For nearly 100 years, Hallie Q. Brown has served as a lighthouse for our community, and it’s an honor to continue that legacy as we expand our impact as the headquarters of the historic RONDO neighborhood.

Partnerships fuel our reach as we continue to increase our services and support to enhance the quality of life of our historic RONDO neighborhood.

  • We serve as the anchor organization for the MLK Center in St. Paul and site manager and support for all activities in the facility. We partner with the St. Paul City Parks and Recreation Department on cultivating the space as the lead tenant.

  • We are an anchor and legacy partner for the historic Rondo Days community celebration and festival- an original community event that celebrates our legacy, collective community story, and serves as a reunion for Rondo descendants and an educational experience.

  • We operate a choice -model food shelf. We are not an emergency food service.  Families make appointments and provide context on diet restrictions and we work to source food that accommodates various cultural, religious, and health practices in order to feed our community.  This model allows us to operate a nearly zero waste process.

  • We offer a hygiene distribution and clothing closet for families in need and provide items to families as we have stock.  Our clothing closet is open on Wednesdays in the afternoon and by appointment only at this time.

  • The PIP Clinic,(lead by Metro State University, Hue-Man Partnership, and in partnership wirh HQB) is a public health intervention for the community to reduce cardiovascular issues and inform our community of best practices for quality of life and longevity. The community has access to public health nurses to inform, screen, and support community members for free.  No insurance needed.

    • We offer pop up services like: 

      • Vaccinations

      • Eye exams and clinics

      • Dental Services

      • Free Resources

  • The Minnesota Historical Society is a partner to Hallie in providing redemptive support for historical cultivation that is to remain community owned.

  • We work with WWMA to provide continued music lessons for youth in the community.

  • As the lead education partner, we work to collaborate on place-based strategies to deepen the support and impact for youth cradle to college.

  • An anchor parter of Hallie’s that provides commercial and residential development and equity building vehicles for the community to participate in as an economic reparative strategy.

  • The African American Leadership Council serves as an anchor institution that gathers black leaders across sector and throughout the state to advocate and advance community progress for Black Americans.

  • Ramsey County partners with HQB to provide support for diversion programs, interventions for youth in need, support for our basic needs programs, and other offerings.

  • We are the temporary host site for the city of St. Paul’s Rondo library, which is undergoing a major renovation at their building.  The community can enjoy a scaled down version of the library that provides book rentals, homework help, mental health services, reading buddies, and so much more!

  • The Greater Twin Cities United Way has been a funding and supportive partner to Hallie Q. Brown since our inception in 1929 (when operated as the Community Chest).  We are grateful for their presence as an original investor and true collaborator.

  • Corporate partners that provide special experiences or services for families in our community.

  • The state government entity that hosts press conference at HQB regarding critical conversations.

  • We are the official home of the St. Paul NAACP.  This chapter is historic and works to support the welfare and dignity to community members.

  • Hallie Q. Brown’s women’s senior group that works to combat social isolation, seeks to serve the organization, and share resources with other aging adults in the community.

  • Penumbra Center for Racial Healing (formerly “Penumbra Theater Company) is a holistic wellness space, facilitator of racial equity work, and operates the oldest black theater in the region.  They are the continuation of Hallie’s cultural arts legacy and an anchor building tenant.

  • We have pivoted into bringing the holidays back to their intentions- bringing family together- with that said, we have made the bold decision to not operate as a toy distribution center but return to our roots as the anchor location for family gatherings for the holidays.

  • We are celebrating over 25 years of partnership with Prepare + Prosper to provide free tax services to the community as well as financial education.

  • We collaborate to provide financial education and information to benefit the community.

  • We host a few housing seminars through NAREB-TC to help make the dream of homeownership become a reality as the community is able to receive education and services that move them through the process of gaining home ownership.

  • Hallie Q. Brown’s men’s senior group that works to combat social isolation, seeks to serve the organization, and share resources with other aging adults in the community.

  • For over 50 years, we have partnered with Schubert Club to provide Project CHEER: free introductory music lessons with a few different instruments for the community to learn.

  • ASANDC is a historic partner to Hallie Q. Brown and is a neighborhood development center and leading voice in historical institution preservation.

  • The Forum is a “think and do” tank imagining radical afro-futuristic agendas and working to scale progress through advocacy, policy influence, and community voice.

  • MAC has served as a strategic partner and provided student support and employment for HQB projects, organizational operations, off-campus experiences, and thought partnership.

  • Star House operates supportive services and aid to expecting mothers as well as pre and post-natal education.

  • Corporate partners that provide special experiences or services for families in our community.

  • A leading African American multimedia publication centered on producing stories that impact black people locally and nationally.  They leverage their expertise on informing the community of HQB and their progress.  

It’s no secret that RONDO has never never been defined by places, programs, or profit; our true legacy has always been the pure hearts of inter-generational leaders.

Introducing leaders of the Q.

Anika Bowie-Lundy

Councilwiman, Ward 1

Anika was a girl at the HQB childcare center who grew to be a city leader, which much more of her story in progress. Anika is a fifth generation Rondo descendant and Hallie participant from the Scarver and Jones clan. Her family arrived to HQB through her great grandmother, Percy Mae Jones.

Cherise Ayers

Principal, St. Paul Central High School

Cherise (West) Ayers is a third generation Rondo descendant and HQB participant. A child from another legacy institution, Ayers development has led to her to take on leadership of the anchor high school in modern Rondo, St. Paul Central. She is a continuation of the academic excellence that exists in the Rondo story.

Roosevelt "Digie" Mansfield

Business Owner

Mansfield is a Rondo business owner and HQB alum. Coming through the arts movement that HQB was deeply influential in, Roosevelt found is voice and craft. Add a premiere DJ, Photographer, and youth leader, he continues to instill the values that HQB stands for that remind people that representing our community is an honor.

Ashley Booker

CEO of YWCA of St. Paul

Ashley is a fourth generation Rondo descendant and HQB family. Her family's roots in Rondo and impact at HQB include sports, childcare, and aging adult services. Booker's family are proud to see her lead another historic institution in Rondo as she exemplifies the spirit of our community.

Melvin Giles

Peacemaker

Melvin "the bubble man" Giles was a HQB kid and proud fighter for peace in the community. Inspired by non violent civil rights leaders and the stop the violence movement, Giles dedicated his life, all the way till the end, making sure to celebrate people and institutions that weren't satisfied until peace was realized. You can find his peace poles and gardens throughout the city and at HQB.

Mikeya Griffin

CEO of Rondo Community Land Trust

Keke, grew up in an entrepreneurial family in Rondo who were all connected to HQB. Mikeya feel in love with real estate and development seeing many in her family but multiple properties, leading to her interests in becoming a developer. She is the first black woman CEO of a land trust in MN history, and doing it not only in but for her backyard now.

Malik Davis

Firefighter, Coach, Entrepreneur

Malik or Mak Davis covers from a family with long-standing HQB ties. His community service, leadership, and business acumen have led to him  growing into a community servant, leader, and business owner- living true to his best self as a protector of HQB and representative of Rondo.