Black Woman's Manifesto

mnsss527 Third World Women's Alliance Records, 1971-1980 (bulk 1971-1977) Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by Sharon DeLaPeña Davenport and Nichole Calero. Sophia Smith Collection

Smith College Northampton, MA

2013 Finding aid encoded in NoteTab Pro. Encoded by Margaret Jessup. 2013-02-13 Finding aid written in English Collection Overview Third World Women's Alliance Third World Women's Alliance Records 1971-1980 1971-1977 MS 697 7 boxes (3.5 linear ft.) English Sophia Smith Collection

Smith College Northampton, MA

Global women of color reproductive rights and social justice organization. TWWA broadened the scope of women's activism to address issues such as sterilization abuse, infant mortality, welfare rights, and low-wage work. The orientation of TWWA towards the "third world" brought the struggles, condition, and status of women in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to the forefront. The bulk of the records focus on the the West Coast and Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area Chapters of the organization and include regional reports and meetings, as well as events sponsored and organized by the TWWA, such as International Women's Day. Major topics found throughout these records are reproductive rights, infant mortality, political education, affirmative action, labor unions, international human rights, and women's liberation. Historical Note

The Third World Women's Alliance (TWWA) operated from 1968-1980. It originated in New York as the Black Women's Liberation Committee (BWLC), which was a caucus of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and was created to address the issue of male chauvinism within the movement against racism. From there the BWLC evolved into the Black Woman's Alliance (BWA), independent from SNCC but maintaining close political ties with it. In 1970 the group's common work and dialogue with Puerto Rican women transformed the BWA into the TWWA. Frances M. Beal was a founding member of the BWLC, and stayed with the organization through its various incarnations until 1978. TWWA became bi-coastal in 1971 with the formation of TWAA-Bay Area.

The TWWA was one of several organizations formed by women of color in the late 1960s and early 1970s as responses to the essentialist theories of the early feminist movement. These organizations paved the way for Chicana feminism, Womanism, and Black feminism, among other theoretical approaches to feminism. TWWA broadened the scope of women's activism to address issues such as sterilization abuse, infant mortality, welfare rights, and low-wage work. Through its political activities, TWWA helped to create spaces in racial justice organizations for women's voices, issues and leadership. Although primarily an activist organization, concepts developed by TWWA's members in the course of political organization contributed much to feminist theory. TWWA's ideas of "double jeopardy" and "triple jeopardy" which were elaborated on by scholars as "simultaneity of oppression" and "both/and," advanced the understanding of the intersectionality of race, class, and gender in the women's movement. It also contributed to the experience of building "third world" and "black/brown" unity in opposing racism and sexism. The orientation of TWWA towards the "third world" brought the struggles, condition, and status of women in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to the forefront. TWWA built relations with women's organizations in other countries, pioneering a form of feminism that focuses on the affect of U.S. foreign and military policy on women's lives worldwide, promoting the idea that U.S. women of color had a role to play in the "global sisterhood."

The TWWA-New York folded in 1977. In the same year the TWWA-Bay Area transformed itself into a mass activist organization, and began forming committees for external work. Committees formed during that period include the National Committee to Overturn the Bakke Decision, the Southern Africa Organizing Committee, the Josina Machel Committee and the Coalition to Fight Infant Mortality. By 1979 the TWWA re-organized to become the Alliance Against Women's Oppression (AAWO). The AAWO existed from 1980 -1989, and then took new form again as the Women of Color Resource Center.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Third World Women's Alliance Records consist of 4.25 linear ft. and are primarily related to the West Coast and Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area Chapters of the organization. Types of materials include regional reports, committee and meeting minutes, political activities and events, and organization files.

The bulk of the records date from 1971 to 1977 and focus on regional reports and meetings, as well as events sponsored and organized by the TWWA, such as International Women's Day. Major topics found throughout these records are reproductive rights, infant mortality, political education, affirmative action, labor unions, international human rights, and women's liberation.

Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into six series:

I. ADMINISTRATION II. PUBLICATIONS III. AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS IV. SUBJECT FILES V. PHOTOGRAPHS VI. OVERSIZE MATERIALS

The Records are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection.

The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to the records of the organization. Permission must be obtained to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use." Individual authors in TWWA publications retain copyright. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Permission to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use" must also be obtained from Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College as holders of the physical property.

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Third World Women's Alliance Records

Cheryl Johnson, Vicki Alexander, Barbara Morita, and Melanie Tervalon donated records to the Women of Color Resource Center Collection/Archives which were then donated to the Sophia Smith Collection in 2012 by the Third World Women's Alliance Alumni Association Archives Committee.

The collection was first processed by Sharon DeLaPeña Davenport in 2004 for the Women of Color Resource Center Archives. The finding aid was reviewed by the Archives Committee of the Third World Women's Alliance Alumni in 2012. It was revised for the SSC by Nichole Calero in 2012., December 2012

African Americans -- History -- United States -- 20th century -- Sources African American women -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Asian American women -- History -- United States -- 20th century -- Sources Economic development -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Infants -- Mortality -- History Hispanic American women -- History -- United States -- 20th century -- Sources International economic relations International Women's Day -- History Minority women -- United States -- Services for Reproductive health -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Sterilization (birth control) -- History -- Sources Racism -- United States United States -- Race relations -- 20th century Welfare rights movement -- United States -- History -- Sources Women -- Economic conditions -- 20th century Women -- International cooperation Women -- Health and hygiene -- Developing countries Women -- Health and hygiene -- United States -- 20th century Women -- Political activity -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Women -- Social conditions -- 20th century Women's health services -- United States -- 20th century Women's rights -- Developing countries Working class women -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Beal, Frances, 1940- Louie, Miriam Burnham, Linda Alliance Against the Oppression of Women Women of Color Resource Center Black Women's Liberation Committee Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee Women of Color Resource Center SERIES I. ADMINISTRATION (1971-1980)

consists of the organization's reports between the TWWA-NY and TWWA-Bay Area offices, meeting agendas, meeting notes, histories, and committee reports. The sub-series, Reports, documents many organizational issues such as recruitment, principles, policies, and procedures of the TWWA. In addition, this series contains documents relating to specific mass mobilization political committees and coalitions. In particular, the International Women's Day Committee and the Coalition Against Infant Mortality are rich sources of the TWWA's efforts to combat institutional gendered racism and raise awareness of political issues relating to women of color. This series also contains several histories of the organization beginning in 1971 and ending in 1980. This series is arranged alphabetically. In some cases, manuscripts are accompanied by fliers, posters, or other printed materials.

SERIES II. PUBLICATIONS (1971-80)

consists of the organization's newsletter, newspaper and other publications of the TWWA. The newsletter and newspaper are good sources of news articles and position papers written by TWWA members and coalition partners.

SERIES III. AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS (1971-80)

consists of documents relating to organizations associated with the TWWA as coalition partners in various political actions or for specific work projects. The Agbayani Work Brigade and the July Fourth Coalition demonstrate the range of alliances the TWWA formed with other revolutionary political activists for human rights and social services.

SERIES IV. SUBJECT FILES

consists of printed materials relating to local, national and international political issues primarily relating to women.

SERIES V. PHOTOGRAPHS

consists of some undated group photographs.

SERIES VI. OVERSIZE MATERIALS

consists of posters relating to mass meetings, rallies and events sponsored by, or associated with, the TWWA.

SERIES I. ADMINISTRATION Committees 1 1 Ad Hoc 1974-75 Coordinating 1 2 Agendas 1976 1 3 Evaluations 1975 1 4 Guidelines for rotation 1976 1 5 Leadership 1975-76 1 6 One-year plan 1977 1 7 Permanent work areas 1976 1 8 Reaching organizational decisionsn.d. 1 9 Towards defining our political direction 1976 1 10 Cultural 1977 1 11 Family Development 1972-76 Health Coalition to Fight Infant Mortality 1 12 Brochures 1978-80 1 13 I-Team 1980, n.d. 1 14 Newspaper clippings 1978-79, n.d. 1 15 Press releases 1979-80 1 16 Propaganda Committee 1979 1 17 Statistics 1977-79 2 1 Support letters 1979-80 2 2 Letters from the CFIM May-Nov 1979 2 3 Third party correspondence 1978-1979 2 4 Yearbook 1979 Internal Education 2 5 Asian women's historyn.d. 2 6 Black women's history 1978 2 7 Chicana history 1978 2 8 Combat liberalism 1976 2 9 Democratic centralism 1971 2 10 Dialectical materialismn.d. 2 11 Evaluation of the internal education committee 1976 2 12 Historical materialismn.d. 2 13 On contradictionn.d. 2 14 Program proposal 1976 2 15 Six-month plann.d. 2 16 Women's movement, n.d 2 17 Woman question 1977 International Women's Day 2 18 Committee evaluations 1974-76 2 19 Cultural evening 1975 2 20 Endorsements 1975-77, n.d. 2 21-23 International Women's Day 1974-80

[See also poster in OVERSIZE MATERIALS]

2 24 Meeting announcements 1974-75 3 1 Potluck speech 1975 3 2 Task sign-up sheets 1973-76 3 3 Reconstitution 1975 3 4 General correspondence 1971-75 3 5 Evaluations 1975-77 3 --Financial materials 3 6 Fund raising 1972-79 3 7 Vanguard grant 1979 3 8 Women's building rental agreement 1980 3 9 Histories 1971-1980, n.d. 3 --Meetings 3 10 Consciousness-raising sessions 1972 3 11-12 General Alliance Committee 1973 3 13 Mobilizing meetings 1973-75 3 14 Membership Committeen.d. 3 15-16 Notes1972-74 3 17 Noon Series 1976 3 18 Policies, core group 1972 3 19 Principles 1973-1975 3 20 Rallies and demonstrations guidelinesn.d. 3 --Reports 3 21 Bay area chapter 1973-75 4 1 Bay Area chapter 1973-75 4 2-3 New York Chapter 1971-74 4 4 Seattle Chapter 1972 4 5 West Coast Chapter 1971 4 6 Resignations 1972 4 7 Security forms 1973 4 8 Six-month plan 1976 4 9 Subcommittee reports 1975 4 --Miscellaneous 4 10 Ann Arbor incident 1974 4 11-12 FBI File of TWWA 1971-74 4 13 Movement songsn.d. 4 14 Plexus, MisidentificationAug 1976,

[photocopy, original in Box 5]

4 Poems 4 15 "Third World Women," Ellice Parker Price 1976 4 16 "Let America be America Again," Langston Hughes 4 17 Sisters in the news27 Jul 1976 SERIES II. PUBLICATIONS

[See also poster in OVERSIZE MATERIALS]

Newsletter 4 18 Vol. 1 No. 1 (3 copies)June 1976 4 18 Vol. 1 No. 2 (3 copies)July 1976 4 18 Vol. 1 No. 3 (3 copies)August 1976 4 Vol. 2 No. 3 September 1977 4 19 Black Woman's Manifesto (photocopy, Duke University)n.d. SERIES III. AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS 5 1 "Third World Women's Alliance: smash! capitalism, racism and sexism,"

[photocopy, original in Box 5]

5 2 "Women in the work force" 5 3 African Liberation Support Committee 1972 5 4 Agbayani Work Brigade, United Farm Workers (UFW) 1973-74, n.d. 5 5 Angela Davis Defense Committee 1972 5 6 Bay Area Farah Strike Committee 1973 5 7 California Coalition on Medical Rightsn.d. 5 8 Concilio de Mujeres: La Razón Mestiza 1974-75 5 9 Inez Garcia Defense Committee 1974 5 --July Fourth Coalition 5 10 Correspondence 1976 5 11 Evaluation 1976 5 12 Pamphlets and posters 1976, poster in Oversize, Box 9 5 13 Preliminary recommendation 1976 5 14 Regional structure 1976 5 15 Working papers 1976 5 --Katipunan ng mga Demokratikong Pilipino (KDP) [Union of Democratic Filipinos] 5 16 ang aktibista [newsletter] 1975-76 5 17 First National Congress 1973 5 18 Miscellaneous 1974-75 5 19 Lolita Lebrón Committee 1974 5 20 National Committee to Overturn the Bakke Decision 1976-77 5 21 Native American Project 1976 5 22 Third World Socialist Feminist Organization 1975 5 23 Union of Vietnamese in the U.S. 1973 5 24 Venceremos Brigade 1976 SERIES IV. SUBJECT FILES 5 25 Afro-American womenn.d. 5 26 Chicanas n.d. 5 27 Cuban Family Code 1976 5 28 International Women's Year Committee 1975 5 29 Legal rights informationn.d. 5 30 Racismn.d. 6 1 Reproductive rights, n.d 6 2 Some Questions Concerning Methods of Leadership, Mao Tse-Tung 1967 6 3 Women of the Whole World 1970-75 6 4-5 Women in Asia n.d. 6 6 Women in African.d. 6 7 Women in Latin American.d. SERIES V. PHOTOGRAPHS 6 8 Group, no identification n.d. 6 9 Copy of finding aid and additional research materials SERIES VI. OVERSIZE MATERIALS 7 Triple Jeopardy (Volume I-IV) November 1971-Feb 1975 Flat File July 4th Coalition poster, "Unidad de Lucha"