A Sunny Juneteenth Celebration
On Wednesday, June 19, 2024, the Rondo Center of Diverse Expressions (RCODE) hosted our 4th annual Juneteenth Celebration, and you made it happen!
Under partly-blue skies and sunlight, we celebrated freedom and dignity with hundreds of visitors. Along Fisk Street, we enjoyed good food from Good Life Eatables & Logan’s Catfish, kid-friendly activities from the Science Museum of MN, a chair-building workshop from Elpis Enterprises & the Green Chair Project, and educational material from a number of community organizations. Thank you especially to our presenting sponsor, Xcel Energy, and our additional sponsors, Blaze Credit Union, HealthPartners, and ReConnect Rondo for supporting our celebration.
We were honored to present the Spirit of Rondo Awards to St. Paul Fire Captain Brittney Baker and Walker West Music Academy and its founders, Rev. Carl Walker and Grant West. Our awardees exemplify a commitment to the Rondo spirit, and they continue to serve the community through the inspiration and education of thousands of young people.
During their remarks, Mayor Carter, Councilmember Bowie, Commissioner Moran, Representative Hussein, Congresswoman McCollum, and Governor Walz emphasized the importance of voting in upcoming elections. Speakers reminded us not only of the deep history of discrimination of and unequal opportunities for Black Americans, but also the hope and joy embedded in the spirit of Rondo. This spirit is alive and well – we heard it during each performance from Walker West Music Academy. Listeners enjoyed pianists, multi-instrument ensembles, and a special duet from Grant West and his grandson as we wrapped up the program.
We are deeply appreciative to all those who came together to help us celebrate Juneteenth and the Music of Rondo!
