Manuscripts/15. Women

Overview The Women's Coffeehouse began in October 1979 when a small group of women from the Women's Educational Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts met to discuss plans to open a Coffeehouse operated by and for women. They felt that women of all ages, nationalities, body types, economic status, and disabilities lacked a space to safely enjoy cultural activities together. The objective of the Women's Coffeehouse was to provide "an active, participative, grass roots environment" (The Women's...

Overview In 1970, Bread and Roses, a group of Socialist-Feminist women in Boston, Massachusetts, began searching for a building to house a center for women. In March 1971, Bread and Roses seized an unoccupied building, owned by Harvard University, on Memorial Drive in Cambridge. Bread and Roses held the building for ten days, offering free classes and child care before they were forced out. Sympathetic individuals donated $5,000, and in June 1971, Bread and Roses bought a house in Cambridge. The...