Citizens for New Columbia collection
Scope and Contents
This collection contains promotional fliers, mock-ups of fliers, planning documents, organizing materials (chant sheets, notes about legal/media strategies, demonstration handbook) political cartoons, news releases, correspondence, drafts of editorials, magazines, buttons, branded plastic bags, policy documentation, and reports related to the working of the organization Citizens for New Columbia as they worked to promote D.C. Statehood. The records date from 1982-1994, but most of the records date from 1993-1994.
Dates
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1993-1994
- Creation: 1930, 1982 - 1994
Creator
- Citizens for New Columbia (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Materials in this collection may be governed by copyright. For activities that the researcher determines fall under fair use as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission to cite or publish is required. Researchers are responsible for determining who may hold materials' copyrights, determining if the intended re-use falls under fair use, and obtaining approval from the copyright holder if the intended use does not fall under fair use. Please contact Special Collections if the copyright status of the materials you wish to reuse is unclear. Staff will provide additional information.
Historical note
Citizens for New Columbia was a statehood advocacy group active in the early 1990s that actively supported statehood for D.C. The group was a pro-statehood grass-roots group working to promote citizen participation using civil disobedience and congressional lobbying in advance of the initial House vote.
Prominent members of the group included former mayors of Washington D.C. Sharon Pratt and Walter Washington, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Senator Jesse L. Jackson, and Senator Florence Pendleton.
Community engagement was a core part of their strategy. They encouraged community members to contribute as volunteers and donors and tied the issue of self-determination to other social issues D.C. residents were facing. They hosted walks for independence, organized summits and award ceremonies, circulated newsletters, and corresponded with other grassroots groups to strategize. Their belief in self-determination, full citizenship, and congressional representation
Extent
2.5 Linear Feet (3 document boxes, 1 flat box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Citizens for New Columbia was a statehood advocacy group active in the early 1990s that actively supported statehood for D.C. The group was a pro-statehood grass-roots group working to promote citizen participation using civil disobedience and congressional lobbying in advance of the initial House vote. Prominent members of the group included former mayors of Washington D.C. Sharon Pratt and Walter Washington, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Senator Jesse L. Jackson, and Senator Florence Pendleton.
This collection contains planning documents, fliers, posters, buttons, memorabilia, cartoons, editorials, correspondence, editorials, and handwritten materials for the Citizens for New Columbia, an organization that worked towards D.C. Statehood. The records date from 1982-1994, but most of the records date from 1993-1994.
Arrangement
Organized into 3 series: Organizations, direct action, proposed legal measures, Promotional materials, event planning, publicity, and Governance.
Physical Location
Materials are stored off-site, and will require additional retrieval time. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transferred by Division of External Relations, 2018 December 04 (2018.049)
Source
- demczuk, Bernard (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Citizens for New Columbia collection, 1982-1994
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University
- Date
- 2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University Repository
George Washington University Gelman Library
2130 H Street NW
Washington DC 20052 United States of America
speccoll@gwu.edu
