Eileen Stewart oral history with Susan Tracy, interview 1
Description:
(00:00:01) - Introductions (00:00:31) - First conscious organized feminist action when living in Canada, in solidarity with United States Women’s Strike for Equality (00:02:12) - Relating to Canadians as a US citizen; feminist activity in Vancouver, Canada (00:03:28) - Perceptions of being a feminist (00:04:43) - Relating to men as an out lesbian (00:05:18) - Attending an all girl’s high school; socialization in girl’s high school (00:06:53) - Eileen Stewart returns to UMass to finish her degree in first years of 1970s; job as Head of Residence in Southwest Residential College; discussions around racism, sexism, heterosexism. (00:08:52) - Stewart teaches a course on Sex Roles in Contemporary Society (00:13:18) - Out of the Sex Roles in Contemporary Society course, participants decide to form the Southwest Women’s Center (00:18:20) Eileen Stewart describes campus reactions to an event planned by the Southwest Women’s Center (00:22:05) - Awareness of other women’s groups in the area (00:23:14) - Campus responses and dedication of resources to older women who were going back to college (00:25:30) - Discussion about Valley Women’s History Collaborative (00:27:00) - Stewart relates her feelings about being involved in this organizing at time, and being surrounded by women most of the time. (00:28:40) - End of Stewart’s marriage and coming out as a lesbian (00:30:47) - Being a lesbian in professional setting at the university (00:32:00) - The perception that living as a lesbian was the practice of feminist theory; juxtaposition of conversations around being gay or lesbian in the 1970s versus in the late 1990s (00:34:40) - Holiday party at Southwest
Requests to publish, redistribute, or replicate this material should be addressed to the Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.
Contact host institution for more information.
