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Creator
ACT UP New York (Organization)
Call number
MssCol 10
Physical description
97.4 linear feet (234 boxes, 4 oversize folders, 4 tubes, 1 oversize item)
Preferred Citation

ACT UP New York Records, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.

Repository
Manuscripts and Archives Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.
Portions of this collection have been digitized and are available online.

The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) was founded in March 1987 at the Lesbian and Gay Community Center in New York City's Greenwich Village as an organization devoted to direct action (demonstrations and civil disobedience) to call the attention of government officials, scientists, drug companies and other corporations, and the general public to the severity of the AIDS crisis and its impact on the lives of individuals. Records of the organization consist of administrative files, minutes, correspondence, records of demonstrations, financial documents, chapter and committee records, subject files, conference notes and programs, published and near-print materials, ephemera, fliers and handbills, photographs, artifacts, posters and placards documenting the organization's efforts.

Biographical/historical information

The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) was founded in March 1987 at the Lesbian and Gay Community Center in New York City's Greenwich Village as an organization devoted to direct action (demonstrations and civil disobedience) to call the attention of government officials, scientists, drug companies, other corporations, and the general public to the severity of the AIDS crisis and its impact on the lives of individuals. ACT UP New York gained thousands of members in its first four years and expanded to more than 70 chapters worldwide.

On March 24, 1987, only weeks after its founding, ACT UP demonstrated on Wall Street to protest the profiteering of pharmaceutical companies, especially Burroughs Wellcome, manufacturer of AZT. Seventeen people were arrested. Following the demonstrations, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would shorten the drug approval process by two years. For ACT UP, demonstrations were the physical result of the theoretical concept of direct action. At its peak, ACT UP, which first created the acronym, then chose the words to fit it, consciously acted in a manner befitting its moniker. As an organization, it spoke and acted out to test the limits of authority. Notably, the organization gained renown for its demonstrations, which captured media attention and brought focus to its messages. During the height of its activity in the early 1990s, ACT UP's demonstrations were theatrical in nature, involving rehearsal and props in addition to research, planning, and publicity. While practicing nonviolent civil disobedience, members often aimed at getting arrested. Arrests drew media attention to both the actions of the protestors and the grievances that sparked their action. This attention might then either embarrass or otherwise motivate the protested party to elicit change.

Through the years ACT UP orchestrated numerous demonstrations that contributed to changes in public policy regarding AIDS. Other notable demonstrations that occurred in 1987 included protests against Northwest Orient Airlines, New York City's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital, and the newly-formed Presidential Commission on AIDS in Washington, DC.

ACT UP New York's Women's Caucus formed and organized its first action when it targeted the offices of Cosmopolitan magazine in January 1988. Five hundred people protested an article that claimed heterosexual women were not at significant risk of contracting AIDS. Celebrating the first anniversary of an ACT UP demonstration in March, the coalition returned to Wall Street where one hundred activists were arrested. The major media coverage this action received helped broadcast central AIDS issues. In October, ACT UP and other AIDS organizations shut down the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) outside of Washington, DC.

In 1989, ACT UP demonstrated at City Hall, the Fifth International Conference on AIDS in Montréal, the New York Stock Exchange, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. ACT UP's Youth Brigade began distributing condoms and safe sex/clean needle information outside New York City schools in October. Following these demonstrations Mayor Ed Koch announced a new housing policy for people with AIDS; Anthony Fauci, director of the AIDS program at the National Institutes of Health, publicly announced the concept of "parallel track," which would make experimental AIDS drugs available to patients outside of formal clinical trials; and Burroughs Wellcome lowered the price of AZT by 20%.

In 1991, ACT UP demonstrated at the Manhattan Criminal Court building; the Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) in Albany, New York; the National Insurance Association in Washington, DC; the New York State office building; President Bush's vacation home in Kennebunkport, Maine; and the White House. The last two demonstrations were part of the "Target Bush" action, which occurred throughout the month of September. It was on January 22, 1991, however, when one of the highest profile actions in the group's history occurred. Activists invaded the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour while America was tuned in for news of the Persian Gulf War. The protesters stormed in shouting, "Fight AIDS - Not Arabs!" and chained themselves to the anchors' desks. This dramatic interruption increased the media's interest in the following day's series of protests that ACT UP declared a "Day of Desperation," implying that with AIDS, every day is a day of desperation.

While the media, and thus the public, focused on the demonstrations that ACT UP orchestrated, the coalition spent most of its time doing other types of work. A General Meeting was held every Monday night that included announcements, life-saving information, actions in development, follow-ups on previous actions, zap proposals, and operational requests. To clarify, ACT UP defined actions as public protests that were characterized by a planning period, promotion, and large turnout; zaps addressed immediate concerns and usually had more specific targets. At least during its first decade, a literature table was set up at each meeting that included information for general distribution while a fundraising table sold T-shirts, stickers, books, posters, buttons, postcards, and mugs; attendees were asked to donate $3.00 to help pay the rent.

Much of ACT UP's work from 1987-1995 was done in affinity groups, committees, working groups, and caucuses devoted to particular topics. Some groups, particularly working groups, were short-lived, designed to address short-term projects or activities. Generally, committees had longer lives. Some of the larger groups were the Alternative and Holistic Treatment committee, Latina/o caucus, Media committee, Needle Exchange committee, Prison Issues committee, Treatment and Data committee, and YELL (Youth Education Life Line).

As ACT UP declared, their members advised and informed in addition to participating in demonstrations. A large and important committee, Treatment and Data, grew to be vital to this mission. In June 1990, Treatment and Data issued its "1990 Treatment Agenda," which outlined the direction it believed the AIDS research community should take. In November, the committee released the "Countdown 18 Months Plan," a set of scientific procedures and demands to implement treatment and research for the top opportunistic infections. ACT UP members attended international conferences on AIDS and stayed up to date on traditional and alternative treatments that might help the AIDS community, creating their own AIDS library.

Out of ACT UP other noteworthy AIDS organizations arose: Gran Fury, an artists collective of AIDS activists, formed out of ACT UP's involvement with "Let the Record Show . . ." at The New Museum of Contemporary Art in 1987, and continued to be associated with the group by creating many of their notable graphics; Queer Nation, a short-lived radical, militant gay and lesbian activist organization dedicated to visibility; and the Treatment Action Group (TAG), an organization dedicated to AIDS treatment and cure research. Also associated with ACT UP New York was the Silence = Death Project, the anonymous group of men that created the Silence = Death poster that became a rallying point for the early AIDS movement.

ACT UP New York was at its peak of activity during the early 1990s. By 1996, the radically democratic organization harbored internal divisions over tactics and its relationship to both the AIDS and gay/lesbian movements. Divided, and with declining membership due to death and burnout, the coalition endured financial troubles, left their longtime workspace on West 29th Street, and donated their records to the New York Public Library. This end of an era for ACT UP coincided with a diminishing sense of crisis. In America, the combination of new treatments and greater availability, coupled with greater public education, made it possible to have AIDS and live. Although the coalition still exists at the time of this writing, its public visibility has waned.

Sources: Greenberg, Jon. "ACT UP Explained." ACT UP New York. http://www.actupny.org/documents/greenbergAU.html (accessed Mar. 20, 2008).

Rimmerman, Craig A. "ACT UP." The Encyclopedia of AIDS. Ed. by Raymond A. Smith. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998. http://thebody.com/content/art14001.html (accessed Feb. 22, 2008).

Scope and arrangement

The ACT UP New York records contain administrative files; minutes; correspondence; action, demonstration, and zap records; financial records; chapter records; committee records; subject files; conference notes and programs; published and near-print material; ephemera, fliers, and handbills; photographs and slides; artifacts; posters and placards.

These records document a very active grassroots organization committed to focusing the world's attention on the AIDS crisis. Arranged in fifteen series, the first three series provide a basic overview of ACT UP that is expanded upon throughout the collection.

Strengths of this collection include its documentation of ACT UP's expertise at identifying, locating, and keeping abreast of medical and experimental treatments. Since this knowledge extended throughout the organization, documentation can be found in multiple series, including: Series VIII. Committees, particularly the Alternative and Holistic, Media, and Treatment and Data committees; and Series IX. Conferences. The organization also monitored society's attitudes toward and treatment of individuals with AIDS/HIV. It accomplished these tasks, in part, by collecting articles from medical literature and the popular press; publications and related material from pharmaceutical companies, federal, state, and local governments which can be found in Series X. Publications and near-print materials. While ACT UP sought to find a solution to the crisis, it remembered those individuals who succumbed to AIDS by maintaining a small obituary file, as well as other AIDS-related subject files, in Series VIII. Subjects.

One of the strengths of this collection is its documentation of the way in which ACT UP offered its members the opportunity to express ideas, innovations, and interests for the cause. As ACT UP member Jon Greenberg noted, the group, and its demonstrations in particular, offered empowerment to its members. This empowerment can be seen in the collection of impressive posters and placards in Series XIV which were created by members for demonstrations and actions. On a smaller creative scale, Series XI. Ephemera, fliers, and handbills contains handouts used to publicize meetings, provide information, and promote actions. The collection also offers insight into how ACT UP interacted with other organizations concerned with similar issues, documentation of which can be found throughout multiple series, including: Series III. Correspondence; Series XI. Ephemera, fliers, and handbills; and Series XIV. Posters and placards.

The majority of this collection has been microfilmed. Once a folder has been located in the container list below, use the microfilm guide to ascertain the order in which items appear on the microfilm reel. Items that were not filmed are noted at the box or folder level; entire series that were not filmed are noted in their series description.

The ACT UP New York records are arranged in nine series:

  • Series I. Administrative/Organizational history
    1988-1989, n.d.

    Series I. Administrative/Organizational history is arranged alphabetically and provides an overview of the operations of ACT UP. It contains the organization's administrative manual, administrative handbook, and basic information handbook (AIDS 101). ACT UP's Capsule History highlights important events in the history of the organization. By-laws and related material complete the series. See Series XV. Addenda for additional administrative materials.

  • Series II. Minutes
    1987-1994

    Series II. Minutes is arranged chronologically and contains a combination of handwritten and typed notes documenting the organization's meetings. The minutes provide information about the earliest days of ACT UP, beginning in the late 1980s through its maturity in the 1990s. The documents focus on organizational procedures and provide information about issues of concern to their members. The minutes provide a chronology of pertinent issues, as well as document the fluctuation in their importance. Some basic issues of finances and fundraising are also covered in this series; see Series V. Financial records for more information. Chapter minutes are filed with their respective chapters; see Series VI. Chapters.

  • Series III. Correspondence
    1987-1995, n.d.

    In Series III. Correspondence, general correspondence is arranged chronologically and the remaining material is arranged alphabetically. This series provides some overview of ACT UP's relationship with state and city governments, corporations, the public, and organizations with similar goals.

  • Series IV. Actions, demonstrations, and zaps
    1987-1995, n.d.

    Series IV. Actions, demonstrations, and zaps, organized chronologically, dramatically illustrates the prolific events that ACT UP organized, participated in, and co-sponsored. ACT UP defined actions as planned public protests or demonstrations that targeted an individual or organization. Organized by a working group and approved in advance by the ACT UP floor, actions were characterized by a planning period, promotion, and a large turnout. On the other hand, zaps addressed immediate issues and usually had more specific targets. The targets were bombarded with correspondence, telephone calls, faxes, picketing, and/or invaded office space. This series documents the activities for which ACT UP is most famous and should be considered in concert with Series XI. Ephemera, fliers, and handbills, Series XIII. Artifacts, and Series XIV. Posters and placards.

  • Series V. Financial records
    1989-1994 [?], n.d

    Series V. Financial records is arranged alphabetically; it consists of assorted financial records including bills, receipts, invoices, cancelled checks, and auction records. There are also some records for the Auction for ACT UP held on December 3, 1989 in New York City, co-chaired by David Hockney and Annie Leibovitz. See Series XV. Addenda for additional financial records.

  • Series VI. Chapters
    1986-1993, n.d.

    Series VI. Chapters is arranged in two subseries: VI.A. United States, 1986-1993, n.d., and VI.B. International, n.d. It should be noted that although ACT UP New York was the founding chapter, it did not act as the organization's national headquarters; each chapter was autonomous. Materials in this series provide evidence of ACT UP's activities outside of New York. The bulk of the series focuses on chapters established in the United States. Of these, the Los Angeles chapter was the largest and most well documented. There is some information on how chapters adapted in locales more conservative than New York City. Outside of the continental United States, a chapter was established in Puerto Rico. International chapters documented here include Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Cape Town, Europe, Köln, London, Melbourne, Milano, Montréal, Moscow, Paris, Sydney, and Vancouver.

  • Series VII. Committees
    1985-1995, n.d.

    Series VII. Committees is one of the largest series in the collection; it is arranged in three subseries: VII.A. General committees, 1985, 1987-1995, n.d.; VII.B. Insurance and Healthcare Access committee, 1988-1995, n.d.; and VII.C. Treatment and Data committee, 1986-1994, n.d.

    This series contains correspondence, handouts, reports, and related material. The committees provided the framework to collate information and pursue specific concerns. Represented along with the committees are the working groups that were temporary in nature, occasionally evolving into permanent committees. Some committees and working groups are not represented in this series.

  • Series VIII. Subjects
    1982-1995, n.d.

    Series VIII. Subjects is arranged alphabetically and includes a wide range of subjects related to AIDS/HIV. Subject headings are primarily those used by ACT UP. The materials in this series overlap with other series, especially the Committee series. The subjects themselves are not exclusive and overlap within this series and others. The bulk consists of newspaper articles along with some journal reports and broadsides. Subjects include, but are not limited to: AIDS education programs, confidentiality, and the impact of AIDS in Europe.

  • Series IX. Conferences
    1983-1994

    Series IX. Conferences is arranged alphabetically by conference title. The series contains documentation of some of the conferences attended by ACT UP representatives. Included are addresses, correspondence, bulletins and newsletters, handouts, notes, press clippings, programs and abstracts, reports, and serials.

    The most documented conferences are the international conferences that enabled activists, physicians, medical researchers, public health officials, pharmaceutical corporations, and interested parties to meet and exchange ideas about the latest developments in AIDS/HIV research, social concerns, and related issues. The international conferences represented are the third through tenth International Conference on AIDS, as well as the seventh and eighth International Conference on AIDS in Africa/African Conference on Sexually Transmitted Diseases. The remainder of this series contains a representative sample of other conferences. See Series XV. Addenda for additional conference materials.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Received from ACT UP New York, 1995; additions received from Ron Goldberg, Jack Ben Levi, Conyers Thompson, and Stephen Shapiro, 1992-1997.

Processing information

Processed by Nick Tucker, intern; David Gips; Eileen Monahan, intern; Briar Sauro, intern; and Valerie Wingfield; revised by Laura Slezak Karas.

Related Material

ACT UP Oral History Project videotapes, 2002-2005. The New York Public Library, Manuscripts and Archives Division (Information can also be found on their website: http://www.actuporalhistory.org/interviews/index.html). AIDS Activist Videotape Collection. The New York Public Library, Manuscripts and Archives Division. AIDS and Adolescents Network of New York records, 1987-1999. The New York Public Library, Manuscripts and Archives Division. Gran Fury collection, 1987-1995. The New York Public Library, Manuscripts and Archives Division. International Gay Information Center collection, 1951-1994. The New York Public Library, Manuscripts and Archives Division.

Using the collection

Location

Manuscripts and Archives Division
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room, Third Floor, Room 328

Alternative form available

The majority of the collection is available on microfilm in the Manuscripts and Archives Division.

Additional resources

  • Archives of Human Sexuality and Identity
    Contains 18 digitized archival collections exploring LGBTQ history and culture since 1940. Database includes a digital copy of the microfilmed portions of the ACT UP New York records.