Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Freedom Socialist Party National Office (Seattle) records, 1976-1998
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Freedom Socialist Party (U.S.)
- Title
- Freedom Socialist Party National Office (Seattle) records
- Dates
- 1976-1998 (inclusive)19761998
- Quantity
- 3.09 cubic feet (3 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 6293 (Accession No. 6293-001)
- Summary
- Records of the national office of the socialist feminist worker's organization, the Freedom Socialist Party
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
No restrictions on access.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Full processing supported by the Labor Archives Fund and the Labor Archives of Washington State Budget
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Freedom Socialist party is a revolutionary socialist feminist organization that does intersectional organizing against racism, sexism, homophobia, and labor exploitation. The FSP's political analysis sees women's leadership and political action as decisive to social change and trains women to lead in these campaigns. The immediate forerunner of the Freedom Socialist Party began with the Kirk-Kaye tendency within the Socialist Workers Party, led by Dick Fraser (Kirk) and Clara Fraser (Kaye) who were married at the time. The Kirk-Kaye tendency had a distinct analysis on civil rights, derived from the theory of "revolutionary integrationism," and took a more sympathetic towards China as a worker's state than the SWP.
The Freedom Socialist Party was founded in 1966, and had a differing analysis from the SWP's on black nationalist views of Malcolm X and the SWP's orientation toward the labor leaders rather than rank and file workers, and its relationships to the anti-Vietnam War movement, and its dismissive attitude toward the emerging feminist movement. The FSP advocated class solidarity between black and white workers, centered their revolutionary analysis around women's emancipation, and urged the anti-war movement to support the socialist, anti-colonial aims of the Vietnamese Revolution. FSP leaders Clara Fraser (1923–1998) and Gloria Martin (1916–1995) built on the socialist analysis of women's oppression to create a Leninist party that is "socialist-feminist" in ideology and practice. The party views the liberation struggles of women, people of color and sexual minorities (such as gay people) as intrinsic to working-class revolt, and it looks to these specially-oppressed sectors of society to provide revolutionary leadership. Women comprise a predominant part of the party leadership. Overall, membership is diverse and is composed of all genders and races. The party characterizes its National Comrades of Color Caucus as offering the party's diverse ranks of people of color an opportunity to work together as a team to grow as leaders and provide direction for the party's work in people of color movements.
The party has branches in a number of U.S. cities, as well as one in Melbourne, Australia. The Freedom Socialist newspaper is produced six times a year. Red Letter Press publishes books and pamphlets for the party. The FSP is affiliated with Radical Women, which is an autonomous socialist feminist organization. [Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Socialist_Party]
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Records of the national office of the Socialist feminist worker's organization, the Freedom Socialist Party. These records were collected and created by Clara Fraser, who was a co-founder and officer of the Freedom Socialist Party and Radical Women. Fraser collected, created, and maintained these records as part of her work for the organization.
Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top
Forms part of the Labor Archives of Washington.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, Freedom Socialist Party National Office (Seattle) records, 6293-001, Box number, folder number
Restrictions on Use
Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
Donated by Helen Gilbert, who is custodian of Clara Fraser's Radical Women and Freedom Socialist Party records.
Separated Materials
Material Described Separately:Radical Women National Office records
Radical Women Seattle Office records
Freedom Socialist Party Seattle Branch records
Related Materials
Processing Note
Initial rehousing and inventorying of the collection was completed by Labor Archives of Washington Curatorial Assistant, Chelsea Davies in Fall 2019.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | ||
| 1/1 | Mailings & Bulletins | 1985-1997 |
| 1/2 | Clara Fraser's Columns | 1992-1993 |
| 1/3 | Freedom Socialist Party Seattle - Freebie Mailings | 1977-1980 |
| 1/4 | Freedom Socialist Party Seattle - Organizer's Newsletters 1980-81 | 1981 |
| 1/5 | Freedom Socialist Party Seattle - Organizer's Newsletters 1979 | 1979 |
| 1/6 | Freedom Socialist Party Seattle - Organizer's Newsletters 1978 | 1978 |
| 1/7 | Freedom Socialist Party Seattle - Organizer's Newsletters 1977 | 1977 |
| 1/8 | Freedom Socialist Party New York - Statement - Murry Weiss and Stephen Kass | 1979 |
| 1/9 | "Marxist Analysis of Lesbian-Gay Oppression" - Laurie Morton 1980? | 1980 |
| 1/10 | Radical Women - Seattle - Statements - 1982 | 1982 |
| 1/11 | Statements - 1980-81 | 1979-1981 |
| 1/12 | Seattle Public Relations - 1980 | 1978-1982 |
| 1/13 | Statements - 1979 | 1979 |
| 1/14 | Lloyd Cooney Editorial Response -Seattle - Yolanda Alaniz | 1976 |
| 1/15 | Election Endorsements - 1976 | 1976 |
| 1/16 | "Radical Laborism versus Bolshevik Leadership" - Clara Fraser - Richard Fraser | 1976 |
| 1/17 | Seattle - Statement - Proposed Seattle City Charter - 1975 | 1975 |
| 1/18 | Seattle - Recall of Mayor Uhlman - 1975 | 1975 |
| 1/19 | Seattle - Freeway Hall Spray Painting - 8/73 | 1973 |
| 1/20 | Labor - Seattle - University of Washington Student Strike 1970 | 1970 |
| 1/21 | Labor - Val Carlson and Bellevue Schools | 1978-1981 |
| 1/22 | Labor - Max Reigel, Boilermaker - "Gay-rights Stand Debated at Labor Council Meeting" | 1978 |
| 1/23 | Labor - Libraries and Collective Bargaining | 1977 |
| 1/24 | Labor - Sarah White - Painters Trade | 1977-1978 |
| 1/25 | Labor - Bellevue Teachers Strike - Fall 1980 | 1980 |
| 1/26 | Labor - Seattle Opera Strike - April 1979 | 1979 |
| 1/27 | Labor - Henry Noble - Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Staff Association | 1979-1982 |
| 1/28 | Laura Teague - Firstbank Independent Employees Association | 1976-1979 |
| 1/29 | Hate Mail | 1977 |
| 1/30 | Labor - King County Labor Council | 1978-1981 |
| 1/31 | Labor - Stephen Durham - Restaurant | 1970-1980 |
| 1/32 | Labor - Susan Docekal versus Buffalo Sanitary Wipers | 1977-1978 |
| 1/33 | Labor - Trade Union Conference 1977 | 1977 |
| 1/34 | Labor - Megan Cornish - Laundry Union | 1973 |
| 1/34 | Labor - Megan Cornish - Laundry Union | 1973 |
| 1/35 | Labor - Madelyn Elder - Communications Workers of America Convention | 1981-1982 |
| 1/36 | Labor - Doug Barnes and Laurie Morton - Metro Transit Bus Drivers | 1977-1982 |
| 1/37 | Labor - Auto Machinists Strike and Related Activities | 1978-1979 |
| 1/38 | Labor - City Light Fraction 1982 | 1982-1983 |
| 1/39 | Labor - Olympia - Jobs and Justice Rally 1982 | 1981-1982 |
| 1/40 | Labor - Henry Noble - Labor Coordinator | 1977-1983 |
| 1/41 | Labor - Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization Strike | 1981-1982 |
| 1/42 | Mass Work - Abortion Rights - Seattle Reproductive Rights Alliance, National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, and others | 1982-1983 |
| 1/43 | Mass Work - Affirmative Action Coalition | 1979 |
| 1/44 | Mass Work - Women of Color - Gloria Anzaldua | 1979 |
| 1/45 | Correspondence - Radical Women - Clara Fraser and Members | 1978-1982 |
| 1/46 | Correspondence - Radical Women - National Correspondence | 1981-1982 |
| 1/47 | Correspondence - Seattle - Guerry Hoddersen to Organizers | 1981-1982 |
| 1/48 | Correspondence - Radical Women - Clara Fraser | 1979-1981 |
| 1/49 | Correspondence - Clara Fraser & Maryann | 1981-1982 |
| 1/50 | Correspondence- Seattle - Clara Fraser and Gloria Martin | 1976-1982 |
| 1/51 | Mass Work - Stonewall Committee - Seattle - Gay Pride March 1981 | 1981 |
| 1/52 | Mass Work - Gay News versus Radicals | 1980 |
| 1/53 | Laurie Morton - Position Paper - Northeast Conference of Multinational Lesbian and Gay Male Feminist Socialists 1980 | 1980 |
| 1/54 | Mass Work - Analysis of Washington, DC Third World Lesbian and Gay Conference | 1979-1980 |
| 1/55 | Mass Work - Coalition to Support Iranian People | 1979-1982 |
| 1/56 | Mass Work - Sandra Nelson - Native Americans | 1982 |
| 1/57 | Mass Work - Prisons | 1979-1982 |
| 1/58 | Mass Work - Anti-Nuclear Coalition | 1978-1982 |
| 1/59 | Mass Work - Chicanas and Chicanos | 1980-1982 |
| 1/60 | Mass Work - Blacks - Institutional Racism | 1978-1980 |
| 1/61 | Mass Work - Childcare | 1982-1983 |
| 1/62 | Mass Work - Anti-Draft and Anti-Military Intervention | 1980-1982 |
| 1/63 | Mass Work - Election Evaluations and Gay Rights | 1977-1980 |
| 1/64 | Mass Work - Gays - Marches and Demonstrations | 1977-1979 |
| 1/65 | Mass Work - Gays Seattle - Stonewall Committee 1982 | 1982-1983 |
| 1/66 | Seattle - Correspondence - Clara Fraser and Guerry Hoddersen - Hall Staff | 1979-1982 |
| 1/67 | Correspondence - Specifics on the Minutes of each Branch 6/82 | 1982 |
| 1/68 | Correspondence - Clara Fraser and Guerry Hoddersen | 1981-1983 |
| 1/69 | Correspondence - Clara Fraser | 1977-1982 |
| 1/70 | Correspondence - Condolence letters to Socialist Workers Party - Reed, Hansen, and Kerry 1979 | 1979-1981 |
| 1/71 | Correspondence - Guerry Hoddersen to members | 1982 |
| 1/72 | Correspondence - Clara Fraser to Friends, Allies | 1982 |
| 1/73 | Correspondence - Between Clara Fraser and Hall Staff | 1981-1983 |
| 1/74 | Correspondence - Radical Women - Fundraiser Information 1985 | 1985 |
| 1/75 | Correspondence - Fundraiser Information 1985 | 1985 |
| 1/76 | Correspondence - Report on Newspaper Staff Retreat 1977 | 1977 |
| 1/77 | Associational Privacy Rights - Petition for Supreme Court Review | 1989 |
| 2/1 | Events 1977 | 1977 |
| 2/2 | Seattle Fundraising 1978 | 1977-1978 |
| 2/3 | Seattle Fundraising 1982 | 1982 |
| 2/4 | Correspondence - New Xerox and Hall Ventilation | 1980-1982 |
| 2/5 | Seattle Fundraising Prior to 1978 | 1977 |
| 2/6 | Seattle - South Branch Agendas, Minutes | 1981-1982 |
| 2/7 | Seattle - Joint Meetings Agendas, Minutes | 1982 |
| 2/8 | Events 1982 | 1982 |
| 2/9 | Fall 1982 Forum Series | 1982 |
| 2/10 | Seattle - Events 1981 | 1981 |
| 2/11 | Events 1980 | 1980 |
| 2/12 | Events 1979 | 1979 |
| 2/13 | Staff Retreat - Westport 2/79 | 1979 |
| 2/14 | Seattle - Events 1978 | 1978 |
| 2/15 | Staff Retreat - Kalaloch Lodge | 1979 |
| 2/16 | Staff Retreats - Thanksgiving in Westport 1980 - Alderbrook Inn Resort 1981 | 1980-1981 |
| 2/17 | Memos - Recruiting | 1982 |
| 2/18 | South Branch Memos 1978-82 | 1979-1981 |
| 2/19 | Seattle - Branch Officers Elections 1981 | 1981 |
| 2/20 | Radical Women - Seattle Comrades of Color Caucus | 1982 |
| 2/21 | Seattle - Collective Houses | 1980 |
| 2/22 | Seattle - Clara Fraser's Office Project | 1978-1981 |
| 2/23 | Correspondence - National Lawyers Guild Conference | 1983 |
| 2/24 | Seattle - Public and Press Relations 1980-81 | 1981-1982 |
| 2/25 | Freebie Mailings 1982 (1 of 3) A Roundup of Our National/International Activities
|
1982 |
| 2/25 | Freebie Mailings 1982 (2 of 3) A Roundup of Our National/International Activities
|
1982 |
| 2/25 | Freebie Mailings 1982 (3 of 3) A Roundup of Our National/International Activities
|
1982 |
| 2/26 | Freebie Mailings 1981 (1 of 2) | 1980-1981 |
| 2/26 | Freebie Mailings 1981 (2 of 2) | 1980-1981 |
| 2/27 | Freebie Mailings 1983 | 1982-1983 |
| 3/1 | Correspondence 1997 (1 of 2) | 1997 |
| 3/1 | Correspondence 1997 (2 of 2) | 1997-1998 |
| 3/2 | Correspondence 1998 - Anti-military intervention in the Middle East | 1998 |
| 3/3 | Correspondence 1996 | 1996-1997 |
| 3/4 | Correspondence 1995 | 1994-1995 |
| 3/5 | Correspondence 1994 | 1989-1994 |
| 3/6 | Correspondence 1993 | 1991-1993 |
| 3/7 | Correspondence - Secretariat | 1983-1993 |
| 3/8 | Swabeck Collection Materials | 1988 |
| 3/9 | Seattle - International District - Bush Asia Center New Offices | 1989-1990 |
| 3/10 | Comrades of Color Caucus 1997 | 1997 |
| 3/11 | Comrades of Color Caucus 1996 | 1996 |
| 3/12 | Comrades of Color Caucus 1995 | 1995 |
| 3/13 | Comrades of Color Caucus - Revolutionary Sisters of Color 1994 | 1994 |
| 3/14 | Comrades of Color Caucus - Revolutionary Sisters of Color 1993 | 1993 |
| 3/15 | Post Convention Publications & Editing Work | 1982-1984 |
| 3/16 | Donations 1998 | 1998 |
| 3/17 | Freedom Socialist Party International Office - International Executive Committee | 1996-1998 |
| 3/18 | National Education Coordinator | 1987-1993 |
| 3/19 | Freedom Socialist Party and Radical Women Poets | 1985-1996 |
| 3/20 | Megan and Heidi paper - Women Workers - Sparkplugs of Labor | 1989 |
| 3/21 | Socialist Feminist Fund Drive 1997 | 1997 |
| 3/22 | Socialist Feminist Fund Drive 1995 | 1995 |
| 3/23 | Finances 1995 | 1995 |
| 3/24 | Finances 1994 | 1994 |
| 3/25 | New Freeway Hall - Finances | 1993-1994 |
| 3/26 | Freeway Hall Committee Agenda - Finances | 1997 |
| 3/27 | Freeway Hall Association - Finances - Karen's Kitchen | 1989-1990 |
| 3/28 | Freeway Hall Association and Committee | 1985-1996 |
| 3/29 | Correspondence - Political Committee | 1987-1995 |
| 3/30 | Correspondence - Publications Committee | 1983-1984 |
| 3/31 | Race Relations Seminar File | 1991 |
| 3/32 | Radical Women - Red Letter Press - Revolution, She Wrote (Clara Fraser) - Gay Resistance: The Hidden History (Sam Deaderick and Tamara Turner) | 1996-1998 |
| 3/33 | Red Letter Press - Gay Resistance: The Hidden History (Sam Deaderick and Tamara Turner) - 1997 | 1997 |
| 3/34 | Red Letter Press 1996 | 1996 |
| 3/35 | Red Letter Press - They Refused to Name Names: The Freeway Hall Case - 1995 | 1995 |
| 3/36 | Red Letter Press - Woman Sitting at the Machine, Thinking:
Poems by Karen Brodine - The Freeway Hall Case booklet Check with bank number
|
1991-1994 |
| 3/37 | Red Letter Press 1992 | 1990-1992 |
| 3/38 | Red Letter Press 1991 | 1991 |
| 3/39 | Red Letter Press 1990 | 1990 |
| 3/40 | Red Letter Press - The Poetry of Karen Brodine | 1990-1994 |
| 3/41 | Red Letter Press - Bumbershoot - Karen Brodine | 1989-1991 |
| 3/42 | Red Letter Press - Karen Brodine Publications Fund | 1988-1989 |
| 3/43 | Correspondence - Secretariat - Political Committee 1997 | 1994-1998 |
| 3/44 | Correspondence - Secretariat | 1982-1994 |
| 3/45 | Trotskyist Coordinating Committee | 1989 |
| 3/46 | Correspondence - German Embassy on the case of Roisin McAliskey to International Executive Committee | 1997 |
| 3/47 | Freedom Socialist Party -Correspondence - Memo between Clara Fraser and Yolanda Alaniz | 1988 |
| 3/48 | National Committee, International Executive Committee, and Political Committee Notes and Correspondence | 1985-1994 |
| 3/49 | Donations 1997 Bank checks & phone numbers
|
1997 |
| 3/50 | Donations 1996 | 1996 |
| 3/51 | Donations 1995 | 1995 |
| 3/52 | Donations 1994 Bank check
|
1994 |
| 3/53 | Donations 1993 | 1993 |
| 3/54 | Donations 1992 | 1992 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Labor movement--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Labor unions--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Labor--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
Corporate Names
- Freedom Socialist Party (U.S.)--Archives
- Freedom Socialist Party (U.S.)--Records and correspondence
Other Creators
-
Corporate Names
- Labor Archives of Washington (University of Washington) (host institution)
