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Equal Rights Newsletter Indexing Project

Equal Rights was the National Woman's Party's newsletter spanning the 1920s–1950s, reporting on the earliest Equal Rights Amendment campaigns, global women’s rights issues, and debates on equal pay, employment discrimination, nationality laws, and more. It featured contributions from major feminist voices like Crystal Eastman and Zona Gale and even went through a dramatic split in 1935 that produced two rival versions of the newsletter. By indexing these issues—most of which can’t be read online due to copyright - you’re helping uncover women’s rights history straight from the activists who shaped it.

📘 What Is Indexing?

Indexing means:

  • 🔎 Reading each issue
  • 📝 Identifying every article
  • 🏷️ Writing down its key details (title, author, subjects, summary, etc.)
  • 📄 Entering those details into our searchable database

Researchers will then use your work to find articles related to their projects.

🗂️ Getting Started

  1. Choose an issue from the issue box.
  2. Pick a folder, write your name on it, and keep all your materials inside it.
  3. Sign up next to the issue you selected.
  4. Sign off only when all steps for that issue are complete.

You will complete three issues.

📄 Indexing an Issue: One Form Per Article

Each article requires one form. Fill in the following:

  1. 📝 Article Title Write the title exactly as printed.

  2. ✍️ Author List the name if provided; leave blank if none is listed.

  3. 📅 Issue Date Use the printed publication date.

  4. 🔢 Volume and Issue Number Copy exactly what appears in the newsletter.

  5. 👥 People Mentioned

  6. List individuals named in the article.

  7. Use full names when available.

  8. 🏷️ Subjects Mentioned (Short Phrases) Subjects describe what the article is about. Keep them short and topic‑focused. Think: If someone searched this topic, should this article appear?

Examples: - Equal pay - Women's legal status - State legislation - Political activism - Marriage laws

  1. 📘 Article Summary (1–2 sentences) Briefly state the article's main point. Keep it factual and concise.

💻 Entering Data Into the Database

After completing the issue:

  1. Visit the Volunteer Page: https://archives.valdosta.edu/indexes/portal/volunteer/
  2. Create an account if needed.
  3. Enter one online form for each article.
  4. When a paper form is successfully entered, draw a large X across it.
  5. Keep all forms (completed and in-progress) in your folder.

Example Form

Example Form

📚 Glossary of Key Terms

  • Article – A standalone piece of writing inside a newsletter issue.
  • Author – The person credited with writing the article.
  • Issue – One installment of the newsletter (similar to an individual magazine). Issues have dates and volume/issue numbers.
  • Volume – A numbered year‑group for issues. Example: Volume 4 may include all issues for 1927.
  • Issue Number – The sequence within a volume (Issue 1, Issue 2, etc.).
  • Subject – A short phrase identifying the main topic(s) of an article. Subjects help researchers find content on particular themes.
  • People Mentioned – Individuals named in the article, even if they are not the author.
  • Summary – A brief, neutral explanation of what the article says.
  • Indexing – The process of recording article details so they can be searched later.