Anthony Brutus Cassius was questioned by the FBI, fought to be the first Black person in Minnesota to get a liquor license, and his famous greasy burgers were once mentioned on the Johnny Carson show. But above all, starting in the 1930s, Cassius created space for the Twin Cities Black community to eat, drink, organize and connect. Even today, there are hardly any Black-owned bars or restaurants in the Twin Cities. Cassius' story helps us to understand how we got here.

“The Godfather of Black Space in Minneapolis” traces Cassius’ life and impact as a labor organizer, civil rights leader, and entrepreneur. This episode of the MinneCulture Podcast was produced by food writer and chef Mecca Bos and audio journalist Nancy Rosenbaum. It’s the first installment in the Hidden Black Foodways of Minnesota -- an audio documentary and podcast series that will spotlight untold and under-told stories of Minnesota’s Black food makers and pioneers.

Special thanks to the Minnesota Historical Society for the A.B. Cassius oral history audio in this episode. Thanks also goes out to Katie Myhre, Brandt Williams and Brian Lozenski.

Find more work by Mecca Bos at meccaboswrites.com and Nancy Rosenbaum at nancyrosenbaum.com.

Support for the MinneCulture Podcast comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the Hennepin History Museum.

Photo courtesy of the Hennepin County Library and the children of John Glanton. Find more photos from the John F. Glanton Collection here: bit.ly/2T449bY