Wisconsin Life

Prior to 1972 girls didn’t always have the opportunity to play sports at school. But the passage of Title IX changed that. It paved the way for Manitowoc’s Roncalli High School girls basketball team to become the sport’s first state champions in 1975. Two former teammates talked with one another about that experience as part of a StoryCorps mobile tour stop in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Following your dreams. The power of perseverance. Being a good friend.

Words to live by for Donald Driver on his journey toward becoming a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and a celebrated children’s author, whose books have now been adapted for the stage by the Marcus Performing Arts Center and First Stage in Milwaukee.

Qwantese Winters’ goal is to get people outside more. As Madison Public Library’s Naturalist-in-Residence 2023, she wants people to think about and appreciate nature through the theme “Rooted in Nature.” Christina Lieffring went to Madison’s Troy Gardens to bring us Winters’ story.

In 2018, a photo exhibit opened at the Paine Art Center in Oshkosh. “The Color Brave Photo Project: Black and Brown Faces — A New Narrative,” was the culmination of years of work by community leaders to show the complexity and beauty of people of color in the Fox Valley.

At the center of the project was Tracey Robertson, a community leader who moved to Oshkosh from Chicago and started working for change. She spoke with Jimmy Gutierrez about her experiences in Oshkosh and how this project came together in an episode of “Human Powered,” a podcast from our partners at Wisconsin Humanities.

Frog Bay Tribal National Park sits on the shores of Lake Superior. It’s on the land of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, also known as the Anishinaabe.

Frog Bay is the first tribal national park in the country, and for the last several summers, it’s been home to a collaborative archeological project between tribal leaders and university archeologists. The goal is not just to find new artifacts in the ground, but imagine a new way for archeologists to work with tribal members. We share this story as part of Arts and Humanities month. In Wisconsin, the governor recently signed a proclamation recognizing how both have been fundamental to Wisconsin’s story.

The oldest known tree in Wisconsin looks nothing like what you might expect. It’s not a huge, majestic tree. In fact, it’s so unremarkable that it’s easy to miss. WPR’s Rob Mentzer has been looking for this tree for years. He brings you the story of his search for this elusive tree.

Legendary bassist Richard Davis of Madison, Wisconsin passed away in early September 2023, surrounded by his loved ones. He was 93 years old. To honor and remember Davis, we’re revisiting this story from 2015, when writer Dean Robbins celebrated the bassist’s and University of Wisconsin professor’s career.

On the western shore of Lake Michigan sits the city of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a place known for its deep connection with the water. And along its shores, a lighthouse essential to the area’s maritime history stands tall, watching over the city. Molly Hunken climbs inside to take us on a tour of the Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse, which is part of the Wisconsin 101 project. It tells the history of Wisconsin through objects.

How do you define home if you’ve grown up in multiple places? It’s a question Pao Lor of Kimberly has grappled with for years. So, he went to visit his first home in Laos for clarity. 

He shares his story as part of the “Home Is Here” project, which amplifies the voices of the growing number of Black, Asian, Native American and Hispanic residents who call northeastern Wisconsin home. The project is part of the NEW News Lab – a local news collaboration in northeastern Wisconsin made up of six news organizations.

Many of us have that special spot in our homes where we feel at peace. Maybe it’s when you park it on the couch, sit down at the sewing table or immerse yourself in the food pantry. For writer Ron Weber, it’s when he’s standing in front of a window in his cabin near Cable, Wisconsin.