Brownsville Heritage House Is Archiving Its Vast Collection

By Mary Alice Miller
Brownsville Heritage House is in the process of archiving its collection. Anyone who enters the space is inspired by diverse art everywhere you lay your eyes. It is a community museum that includes Mother Gaston’s Black History Collection and personal papers; objects, artifacts, and pieces of art; rare books and periodicals; Brownsville Reference Library and other special collections; and institutional records.
“We want to thank our neighbors as well as our partners who have helped us grow through the years,” said Executive Director Miriam Robertson. “We are in the middle of renovation. You will start seeing more exhibits and more programming. This is your public living room. You will find exhibits, art, culture, plays, concerts, workshops, and more here. If you are interested in telling your story, whether it be an autobiography, a play, fiction or non-fiction, we have Power of the Pen. At least four authors have been published here.”
Robertson gave an overview of Brownsville Heritage House’s archival process. “For the past two years, we have been fortunate to receive a grant from the Mellon Foundation to do our archiving and cataloging, part of our Redesign,” she said. “The goal is to become more precise with our mission. We want to be that place when you talk about Brownsville you have to come to Brownsville Heritage House. We are going to tell you the truth from the residents who have lived here, who understand it, and are looking forward to a better and brighter future.”
Explaining further, Robertson said, “During the time we had our archivist come in, I learned some terms. Accessioning (the process of formally accepting material into the archives), back of house, exhibit area… We are starting a stewardship program for anybody who is interested in learning about cataloging and archiving. We have a couple of volunteer days coming up in January. Every day you are archiving, and you don’t even realize it. It is a part of your everyday life. So why not get the information to maybe archive your family history?”
She added, “We have been here for 43 years, an accomplishment especially for Black organizations.”

One of the current exhibits was first launched at Harvard University during their Black in Design 2023 weekend. Brownsville Heritage House has also partnered with the Brooklyn Museum and Cornell University.
Ms. Taylor, the long-time member of the board, spoke fondly of the former director Patricia Deans. She then gave a history of Kwanzaa. “Karenga developed Kwanzaa because when growing up poor or lower middle class and you have children, you want to give them everything that you didn’t have. It almost becomes a process of buying your children. He saw so much of that going on in the African-American community that we lost the concept of our role as parents. Our children don’t need to be bought. We were sold on the auction block. Our children need our guidance, not by what we give them materially, it is about what we give them spiritually. Kwanzaa is centered around the concepts and the principles that we need to be better human beings,” said Ms. Taylor. “If we don’t watch out, we will create a generation of folks who might have had parents in bondage, but they would be no good themselves or anybody else if we don’t develop the next generation. Out of that, the principles of Kwanzaa began to grow.”
Certificates of recognition were presented posthumously to two late board members: the late Ms. Betty Louis Gatling Young, who started one of Brooklyn’s first community gardens, created the President’s Corner in Brownsville Heritage House, and changed exhibits every month, often from her own pockets, and MaryLee Bell, founder of Winthrop Clarkson Block Association, pianist, knitter, and an auxiliary police officer. She joined the board of Brownsville Heritage House to preserve Black culture throughout the five boroughs.
Citation from the Mayor’s Office was given to Carrie Goodine, who served DSNY for 30 years and 15 years with the community board.

Brownsville Heritage House is the brainchild of the late Rosetta Gaston, who dreamed of a cultural center that would highlight individual and community achievements and spread knowledge of Black culture.
Brownsville Heritage House is located on the second floor of the Stone Avenue Branch Library. The space was acquired with the help of Congressmen Major Owens and Edolphus Towns and opened its doors in 1981.