Week 5: Annotated Primary Source Bibliography, Richards

Assignment Week 5

Maeve Richards

These bibliographies reflect my recognition of a new way to approach the topic in which I’m interested over the past week. After looking through online archives for a few hours, it became clear to me that there is a great deal of resources in our area to consider this topic through a lens of anti-prison activism, or prison reform activism.

Realistic sources:

1.     Huey Newton’s Notebook from Merritt College.

a.     This is housed in the Huey P. Newton Foundation Collection at Stanford – I’m accessing it this week. A potential insight into Newton’s perspective during undergrad. Stanford University Special Collections: Manuscripts, Huey P. Newton Foundation Collection, Series 1 Box 37.

2.     Papers by Huey Newton from University of Santa Cruz, 1973-1974: “Eve, the Mother of All Living,” “Dialectics of Nature”.

a.     Similar to above – this work is Newton’s own and therefore might provide insight into his perspective during some of his graduate work. Stanford University Special Collections: Manuscripts, Huey P. Newton Foundation Collection, Series 1 Box 37.

3.     “A Force Against US Imperialism, The Black Panther Party”, “The Real Black Panther Party” by Huey Newton.

a.     1972 and 1970 respectively. Papers on the Black Panther Party that might offer knowledge into the Black Panther Party’s positions, et cetera. Stanford University Special Collections: Manuscripts, Huey P. Newton Foundation Collection, Series 1 Box 37.

4.     “Prison, Where is Thy Victory”, “The Prison, the Prisoner and Society” by Huey Newton.

a.     Most specifically address my topic. Stanford University Special Collections: Manuscripts, Series 1 Box 48.

5.     Correspondence between the BPP and Amnesty International, as well as correspondence between BPP and Oakland Small Business Center.

a.     These sets of correspondences have the potential to demonstrate the BPP’s outreach and activism regarding imprisonment at two levels. First – coordinating with Amnesty International may reflect an interest in the national agenda of assistance to prisoners. The Oakland Small Business Center correspondence is part of the BPP’s program to help find work for parolees. Stanford University Special Collections: Manuscripts, Huey P. Newton Foundation Collection, Series 2 Box 1.

6.     Correspondence with Elaine Brown & Elaine Brown interview with Angela Davis.

a.     These correspondences include Brown’s resignation from the BPP as well as a piece of her writing and an interview with Angela Davis, a longtime prison reform advocate. Stanford University Special Collections: Manuscripts, Huey P. Newton Foundation Collection, Series 2 Box 41.

7.      “Through the Looking Glass” – a ‘Women and Youth Prison Newsletter’, issues from vo1. 1 – 6.

a.     This is certainly a realistic source – it is accessible through the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco which has limited visitation hours – but I hope to access it in coming weeks.

8.     Arawn Eibhlyn papers, 1973-1995.

a.     Housed at GLBT Historical Society. Work on prisoners’ rights and HIV/AIDS. Includes correspondence with prisoners, flyers, et cetera.

9.     Jan Marinissen collection of CRH Records, 1963-1975.

a.     Housed at GLBT Historical Society. Marinissen was an inmates’-rights actvists. Documents included from Join Hands, an SF advocacy organization for gay men in prison.

10.  Semi-Realistic: Black Panther Community News Service Collection.

a.     Dates 1961-1991. These are kept at Oakland African American Museum & Library. The online guide mentions that the newsletters feature articles and op-eds related to police brutality among multiple other subjects which could certainly relate to prison-related activism.

Wish-list sources:

1.     Black Panther Party collection (issued 1966)

a.     This collection is unrealistic because it is housed at the California State Library in Sacramento. It is only two boxes and there is no digital guide – though based on the entry in OAC it seems to mostly by party promotional materials like fliers, handouts and buttons, as well as some photographs.

2.     “From the Prisonhouse to the Slaughterhouse: Reflections on Living in Captivity” from the Rubenstein Incarceration Zine Collection.

a.     Unrealistic in part because resides at Duke and also because these are not focused on the time period I’m hoping to focus on – still, really interesting resource to consider current radical responses to imprisonment.

3.     Womens’ Prison Association of New York records 1845-1983.

a.     Really unfortunately this is located in the New York Public Library. Would give an excellent comparison with BPP approaches to prison activism. Includes notes on legislation, the oldest women’s “halfway house” and more.