interested in researching rondo?

The Rondo Research Collection is a comprehensive collection of fiction and nonfiction, published and unpublished books, journals, articles, studies, essays, poems, programs, photographs, maps, posters, films, videotapes, and other media items where the main topic pertains to the past, present, and future of the Rondo neighborhood. Our in-house research collection has a physical home at the Rondo Center of Diverse Expressions, and a digital home at the Minnesota Digital Library, where scanned items can be viewed and downloaded for free.

Marvin R. Anderson (left) examines an artifact brought by Rondo community member Lester O. Myles (right) at the Rondo History Harvest in 2017. Photo credit: Macalester College.

Additional Rondo resources

Below is a compilation of high-quality primary and secondary sources that can help you uncover information about the Rondo neighborhood. Sources continue a variety of materials, including books, articles, videos, podcasts, and ArcGIS Storymaps. Please contact Katie Frye at katie@rcodemn.org if you have difficulty accessing any of these items.

ArcGis storymaps

StoryMaps are interactive web maps that combine maps, text, and other content to tell a story. In partnership with RCODE, Dr. Amy Nygaard’s undergraduate Museum Studies students created seventeen StoryMaps in 2024. Topics include The Sterling Club, the music community of Rondo, the Red Caps, and the Great Depression.

MAcalester Digital Commons

This repository provides open access to the scholarly works of Macalester College students, faculty, and staff. Scholarly works can be downloaded for free. In the left hand corner, you can choose to search “in this repository” or “across all repositories” (all schools that have opted into open-access @ digital commons). Some good search terms might be: Rondo, Rondo St. Paul, and Interstate-94.

Hallie Q. Brown Archives

The Hallie Q. Brown Community Archives collect and preserve items of enduring historical value, primarily relating to the Rondo Neighborhood in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information, call the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center: 651-224-4601.

Hennepin County Library

Although most of the material in Hennepin County Library’s Special Collections is focused on Minneapolis and Hennepin County, the Star Tribune newspaper photographs collection includes images from Rondo Education Center. For more information, contact specialcoll@hclib.org or (612) 543-8200.

MNHS Libguide

This Research Guide from the Gale Family Library at the Minnesota Historical Society features an overview of Rondo history alongside compilations of primary sources (government records, manuscripts, memoirs, and oral histories) & secondary sources (books, articles, films, and maps). The Guide also features newspapers and images and details where to find physical artifacts.

RCHS Catalog

Ramsey County Historical Society magazine has a number of award-winning articles about Rondo. Notable pieces include “Traveling Without Aggravation: How Victor H. Green Changed Travel for Black Americans: Green Book Locations in the Historic Rondo Community (1940-1956)” by Nieeta Presley and “‘We Learn What We Live and Live What We Learn:’ Growing Up at 1022 Rondo Avenue” by Marion Jones Kennon.

Reconnect Rondo

ReConnect Rondo is a nonprofit advocating for a revitalization of the Rondo community. They aim to build a land bridge that reconnects the two halves of Rondo, while serving as an anchor point for a vibrant African American cultural enterprise district in Saint Paul. Their “Resources” page offers studies, impact reports, historical overviews, reports, and presentations related to the land bridge project.

Saint Paul Almanac

Saint Paul Almanac, in partnership with St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) and High School for Recording Arts (HSRA), presents Rondo: Beyond the Pavement, a new student-produced film and podcast that chronicles the history of a once-thriving African American neighborhood torn apart by the Interstate 94 corridor. The film was officially selected for the 2019 San Francisco Black Film Festival.

Saint Paul Neighborhood Network

The Rondo Neighborhood Playlist from the St. Paul Neighborhood Network is an ongoing collection of 75+ videos concerning Rondo. Videos range from informational programming to coverage of the annual Rondo Days Parade and Drill competitions, including art, music, dance, food, and community celebration as well as videos covering the Selby Jazz Festival.

Interested in adding material to the Collection?

Marvin R. Anderson explains the story behind a spoof Ebony magazine cover to Amy Sullivan. The magazine cover was a gift for his mother on her 100th birthday. Photo credit: Macalester College.

If you have old photos, videos, original poetry, artwork, creative writing pieces, pamphlets, invitations, booklets, flyers, maps, posters, or any other type of material that pertains in any way to Rondo, please consider entering it into our collection. Materials can be added digitally, so that you can keep the physical object, or physically, as a donation to RCODE. Reach out to linda@rcodemn.org to learn more.

FAQs

  • There are two ways to access materials:

    1) Head to the Minnesota Digital Library’s website and click on the button that says “Browse the Rondo Center of Diverse Expression collection.” There, you’ll find dozens of materials relating to the Rondo neighborhood. We are always uploading materials, but this takes time.

    2) Schedule an appointment to view materials in person by reaching out to Linda at linda@rcodemn.org.

  • We welcome any new materials relating to the past, present, and future of Rondo. Non-tangible items, like stories, count too! Please reach out to Linda at linda@rcodemn.org, Marvin at marvin@rcodemn.org, or Katie at katie@rcodemn.org to ask about inclusion of your materials in the digital or physical research collection.

  • Please reach out to Marvin Anderson at marvin@rcodemn.org with any inquiries about research.