Marketplace®

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Episode 1337Feb 25, 2025

“Unlocking the Gates” on housing and economic opportunity

Lee Hawkins traces the history of the Minnesota suburb he grew up in.

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Carolyn Hughes-Smith's grandfather, at right, beside the first house he and his wife moved into.
Carolyn Hughes-Smith's grandfather, at right, beside the first house he and his wife moved into.
Ayşe Gürsöz

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Today, we’re sharing the first episode of “Unlocking the Gates,” a series from Marketplace and APM Studios hosted by special correspondent Lee Hawkins. He tells the story of how the Minnesota suburb he grew up in went from being a place where the housing market was inaccessible to Black families to one where many Black families found economic opportunity. And it all started with a nighttime business deal.

The Team

“Unlocking the Gates” on housing and economic opportunity