ACCESS TO HALLIE Q. BROWN COMMUNITY CENTER’S ARCHIVE IS CURRENTLY CLOSED. CHECK BACK FOR MORE INFORMATION!
Our Mission
The mission of the Hallie Q. Brown Community Archives (HQBCA) is to collect and preserve items of enduring historical value, primarily relating to the Rondo Neighborhood in St. Paul, Minnesota. HQBCA responsibly cares for the resources and Donated Items that have been entrusted to her, today and for future generations.
Our Story
As one of the lodestars for Black communities in the region, we have provided social services, space, educational and cultural support for St. Paul’s Black residents, since 1929. We are a hub of cultural and historical exchange for one of the Midwest’s most important loci of African American history—The Rondo Neighborhood.
HQBCA is a volunteer-collaborative initiative that began in 2017. Now, with archival staff, we have created an archive which serves the Rondo community where they are, with methods and practices that best serve the collections materials entrusted to us. HQBCA understands that we, alone, cannot eliminate the various barriers many of our community face. However, we can help in addressing these barriers by empowering our community in the form of:
- Creation of digital collection repositories to index materials so that they are publicly accessible for all people to use for educational purposes, as free as possible.
- Exhibits curated and designed with input from community leaders and members, highlighting hidden figures of Rondo.
- Curriculum modules for educational programming and training for K-12 educators with the knowledge and materials in the HQBCA.
- Allow for/performing of research and the publishing of content relating to collections materials, to further educate the public on Rondo’s history.
Our Collections and Finding Aids
Making collections accessible to the public is a lengthy process. However, HQBCA understands the community’s desire to see our holdings—we get excited about them too! Before we decide which collection items are digitized for viewing, they are described in a finding aid. Finding aids are general overviews of what can be found in each collection, along with general information that will help narrow your search. You can discover our currently processed collections on our ArchivesSpace instance, found here. Please note that our processed materials are always growing, so please be patient. If you are looking to view digital media, please note that our digital media library is set to go live this summer. Please check back to find a link.
Visiting the Archives
Whether you are a genealogist, academic researcher, community member or someone with a passing interest in the history of Rondo, HQBCA is here to help! With that said, at this time the Archives are closed. We will be open by appointment only, starting summer 2022. You may make a request by filling out the research request form via phone (651.224.461) or email. The archivist will then reach out to you to schedule a time for a visit. Please be aware that research space and staffing is limited, so please reach out early on if you are up against a deadline.
Terms of Use
The digital media, such as still or moving images, audio recordings or other content in the Hallie Q. Brown Community Archives’ (HQBCA) collections, are available for research by students, scholars and the public. Use of materials from HQBCA’s collections, in digital or physical form, for commercial gain without prior written approval from the HQB staff is prohibited.
Fair use of copyrighted material includes the use of protected materials for noncommercial educational purposes, such as teaching, scholarship, research, criticism, commentary, and news reporting. Unless otherwise noted, users may use the digital media on this website for such purposes. Users must cite the author/title and source of this material as they would material from any printed work.
It is the responsibility of the user to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before publishing or reproducing digital media from HQBCA’s collections beyond that allowed by Fair Use, as described and understood under the United States Copyright Act. Additionally, the images in these collections may contain trademark rights, rights of publicity, rights of privacy and/or contractual restrictions which will prohibit use of digital media elsewhere.
If the user is interested in the commercial use of digital media within HQBCA’s collections, or would like to obtain high resolution TIFFs (Tag Image File Format), they must submit their request in writing and obtain permissions from HQB staff and all other copyright and trademark holders, themselves. Permission, if granted, is for one-time use only. The applicant-user may not use the images for any other purpose than that which is declared at the time the image request is made without submitting an additional permission request. In addition, commercial use of materials or requests for TIFFs may incur fees for reproduction.
Image fees are calculated based on the intent of use as well as the publication specifications. The image fee supports the archival resources required to provide the image files and ensure the longevity of the HQBCA and our efforts to provide access and care for our collections. The fee is charged regardless of copyright status.
The user understands and agrees that they are solely responsible for the consequences which may arise due to the publishing or display of digital media for commercial or noncommercial use.
Give to HQBCA
HQBCA acquires collections primarily through gifts, loans, and donations from community members. The majority of the collections housed in HQBCA were donated by members of the Rondo community. Please contact us at kjackson@hallieqbrown.org regarding donating your materials to our archive or temporarily loaning materials to the archive for digitization.
Your donation of items to the Archives will help expand public understanding of historical processes and struggles which have shaped contemporary racial and socio-economic disparities in Minnesota and other places throughout America. Please do not mail or leave materials outside of the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center (HQB) without speaking with the archivist. Any items left at HQB without proper documentation and a signed agreement with be considered forfeit and HQB reserves the right to dispose of said items at our discretion.
Monetary Gifts
HQBCA accepts monetary donations which help us continue the work of preservation, education and access regarding our collections. Monetary donations go towards purchasing archival materials, furniture for visitors and researchers, as well as specialized help for our collections, such as contracting the help of conservators. We accept donations through our portal, which can be found here.
Other Resources
No one person or organization contains the entire history of the Rondo Neighborhood. Here is a list of resources you may find useful when conducting research or if you are someone who wants more than a brief overview of Rondo and its residents.
Resources from MNHS
- Rondo Overview; This is a great place to start as it features books, articles, finding aids and a wealth of primary and secondary resources on Rondo.
- MNHS Newspaper Hub; This is a great place to cross check a lot of the dates and names that pop-up in conversations and in records about the Rondo Neighborhood.
Resources from the Rondo Center for Diverse Expression
The Rondo Center of Diverse Expression is home to the Rondo Research Collection. Their collections contain published and unpublished books, periodicals, essays, poetry, photographs, and other media relating to the history, development, and future of the Rondo neighborhood.
