Peggy Shepard Photo: C. deJesus

The Activist's Women's Voices Oral History Archive and Urban Fieldwork Internships were established in 1995 under the direction of Professors Joyce Gelb and Patricia Laurence with the aim of creating linkages between activist women in the community and student and faculty researchers in the university.
Students lay the groundwork for extended partnerships that lead to:

• Oral history workshops for community women
• University and community seminars
• Collaborative projects and grant-writing
• University and community communication on the Internet
• Popular adaptations of life histories for magazines, radio,
  television and high school curriculum
• Informing the public and media of community issues
• Influencing public policy

The Activist Women's Voices Oral History Project, funded by AT&T, the Ford Foundation, the Ms. Foundation for Education and Communication, and the New York Council for Humanities, is committed to documenting the voices of unheralded activist women in community-based organizations in New York City.

Marie Runyon Photo: Janis Rudin

Students from various disciplines at The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York are trained to do oral histories of outstanding women leaders. These histories become part of the Activist Women's Oral History Archive. Through Urban Fieldwork Internships connected with the project, students assist community organizations. In turn, they become advocates and informed supporters of community groups. Integrating this experience into their doctoral research, they transform what is considered "knowledge" in the university, connecting community and university interests.

The Subject Map categorizes the variety of social issues represented in the Activist Women's Archives. A review of a series of interviews in one category could lead to interesting research that might connect with public policy

Women's Oral History Collection Links

Included here are links to other Oral History Sites that might be helpful.

Professor Joyce Gelb,
Co-Director
Political Science Department,
City College and the Graduate
Center

Professor Patricia Laurence, Co-Director
English Department of City College and CSWS, Graduate Center

Ms. Eileen Lacy
Project Assistant

Activist Women's Voices: Oral History Project
365 Fifth Avenue, Room 5116
New York, NY 10016-4309
Tel: 212-817-2021
Fax: 212-817-1573

GAIL ASKA: Core member, Community Voices Heard
(Welfare reform).

MARILYN B: Community Education Coordinator, Family Violence Project (Domestic violence program at the Urban Justice Center)

MARY BURNS: Co-director, Maura Clarke - Ita Ford Center (Community-based education)

CAROLE BYARD: Board member, Coast to Coast Women of Color (Arts organization)

ALICE CARDONA: 100 Puerto Rican Women and Puerto Rican Association for Community Affairs (Education, bilingualism, women's leadership)

ALISA DEL TUFO: Director, Family Violence Project (Domestic violence program at the Urban Justice Center)

BARBARA DOBKIN: Founder, May'an, Jewish Women's Project (Jewish women's community project)

ESSIE DUGGAN: Core member, Wayside Baptist Church (Religious outreach and training for girls)

DEBORAH EDEL: Co-founder, Lesbian Herstory Archives (Collection of lesbian-related materials)

ANNIE ELLMAN: Director and founder, The Center for Anti-Violence Education (Support and self-defense training for women)

RACHEL FRUCHTER: Physician and women's health activist, Haitian Community Health and Referral Center
(Mental health and community service center)

PAUL GETSOS: Director, Hunger Action Network of New York State, affiliate of Community Voices Heard (Welfare reform)

EMIRA HABIBY-BROWNE: Director, Arab-American Family Support Center (Immigration, education, domestic issues)

ANN HENDERSON: Director of Cooperative Development, Urban Homesteading Assistance Board
(Housing, tenant education and management)

MARIA HERNANDEZ: Founding member, Park Slope Women's Center, ACE-OUT (Women out of prison)

NANCY KYRIACOU: Organizer and 7A Administrator, Housing Conservation Coordinators (Homeless prevention and neighborhood development)

JOAN MAYNARD: Executive Director, Weeksville Society (Historic museum for the preservation of African-American culture and heritage)

ROSEAN MICALLEF: Executive Director, The Center for Immigrant's Rights (Immigrant issues)

BESSIE MOORE: Core member, Community Voices Heard (Welfare reform)

MARIA PERALTA: Associate Director, Bread and Roses (Cultural Project of Local 1199 Health Care Workers'  Union)

LOLA POISSON: Director, Haitian Community Health and Referral Center (Mental health and community service center)

ROSALBA ROLON: Founder and Artistic Director, Pregones Theater (Arts and culture and theater)

MARIE RUNYON: Director, Harlem Restoration Project (Housing, jobs, and assistance to those returning from prison)

IESHA SEKOU: Education Coordinator, BEGIN Project of Literacy Partners (Education for employment)

PEGGY SHEPARD: Director, West Harlem Environmental Action Committee (Environmental justice and racism)

NORMA STANTON: President and Founder, HACER
(Job training and immigrate women)

KIM STATUTO: Core member, Community Voices Heard (Welfare reform)

SHEILA STOWELL: Organizer, Community Voices Heard (Welfare reform)

POLLY THISTLETHWAITE: Co-founder, Lesbian Herstory Archives (Collection of lesbian-related materials)

ETHEL VELEZ: Tenants' Association President, James Weldon Houses Tenants' Association
(Community development and housing issues)

SANDY WARSHAW: Older Women's League (Elderly)

ALBERTA WILLIAMS: Core Member, Maura Clarke-Ita Ford Center (Community development)

DEBRA ZIMMERMAN: Executive Director, Women Make Movies (Arts and culture, media and film industries)