A Guide to the Records of the Gainesville Women for Equal Rights (GWER)

Finding aid prepared by Dina Benson

University of Florida Smathers Libraries - Special and Area Studies Collections
August 2004

Descriptive Summary
	Creator:	Gainesville Women for Equal Rights
	Title:	Records of the Gainesville Women for Equal Rights (GWER)
	Dates:	1963-2001
	Abstract:	Records of the Gainesville Women for Equal Rights including correspondence, meeting minutes, and newsletters.
	Extent:	1.5 Linear feet. 4 Boxes.
	Identification:	Ms 167
	Language(s):	English
		Items from this collection have been digitized and are available online in the UF Digital Collections. For more information please see the note below.

Biographical/Historical Note

Gainesville Women for Equal Rights formed in 1963 in conjunction with the Student Group for Equal Rights. The women first made their presence known in October 1963 during protests against segregation at the College Inn; they replaced students on the picket lines who faced expulsion from the University of Florida due to continued absence from class. Members of GWER continued their work in Gainesville for over a decade, sponsoring education and employment programs, protesting discriminatory legal actions, and otherwise striving to improve the quality of life of African-American citizens in Gainesville and surrounding areas. GWER was the driving force behind desegregation at the Boys' Club, the Library, Alachua General Hospital, and other institutions.

Notable individuals: Jean Chalmers, Shirley Conroy, Vivian Filer, Jane Hiers, June Littler, Ann McGhee, Cora Robertson, Rosa Williams, Bobbi Zeman.

Scope and Content

The collection, dated 1963 to 2001, includes correspondence, meeting minutes, and newsletters; documents related to the Home and School (HANDS) education program; and records from the GWER/ACLU Court Observer Program. A video of a 2001 panel discussion and recognition reception hosted by the Central Gainesville/Judy Levy chapter of NOW (National Organization for Women) includes personal anecdotes from GWER members.

Access or Use Restrictions

Access

The collection is open for research.

Administrative Information

Alternate Form of Material

Digital reproductions of items in this collection are available online via the University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC). Please read the Permissions for Use statement for information on copyright, fair use, and use of UFDC digital objects.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Records of the Gainesville Women for Equal Rights (GWER), Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

For further information, please contact: Special Collections Access Services.

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