Hammer, Barbara

Abstract

A collection of life histories of women who have dedicated their lives to social and political activism. Fifteen interviews, conducted by Smith College students, document both the diversity and the persistence of women's activism, as organizers and as cultural workers, in a variety of social movements such as women's health, economic justice, LGBT liberation, peace, education, and environmental sustainability.

Abstract

In this oral history, Hammer describes where she got her passion for film and where some of her inspiration has come from. She tells the story of her coming out in the 1970s, and describes the environment of the time, specifically in terms of how it influenced her films. She discusses the themes of lesbian invisibility, recapturing lesbian history, and the politics of naming. She connects her film to her activism and talks a little about what she hopes to see happen in the future.

Abstract Joan E. Biren, known as JEB, is a filmmaker, photographer, and lesbian activist who has been professionally known for documenting lesbian lives and communities since the 1970s. She became particularly well known in the 1980s for her slideshow and historical lecture affectionately known as The Dyke Show, with which she toured extensively. This collection includes JEB’s personal and professional records, and is rich in documentation of her photography and...

Abstract

Architect; film maker; lesbian activist; feminist; founder, Women's School of Planning and Architecture; and professor. The Birkby papers include her own documentation of women's activities through various forms of documentation. Materials include films, photographs, journals, writings, and correspondence with several notable feminists.

Abstract

Oral History Project documenting the persistence and diversity of organizing for women in the United States. Narrators include labor, peace, and anti-racism activists; artists and writers; lesbian rights advocates; grassroots anti-violence and anti-poverty organizers; and women of color reproductive justice leaders. Interviews cover childhood, personal life, and political work. Most oral histories consist of audiovisual recordings and transcripts, plus some background information.