The Women's Action Coalition - Chicago Records

Inventory of its records at UIC

Administrative History

The Women's Action Coalition (WAC) was formed by a group of friends in New York City on January 28, 1992, in response to the outrage they felt about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' confirmation hearings. Chapters were subsequently formed in other U.S. cities, including Boston, San Francisco, Houston, and Los Angeles, as well as internationally in Canada and Europe. WAC employed a direct action approach similar to that of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) and the Women's Health Action Coalition (WHAM), which encouraged activities such as demonstrations, sit-ins, civil disobedience, educational forums, and letter writing campaigns. This organization was considered a grass-roots organization with no hierarchical structure. The logo that has been used to represent the WAC was the blue dot used to obscure a rape victim's identity during trials. WAC-New York held its last meeting in November of 1995.

The WAC's mission statement is as follows:

"The Women's Action Coalition (WAC) is an open alliance committed to DIRECT ACTION affecting the rights of all women. We are witnesses to the current economic, cultural and political pressures that limit women's lives and to the horrifying effect of these limitations. As current legislation fails to reflect the experience of women, we support the immediate enactment of an ERA initiative. WAC insists on economic parity and representation for all women, and an end to homophobia, racism, religious and violence against women. We insist on every woman's right to quality health care, childcare and reproductive freedom. We will exercise our full creative power to launch a visible and remarkable resistance. WAC is watching. We will take action."

The Women's Action Coalition of Chicago was formed in September of 1992, remained active through 1994, and held its last meeting in September of the same year. Some guidance was initially provided by the WAC-New York, but the WAC-Chicago, after a rocky start, decided to structure the organization in a way in which it could best meet the needs of it's members. Rules and procedures of the Chicago chapter were revised to reflect this change. All decision-making took place at meetings which were held at the Randolph Street Gallery. Men were not able to attend, although they were able to participate in all WAC actions.

Some of the WAC-Chicago's actions included distributing free condoms and pamphlets to high school students, placing coffins bearing the stories of murdered women at street corners, and using a commandeered billboard and signed postcards to address the issues of domestic violence and breast cancer. In one event, the flags of France, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States were burned to protest governments' land negotiations with Serbia.

All sections of the Women's Action Coalition included a Drum Core, an essential component of the coalition, which participated in both WAC actions and separate performances.

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the activities of the Women's Action Coalition - Chicago during the years 1992 through 1994. It includes materials associated with the organization's function, including basic information, minutes, correspondence, press releases, newsletters, newspaper clippings, grant applications, and other publications. The materials reflect administrative functions as well as other activities that define the organization's beliefs. Also included are materials on various subjects of interest to the WAC. These include abortion, war crimes in Bosnia, Camp Sister Spirit, Coalition for Positive Sexuality, Coalition to Stop the KKK, domestic violence, feminism and social protest, women's health, the women of Chiapas, lesbian/gay rights, National Organization for Women, Puerto Rican antigentrification, the Sex Workers Action Coalition, and various publications addressing the issue of women's rights.

Collection formats include typed and handwritten documents, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, photographs, stickers, buttons, videos, tapes, negatives, slides, posters, and t-shirts

Detailed Description of the Collection