Note from Laura: After 5 pm, Sept 4, the Tuesday after Labor Day, no funds will be accepted by U of Houston for the purchase (which will go to preparing our archive for UH to pick up soon after)… but pledges by 5 PM on Sept 4, going to the UH will be accepted for this exciting effort, provided you can fulfill the pledges by the end of September.. Thanks all! Laura X
Note from Paul: After 50 years, looks like we have finally found a permanent home for Laura X’s Social Movements Archives!! Please see the letter below from Laura X, Mara Kelly, and myself, the project’s Development Consultant. Special thanks to Gloria Steinem for her help on the letter, and for forwarding to her constituency. Please help with this extraordinary opportunity.
Note from Laura: Laura’s Social Movements Archives (LSMA) is a vast, unique archive of women’s movement and other social movement-related materials, consisting of hundreds of thousands of documents, articles, fliers, clippings, conference proceedings, publications, and other records from 1968 to now by thousands of people including yours truly. A major theme we began with, often swept easily under the rug, has been abuse of women and children. Although our campaigns successfully eliminated the legal privilege to rape one’s wife or date, access to our documentation of this and all other forms of violence, abuse, and harassment is increasingly in demand.
Dear friends and other families!
The University of Houston Libraries would very much like to acquire Laura’s Social Movements Archives (LSMA) Collection, and make it accessible to the public, including high school students locally, nationally and internationally, as well as to the university community. Out of respect for the many thousands of people who contributed their own records and work to the LSMA Collection over five decades, UHL would like to purchase the collection for $200,000, from LSMA, with your help.
They have enjoyed Laura’s visits to their archives with her archival staff, and UHL’s visit to her outstanding archive. They hope to be assisting you in your research in this archive in the near future and will be happy to consider more collections on the dozens of topics covered in Laura’s Social Movements Archives if you have additional materials to offer.
Gloria Steinem let us know today that she is supporting this request:
to testify to how crucial to history, future knowledge and activism the preservation and accessibility of this collection is. The records of our movement and others must have a great home. The UH Libraries’ Carey C. Shuart Women’s Archive and Research Collection is that place.(https://www.uh.edu/class/ws/resources/archive/index)
We kindly request your support with a gift made out to the UH Libraries for the acquisition of the LSMA Collection, with “LSMA Collection” in the check memo line. Please send your tax-deductible gift to:
Olivia Thompson
Chief Development Officer
UH Advancement
P.O. Box 867
Houston, TX 77001-0867
Or, you may donate online to the University of Houston Libraries. Please note: On the first page, select “Special Collections General Fund” from the drop down menu, and note “LSMA Collection” in the special instructions on page two.
To make a pledge, or for any questions, you may reach out to Olivia Thompson directly at (713) 743-8026 or .
On behalf of the LSMA and its teaching arm, the Laura X Institute, we thank you for your work and support of this crucial record of social justice movements: LauraXInstitute.org
Mara Kelly – Lead Archivist, Laura X – Archivist, and Paul Sheldon – Development Consultant.
Laura X, founder/director of the former
National Clearinghouse on Marital and Date Rape
Women’s History Library
(510) 587-3372 Berkeley, CA
NCMDR website:http://ncmdr.org
New website: http://lauraxinstitute.org
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