what happened to the Robinsons in the 1960s, Eric doesn’t need old records anymore. People alive today tell him the story of the historic moment when the jack hammers and bulldozers arrived. Eric learns what is left of Harry and Clementine Robinson’s lives.

For documents, photos and other source material related to this episode, go to https://www.startribune.com/ghost-of-a-chance-podcast-episode-6-guide/601204960

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The Corner Feb 03, 2025

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Episode 5 -- Eric turns to the people who lived alongside Harry and Clementine Robinson to show him what it was like to start over in the new reality of the 1930s. They are outcasts in their own city, but gradually become central figures in what is emerging as the Black middle class community there.

For documents, photos and other source material related to this episode, go to: https://www.startribune.com/ghost-of-a-chance-podcast-episode-5-guide/601204959

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Why Did He Do It? Jan 27, 2025

Show notes

Episode 4 --There is sometimes a steep price to pay for being bold. Eric investigates a mysterious shooting involving Harry, and a damaging accusation that threatens his livelihood on the eve of a global catastrophe. He also makes a shocking discovery that pulls back the curtain on the Robinsons’ relationship. They are tested.

For documents, photos and other source material related to this episode, go to: https://www.startribune.com/ghost-of-a-chance-podcast-episode-4-guide/601204958

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‘It Was Ugly’ Jan 20, 2025

Show notes

Episode 3 -- It’s one thing to become successful. It’s another to hold onto it. Eric finds that in the 1920s, people were coming for the Robinsons and their Black neighbors. And he uncovers how the blatant threats hid beneath mild-mannered suits and ties. The Robinsons’ courage and ambition are putting them more and more at risk.

For documents, photos and other source material related to this episode, go to: https://www.startribune.com/ghost-of-a-chance-podcast-episode-3-guide/601204957

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Nice Little House Jan 13, 2025

Show notes

Episode 2 -- Clippings from the Black newspapers back in the 1910s help Eric piece together the lives of Harry and Clementine Robinson as they settle in a place as far north as they could get. Those articles lay out a map to success. But just as the Robinsons find their footing, a rash of racial conflicts across the country threatens to unravel their progress.

For documents, photos and other source material related to this episode, go to: https://www.startribune.com/ghost-of-a-chance-podcast-episode-2-guide/601204916

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Falling Down the Rabbit Hole Jan 12, 2025

Show notes

Episode 1 -- Reporter Eric Roper moves into his 113-year-old house and finds an irresistible piece of history that sends him down a rabbit hole like no other. It takes him back in time to the Civil War and across the Midwest to uncover the mysterious origins of two of the former owners of his home – Harry and Clementine Robinson.

For documents, photos and other source material related to this episode, go to: https://www.startribune.com/ghost-of-a-chance-podcast-episode-1-guide/601204915

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Introducing Ghost of a Chance Dec 18, 2024

Show notes

When history buff Eric Roper buys an old house in Minneapolis, he wants to know everything about the people who lived there before him. But one couple became his obsession. They were one of the few Black families more than a hundred years ago to own a home in what’s now the whitest part of Minneapolis. And they show Eric a side of his city he never knew before. This is “Ghost of a Chance” from the Minnesota Star Tribune. Coming January 13.

For more information on Ghost of a Chance, head to our website: http://startribune.com/ghostofachance

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