remembering our past.
creating our future.
The Rondo Center of Diverse Expression (RCODE) is a non-profit based in Saint Paul, MN.
RCODE’s home is the building that was the former home of New Jerusalem Baptist Church at 315 Fisk Street. Our vision is to offer space that complements our mission to rekindle the spirit of Rondo and the preservation of those values that sustained Rondo through the devastation of its community. In coordination with the Rondo Commemorative Plaza (RCP) our location offers a unique venue for events; houses the Rondo Research Collection; and includes a small museum for the display of art and artifacts interpreting the Rondo experience. In addition, we host events throughout the year, including an annual Juneteenth celebration, Jazz at the Plaza series, movement & exercise classes, opportunities to engage with art and culture, and an annual celebration of Engraved Brick purchasers.
Rondo plaza
RCODE has administrative and operational responsibility for the Rondo Commemorative Plaza (RCP). This is a public space to honor the past and celebrate the future of Saint Paul’s first African American neighborhood. Located at the corner of Fisk Avenue and Rondo Avenue in what is now the Summit-University neighborhood, the Plaza repurposes a vacant 130’ by 42’ lot with greenspace, benches, a stage, and 23 history panels where visitors can learn how much the City of Saint Paul and the State of Minnesota have been improved, changed, challenged, and make better by the African American experience of Rondo. Visitors to the history walk should take note of the engraved bricks honoring Rondo under their feet.
Ongoing Programs
A collection of stories about the community of Rondo. We encourage visitors to use the link above to tell us about their connection to Rondo as parents, children, workers, or visitors. Stories can take the form of oral recordings or letters sent to our office. Please contact Linda Cobb, the Operations Manager, at linda@rcodemn.org for further information.
A comprehensive collection of fiction and non-fiction, published and unpublished books, journals, articles, studies, essays, poems, programs, photographs, maps, posters, films, video tapes and other media items where the main topic or subject matter of the work concerns, describes, illustrates analyzes or interprets the history, development, lost, present circumstances, and future of the Rondo neighborhood. Original content is eligible for inclusion into the Minnesota Digital Library. The collection will be augmented by additions and is a valuable resource for residents, scholars, students, and other institutions.
An annual acknowledgement of people, organizations, or activities, or service that celebrates an invention, product, individual or team accomplishment that furthers the history, culture, or values of Rondo deserving of community recognition.
Anyone is welcome to purchase an engraved brick to be installed along the plaza’s history walk. Bricks can commemorate an address, a family member or friend, a memory, a business, or anything else held near and dear.
Pictured: Eugene Barringer, Elizabeth Gullickson, Marvin Anderson, & Henry Combs admiring their bricks.
Annual Events
Juneteenth Celebration
An annual celebration on June 19th, celebrating the same day in 1865 when a group of enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas learned of their freedom, almost two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Each year, RCODE remembers June 19th, 1865 with speakers, music, food, exhibitors, and the announcement of the Rondo Achievement Awards.
Photo is from Scott Takushi with Pioneer Press. For more information, click here.
‘Every Brick Counts’ Ceremony
An annual celebration held in September, honoring those who purchase bricks to be installed along RCP’s history walk. The program includes music, refreshments, speeches, and good company! To see a video of last year’s ceremony, please visit our Youtube page.
Jazz at the PLaza series
In partnership with Jazz Access, RCODE hosts early evening jazz shows throughout the summer at the Rondo Commemorative Plaza. Jazz at Rondo Plaza offers outdoor jazz complete with seating, tables, and a professional sound system. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Photo is from Jazz Access. For more information, click here.
Wellness and Movement Series
In partnership with various agencies, RCODE offers free movement classes, including Zumba, Yoga, and dance. In 2023, we partnered with TU Dance to offer classes for adults 55 and older during the summer.
Photo is from Canaan Mattson with TU Dance. For more information, click here.