On January 4, community members gathered to sign the contract for the construction of the Rondo Commemorative Plaza at Hallie Q. Brown Center in St. Paul. Construction for the plaza is slated to begin as soon as weather permits and is to be completed prior to the 35th Rondo Days festival the third week of July.
The plaza seeks to “honor the past, seek reconciliation and look to the future” engaging visitors with a multi-media presentation that includes audio-video remembrances of the social, political and cultural life of the “Golden Age” of Rondo, according to organizers.
For more info about the project and video of the October 2016 groundbreaking, see “Rondo lives on in St. Paul: Commemorative Plaza preserves Black history.”
Seated l-r: Mia Amore Emmanuel, Marvin R Anderson (Rondo Avenue Inc. co-founder), and Richard Copeland (Thor Construction CEO)
Middle l-r: Marion Kennon (Rondo Roundtable member) Sharon Kennedy-Vickers (eCentric Solutions CEO), Lyssa Washington (4rm+ULA Architects) and Mica Anders (Rondo Plaza administrator)
Standing back row l-r: Melvin Emmanuel (RAI Board), Todd Wardrope (MTN), Al Stafford (Rondo Roundtable member) Marvin Scroggins (RAI Treasurer), Art Gardener (Thor Construction), Louis Zachery (Oppidan Investments), Jonathan Palmer (HQB executive director), Taffy Jones (RAI past president), Gayle Smaller (RAI co-chair) and Glorius Martin (RAI board member)
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