New American Movement collection, 1971-1982, undated

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Summary

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.
Extent:
.83 Linear Feet and 2 boxes
Language:
Collection material is in English.
Preferred citation:

For information about citing archival material, see the Citations for Archival Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.

Background

Scope and content:

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.

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

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.

Arrangement:

The collection is alphabetically arranged in one series.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing archival material, see the Citations for Archival Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.

Location of this collection:
University Library, 5th Flr (5039)
1000 E. Victoria Street
Carson, CA 90747, US
Contact:
(310) 243-3895
archives@csudh.edu
Website