When Roosevelt Mansfield speaks about his exhibit My Living Legends of Rondo, his voice doesn’t carry the tone of an artist merely discussing work. It carries reverence and an emotional register that makes it clear: this project is about legacy, gratitude, and memory.
Aired on KFAI 90.3FM’s popular radio show The Conversation with Al McFarlane, the segment drew listeners into the heart of the Rondo community through Mansfield’s lens. Literally.
“The whole idea came from a dark place,” Mansfield admitted. “COVID almost took me out. I was in really bad shape. I started thinking about all the people who got me here, who saved me, who showed up when my parents couldn’t. And I just knew I needed to give them their flowers while they could still smell them.”
The result is My Living Legends of Rondo, a photography exhibit that debuted at 825 Arts, the newly named community arts hub in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood. The collection features striking portraits of elders, coaches, activists, and unsung heroes who helped shape generations, many of whom never sought the spotlight.
Coach Ronnie Smith is among them. In one photograph, Coach Ronnie is captured in a pose that radiates strength and quiet resolve. Mansfield shared the backstory. “When I was a teen, my family was living in shelters. Coach sold me basketball shoes for $20. Not gave, sold. That small transaction gave me pride. I wasn’t getting a handout. I earned it. That kept my dignity intact.”
He went on to describe how Smith prepared neighborhood boys for big games, not in the gym, but on the blacktop. “He’d invite us to scrimmage with older players. Every move, he’d coach us. We didn’t even know he was training us for competition. That’s the kind of intentional care he gave us.”
Another photo features educator and mentor Floyd Smaller, seated beside a 1936 radio. The moment was spontaneous. “He was telling someone how he and his brothers used to ‘watch TV through the radio.’ That memory? How sound painted the pictures for them? I had to capture that,” Mansfield said. “That’s history in motion. It’s storytelling in the body.”
These aren’t polished studio shots. They’re atmospheric, textural, layered. And that’s the point. “I’m self-taught. I learned to draw from JC Penney catalogs and the Sunday comics. But I stopped because I was teased for drawing dresses and hairstyles,” he said. “Years later, my daughters played volleyball. I bought a camera to capture their games, and I realized I could still show people what I see, even if I can’t always explain it.”
Mansfield was the DJ at the “Choice of Weapons” exhibit featuring works Gordon Parks and Jamel Shabazz. Roosevelt introduced himself, showed photos and his vision.
That vision earned him a mentorship with world-renowned photographer Jamel Shabazz. “Now he’s guiding me, helping me understand the publishing world, exhibition circuits. I just got back from Photoville in New York,” Mansfield said.
With My Living Legends, Mansfield is already turning heads locally. His exhibit “US” is showing at 804 Artists Lofts in Minneapolis. His large-scale image from the “Its The People” project is now displayed behind the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis along Hennepin Avenue. “My Living Legends of Rondo – Giving Flowers” exhibit is on display at Halle Q Brown Community Center in the heart of Rondo “We’re not just documenting history but we’re placing it where people can’t ignore it,” he said.
Mizz Mercedes, community organizer and director at 825 Arts, called the exhibit “transformational.” She noted how many of the featured elders still play vital roles in young people’s lives. “Mr. Mansfield featured folks who mentored him, but they’re also coaching our kids today. It’s generational continuity,” she said. “That’s what Rondo is.”
For Mansfield, the message is clear. “Photography is life. It’s how we shape perception. If we don’t define our story, someone else will. And they’ll get it wrong.”
At a time when murals have been painted over and history risks being forgotten, My Living Legends of Rondo reclaims the narrative, with dignity, clarity, and love.
Note: The “My Living Legends of Rondo” exhibit was first showcased at 825 Arts during Rondo Days 2024 and is part of a broader initiative to preserve Black legacy in St. Paul. The conversation originally aired on KFAI’s “The Conversation with Al McFarlane.”
Explore the full conversation with Roosevelt Mansfield and Ms. Mercedes on The Conversation with Al McFarlane, originally aired on KFAI 90.3FM. Hear their voices, see their passion, and witness how Rondo’s story continues through art and memory.
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDBUH82a6TM&t=7s
