St. Paul's new Afrocentric magnet school opens in Rondo neighborhood

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul Public Schools opened the Benjamin E. Mays Afrocentric Magnet School in the city's historic Rondo neighborhood earlier this month, giving students of color a chance to see themselves reflected in their education.

A school rooted in history and community

What we know:

The school serves students from pre-K through 5th grade and uses subjects like literature, music, science, math and art to explore the experiences of people of African descent. According to district officials, more than 300 students are enrolled, with about 70% identifying as African American.

Members of St. Paul's Black community have been pushing for this concept for more than 50 years. The school's location in the heart of the historically African American Rondo neighborhood made Benjamin E. Mays the fitting choice for the new school.

'It's so necessary'

What they're saying:

Principal Danielle Hughes said the school fills a gap that has long existed in traditional education.

"They haven't been a part of history in the sense of education," Hughes said. "And in Afrocentric school, we highlight all, but we also do it with the African diaspora at the center of it."

Hughes reflected on what this kind of environment would have meant to her as a child.

"I wish as a kid I had the experience to be in a school where I got to see representation of the educators that look like me," she said. "I got to see literature on the shelf of books, and when I opened them they looked like me."

Building identity alongside academics

Local perspective:

The school year is just getting underway, and students are already diving in. A 3rd grade class was recently seen learning a lesson in empathy while also exploring Black history through a different lens — the kind of education Hughes said has been a major undertaking to bring to life.

"It really has been an all-hands-on-deck experience," Hughes said. "It's been a large investment and it's been a long time coming."

By the end of the month, students will be inducted into four different houses named after African civilizations, where they will study those cultures and their contributions to the world.

'It feels amazing'

What we know:

Hughes said her biggest hope is that the school's impact goes beyond the classroom.

"My hope is that our scholars walk away from this building a few years from now and academic achievement is through the roof," she said. "Ultimately the hope is that a scholar walks out of here feeling more whole than they came in."

Looking further ahead, educators said if all goes well, they hope to take students on a school trip to Africa in a few years.

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