Welcome
The IWA Civil Rights and Community Organizing Subject Guide highlights collections at the Iowa Women’s Archives related to diversity and civil rights – in particular, collections that speak to African American Life and History in Iowa and those that address diverse struggles for a more just society over time. Materials in the Fight for Justice section include the fights for Latinx and LGBTQ rights, as well as collections that reveal the work to oppose racism engaged in by individuals and organizations. The Digital Resources page provides links to selected collection materials available in the Iowa Digital Library, as well as relevant online exhibits, collections, and sources.
How to Reach Us
The Iowa Women’s Archives is located on the third floor of the Main Library of the University of Iowa.
Mailing Address:
Iowa Women’s Archives
100 Main Library
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1420
Campus Mail: 3094 LIB
Phone: (319) 335-5068
Email: lib-women@uiowa.edu
Social Media: Facebook
Other Library Guides
Associate Curator, IWA
Guide Authorship
The content of the LibGuide was assembled and created by IWA Graduate Assistants and Student Staff in 2020. We extend our thanks to the following individuals for their work on this project:
Heather Cooper, IWA Graduate Assistant
Erik Henderson, IWA Graduate Assistant
Dylan Davison, IWA Student Assistant
Fighting for Civil Rights in Iowa
1998 Gazette article marks the 50th anniversary of Edna Griffin's 1948 protest outside Katz Drug Store in Des Moines, Iowa after being denied service at the lunch counter.
Edna Griffin papers, Iowa Women's Archives
Quick Links to Resources
- ArchivesSpace (search finding aids)
- Introduction to the Iowa Women’s Archives
- Iowa Digital Library
- Special Collections
- University Archives
- News from the Archives (IWA Blog)
A History of Diversity
Multiracial quartet in performance, First United Methodist Church, Iowa City, Iowa, late 1940s.
Esther Walls on the right.
Esther Walls papers, Iowa Women's Archives
Iowa Women's Archives
The Louise Noun – Mary Louise Smith Iowa Women’s Archives is named for its founders, who established the archives in 1992 as a repository dedicated to collecting the history of Iowa women. The Archives fulfills its mission by collecting and making available primary sources about the historical experience of Iowa women throughout the state and beyond its borders from the nineteenth century to the present, reflecting the diversity of Iowa women from all walks of life. It undertakes a robust outreach program to gather and preserve the history of groups historically underrepresented in archives.
Interested in learning more?
Click here to read more about our mission and explore a timeline of events and special projects at the IWA.
In 2017, the IWA celebrated its 25th anniversary. The accompanying exhibit, 25 Collections for 25 Years: Selections from the Iowa Women’s Archives, provides an excellent introduction to the ways our collections have been used by researchers, students, and professors.
Special Projects at IWA
- African American Women in Iowa Digital Collection
- Jewish Women in Iowa
- Migration is Beautiful
- Mujeres Latinas Project
- Mujeres Latinas Digital Collection
- Women’s Suffrage in Iowa: A Digital Collection
Image: YWCA of Greater Des Moines records, Iowa Women's Archives
Guide Content Note
Guide content supports the teaching and research goals of multiple departments on campus. Content represents a non-exhaustive selection of essential resources and tools for engaging a wide range of backgrounds and viewpoints.