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Oral history interview with Jan Goodman, 2000

Creator: Goodman, Jan
Project: Sheila Michaels civil rights organization oral history collection
(see all project interviews)
Phys. Desc. :Transcript: 66 pages Sound recording: 1 sound cassette
Location: Columbia Center for Oral History
Full CLIO record >>

Biographical Note

Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Jan Goodman attended Erasmus High School and went on to pursue a degree in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania College for Women. Her mother, aunt, and uncle were members of the American Labor Party (ALP), and her father was also progressive. Upon graduating college in 1957, Goodman worked various jobs in local politics, labor unions, and civil rights initiatives. In 1964, Goodman participated in the Mississippi Freedom Summer in Meridian with her friend Susan Brownmiller. Goodman was an organizer and lobbyist for the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) in Washington, DC. She attended New York University School of Law in 1967 and has since worked as an employment practices and discrimination attorney in New York City

Scope and Contents

The first portion of this interview is spent discussing Goodman's political upbringing in Brooklyn and her early career. Goodman recalls her mother voting for Henry A. Wallace in the presidential election of 1948, and her aunt and uncle hosting fundraisers for Ebony magazine. Goodman recalls her education at Erasmus High School in Brooklyn and the University of Pennsylvania College for Women, where she became politically active and majored in Political Science. Goodman remembers her involvement in the Adlai Stevenson Convention in 1957, the significance of Jackie Robinson's success, and her ambitions as a young organizer. Goodman describes jobs at the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union health center and as a secretary at the International Federations of Trade Unions, after attending Washington Irving Night School. She describes activities with the Village Independent Democrats, East Harlem Reform Democrats, and CORE. In the summer of 1964, Goodman participated in the Freedom Summer Project in Meridian, Mississippi. Goodman briefly reflects on her experiences registering Mississippi voters and organizing a rally for Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Goodman returned to Mississippi in October of 1964, working briefly in Waveland, before relocating to Washington, DC to work for the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP). Goodman describes the MFDP, its leadership, and a demonstration organized by it. After working for MFDP, Goodman moved back to New York City and worked for District Council 37. Goodman describes the challenges of organizing and union politics. She also recalls campaigning for Gene McCarthy and Sarah Kovner of the New York Democratic Party New Coalition in the election of 1968. She describes challenges she faced as a woman in NYU School of Law. Concluding with some thoughts on SNCC's eventual dissolution, Goodman speaks on the rise of Stokely Carmichael, the position of white women within SNCC, H. Rap Brown, the political demise of Marion (Shepilov) Barry Jr., and Mississippi Black politics after MDFP

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