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Radical Women National Office (Seattle) records, 1976-1998

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Radical Women
Title
Radical Women National Office (Seattle) records
Dates
1976-1998 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.28 cubic feet, (1 box)
Collection Number
6291
Summary
Records of the national office of Radical Women, a socialist, feminist worker's organization based in Seattle, Washington, collected and maintained by Clara Fraser, the co-founder and officer of Radical Women and 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.

Request at UW

Languages
Collection materials are in English.
Sponsor
Full processing supported by the Labor Archives Fund and the Labor Archives of Washington State Budget
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Historical Note

Radical Women (RW) is a socialist feminist organization. RW sought to become the socialist wing of the feminist movement. The organization was founded in Seattle in 1967 when Freedom Socialist Party co-founder Clara Fraser and her close colleague, Gloria Martin, joined with young women from Students for a Democratic Society to build women's leadership in the left and anti-war movements. In 1973, RW formally affiliated with the Freedom Socialist Party, and the party gained a sister organization. Other founding members include Melba Windoffer and Susan Stern.

RW is active in intersectional feminist socialist organizing against racism, sexism, homophobia, fascism, and labor exploitation. Their political analysis sees women's political action as essential in creating social change and trains women to lead these campaigns. They have been especially active in pressuring other feminist organizations into better representing women of color and the LBGTQ+ community.

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Content Description

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.

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Other Descriptive Information

Forms part of the Labor Archives of Washington.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.

Preferred Citation

Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, Radical Women National Office Records, 6291-001, Box number, Folder number

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged in 5 series:

  • Series 1, Administrative Meetings, Finances, and Correspondence, 1976-1996
  • Series 2, Conferences and Conventions, 1976-1998
  • Series 3, Mass Work, Coalitions, and Events, 1977-1998
  • Series 4, Publications, Literature, and Media, 1979-1997
  • Series 5, Local Chapters, 1977-1996
    • Subseries A, Seattle, Washington Radical Women Chapter, 1977-1996
    • Subseries B, Grays Harbor, Washington Radical Women Chapter, 1982
    • Subseries C, Portland, Oregon Radical Women Chapter, 1982-1992
    • Subseries D, Los Angeles, California Radical Women Chapter, 1982-1994
    • Subseries E, San Francisco, California Radical Women Chapter, 1979-1990
    • Subseries F, Juneau, Alaska Radical Women Chapter, 1979-1982
    • Subseries G, Mankato, Minnesota Radical Women Chapter, 1992
    • Subseries H, Melbourne, Australia Radical Women Chapter, 1990

Processing Note

Labor Archives Curatorial Assistant Chelsea Davies processed and arranged the collection during the 2019/2020 academic year.

The collection was rehoused and refoldered using acid-free folders and 1 full sized records box. Preservation issues addressed include newspaper clippings buffered with acid free paper, stapled materials, rust stains and discolorations, rusty paper clips replaced with plastiklips, and thermofax documents photocopied and replaced.

The arrangement and description involved an analysis of the major themes within the collection by mapping and researching the connections among notable people, events, literature, language, and organizations. A processing plan incorporated these themes in the arrangement and description of the series and folders so that researchers could identify the potential value and relevance of the collection. The Freedom Socialist Party National Office records provided substantial context for the description and arrangement of the Radical Women National Office records due to being closely related organizations that share leadership and agendas.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Helen Gilbert, who was custodian of Clara Fraser's RW records.

Related Materials

Radical Women Seattle Office records

Clara Fraser papers

Megan Cornish papers

Heidi Durham papers

Freedom Socialist Party Seattle Branch records

Freedom Socialist Party National Office (Seattle) records

The Radical Women website has been regularly captured by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine since 2019. The snapshots can be viewed here: https://wayback.archive-it.org/3988/*/https://www.radicalwomen.org/seattle.shtml Wikidata is available for this collection

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and Subjects

Subject Terms

  • Feminism--Societies, etc
  • Feminism--Washington (State)
  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
  • Radicalism--Societies, etc
  • Radicalism--Washington (State)
  • Socialism--Societies, etc
  • Socialism--Washington (State)
  • Women and socialism--Societies, etc
  • Women and socialism--Washington (State)
  • Women's rights--United States
  • Women--Washington (State)--Societies and clubs

Corporate Names

  • Labor Archives of Washington (University of Washington)

Geographical Names

  • Seattle
  • Washington (State)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Newsletters


2019 (Last modified: 8/11/2022)

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