The Civil Rights History Project: Survey of Collections and Repositories

Records of the Gainesville Women for Equal Rights (GWER)

Repository: University of Florida. P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History

Collection Description (Extant): The 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.
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.

Date(s): 1963-2001

Digital Status: No

Existing IDs: Ms 167

Finding Aid URL: http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/pkyonge/gwer.htm

Language: English

Rights (CRHP): Contact the repository which holds the collection for information on rights

Subjects:

African American women civil rights workers--Florida
African Americans--Civil rights--Florida
Civil rights movements--Florida
Women civil rights workers
Women--Societies and clubs

Genres:

Videorecordings