In this exhibit we highlight feminist activism in our collections. The materials on display offer glimpses into local, national, and international feminist activism, though the exhibit’s strength lies in how well it documents Second Wave Feminism. A major driving force behind many of the legal and social gains women made in the 1960s through 1980s, Second Wave Feminism was concerned with issues like abortion, domestic violence, divorce, workplace discrimination and much more. The movement also gave rise to many well known institutions serving women today such as Women’s Studies programs, women’s centers, rape crisis centers, and more. While this exhibit does not comprehensively document any one issue or organization, it does give a broad sense of how feminists organized, what the core concerns were, and how activists kept in contact with each other.
This is the second Special Collections exhibit in a series on activism. The first was on peace action and disarmament. These exhibits are designed to highlight that Special Collections is not just home of the ‘official’ historical record, which often exists in government documents, mainstream newspapers, and popular histories. Rather, our collections also contain counter-cultural materials which document people challenging the status quo.
Visit Special Collections anytime 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment is required to view the exhibit.