The Day Marvin Gaye Died
2014
Every generation has its historical moments Of collective grief and disbelief Moments we forever remember Exactly where we were when . . . The deaths of Kennedy, King, Clemente The space shuttle Challenger explosion When the planes hit the towers on 9/11...
What’s in a Name?
2014
Growing up as young Black men in Saint Paul’s Rondo neighborhood, we learned a lot from the generation of Black men who preceded us. We, like they before us, were simply known as “the Rondo boys.” Rondo was where we learned to survive, to grow and develop—it was where we learned the value of our extended family membership, where we fell in love and got our hearts broken. It was also where we learned what’s in a name.
Anthem
2011
Gathering in St. Paul 40 years after Selma, the speakers’ arms pump and flail; the voices of the preacher and senator ring out and we step into the stream like revelers, cheerful on the buoyant morning, walking the half-mile from Central High School to Concordia College.
David C. Martinez and Trinh Ngo
2008
The following two stories are written by adult learners of English as a second language in Saint Paul. The stories are from Journeys: Stories and Poems to Open Your Mind, an annual collection of student writings compiled by the Minnesota Literacy Council.