In Voices of Rondo, real-life stories illuminate the northern urban Black experience during the first half of the twentieth century, through the memories and reflections of residents of Saint Paul’s historic Rondo community. We glimpse the challenges of racism and poverty and share the victories of a community that educated its children to become strong, to find personal pride, and to become the next generation of leaders in Saint Paul and beyond.

Evelyn Fairbanks lived along Rondo Avenue-the heart of St. Paul's largest black community-from the 1930s through the 1950s. Her memoir tells warm and human stories recalling those years in a vibrant community that vanished with the coming of the freeways in the 1960s.

Edited interviews from Hand in Hand Production's Rondo Oral History Project.

Stories (Maine)

Paul Rondo lives in the historic Rondo neighborhood before the I-94 freeway was built in in the 1960s. Mr. Rondo tells about his life in Rondo and how it changed overtime. Through the shear will of Mr. Rondo and his family, they find a way to keep the spirit and legacy of Rondo alive!

A chronicle of the rich history of Blacks in the state through careful analysis of census and housing records, newspaper records, and first-person accounts.

As a young piano student plays Beethoven's Rondo in C at her recital, each member of the audience is stirred by memories.