Southern Chapter of the New Mexico Civil Liberties Union records
Collection
Identifier: Ms-0028
Scope and Contents
Records include meeting minutes and organizational correspondence, news clippings and memoranda. Other records include statements of position and research files on topics including women’s rights and abortion. Cases included took place in the communities of Alamogordo and Las Cruces.
The group’s link to the New Mexico Chapter based in Albuquerque is evidenced through memoranda or other related material that demonstrates that the Southern Chapter relied upon communication from the larger organization. The American Civil Liberties Union, which provided support for programs undertaken at the state level, also is linked to the Southern New Mexico chapter through its common function. Records obtained by the Southern New Mexico chapter through the national operating body are included among the collection for this reason.
Of note among the records is a Spanish-language newsletter, La Voz de la Alianza (The Voice of the Alliance), which was published in 1970. This publication perspective to the rising Chicano rights movement taking place in the Southwest, which was an important cause to the Southern Chapter of the New Mexico Civil Liberties Union.
The group’s link to the New Mexico Chapter based in Albuquerque is evidenced through memoranda or other related material that demonstrates that the Southern Chapter relied upon communication from the larger organization. The American Civil Liberties Union, which provided support for programs undertaken at the state level, also is linked to the Southern New Mexico chapter through its common function. Records obtained by the Southern New Mexico chapter through the national operating body are included among the collection for this reason.
Of note among the records is a Spanish-language newsletter, La Voz de la Alianza (The Voice of the Alliance), which was published in 1970. This publication perspective to the rising Chicano rights movement taking place in the Southwest, which was an important cause to the Southern Chapter of the New Mexico Civil Liberties Union.
Dates
- 1966-1988
Biographical / Historical
The Southern Chapter of the New Mexico Civil Liberties Union was founded in January 1969 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Among its founding members was Mrs. Carmen Freudenthal, a prominent Las Cruces civic activist. Its primary purpose is to inform and protect local citizens of their rights as set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The New Mexico Civil Liberties Union, based in Albuquerque, was the main group that provided funding for civil liberties causes throughout New Mexico. Issues covered by the Southern Chapter of the New Mexico Civil Liberties Union include women’s rights, abortion, minority rights, students’ rights, and other topics.
The New Mexico Civil Liberties Union (NMCLU) was financed through means of membership fees, fund-raising events, and through the New Mexico Civil Liberties Union Foundation. Among its state organization, the NMCLU provided staff counsel and was involved in several projects after its initial chartering. This included a Prison Project, which ensured that prisoner’s civil rights were not being violated; a Surveillance Project, which explored issues of personal privacy; and, a Police Malpractice Project which sought to protect citizens from corrupt or criminal practices among police departments.
In 2005, the chapter is now known as the Southern New Mexico Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which according to the organization’s mission statement, “is…dedicated to assisting persons whose civil rights under the Constitution of the United States have been violated or are threatened. We hope to secure their rights for such persons by advocacy and negotiation; if that fails we call upon the ACLU of New Mexico for legal evaluation and assistance where appropriate.”
From the website http://sierracounty.net/Directory/ACLU.htm, 2003.
The New Mexico Civil Liberties Union (NMCLU) was financed through means of membership fees, fund-raising events, and through the New Mexico Civil Liberties Union Foundation. Among its state organization, the NMCLU provided staff counsel and was involved in several projects after its initial chartering. This included a Prison Project, which ensured that prisoner’s civil rights were not being violated; a Surveillance Project, which explored issues of personal privacy; and, a Police Malpractice Project which sought to protect citizens from corrupt or criminal practices among police departments.
In 2005, the chapter is now known as the Southern New Mexico Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which according to the organization’s mission statement, “is…dedicated to assisting persons whose civil rights under the Constitution of the United States have been violated or are threatened. We hope to secure their rights for such persons by advocacy and negotiation; if that fails we call upon the ACLU of New Mexico for legal evaluation and assistance where appropriate.”
From the website http://sierracounty.net/Directory/ACLU.htm, 2003.
Extent
1 Linear Feet (2 Boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Processing Information
Initial processing, Janet Gahris, February 1981
Revised, Marah deMeule and Christine Bruhnke, April 2001
Updated, William B. Boehm and Allison Galey, August 2005
- Title
- Guide to the Southern Chapter of the New Mexico Civil Liberties Union records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- William B. Boehm and Allison Galey
- Date
- Updated August 2005
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the New Mexico State University Library Archives and Special Collections Repository