Choice USA records
Scope and Contents
Records contain correspondence, publications, publicity materials, press releases and clippings, photographs, website images, reports, polls, financial information, and Board of Directors minutes, and other materials. They document the organization's history and work for the preservation of a woman's right to choose by way of media campaigns, voter registration initiatives, educational outreach to young adults, and endorsing pro-choice candidates for political office.
Dates of Materials
- Creation: 1980 - 2005
Creator
- Choice USA (Organization)
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for use without restriction beyond the standard terms and conditions of Smith College Special Collections.
Conditions Governing Use
The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to the unpublished works by the creator of this collection. Copyright to materials created by others may be owned by those individuals or their heirs or assigns. Permission must be obtained to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use." It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Biographical / Historical
Choice USA (now URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity) was co-founded in 1992 by Gloria Steinem and serves to mobilize and provide ongoing support to the upcoming generation of leaders who promote and protect reproductive choice. The organization's first projects analyzed the activities of the religious right in elections and promoted electoral participation by women, young people, and people of color. In 1996, responding to signs that young people's support for reproductive choice had declined compared to previous generations and that young supporters of choice were disconnected from the pro-choice movement, Choice USA created the Next Generation Campaign which focused its work exclusively on teenagers and young people. National in scope, Choice USA's programs address the pressing need for pro-choice messages, programs, and strategies tailored to engage young people, whose experiences differ markedly (socially and politically) from the generation of reproductive rights activists who fought to see Roe v. Wade passed in 1973. In 2001, Choice USA laid the groundwork for transitioning to become an exclusively youth-led and youth-focused reproductive rights organization, creating programs that incorporate the lessons learned from research (and validated by field experience) to regain young people's support. Choice USA programs reach young people in every region of the country. Gloria Steinem currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors. Crystal Plati is Executive Director.
For more information, see URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity Web site.
Extent
4.334 linear feet (5 containers)
Abstract
Reproductive rights advocacy group. Records contain correspondence, publications, publicity materials, press releases and clippings, photographs, website images, reports, polls, financial information, and Board of Directors minutes, and other materials. They document the organization's history and work for the preservation of a woman's right to choose by way of media campaigns, voter registration initiatives, educational outreach to young adults, and endorsing pro- choice candidates for political office.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Choice USA Records were donated to the Sophia Smith Collection by the organization in 2007.
Processing Information
Accessioned by Burd Schlessinger, 2007
Subject
- Steinem, Gloria (Person)
- Voters for Choice (Organization)
- Choice USA (Organization)
Source
- Choice USA (Donor, Organization)
Genre / Form
- Agendas
- Brochures
- Business cards
- Buttons (information artifacts)
- Computer media
- Electronic mail
- Financial records
- Fliers
- Forms (documents)
- Manuals
- Minutes
- Newsletters
- Pamphlets
- articles
- clippings
- correspondence
- memorabilia
- reports
Topical
- Abortion -- Law and legislation -- United States
- Abortion -- Political aspects -- United States
- Abortion -- Political aspects -- United States
- Abortion -- United States
- Abortion rights movement
- Birth control -- Law and legislation -- United States
- Birth control -- Law and legislation -- United States
- Fund raising
- Newspapers
- Posters
- Publications
- Publicity
- Reproductive and sexual health
- Reproductive rights
- Women -- Political activity -- United States
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Choice USA records
- Status
- Legacy Finding Aid (Updated)
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Burd Schlessinger.
- Date
- 2009
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 07/26/2017: This resource was modified by the ArchivesSpace Preprocessor developed by the Harvard Library (https://github.com/harvard-library/archivesspace-preprocessor)
- 2017-07-26T17:48:20-04:00: This record was migrated from InMagic DB Textworks to ArchivesSpace.
- 2020-03-18: Added boxes 1-4, updated dates
Repository Details
Part of the Sophia Smith Collection of Women's History Repository
