MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — There's a 10-year-old detective in north Minneapolis named Keyshawn Keys — at least that's the protagonist of a new fictional podcast for kids, created by a St. Paul man.
"First started thinking about Keyshawn really after George Floyd and everything that was happening here in Minneapolis," said Ed Jenkins, creator and executive producer of "Keyshawn Solves It." "Started thinking about the kids in Minneapolis and how they view their own self-identity and really just how they view the community. I thought, 'Wouldn't it be cool to write a story about a kid who's growing up in north Minneapolis, who's doing amazing things?'"
For eight episodes, listeners are transported into the world of Keyshawn on his journey to solve why bikes are disappearing in his neighborhood before the Juneteenth bike parade.
The idea came together a couple of years ago when PBS Kids was looking for podcast pitches. Jenkins ended up being chosen for a kids podcast accelerator program, developing pilot episodes. PBS Kids ended up choosing a different project. However, PRX approached GBH Kids about Jenkins' idea which led to more conversations with PBS Kids.
Ultimately, "Keyshawn Solves It" is produced by GBH Kids and distributed by PRX and PBS Kids with funding made possible in part by Black Public Media.
The final two episodes dropped on Juneteenth, and the history of the federal holiday is the main storyline for the podcast.
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas found out they had been freed — after the end of the Civil War, and two years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
"I thought it would be a great opportunity for families who maybe aren't familiar with Juneteenth, or don't know about it, to learn about the history and also how we celebrate Juneteenth today," Jenkins said.
Local recording was done at SisterBoss studios in downtown Minneapolis.
The podcast includes voices from kids at Lucy Craft Laney Community School. Jenkins and a team held auditions at the school for supporting roles and also used a group of kids for different scenes.
"Any time in the podcast you hear like a classroom or you hear a group of kids interacting, that is kids, real kids, from north Minneapolis," Jenkins said.
Jenkins said they also gathered audio from the neighborhood of everything from cars driving by to an ice cream truck.
The podcast not only explores the history behind Juneteenth, but critical thinking by solving the missing bikes mystery, along with key character values.
Jenkins, who is a father to a 3-year-old son, said, "I think every child has a gift and talent that's inherently theirs and the question is, like Keyshawn, what am I going to do with it?"
Jenkins has spent his entire career working with kids and families, most recently as the children's ministry director at Excelsior Covenant Church. He also has a local show called "Lalo's Lunchbox."
On having his own PBS Kids podcast, Jenkins said, "It's a miracle that this is happening because it is a dream of mine. I've always had this dream about producing something for PBS Kids and being able to work with them and receive their feedback. It's been really extraordinary."
You can listen to Keyshawn Solves It wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find it on PBS Kids' Youtube page. It was made with kids ages 5-9 in mind.
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