Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	National Organization for an American Revolution (NOAR), Syracuse Branch
Title:	National Organization for an American Revolution (NOAR), Syracuse Branch, Records
Inclusive Dates:	1972-1986
Bulk Dates:	1980-1983
Quantity:	4 linear ft.
Abstract:	Clippings, finance reports, planning notes, correspondence, newsletters, agendas, workshop plans, flyers, and other material relating to the Syracuse activist organization.
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

The National Organization for an American Revolution (NOAR) was a radical revolutionary organization founded in 1978 by Grace Lee Boggs and her husband James Boggs. While it was started in Detroit, MI, multiple branches were opened across the country, including Syracuse, NY. Through its workshops, programming, and public statements, the group was actively involved in issues such as Black Power, feminism, the anti-war movement, labor rights, civil rights, and environmentalism.

Deborah Dix Maxwell (1949-2022) served as secretary of the Syracuse branch of the organization in the mid-1980s. Maxwell was a schoolteacher in Syracuse and Schenectady, and "an activist, totally committed to the fundamental values that she believed this nation stood for: justice, equality, fair play...Throughout her life, she deeply cared for and believed in social and economic justice and democracy, working...through various groups devoted to these goals." [From Maxwell's obituary, Heidrick-Zaumetzer Funeral Home; a copy is also in our internal files.]

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The National Organization for an American Revolution (NOAR), Syracuse Branch, Records consists of correspondence, financial records, meeting notes, printed materials, subject files, and a small amount of miscellany. For the most part, original folder titles have been retained.

Correspondence includes official correspondence, such as letters sent to all branches by the president of the national organization; internal correspondence within the Syracuse branch; and personal correspondence unrelated to NOAR. The majority of these materials are dated between 1980-1985.

Financial records includes financial projections, reports, and forms for both the Syracuse branch and the national organization. These materials date from 1978-1984.

Meeting notes contains informal notes and unofficial agendas for the local Syracuse branch. The majority are undated.

Printed materials consists of handouts, pamphlets, newsletters, etc. from NOAR as well as from groups with whom NOAR was affiliated. NOAR collaborated with multiple other groups, and their newsletters and various other pamphlets have thus been collected. The majority of these materials are undated.

Subject files consists of material on a wide variety of topics. These include NOAR's own activities (public forums, meetings, and committee work); external campaigns, organizations, and events; and relevant topics such as the "New Right," racism, and sexism.

Miscellaneous consists of a button and a card catalog which appears to be a reading list compiled by NOAR and arranged by topic (e.g. Education, Racism, Philosophy).

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Arrangement of the Collection

Materials are arranged alphabetically by title, type, or topic as appropriate.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Places

Genres and Forms

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

National Organization for an American Revolution (NOAR), Syracuse Branch, Records,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Gerald Zahavi, 2022, on behalf of his wife Deborah Maxwell.

Processing Information

The arrangement scheme for collection was created during processing in the absence of a usable original order. Original folder titles were retained in most cases; where the original title was inapplicable or absent, such as for loose papers, an appropriate title was supplied by the processor, indicated by square brackets [ ].

Finding Aid Information

Created by: SS
Date: 21 Jun 2023
Revision history:

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Inventory

	Correspondence
		Branch
Box 1			Bookstore contacts undated
Box 1			Outreach to interested parties 15 Feb 1981
Box 1			Miscellaneous 1983
		Contacts
Box 1			Mailing list 1982-1983
Box 1			Media contacts 1983-1984
Box 1			Names for introductory letter mailing 1983-1984
		National
Box 1			Black Theology 25 Mar 1985
Box 1			Holiday leaflets 1982
Box 1			Ideology document Jun 1982, Aug 1983 - includes draft
Box 1			Native American Revolutionary Movement 17 Feb 1983
Box 1			NCC reports 1980-1983
Box 1			Notice of new chair Aug 1983
Box 1			NPE, miscellaneous 1980-1983
Box 1			Orientation materials 17 Apr 1984
Box 1			Pre RSG / RSG / orientation invite letters 1980
Box 1			Recruitment, orientation, RSG, post-orientation Mar 1977, Mar 1981
Box 1			Why we now need a new kind of partyin the USA 10 Dec 1983
Box 1			Miscellaneous - includes recruitment items, "Nature of our work" essay, etc.
		Personal
Box 1			Postcard undated

	Financial records
		Branch
Box 1			Debbie finance record notes undated
Box 1			Finance forms undated
Box 1			Finance manual Nov 1982
Box 1			Financial reports 1984
Box 1			Literature sales and bills 1978-1979
Box 1			Literature inventory, orders and reports 1981-1983
Box 1			Local literature sales report 1978-1981 (2 folders)
Box 1			Miscellaneous 1980, 1983 - NOAR Syracuse address stamp purchase; financial management goals
		National
Box 1			Finance Committee correspondence 1982
Box 2			Financial projections Sep 1980-Apr 1984
Box 2			Literature inventory 1978-1981
Box 2			Literature sales 1980

	Meeting notes
Box 2		Labor and Technology Conference undated - notes related to film "When the chips are down"
Box 2		Local positions on coalitions May 23, 1983
Box 2		National gathering Jan 1984
Box 2		Notebooks 1980-1985, undated (5 volumes)
Box 3		Notebooks undated
Box 3		Open meetings 1981
Box 3		Organizing committee agenda 1984
Box 3		Miscellaneous

	Printed materials
Box 3		Advocators and Pacesetters brochure undated
Box 3		African American Leadership and Faith Oct 1985
Box 3		The Awakening Vol. 1, Vol. 2 1983-1985 (2 folders)
Box 3		Black Praxis 3 1980
Box 3		Invitation forms, blank undated
Box 3		Jinyosha Systems East undated
Box 3		Letterheads undated
Box 3		NOAR newsletter mockups 1984
Box 3		NOAR Notes [newsletter] 1982-1983
Box 3		Statement leaflets 1974, 1981
Box 3		Miscellaneous

	Subject files
Box 3		American politics 1980
Box 3		The Awakening manifesto undated
Box 3		City planning undated
Box 3		Collective eval 1983
Box 3		Community, family, crime and welfare Nov 1981
Box 3		Community development 1979-1980 (2 folders)
Box 3		Constitution of the NOAR 1978
Box 3		Convention procedures and agendA 1982
Box 3		Criticism and self-esteem guides 1977-1978
Box 4		Current convention 1982
Box 4		Current events handouts 1980-1981 - includes "News and Views from NCC" newsletter
Box 4		Current NCPP campaigns 1982
Box 4		Debbie: Orientation undated - handouts
Box 4		Debbie: RSG 31 May 1980 - handout with notes
Box 4		Despair work undated - essay by Joanna Rogers Macy
Box 4		Dialectical materialism/dialectical humanism Jul 1973
Box 4		Disarmament 1982 - includes essay, "Directions for the Anti-War Movement"
Box 4		Economics 1980-1981 - papers, newsletters
Box 4		Environment 3 Apr 1981 - paper, "Is it hopeless?" by Jim Ellis, Syracuse
Box 4		Evaluation forms, blank undated
Box 4		Evaluation forms, filled in undated
Box 4		Foreign policy, patriotism, nationalism May 1981, Feb 1982 - newspaper articles, meeting handouts
Box 4		Future of NOAR 1979-1981
Box 4		Guidelines for local activity 1975
Box 4		Jesse Jackson campaign 1984
Box 4		Jobs with Peace Coalition 1983 (2 folders)
Box 4		June 12th Coalition 1982 - anti-war rally
Box 4		Manifesto promotion 1982
Box 4		Manifesto questions and application Nov 1977-May 1980 - includes "Questions for recruits"
Box 4		Manifesto questions and orientation handouts undated - "Changing reality"; "Vision of a new America"
Box 5		March on Washington 27 Aug 1983
Box 5		Mexican American Study Project Apr 1, 1982, Jul 29, 1982
Box 5		Mid-point evaluation 1983
Box 5		National Centre for Appropriate Technology Apr-May 1978 - pamphlets, course lists
Box 5		National ID evaluation and yearly review Jan 1981, Oct 1981
Box 5		National ID readings 1979-1980 - industrialization, corporations, etc.
Box 5		National ID readings Feb 1983 - "7th Set"; industrialization, banking crisis, etc.
Box 5		[National ID] 1974-1981 - includes material labeled "past IDs" (3 folders)
Box 5		National political line 1980-1986
Box 5		National [miscellany]
Box 5		NCC theoretical discussions 1980-1982
Box 5		New right 1983 - Reagan, populism, etc.
Box 5		Newsletter programming undated
Box 5		NOAR National Convention, 2nd 1982
Box 5		NOAR National Convention, 3rd Jun 1984
Box 5		NOAR public forums 1980-1981
Box 6		NOAR regional meetings 1980-1982
Box 6		Nuke articles 1982 - relating to nuclear disarmament
Box 6		PEC - presumably an NOAR committee, but the acronym is not defined
Box 6		Poletown 1983 (2 folders)
Box 6		Politics, leadership + responsibility 1980
Box 6		Position papers, various 1975, 1982-1983 - includes busing, immigration, elections
Box 6		Post-colonial societies - three essays
Box 6		Post-orientation for recruits undated - includes list of "Papers for probationary members"
Box 6		Pre-RSG meets Apr 1983
Box 6		Program writing guidelines Feb 1975
Box 6		Propaganda workshops 1974-1977, 1980-1983 - handouts (2 folders)
Box 6		[Racism, Boggs] 1974, 1977, 1980 - three speeches on racism by James M. Boggs
Box 6		Racism and sexism 1980
Box 6		Readings from Urban Life Jul 1980 - 2 essays on human ecology, privatism
Box 6		Recruitment
Box 6		Religion
Box 7		Revolutionary Study Group (RSG) Oct 1983
Box 7		[RSG] evaluations and forms 1980
Box 7		RSG orientation handouts Mar 1982
Box 7		RSG workshop handouts undated
Box 7		[RSG] Revised workshop materials and RSG sessions 1980 (3 folders)
Box 7		Socialism, Marxism, social forces 1979-1981
Box 7		Submitted to internal bulletin
Box 7		We can change the way it is Jul 1980 - handouts for workshop series
Box 7		Miscellaneous 1980-1983 - includes text of 2 speeches given by Grace Boggs (2 folders)

	Miscellaneous
Box 7		Button: "America! Love It Enough to Change It!" undated
Box 7		Card catalog - titles of books, pamphlets, leaflets, internal articles, and other materials on relevant topics; includes a key

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