Equity in Preservation Planning: Saint Paul African American Historic and Cultural Context

At the heart of Saint Paul’s African American history is the Rondo neighborhood. Before the construction of I-94, the Rondo community was home to 85 percent of Saint Paul’s African American population. Although there is still strong community cohesion, the fact remains that African American narratives are consistently excluded from mainstream historical and cultural documentation. This prompted the Aurora Saint Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation to create a historic context in order to ensure that history’s focus would be expanded from white-dominated narratives to include narratives of their own. This session explained the goals and objectives of this groundbreaking project, an important preservation planning tool. The presentation described the project’s robust public engagement component, use of standard historic investigation as well as first-person research, and the recommendations that emerged from the community.

St. Paul African American Historic and Cultural Context Study

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Anne Ketz, 106 Group, and Nieeta Presley, Aurora Saint Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation’s, co-present at the 2020 MN Statewide Preservation Conference.

Nieeta Presley

Nieeta Presley recently retired after nearly 20 years as Aurora Saint Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation’s (ASANDC) Executive Director. Ms. Presley has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Metropolitan State University which she self-designed using her previous nursing course work, life experiences, and other business course work. She placed an emphasis on project planning, budget management, policy analysis, community and economic development, and non-profit management. She is a Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Careership graduate and has completed training in housing finance and real estate development, grant writing and fund development.

Anne Ketz

Anne Ketz is the CEO and Services Director of the 106 Group. Anne’s career in cultural resources management and planning extends over 40 years and three continents, including projects in the United States, Great Britain, India, the Middle East, and Canada. Anne’s sensitivity to others and sense of diplomacy have brought successful conclusion to complex and potentially controversial projects. Since founding the 106 Group in 1992, she has worked closely with a broad range of stakeholders, including community activists, planners, and American Indian leaders to ensure respect for each community’s heritage within the planning process.