Hallie Q. Brown Community Center
About
For nearly a century, Hallie has operated as more than a community center — we are an ecosystem. As the first cultural arts organization, we played a role in the artistic boom in Rondo. As the first rec center in Rondo, we are proud of the rich sports legacy of our neighborhood. As we still operate the oldest seniors group in St. Paul, we are proud to see our children become our elders. As we have held our history, we are prepared to steward a radical future that includes our radical beginnings. We have partnered with, supported, and helped give rise to organizations across St. Paul and today we partner throughout sectors to build this ecosystem: from business, to the arts, education, youth, families, aging adults, public health, civic engagement to community gathering; We are the convener of conveners — the hub that holds the network together — because we have always known that rising tides raise all ships.
We are unapologetic about our Black heritage and Rondo’s legacy. We center Black life and legacy not as an act of exclusion, but as an act of truth — because if we do not tell our own stories, someone else will tell them wrong. And yet, everyone who crosses our threshold gets loved and served. Our Blackness is the source of our warmth, our creativity, our endurance, and everyone gets to experience the best of that.
Mission
Our mission — improved quality of life, longevity, and communal immortality through holistic lifespan support and legacy cultivation — is not a new idea. It is the logical continuation of everything this organization has always been. We are now building the endowment, the partnerships, the programs, and the physical infrastructure to fully realize it. And through our archival work, we ensure that when lives end, the stories live on — forever.