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02-09-26 Jeremiah Ellis, independent public history researcher and author, talks with Freddie Bell about the overlooked legacy of Black women at the Twin Cities Ordnance Plant
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On the KMOJ Morning Show, Freddie Bell speaks with public history researcher Jeremiah Ellis about his Minnesota Historical Society–published article, The Overlooked Legacy: Black Women of the Twin Cities Ordnance Plant. Ellis shares the powerful stories of the “Black Rosies” who worked at the New Brighton plant during World War II, breaking racial and gender barriers while helping power the war effort. The conversation highlights how these women moved beyond domestic work into skilled and leadership roles, despite facing discrimination and danger, and how their economic gains helped strengthen Minnesota’s Black middle class. Ellis also explains why these stories were erased for decades and how reclaiming them reshapes our understanding of history, justice, and the foundations of today’s civil rights movements.