The Frank R. Brown papers consist of histories on a range of topics related to African American cultural, civic, and commercial life in and around Battle Creek, Michigan. The materials were compiled by Frank R. Brown, some with the help of members of the Black Heritage Committee, based at Mt. Zion AME Church. The histories include brief narratives written by Brown; photocopies of clippings, newsletters, and other documents; photographs; and occasional letters to Brown and others. Subjects include general histories of African Americans in Battle Creek, churches, education, social clubs, sports, the arts, minority-owned businesses, the Battle Creek branch of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, and the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Sojourner Truth's birth. The church histories document the Fourth Episcopal District of the AME Church, the AME Church in Marshall Michigan, and a number of African-American churches in Battle Creek. Also included are histories of the Battle Creek chapter of the NAACP, the Southwestern Michigan Urban League Guild, and several Urban League programs, newsletters, and pamphlets. The histories have been arranged into three series: Black Heritage Committee Histories; "Old World Background, New World Experiences" Histories; and Miscellaneous Histories and Related Items.
Frank R. Brown is an historian of African-American life in Battle Creek and Calhoun County, Michigan. Brown holds a BA in history and government from Kentucky State University, and an MA from Indiana University. Brown has taught at Talladega College in the Division of Social Sciences, and in the Battle Creek Public School System. He is a past president of the Battle Creek Area Urban League Guild, and is active with the Battle Creek branch of the NAACP and the Battle Creek Historical Society. He has held several positions within his church, Mt. Zion AME, including financial secretary and historian, and was integral to the work of the church's Black Heritage Committee, which gathered research materials on the history of African Americans in Battle Creek. In 1991, Brown coordinated the effort to have Mt. Zion AME Church listed in Michigan's State Register of Historical Places.
