How do you know it’s summer in Minnesota? Is it... 

A) MN State Fair?  B) Humidity?  C) Construction?

While all of these may be true, nothing says “summer” in Minnesota like construction! Even outside of peak construction season, the very existence of I-94 impacts people living in the surrounding communities, and especially people who live in or near the historic Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul.

Rondo’s History
I-94 was built right on top of the Rondo neighborhood. By the late 1960s, the construction of I-94 had bulldozed 700 homes and 300 businesses in Rondo. The residents of the neighborhood did not have a seat at the decision-making table and received little help rebuilding their lives and communities. The Rondo neighborhood was an economically, socially, and culturally vibrant community. Before the construction of I-94, 80 percent of the Black population in St. Paul lived in the Rondo neighborhood. The neighborhood housed Black-owned homes, businesses, medical practices, attorneys, and families.

The destruction of Rondo wiped out the generational wealth and security that hundreds of Black families in St. Paul worked tirelessly to build. Now, 70 percent of white families in Minnesota own their homes- while only 30 percent of Black families do.

Daily Work’s office is located only 1 mile from the Rondo neighborhood, and is located right off of I-94. At Daily Work, we strive to support job seekers’ agency. Reconnect Rondo is an example of an organization advocating for the self determination and agency of people living in the neighborhood we work in every day! While Daily Work focuses on building relationships with individual job seekers, it is also important to ‘zoom out’ and learn about the history and context of the community surrounding us.

Where do we go from here?
1) Think about how highways impact the communities they run through. The destruction of Rondo is a local example of the nationwide destruction of predominately Black neighborhoods by the interstate highway system. Watch this video from Reconnect Rondo to understand how Rondo’s story fits into this larger picture. 

You can also join the conversations still happening, including: 

• The Rethinking I-94 project is exploring how to redesign the corridor between Minneapolis and St. Paul with a focus on equity and neighborhood reconnection. 
• North of the city, the Highway 252 / I-94 project is raising questions about safety, air quality, and displacement in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park. 

2) Support local efforts to reconnect communities disrupted by the construction of major highways. Reconnect Rondo is advocating for a Land Bridge to be constructed over I-94 in order to restore and revitalize the neighborhood. The Rondo Land Bridge would facilitate healing, economic prosperity, sustainability, and social justice for St. Paul’s African American community. Learn more about the Land Bridge here.

3) Attend one of Reconnect Rondo’s events to learn how to get involved! These projects remind us that the story of infrastructure and justice in Minnesota is still being written—and that together, we can shape a future that reconnects and uplifts our communities.

Primary source of information: https://reconnectrondo.com/ 

Kenzie Bingel is pursuing her MSW at the University of Minnesota with a focus on clinical mental health. She’s passionate about walking alongside job seekers at Daily Work to explore meaningful employment opportunities. After graduating, Kenzie hopes to earn her clinical license and advocate for policies that advance equity and community well-being.