Archives West Finding Aid

The Radical Women National Office records (1976-1998) documents the activities of the national office of the organization, based in Seattle, Washington. They were collected and maintained by Clara Fraser, the co-founder and officer of Radical Women and the Freedom Socialist Party. This collection documents the evolution and collective actions of nationally recognized socialist feminist leaders from 1976-1998. The perspectives from leaders of the national office provides context to how RW has worked and grown their organization via the aid and creation of local offices. The records are especially valuable for researchers seeking to understand how radical organizations and movements evolve and shift through decades of adversity and pushback from the mainstream media and an inhospitable political environment.

This collection provides access to communication among the local and national RW organizers as well as materials concerning mass work such as the protection of Roe vs. Wade, the Seattle City Light fight for affirmative action for tradeswomen electrical workers, the collaborative 1997 Feminist Brigade to Cuba, the landmark Freeway Hall Case, and drafts of RW literature such as the Radical Women Manifesto.

Materials include correspondence, articles, newspaper clippings, press release materials, fliers, event programs, edited drafts and speeches, itineraries, legal documents, conference/event planning, and official newsletters. The content of the materials concern the organization’s planned events, recruitment, and opening communication channels that are centered on social activism, intersectional feminism, and providing a platform for feminist speakers.

The collection is arranged into the following series which contain:

SERIES 1: ADMINISTRATIVE MEETINGS, FINANCES, AND CORRESPONDENCE, 1976-1996: RW’s National Executive Committee papers, including correspondence, records on public relations, membership, and finances.

SERIES 2: CONFERENCES AND CONVENTIONS, 1976-1998: Records documenting RW’s involvement, including statements and positions, press releases, and communication in international and regional conferences and conventions.

SERIES 3: MASS WORK, COALITIONS, AND EVENTS, 1977-1998: Materials concerning RW organized events and activism in civil rights and labor movements.

SERIES 4: PUBLICATIONS, LITERATURE, AND MEDIA, 1979-1997: Position statements, speeches, bulletins, newsletters, media coverage, and political literature related to RW.

SERIES 5: LOCAL CHAPTERS, 1977-1996: Correspondence, finances, and event materials concerning the growth and participation of local RW chapters. Despite being local chapters, they include correspondence with national leaders such as Clara Fraser and Betty Friedan. The records of the Seattle chapter especially overlaps with that of the National Office.