For Prince fans everywhere, hearing about his support for striking Minneapolis public school teachers at just 11 years old is nothing short of exhilarating. It’s one of those rare gems that deepens our understanding of Prince—not just as a musical genius but as a young person shaped by the social environment around him, much like the endless vault of unreleased tracks that continues to reveal new facets of his artistry.
As I’m working on a book about the Minneapolis music scene and the city’s public school system, which played a huge role in this musical legacy, this discovery is particularly exciting for me. The footage offers us a peek into Prince’s early life—“Skipper” as he was known back then—and captures a moment in the history of North Minneapolis in the 70s. This area had its own rich but often overlooked tapestry of Black culture, even experiencing two significant uprisings in the mid-60s.
Minneapolis doesn’t often get the spotlight in discussions about Black cultural hubs, overshadowed by cities like Chicago or Los Angeles. Yet, Prince’s smirk in that clip connects him to a legacy of Black creatives who thrived in the frozen yet vibrant landscape of the Upper Midwest.
What’s particularly fascinating about this clip is its glimpse into Prince’s sense of justice and empathy from a young age. It makes you wonder, what was it that moved him to support his teachers? Seeing an 11-year-old show concern for others, especially in such a public manner, is a rare thing. Adolescence often comes with a focus on the self, yet here Prince stands, an early advocate.
There’s a temptation to draw direct lines between this act and the themes of his music, but realistically, there’s no clear evidence. Yet, knowing how the Minneapolis public school system put a premium on musical education gives us a clue. Prince was lucky enough to attend a school where music was woven into the fabric of everyday learning, thanks to a forward-thinking system set up many years prior by Thaddeus Paul Giddings. This immersive education allowed kids like Prince to explore music deeply from a young age.
Music was not just a class for him; it was his passion, the thing he could count on to be a part of every school day. It’s easy to imagine that fostering such a close-knit community with his teachers might have given the young Prince the motivation to speak up.
The video also stands out as a rare, unscripted moment from Prince’s life. Throughout his career, he was a master of mystique and control, using these elements to protect his personal narrative. He wove tales about his heritage and relationships, built walls with nondisclosure agreements, and even changed his name to ensure no one ever truly had a grip on his personal life.
Even in death, he remains an enigma—one that fans will never stop trying to unravel. This clip, however, gives us a special, candid look at who he was before the legend fully took shape. It’s a small glimpse, but a precious one, into the young boy who would later change the world with his music.