Let's be a little less hyperbolic in our rhetoric here. While the bulldozers wiped out Rondo from about Oxford to Western, it didn't "decimate" the society, culture or even the neighborhood, as some here have claimed.
The black neighborhood which today is referred to as "Rondo," and which was a thriving middleclass enclave was a lot larger than that swath.
I grew up down there on Aurora avenue, four blocks north of Rondo. I went to Maxfield elementary, attended services at the AME church, went to cub scout meetings at Mr. and Mrs. Smith's house, bought candy from Tiger Jack, and even went to Saturday afternoon matinees at the old Faust theatre ... all activities owned, operated or patronized by the thriving black middleclass there.
Rondo was a significant street in the neighborhood to be sure, but it was not the neighborhood. What destroyed the black middleclass there was not the I-94 project as some would like to claim, but the divisive politics of the sixties that turned neighbor against neighbor and finally caused many of the original families there to move away and/or to relocate their businesses. When I got back from the Navy in the mid 70's it had all changed for the worse. And THAT'S the truth about Rondo. Romantacizing Rondo without discussing or even admitting to the political upheaval that caused the black middleclass there to disintegrate is the primary reason why I don't bother going to Rondo Days.
But that's another story, too ideological apparently for this forum. You know me, I don't want to step on any toes.
Dennis Tester Mac-Groveland
----- Original Message ----- From: "Erik Hare" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 12:49 PM
Subject: Re: [StPaul] dismissiveness and minimalization: weapons of ignorance
It is important to remember that there is only one part of our government that has put tens of thousands of people out of their homes, and it is MnDOT.
People often talk about how intrusive government is, but what was done to an entire neighborhood is just one step short of actually shooting them. They have every right to be angry about it.
As far as moving people around, there are other ways. Many other ways. We chose one way over others. We chose a way that sent a lot of people packing. It did not have to be that way.
Erik Hare [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.comcast.net/~wabbitoid/ Irvine Park, West End, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, North America, Earth
Fine Amish furniture, cedar chests, and crafts http://www.harmonycedar.com
------------------------------------------------- JOIN the St. Paul Issues Forum TODAY: http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ ------------------------------------------------- POST MESSAGES HERE: [email protected]
To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul
Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
-- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.6.0 - Release Date: 3/2/2005
------------------------------------------------- JOIN the St. Paul Issues Forum TODAY: http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ ------------------------------------------------- POST MESSAGES HERE: [email protected]
To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul
Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
