Third World Women's Alliance Records, 1971-1980 (bulk 1971-1977)

The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to the records of the organization. Permission must be obtained to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use." Individual authors in TWWA publications retain copyright. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Permission to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use" must also be obtained from Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College as holders of the physical property.

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Historical Note

The Third World Women's Alliance (TWWA) operated from 1968-1980. It originated in New York as the Black Women's Liberation Committee (BWLC), which was a caucus of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and was created to address the issue of male chauvinism within the movement against racism. From there the BWLC evolved into the Black Woman's Alliance (BWA), independent from SNCC but maintaining close political ties with it. In 1970 the group's common work and dialogue with Puerto Rican women transformed the BWA into the TWWA. Frances M. Beal was a founding member of the BWLC, and stayed with the organization through its various incarnations until 1978. TWWA became bi-coastal in 1971 with the formation of TWAA-Bay Area.

The TWWA was one of several organizations formed by women of color in the late 1960s and early 1970s as responses to the essentialist theories of the early feminist movement. These organizations paved the way for Chicana feminism, Womanism, and Black feminism, among other theoretical approaches to feminism. TWWA broadened the scope of women's activism to address issues such as sterilization abuse, infant mortality, welfare rights, and low-wage work. Through its political activities, TWWA helped to create spaces in racial justice organizations for women's voices, issues and leadership. Although primarily an activist organization, concepts developed by TWWA's members in the course of political organization contributed much to feminist theory. TWWA's ideas of "double jeopardy" and "triple jeopardy" which were elaborated on by scholars as "simultaneity of oppression" and "both/and," advanced the understanding of the intersectionality of race, class, and gender in the women's movement. It also contributed to the experience of building "third world" and "black/brown" unity in opposing racism and sexism. The orientation of TWWA towards the "third world" brought the struggles, condition, and status of women in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to the forefront. TWWA built relations with women's organizations in other countries, pioneering a form of feminism that focuses on the affect of U.S. foreign and military policy on women's lives worldwide, promoting the idea that U.S. women of color had a role to play in the "global sisterhood."

The TWWA-New York folded in 1977. In the same year the TWWA-Bay Area transformed itself into a mass activist organization, and began forming committees for external work. Committees formed during that period include the National Committee to Overturn the Bakke Decision, the Southern Africa Organizing Committee, the Josina Machel Committee and the Coalition to Fight Infant Mortality. By 1979 the TWWA re-organized to become the Alliance Against Women's Oppression (AAWO). The AAWO existed from 1980 -1989, and then took new form again as the Women of Color Resource Center.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Third World Women's Alliance Records consist of 4.25 linear ft. and are primarily related to the West Coast and Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area Chapters of the organization. Types of materials include regional reports, committee and meeting minutes, political activities and events, and organization files.

The bulk of the records date from 1971 to 1977 and focus on regional reports and meetings, as well as events sponsored and organized by the TWWA, such as International Women's Day. Major topics found throughout these records are reproductive rights, infant mortality, political education, affirmative action, labor unions, international human rights, and women's liberation.

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Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into six series:

• I. ADMINISTRATION
• II. PUBLICATIONS
• III. AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
• IV. SUBJECT FILES
• V. PHOTOGRAPHS
• VI. OVERSIZE MATERIALS

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SERIES I. ADMINISTRATION (1971-1980)

consists of the organization's reports between the TWWA-NY and TWWA-Bay Area offices, meeting agendas, meeting notes, histories, and committee reports. The sub-series, Reports, documents many organizational issues such as recruitment, principles, policies, and procedures of the TWWA. In addition, this series contains documents relating to specific mass mobilization political committees and coalitions. In particular, the International Women's Day Committee and the Coalition Against Infant Mortality are rich sources of the TWWA's efforts to combat institutional gendered racism and raise awareness of political issues relating to women of color. This series also contains several histories of the organization beginning in 1971 and ending in 1980. This series is arranged alphabetically. In some cases, manuscripts are accompanied by fliers, posters, or other printed materials.

SERIES II. PUBLICATIONS (1971-80)

consists of the organization's newsletter, newspaper and other publications of the TWWA. The newsletter and newspaper are good sources of news articles and position papers written by TWWA members and coalition partners.

SERIES III. AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS (1971-80)

consists of documents relating to organizations associated with the TWWA as coalition partners in various political actions or for specific work projects. The Agbayani Work Brigade and the July Fourth Coalition demonstrate the range of alliances the TWWA formed with other revolutionary political activists for human rights and social services.

SERIES IV. SUBJECT FILES

consists of printed materials relating to local, national and international political issues primarily relating to women.

SERIES V. PHOTOGRAPHS

consists of some undated group photographs.

SERIES VI. OVERSIZE MATERIALS

consists of posters relating to mass meetings, rallies and events sponsored by, or associated with, the TWWA.

SERIES I. ADMINISTRATION

SERIES II. PUBLICATIONS

SERIES III. AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS

SERIES IV. SUBJECT FILES

SERIES V. PHOTOGRAPHS

SERIES VI. OVERSIZE MATERIALS