Title
Co-naming portions of Concordia Avenue and St. Anthony Avenue as "Marvin Roger Anderson Avenue" and "Floyd G. Smaller, Jr. Avenue."
Body
WHEREAS, Marvin Roger Anderson and Floyd G. Smaller, Jr were both raised in the historic Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, Rondo Avenue and the surrounding area was the heart of Saint Paul’s largest African American neighborhood, serving as a home to generations of African American families as well as a hundreds of African American businesses and community institutions; and
WHEREAS, the construction of I-94 in the 1960s devastated the Rondo neighborhood by displacing thousands of residents and demolishing hundreds of businesses that, along with Rondo Avenue itself, were removed to make way for the interstate; and
WHEREAS, in 1982, Marvin Roger Anderson and Floyd G. Smaller, Jr. established Rondo Avenue, Inc. as an organization dedicated to sharing the contributions of African Americans and the rich cultural history of the Rondo community to the City of Saint Paul and the State of Minnesota; and
WHEREAS, Rondo Avenue, Inc. has served as a vital platform for bringing descendants of the Rondo community as well as newer residents of all backgrounds together to celebrate the history and enduring legacy of the Rondo community through the annual Rondo Days Festival and other endeavors; and
WHEREAS, in 2013 the community celebrated the 30th Annual Rondo Days Festival, the largest and most successful event yet, the opening of the Rondo neighborhood exhibit at the Minnesota History Center, and the dedication of the Red Caps Room at the newly renovated Saint Paul Union Depot; and
WHEREAS, because of the decades of hard work, dedication, and sacrifices of Marvin Roger Anderson and Floyd G. Smaller Jr. over the past 30 years, the memories and stories of the Rondo community will be preserved for the benefit and education of future generations of Saint Paul residents; and
WHEREAS, the co-naming of a street after leaders wh...
Click here for full text