The collection contains the papers of Meryl and Manny Sunshine, socialist activists who were members of the Freedom Socialist Party, Radical Women, the Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party, the Peace and Freedom Party, and other organizations. It includes subject files, convention and conference materials, leaflets, photographs, bulletins, reports, memoranda, press releases, minutes, publications, election materials, and draft proposals.

Meryl (1931-2010) and Manny Sunshine were socialist activists who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. They were members of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) until 1968, when they left the organization after it expelled Arne Swabeck, who was one of its founders. In 1977, they joined the Freedom Socialist Party, which is a socialist feminist political party that was founded by former members of the Seattle, Washington branch of the SWP. Meryl was also a member of Radical Women, a socialist feminist organization that merged with the Freedom Socialist Party in 1973. Both Meryl and Manny were involved with the Committee for a Revolutionary Socialist Party (CRSP), which was affiliated with the Freedom Socialist Party as well. While active in the Freedom Socialist Party and its allied organizations, both Meryl and Manny were committed to trade union and working class advocacy, revolutionary feminism, abortion rights, gay liberation, and racial justice. They were also involved with the Peace and Freedom Party, which is a socialist organization that is committed to feminism and racial equality, as well as with various Jewish activist organizations including the Jewish Peace Coalition.

5 Linear Feet

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

The collection is open for research, except for three restricted files.