Rondo historian Artika Tyner named Reister Award finalist

Dr. Artika R. Tyner, a fifth-generation Rondo native, was named a finalist for the 2026 Ruth & Ray Reister Award for Historical Contributions to the Humanities, presented by the Minnesota Humanities Center. She was one of seven finalists honored Oct. 20 at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul.

The award recognizes people whose work deepens public understanding of Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage. Tyner, an author, educator, civil rights attorney and community historian, founded Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute and Planting People Growing Justice Press and Bookstore.

“Being named a finalist is a great honor for our Rondo community,” Tyner said. “This award is a celebration of our history and culture. It is a reminder that Rondo is an anchor of Minnesota’s history.”

She credited Rondo elders for the values and strategies that guide her work: Marvin Anderson, who outlined the community’s values; Nathaniel Khaliq and Victoria Davis, who built an economic blueprint; and Russel and Sarah Ballenger, who taught a restorative justice framework.

The construction of Interstate 94 through the heart of the neighborhood cost Rondo more than 700 Black-owned homes and 300 Black-owned businesses, Tyner said. She said communities across the country, from Tulsa to the Gullah/Geechee Nation, faced similar removal and economic harm.

“Now is the time for justice to address the economic impact and restore our vibrant community ecosystem in Rondo and Black communities across the nation,” Tyner said. “This recognition has provided me with a platform to speak truth to power.”

Tyner said the ceremony felt “like a family reunion,” with historians, creatives and artists in attendance, including Nasra Noor, a teacher and author; Davu Seru, curator of the Givens Collection of African American Literature and Life; and Antonio Espinosa, founder of Arts from the Inside. The other finalists were Pam Brunfelt of Ely, Penny Kagigebi of Detroit Lakes, Dr. Rose Miron of Woodbury, Dr. Anton Treuer of Bemidji, Karen Sieber of Saint Paul and Mai Vang Huizel of Apple Valley.

The moment that stood out, she said, was the announcement of the top 25 Minnesota stories, when she saw Rondo honored in every category, from people to places.

Her work grew out of a family of entrepreneurs, Tyner said. Her motto is “when we see a problem, we create a solution.” She named three problems that pushed her to act: the lack of representation in children’s books, the need for community spaces and the lack of affordable housing. Each led to one of her business enterprises.

She said Rondo elder Readus Fletcher, pictured with her, taught her early that “a vibrant economy is the foundation of safe communities and strong families.” Tyner said an inclusive economy is the overlooked chapter of the civil rights movement, and that persistent disparities in entrepreneurship, homeownership and educational attainment show the work is unfinished.

Through the institute’s Rondo Renaissance work, Tyner said, her team is building an intergenerational community of learning that preserves heritage through the arts and humanities. The institute’s programs include:

• Leaders Are Readers, a monthly literacy program at Jimmy Lee Recreation Center.
• The Dr. Josie Johnson Library, a redesigned library at Saint Peter Claver Catholic School, supported by the Mike and Linda Fiterman Family Foundation.
• Cultural tours of Rondo and “Rondo Royalty,” a photo exhibition of youth, elders and community members.
• Books include “R Is for Rondo,” “Violet Loves Rondo,” “Joey and Grandpa Johnson’s Day in Rondo” and the anthology “Rondo: History & Values.”

Next, she said, the institute is building a Rondo curriculum to teach young people the neighborhood’s values.

Tyner called her Differencemakers children’s series, which features Dr. Josie Johnson, Mary K. Boyd, Grant West and the Rev. Carl Walker, her most important project for preserving Rondo’s history. She said it focuses on everyday heroes. One day in line at the post office, she said, she asked everyone whether they knew who was standing near them, and no one recognized elder Debbie Montgomery, a pioneer on the police force and in City Council chambers.

“Our community is the answer to our own prayers,” Tyner said.

The institute has donated more than 50,000 books, Tyner said, many to Title I schools and through the Leaders Are Readers program in partnership with the JK Movement. It works with a network of 106 community partners, including Little Free Libraries, Read with Me MN and Irreducible Grace Foundation. The goal, she said, is for every family to have a home library.

Tyner said she wants young people to understand that change takes effort and tenacity. She wrote the first line of her first book on a church bulletin during a prayer meeting, and she now has more than 40 books. She said a conversation with the late Congressman John Lewis about leading change in your community still guides her, particularly his advice to start by inspiring and mobilizing young people.

The institute is hosting its 10th Anniversary Fundraiser and Community Celebration Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the JK Movement. Tickets are available at www.ppgjli.org/ppgjli10.

Disclosure: Dr. Tyner writes the First Educator column for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.