Rondo in Stories: A Little Free Library Walking Tour
The history of a neighborhood can be gleaned by walking; its culture is often discernible through a leisurely tour of its Little Free Libraries. So it is with the Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul.
Tag Archives: Rondo
Rethinking I-94 Is Exhausting: Sometimes I Think That’s Intentional
With its alphabet soup, pillars, frameworks and many meetings, the Rethinking I-94 process has the effect of dampening involvement. But this is a critical time for community input.
What Role Can Public Space Play in the Case for Reparations?: A Study of Rondo Commemorative Plaza
History of Rondo + Highway Built in 2018, Rondo Commemorative Plaza is a physical reminder of the destruction of the Rondo Neighborhood by the construction of Interstate 94 and the resilience of the community who lives there. Located in the historic Rondo Neighborhood on the corner of Fisk Street and Concordia Avenue (formerly known as […]
Reconnection, Revitalization, and Restitution for I-94 Communities
Saint Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood is a thriving, diverse community and home to many immigrant families and Black-owned businesses. It’s situated between University Avenue and the METRO Green Line to the north and Selby Avenue to the south. Black churches, businesses, and schools set down roots in the area in the late nineteenth and early […]
Freeways and Freedmen: A Familiar Story from Canada’s Rondo
Rondo was part of a roadmap which detailed the ways in which black folks across the United States could be removed from their homes and property in order to build the Eisenhower freeways. The Guardian has written about this process, alongside the Atlantic, ThinkProgress, the New York Times, and plenty of other outlets. But these […]
Map Monday: Saint Paul’s Rondo Neighborhood, c. 1950-1960
Here’s a (crap image of a) map spotted at the recent Selby Avenue Jazz Fest, showing landmarks of the old Rondo Avenue neighborhood. I was told by the people staffing the tent here that this map and research were done with help from the Minnesota Historical Society, and that a copy of this map is available […]
History Theater’s “The Highwaymen” Hit on Some Crucially Unexplored Themes
I am finally putting up my “review” of The Highwaymen, a play produced by the History Theater that centered on the construction of I-94 through Saint Paul’s African-American Rondo neighborhood. Thanks to the generosity of a friend, I got to attend the play during its closing week. I liked it but, since I’m so interested […]
Sunday Summary – August 21, 2016
Summer is winding down and along with the back-to-school sales, streets.mn has some back-to-school inspiration from a new column featuring Macalester College student writers. Features like these are developed by readers like you and we welcome your posts, suggestions for new content, and other ideas for expanding the conversation on transportation and land use. New […]
MnDOT and Saint Paul’s Apology Doesn’t Change Anything
On July 17, The Minnesota Department of Transportation and Saint Paul mayor Chris Coleman apologized for bulldozing the Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul to build Interstate 94. Beginning in 1958, the freeway destroyed nearly a thousand homes and businesses and it displaced thousands of people at the core of a predominantly African American neighborhood. It […]