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Rare Book & Manuscript Library |
Table of Contents
Using the Collection
Note: some material may be restricted or offsite Container ListView All |
Summary InformationAbstract
At a Glance
ArrangementArrangementThe collection is arranged in four series. Materials in series I and II are arranged alphabetically and materials in series III and IV are arranged chronologically.
DescriptionScope and ContentsThe United Bronx Parents, Inc. (UBP) Records document the organization's work for social services in the Puerto Rican community of the South Bronx from the 1960s to the 2010s. Early records from the 1960s-1970s document UBP's educational activism and parent organizing from 1966 to the early 1980s. These include flyers, handouts from parent workshops, funding proposals, meeting notes, and planning documents from Universidad Urayoán. Much of the collection covers the years from 1984-2011, when founder Evelina López Antonetty's daughter, Lorraine Montenegro, took over as executive director. They highlight the organization's transition to address other issues facing the community including substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, child care, and hunger. Some of the records document important long-lasting programs and facilities, notably La Casita, the first residential drug treatment program for women and their children in the United States. Others relate to the management of the central office, grant management and fundraising, and short term events, activities, and partnerships. There are also a number of boxes of photographs from United Bronx Parents events and from Montenegro's personal and family collections.
Using the CollectionRare Book and Manuscript Library Restrictions on AccessYou will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account. 
This collection is located off-site. Researchers will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. Box 4 Folder 19 contains client identifiable information and is restricted until 2095. Lorraine Montenegro's schoolwork in Series IV is restricted for 75 years from the date of creation. Terms Governing Use and ReproductionSingle photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron. Researchers must wear gloves when handling photographs in boxes 12-15. Preferred CitationIdentification of specific item; Date (if known); United Bronx Parents Records; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library. Related MaterialsUnited Bronx Parents, Inc. records, Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños, Hunter College, CUNY: The United Bronx Parents, Inc. records document the organization's early work from 1966-1980s. Lillian López papers, Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños, Hunter College, CUNY: the papers of Evelina López Antonetty's sister, including correspondence and interviews with Antonetty. AccrualsMaterials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information. Appraisal35 boxes of materials were discarded due to mold damage, medical privacy concerns, or limited research value. These include documents with personally identifiable information about clients and routine financial papers such as bank statements and payment requests. Immediate Source of AcquisitionGift of Lorraine Montenegro in 2014. About the Finding Aid / Processing InformationColumbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library Processing InformationCollection-level record describing unprocessed material made public in summer 2018 as part of the Hidden Collections initiative. This collection was processed by Rachel Klepper. Finding aid written by Rachel Klepper in June 2019. Half of the materials acquired were suspected to be contaminated with mold. Five boxes of materials with high research value were inspected and determined to be clean. These were reintegrated into the collection. Other items were discarded due to confidential patient information. These include medical records, case notes with patient full names and diagnoses, or forms applying for services at UBP. In addition, boxes containing routine financial records from the 1990s-2000s such as bank statements and check requests were discarded. Documents within each box were retained in the order in which they arrived at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Transfiles and moving boxes were replaced with new record cartons. Most of the collection was placed in new acid-free folders and original folder titles were retained. Subject HeadingsThe subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives. All links open new windows. Genre/Form
Subject
History / Biographical NoteBiographical / HistoricalUnited Bronx Parents (UBP) was founded in 1965 by Evelina López Antonetty. It began as a grassroots organization of parents and local businesses advocating for improved education for children in South Bronx public schools. Its original funding came from the War on Poverty's Office of Economic Opportunity. Working primarily with Puerto Rican parents, Antonetty began a training program that encouraged parents to evaluate their schools and to exercise collective power to change the educational system. The organization advocated for increased resources, bilingual schooling, and community control over education. As it grew in the 1970s, UBP opened a daycare center, implemented a free summer lunch program serving over 150,000 children, and started adult education programs. After Antonetty's death in 1984, her daughter, Lorraine Montenegro, became UBP's new executive director. Under Montenegro, the organization expanded, becoming one of the biggest non-profits in the Bronx and hiring hundreds of employees. It also shifted focus to address other issues facing Bronx residents, including homelessness, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS. In 1990, UBP opened La Casita, a drug-free residential treatment program for homeless substance-abusing women and their children. La Casita was the first program in the United States to allow women to care for their children while in treatment. Other UBP programs and facilities included Mrs. A's place (a multi-service center with substance abuse and HIV-related services), Women's Supportive Services, La Casa de Salud, COBRA HIV management, Casita Esperanza (facility for various HIV prevention programs), The Peer Training Institute (a collaborative city project to train HIV prevention workers) and the Day Care Center. It continued to emphasize community development and its role as a "community grown organization." UBP's work was funded by a wide range of grants, many from New York City and State offices as well as private foundations. It faced periods of financial uncertainty but found ways to continue to sustain its work with new grants and partnerships. In 2011, the organization became an affiliate of the Bronx-based Acacia Networks, which continues several of UBP's programs. In 2017, Lorraine Montenegro passed away in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. In her honor, the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and Acacia Networks opened the Lorraine Montenegro Women and Children's Program Facility on Prospect Avenue in the Bronx. |