St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood celebrates Juneteenth, with emphasis on helping youth find jobs
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A historic Black neighborhood celebrated Juneteenth in a big way on Monday. The Rondo neighborhood closed off an entire block and filled it with food trucks and live music.
Richard Olasande is using this Juneteenth as a history lesson for his kids.
"I want them to have a sense of pride about where we came from and where we're going," Olasande said.
It was important to bring his family from Woodbury to St. Paul for this holiday because of the history his own family has in the Rondo neighborhood.
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"My grandmother had a house for 70-some odd years over there off of Sherburne [Avenue]. We have huge, deep ties here in St. Paul," Olasande said.
This day is about celebrating true freedom for all Americans, not just some. It's also about teaching the next generation and passing on traditions.
"You can learn about your culture and you can celebrate," said Emerson Gulyare, who came to the event with her family.
The Rondo Center of Diverse Expressions organized this year's Juneteenth celebration and put the emphasis on the freedom to work and the expectation of getting paid.
Employers and job recruiters had booths set up to engage with kids entering the workforce and hand out prizes with a purpose.
"We're really here to prepare them today with some entry-level interview questions, so that when they do go into that first interview, they have some skills to take with them," said Hannah Jones, a HR and training specialist on hand to help kids enter the workforce.
Marvin Anderson is the executive director of the Rondo Center of Diverse Expression. He says freedom to work is a fundamental pillar of what Juneteenth is all about.
"The African American community took to work as it was a sacred right. They built their families on their back," said Anderson.
It's even more special this year – the first time Juneteenth is recognized as a state holiday.
"Juneteenth is kind of unrecognized sometimes, and now that everyone knows about it, it's very big and very important," said Jaxson Gulyare.
More than 600 Black families lost their homes and businesses in Rondo in the 1950s when Interstate-94 was built. The state and city of St. Paul are working with community leaders to reconnect the neighborhood someday with a land bridge.
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