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Summary

Abstract

An artifical collection of booklets, brochures, and pamphlets documenting national and international civil rights organizations, the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA), Labor unions and socialism, and the New Left student movement purchased and collected by the Ebery Family Special Collections Library.

Subjects include : African American activists and labor leaders; All-African People's Revolutionary Party (Harrisburg, Pa.); employee rights; fascism; political prisoners and the carceral state; poll tax and voting rights; race relations; Emmett Till; Paul Robeson; Max Yergan; and Camp Summerdale (Harrisburg, Pa.), a cooperative, interracial retreat organized by the International Workers Order.

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1925-1980

Extent

1.5 Linear Feet

Background

Biographical / Historical

The Socialist Party, founded in 1901 enjoyed a decade of popularity and credibility after 1910 with respected leaders like Norman Thomas, a theologian and pacifist socialist and Eugene Debs.

The Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA), perhaps the most prominent radical movement in America, emerged from the left wing of the Socialist Party and aligned with the Trade Union Unity League (TUUL) (1929-1935), the Popular Front (circa 1935), and Progressive Party (1948).

The New Left movement of the 1960s and 1970s was primarily a university-centered student movement that emerged from the civil rights movement of the 1950s, into an anti-establishment revolution that included activists Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Jeremy Rifkin, and featured the protest music of Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and the Beatles.

Scope and Contents

The Radical pamphlets collection consists of materials purchased and collected by the Eberly Family Special Collections Library. These publications oppose racism and racial segregation and document the American labor movement, the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA), and the New Left, as well as various national and international civil rights organizations. This collection also documents the fascist assault of civil liberties and civil rights worldwide.

Physical Location

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Penn State University Libraries catalog via the link above. Archival collections may be housed in offsite storage. For materials stored offsite, please allow 2-3 business days for retrieval.

Existence and Location of Copies

Digitized items from this collection are included in the Black history and visual culture digital collection.

Related Materials

Additional related materials may be found in the following collections:

Communist Party of the United States of America pamphlet collection, Eberly Family Special Collections Library, Pennsylvanai State University

New Left pamphlet collection, Eberly Family Special Collections Library, Pennsylvanai State University

Socialist pamphlets collection, Eberly Family Special Collections Library, Pennsylvanai State University

Black history ephemera, Eberly Family Special Collections Library, Pennsylvanai State University

Processing Information

This collection was processed and described by G. Johns, metadata specialist (2022 July 31). They arranged the collection by publisher and pamphlet title. Materials are described at the item level to promote discovery and to allow curated content to be added to the Penn State University Libraries' Black history and visual culture digital collection, as well as the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).

Using These Materials

Repository Details

Part of the Eberly Family Special Collections Library Repository

Contact:
104 Paterno Library
Penn State University
University Park 16802 USA
(814) 865-1793

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Photocopies of original materials may be made available for research purposes at the discretion of the Eberly Family Special Collections Library. Photocopies or reproductions of original materials may be subject to fees as outlined by the Pennsylvania State University Libraries reproduction policies.

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law. Patrons seeking advice on the availability of unpublished materials for publication should consult relevant copyright law and laws of libel.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Radical pamphlets collection, 01739, Eberly Family Special Collections Library, Pennsylvania State University

Title
Guide to the Radical pamphlets collection
Status
Published
Author
Compiled by G. Johns
Date
2022 July 31
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • 2022 July: G. Johns revised this finding aid after reprocessing