Bus Tour: Rondo Neighborhood Before I-94 w/ Frank M. White - April 24

Join historian Frank M White on this fascinating journey through the early years of St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood. From the beginning, Rondo was a haven for people of color and immigrants. Learn of the neighborhood's immigrant namesake who faced discrimination due to his wife’s mixed white and indigenous heritage. French Canadians, German, Russian, Irish, and Jewish families all followed his lead in the late 19th century and found homes there.

Beginning in the 1910s and 1920s, Rondo experienced a social and cultural boom. Music and theater flourished. African American newspapers such as the Appeal, the Northwestern Bulletin, and the St. Paul Recorder represented Rondo’s interests and needs. In 1913, St. Paul established its chapter of the NAACP, making it a center for civil rights activity. One member of the chapter, Rondo resident Roy Wilkins, later led the national NAACP.

Frank grew up in Rondo. He will share stories from his extensive research as well as personal stories living in the neighborhood.

Meet the Motorcoach Bus at Hallie Q. Brown Community Center located at 270 N Kent St, St Paul, MN 55102.

9:45 am Board Motorcoach Bus

10:00 am Bus Departs

12:00-1:00 pm Light Refreshments at Hallie Q Brown Community Center

Fee includes coach bus, guides, and light refreshments

Note: Only transfer of registration after April 3, 2026.

If the tour is full, please add your name to the waitlist. We will let you know if spots become available.

Katherine Bodger

Community Education Coordinator

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Trips, Tours & Events
Questions?
612-668-3000
Katherine.Bodger@mpls.k12.mn.us

Frank M. White

Instructor

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Frank has published a book, several articles and has co-created an exhibit with Ramsey County Historical Society on African American baseball players and history in Minnesota. The exhibit, They Played for the Love of the Game, adding to the Legacy of Minnesota Black Baseball received a 2010 Minnesota History Award, sponsored by the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museum’s.

The book titled They Played for the Love of the Game recovers that history by sharing stories of African American ballplayers in Minnesota, from the 1870s to the 1960s, through photos, artifacts, and spoken histories passed through the generations.

Frank has been involved in several history projects centered on African Americans and their history in Minnesota.

He authored several articles with Ramsey County Historical Society, St. Paul, Minnesota.

·Coalition for the History of African American Contributions to the University of Minnesota Board of Directors, Executive Committee 2001 – 2015

·Minnesota State Historic Preservation Review Board, 3^rd Term.

·Minnesota State Capitol Preservation Commission, 1^st Term.

Frank is also a former athlete, volunteer coach for over 40 years and was the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) Coordinator for the Minnesota Twins for 23 years, retiring in October 2023.