GAINES, MARTHA WREN, 1939-1987
Martha Wren Gaines papers, 1962-1987
Manuscript Collection No. 669Papers, 1962-1987; 17 linear feet
Gaines (1939-1987) was a human rights and civil liberties activist who worked as a writer, lecturer, and equal opportunity consultant for women and minorities in Georgia and the South. She worked with local, regional, and national organizations including the National Organization for Women (NOW), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Ratification Council. Gaines was also active in Democratic Party politics and unsuccessfully ran for the Georgia State Senate in 1974. The collection includes correspondence, reports, printed material, clippings, audiovisual materials, speeches, and memorabilia documenting Gaines' activities, including extensive materials concerning NOW, the ERA, and GARAL. It also contains two copies of Eliza Paschall’s (MSS 532) publication on sex discrimination, Because of Sex, a 1974 special issue of Great Speckled Bird on women, and numerous other feminist publications, including Distaff.
Note: Some materials are restricted due to their status as personal records or files.
The items selected for digital access include a speech given by Gaines to the YWCA, "I'm for equal pay for equal work but I'm against women's liberation;" campaign literature from Gaines' Georgia senate race; and a pamphlet called "Little Miss Muffet Fights Back" on nonsexist children's literature.
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