Ghost of a Chance

The Minnesota Star Tribune•startribune.com

When reporter Eric Roper buys a lovely 113-year-old house in Minneapolis, he wants to find out everything he can about its history. But he quickly becomes obsessed with one couple who owned the house 100 years ago. Harry and Clementine Robinson send him down a surprising rabbit hole into an incredible history he never heard before. As he artfully and meticulously pieces together the remarkable story of their lives, we find out what the Robinsons reveal about a history of race in Minneapolis -- the city that became ground zero for an unprecedented global racial reckoning.

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

Last refreshed: July 27th, 2025 at 7:26 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

Introducing: Worth It

We’re excited to introduce Worth It , a new show from The Minnesota Star Tribune and Lemonada Media. Each week, editor Nicole Norfleet and columnist Aaron Brown are joined by people who know Minnesota inside and out – reaching into the spaces you might not know to share the stories worth your attention, the places worth a look, and the events worth your time – and money. In this episode, whether you kayak, canoe or paddleboard - or you want to - we’ll hear the best paddling routes to try in the ...

May 16, 2025•36 min

BONUS: The Speech

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.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 17, 2025•27 min

The Dividing Line

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Feb 10, 2025•44 min•Ep. 6

The Corner

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Feb 03, 2025•38 min•Ep. 5

Why Did He Do It?

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 See omnystu...

Jan 27, 2025•36 min•Ep. 4

‘It Was Ugly’

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 See omny...

Jan 20, 2025•33 min•Ep. 3

Nice Little House

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-epi...

Jan 13, 2025•38 min•Ep. 2

Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

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 See omny...

Jan 12, 2025•31 min•Ep. 1

Introducing Ghost of a Chance

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 w...

Dec 18, 2024•2 min

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