The papers contain correspondence, memos, newspaper clippings, brochures, and speeches relating to the career of Brenda Jones and some family information. The materials date from 1975-2017, with the bulk of the papers dating 1991-2012. Gaps in the papers include: 1976-1987, 1989-1990, and 2014-2016. The papers are arranged alphabetically by topic/type of document.

Items relating to Brenda Jones’ family include an autobiography that she wrote while answering questions for the Women’s Christian Alliance. She explained that her family lived in The Huts in her early childhood, an area of the city where the ill-fated Pruitt-Igoe housing project was built. There are also programs from the funerals of her parents and two brothers, Floyd Anderson Jones and Andrew Jones. The remainder of the collection relates to Jones’ professional positions.

The earliest items in the collection include one copy of Freedomways journal (Vol. 15/No. 1 1975) and reprinted pages from subsequent 1975 issues. Both contain pieces written by Jones. The correspondence spans from 1991 to 2017, with a gap from 2014 to 2016. The first letters are letters of recommendation written just before Jones joined the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO). Most of the letters and memos relate to her work at the SLSO and include many thank you letters.

For the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Missouri Alliance for African American Initiative (MAAAI), and the SLSO, there is only one folder each. They contain newsclippings, brochures, reports, the initial IN UNISON proposal to the SLSO, and grant guidelines for the MAAAI. The American Civil Liberties Union folders include newsclippings and many speeches given by Jones during her tenure as executive director.