The Louise Merrill papers document nearly 60 years of the life and political activities of this lesbian leftist feminist who lived in Oakland. The collection provides information about class struggle, racism, and feminism through the lens of a lesbian activist. There are materials related to Merrill’s activism and involvement with the Inez Garcia Defense Committee, the Berkeley Women’s Affirmative Action Union, The Feminist newspaper, and the Workers World Party.

Born Louise Ellis in 1925, Louise Merrill was a lesbian socialist feminist and lifelong fighter for social justice. Merrill was active in many political causes, including civil rights, labor rights, welfare rights, and women’s and gay liberation. Merrill ran for State Senator in New York in 1954 as a Socialist Workers Party candidate, and she was part of a group of socialists who went on to found the World Workers Party in the state 1959. She also was a member of the Inez Garcia Defense Committee in the mid-1970s. Louise Merrill passed away in Oakland, California in 2002.

3 cartons, 1 box, 1 oversize box (5.1 linear feet)

Collection is open for research with the following exception. Researchers may not publish or publicly disclose names of individuals in the consciousness raising manuscript entitled Now It’s Our Turn to Speak for 20 years, until January 1, 2034. Funding for processing this collection was provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR).