New American Movement collection
Content Description
The New American Movement collection, 1971-1982, comprises documents reflecting the foundation of the organization and chapter organizing, and one constitution. Also included are pamphlets regarding the Movement's platform on economics, politics, militarization, and war, bulletins and pamphlets concerning workplace organizing and striking, newsletters about socialist feminism and reproductive justice, and songbooks.
Dates
- 1971-1982, undated
Language of Materials
Collection material is in English.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Biographical / Historical
The New American Movement (NAM) held its founding convention in 1972 and was active until 1982 and was formed by anti-war and women’s movement activists, as well as members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). The organization sympathized with the ideology of Antonio Gramsci, who believed that a revolutionary organization should develop a “common sense” in the popular consciousness of a society that could challenge and then replace presiding social and political structures. This theoretical foundation was the basis for the NAM’s attempts to create a wide-reaching socialist movement that was focused on organizing the 1970s working class, which was becoming increasingly composed of female clerical and healthcare workers. The NAM aimed to develop a socialist-feminist and anti-racist class consciousness among the entire working class by increasing feminist and gay and lesbian participation in unions and labor strikes, and combating sexual descrimination and harrassment against homosexual and female workers. The organization also advocated for abortion rights and against forced sterilization practices. In 1982, the NAM merged with the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC) to form the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Bibliography:
Guide to the New American Movement Records TAM.051, Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive, Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, New York University, New York, NY, March 20, 2019. http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/tamwag/tam_051/index.html
New American Movement (NAM). Discover the Networks, March 2020. https://www.discoverthenetworks.org/organizations/new-american-movement-nam/
Cohen, Victor. “Recollecting the New American Movement : an introduction,” Works and Days : the New American Movement : an oral history. Vol. 28, No. 1-2, whole number 55/56, spring/fall 2010. http://www.worksanddays.net/2010/File02.Cohen.pdf
Gardener, Judith Kegan. “Ambitious Moderation : socialist feminism in the NAM years,” Works and Days : the New American Movement : an oral history. Vol. 28, No. 1-2, whole number 55/56, spring/fall 2010. http://www.worksanddays.net/2010/File05.Gardiner.pdf
Extent
.83 Linear Feet
2 boxes
Abstract
The collection contains pamphlets, newsletters, bulletins and foundational documents that reflect the New American Movement's (NAM) activities and political platforms. The NAM was active from 1972-1982 and advocated for workplace equality and a democratic socialist society founded on socialist feminist ideas.
Arrangement
The collection is alphabetically arranged in one series.
Custodial History
The New American Movement Collection was donated to the Holt Labor Library in San Francisco, California between 1992 and 2019, and was acquired by the Gerth Archives and Special Collections at California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2019.
Processing Information
Allison Ransom processed the collection and wrote the finding aid in March 2020.
- Title
- Inventory of the New American Movement Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Allison Ransom
- Date
- March 2020
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Holt Labor Library at CSU Dominguez Hills Repository
University Library South - 5039 (Fifth Floor)
1000
Carson California 90747
310-243-3895
archives@csudh.edu