Second Wave Feminist Newspaper "Off Our Backs", 1970-74

Off Our Backs Second Wave Feminist

Periodical

[Women's Rights and Feminism][Periodicals][LGBTQ][Labor] Archive of eight issues of Off Our Backs, a second wave feminist newspaper, 1971–1974. Washington, D.C.: Off Our Backs, Inc., 1971–1974. Eight tabloid-format issues. Newsprint, illustrated throughout with line drawings, halftone photography, or graphic design elements. All issues folded as issued. An archive from the early years of Off Our Backs, one of the longest-running feminist periodicals of the 20th century and a key platform for the radical second wave. Launched in 1970 by a feminist collective based in Washington, D.C., the paper quickly emerged as a cornerstone of the women's liberation movement, offering grassroots reporting, Marxist and radical feminist analysis, and coverage of global feminist struggles often excluded from mainstream or even liberal feminist publications. The eight issues span from 1971 to 1974 and offer rich documentation of the intersectional and internationalist priorities of the publication. Included in this archive are:

[1] Volume I, No. 15 (December 31, 1970). “Sisters Rise Up” special edition on women and imperialism. Issue focused on oppression and US influence abroad, featuring articles on the Vietnam War. Includes the article “Does My Liberation Mean You Get Yours?” focusing on the connection between inequity and imperialist mindset.

[2] Volume I, No. 18 (February 26, 1971). The cover declares “We have all come to feel the beating of the drum,” echoing the anti-imperialist rhetoric of the period. Includes coverage of International Women’s Day and Indochinese antiwar voices, including a telegram from Madame Binh.

[3] Volume I, No. 20 (April 15, 1971). “The Social or the Class?” issue, with a cover collage titled “Forget the Rules.” Themed around feminism and class consciousness, with reporting on labor, incarceration, and women’s resistance to capitalist culture.

[4] Volume I, No. 24 (Summer 1971). Special issue: “OOB Back from Cuba,” with photo spreads, essays, and interviews by members of the collective returning from a solidarity delegation. Documents working-class Cuban women, sugarcane labor, and revolutionary gender politics.

[5] Volume 2, No. 3 (November, 1971). An issue with articles on the Maryland Women's Caucus and on women's studies. With an extensive annotated “Women’s Studies Bibliography” and reports on feminist pedagogy, radical therapy, and collective living.

[6] Volume 3, No. 2 (October, 1972). “Survival—Women in Danger” issue focused on women's labor and capitalism, featuring street-level reporting on working conditions and systemic abuse. Cover and centerfold featuring a bold graphic of a feminist reclaiming domestic space: “Under the New Regime, the kitchen work will belong to those who eat.”
[7] Volume 4, No. 1 (Christmas, 1973). Features the serialized novella Mary/Anti-Mary by Carol Anne Douglas, illustrated by Mecca Reliance. A rare example of serialized feminist fiction engaging with theology and mythology from a radical lens.

[8] Volume 4, No. 9 (August-September, 1974). Focuses on music, prison abolition, and lesbian politics. Articles include “The Muses of Olivia: Our Own Economy, Our Own Song” about Olivia Records and queer cultural autonomy; also includes prison reform commentary and reviews of feminist publications.

Overall intact and well-preserved for newsprint of this age. The publication's mix of essays, satirical art, poetry, serialized fiction, and reportage exemplifies how Off Our Backs served as a feminist counterpublic. Clean and complete, in good condition. A substantial archive from the early days of this foundational publication of 1970s grassroots feminism.

Item #22493

Price: $300.00