Culture Matters: Building Diverse Narratives in History

Historian Eric Avila advocates for the study of culture as a critical component of the wider study of history.  Cultural expression is a way for traditionally marginalized groups to represent themselves in a self-determining manner. In studying culture in the context of Rondo, one can complicate traditional simpler narratives and instead view the neighborhood as a whole, thriving community.  In this exhibit, three of the most vibrant cultural themes in the Rondo neighborhood are explored in order to try and understand the complicated and multidimensional history that Avila warns is often overlooked.

The theme of food contributes much to constructing multidimensional narratives about Rondo.  Often, in the condensing of history that happens over time, context for regions and groups of people are lost.  While many people today may view the Old Rondo community as a backdrop for their own lives, few will understand the influences that helped to root and construct that very community many years ago.  This exhibit does a great deal of work to situate Rondo along both a temporal and social axis. Music has historically been a prime way for cultures to self-represent. Through the major genres found in Rondo, including jazz, R&B, and blues, Black artists have traditionally communicated experiences of both celebration and hardship. Studying the music of Rondo gives a more nuanced view of both individual experiences, and overall shared cultural experiences. Spiritual life is an important aspect in understanding the culture of a neighborhood that contained a myriad of churches. Although churches are known to focus on spiritual growth, church communities in Rondo embodied a more complicated reality, that included planning field trips and facilitating sport leagues. This exhibit depicts the complex ways in how religious programs affected the Rondo residents’ lives in various ways.  By building a larger context for Old Rondo, and by exploring some of the intricacies of the community as well, these three sections help to construct a more holistic historical narrative.