Ramsey County History – Fall 2004: “The Rondo Oral History Project Kathryn Coram Gagnon: Operettas, Dances, Parties, and a Growing Love of Music”

The Rondo Oral History Project
Kathryn Coram Gagnon: Operettas, Dances, Parties, and a Growing Love of Music 
Interview by Kate Cavett

Based on oral history interviews, this is the story of Kathryn Coram Gagnon, an African-American woman who grew up in St. Paul’s old Rondo neighborhood. The interview begins with Gagnon’s well-educated mother and her family’s history. According to Gagnon, the Rondo community was never totally segregated. She went to McKinley school, attended St. Philip’s Church, and frequented the Hallie Q. Brown Center, where people often went to dances. Gagnon and a group of girls formed the “Eight Debs,” a social group, and they sometimes ate at the Elite Grill near Rondo and Milton. She attended University High School. Later Gagnon earned a BA and master’s degree from the University of Minnesota. The oral history selection discusses race and racism and the art of speaking different ways in different situations. Gagnon believed that music was an expression of the Rondo community and was an important part of the vibrancy of her neighborhood, which she describes as a warm and accepting place where a person felt truly safe.
PDF of Rondo article