Episode 99 - Debra Stone, The House on Rondo

From Black Market Reads by The Givens Foundation for African American Literature

October 2, 2025 · 29 min · Season 10 · Episode 8

About this episode

Lissa talks with author Debra J Stone about her middle grade novel 'The House on Rondo', which explores the impact of civil rights protests on Minnesota's Black communities.

In Episode #99 Lissa talks with Author Debra J Stone about her new middle grade novel, The House on Rondo (University of Minnesota Press). Rooted in the lived histories of Minnesota's Black communities, The House on Rondo offers a deeply personal window into the destruction of a thriving neighborhood through the eyes of a young Black girl coming of age during an era of national civil rights protests. As Zenobia joins forces with her neighbor, the unforgettable former cowgirl Mrs. Ruby Pearl, to fight against the demolition of her grandparents' home to make way for the new interstate highway, readers witness not just the heartbreak of displacement but also the power of community, protest, and memory. Our production team for this episode includes co-producers Lissa Jones and Edie French, technical director Paul Auguston, the voice Yo Derek, and our artist of inspiration Ta-coumba T. Aiken. Black Market Reads is produced by The Givens Foundation for African American Literature in partnership with iDream.tv. For more information and context visit https://blackmarketreads.com/

People in this episode

Hosts: Lissa Jones, Lissa

Guest: Debra J Stone

Topics covered

literature
civil rights
community
displacement

Keywords

The House on Rondo
Minnesota
Black communities
neighborhood destruction
protest

Mentioned in this episode

Products: The House on Rondo

Books & works: The House on Rondo

Places: Minnesota