P2509 BLOOMINGTON HUMAN RELATIONS COUNCIL: An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society Finding aid prepared by Lara D. Friedman~Shedlov Minnesota Historical Society
St. Paul MN.

Manuscripts Collection

 Finding aid encoded by Lara D. Friedman~Shedlov June 26, 2002Finding aid written inEnglish August 2008Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to Version 2002 by Monica Manny Ralston, Daniel Sher, and Joyce Chapman. OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION Minnesota Historical Society Bloomington Human Relations Council (Minn.). Council records. 1964-1968. Records of a community organization formed by citizens of a Minneapolis suburb in 1964 to work against racial discrimination, especially with regard to local housing, schools, and employment. 0.2 cu. ft. (1 box); 1 item in Reserve. P2509 HISTORY OF THE BLOOMINGTON HUMAN RELATIONS COUNCIL

The Bloomington Human Relations Council was founded in April 1964. Originally the idea of several local members of the League of Women Voters, the council was established by a diverse group of twenty-five Bloomington residents with the puprose of promoting those trends in community live which move toward the twin goals of greater social unity and equal opportunity for all residents and prospective residents.

The council, which identified itself as un-affiliated, non-sectarian, non-political, and non-profit, focused on five main areas: housing, schools, legislation/government, business/employment, and communication/program development. Activities included educational programs to educate members and the community about civil rights issues; working with local property owners, schools, and business to promote equal opportunity employment, integration in neighborhoods and schools, and the education of children for life in "multi-racial world"; and lobbying the state legislature to pass civil rights bills.

SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE RECORDS

Minutes, membership lists, fact sheets, newsletters, correspondence, and related materials of a community organization formed by citizens of a Minneapolis suburb in 1964 to work against racial discrimination, especially with regard to local housing, schools, and employment.

The materials document such council initiatives as recruiting minority teachers and urging local businesses to hire minority employees, promoting fair housing practices, and efforts to educate themselves and other community members about race discrimination issues. The collection also includes information about Green Circle, a program created by the Race Relations Committee of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting to help stiumulate and reinforce positive social attitudes in children.

CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Civil rights -- Minnesota -- Bloomington -- Citizen participation. Community organization -- Minnesota -- Bloomington. Discrimination -- Minnesota -- Bloomington. African Americans -- Minnesota -- Bloomington -- Social conditions. Discrimination in employment -- Minnesota. Discrimination in housing -- Minnesota. Race relations -- Minnesota -- Bloomington. Organizations: Minnesota Historical Society. Black History Project. Committee on Race Relations (Society of Friends : Philadelphia, Pa. : 1929-1969). Green Circle, Inc. Places: Bloomington (Minn.). ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Bloomington Human Relations Council Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

 Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 11,608; 15,637

 Processing Information:

Processed by: Dennis Meissner, 1991; Lara Friedman~Shedlov, March 2002.

Catalog ID number: 09-00000382

A portion of this collection was formerly cataloged as P1785.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION P2509 1 Background and history, 1964-1965.

Fact sheets, mission statements, and historical background on the organization.

 Minutes and agendas, April 1964-March 1966. Newsletters, April 1965-June 1967. Membership and mailing lists, 1964-1965. Correspondence and miscellaneous materials, 1964-1968. Articles and information, undated and 1965, 1967.

Includes a photocopy of a brochure from the Mississippi Summer Project, 1964 (original in the MHS Reserve Collection).

 Green Circle, undated. Res. 78 Mississippi Summer Project brochure, 1964.

Brochure created by the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (Atlanta, Ga.) promoting the Mississippi Summer Project, which included such initiatives as voter registration drives and "freedom schools."

A photocopy of the brochure can be found in the collection.