The Picket Lines on Paper

The Picket Lines on Paper exhibit section draws from a collection of Washington-based writings, publications, and archival materials that document the work of feminist, populist, and community-based women thinkers committed to advancing labor rights, queer liberation, and broader struggles for justice. While much of this activism took place in the streets and in shared physical spaces, what remains here is part of the written record: newsletters, articles, and other published works that carried these ideas across audiences and generations.

At the center of this section is Yolanda Alaníz, a Chicana activist, labor organizer, and journalism student whose work focused on labor rights, social justice, and representation for marginalized communities during the 1970s. Born in Brownsville, Texas, and raised in Sunnyside, Washington, Alaníz became deeply involved in student and labor organizing while attending the University of Washington, where she studied editorial journalism and later served as president of the United Workers Union–Independent.

Alaníz’s work is especially important to this exhibit because it demonstrates a direct example of the critical role Chicanas played in labor movements, political organizing, and struggles for representation. Through publications, union organizing, and advocacy against workplace discrimination, her activism connected issues of race, gender, class, and labor at a time when Mexican-American women were often overlooked in both activist spaces and historical narratives. Her papers offer insight into broader histories of Chicana activism, grassroots labor organizing, and the fight for social and economic justice.

Although these materials center heavily on Alaníz and those she worked alongside, the collection reflects a wider network of voices in conversation with one another rather than a single narrative. Journalists, organizers, and advocates used writing not only to document injustice but also to articulate demands, build political consciousness, and connect movements across different communities. These texts capture both the urgency of their historical moment and the lasting relevance of their work.

This section of the exhibit centers on writing and documentation as a form of Latin@ activism. The pieces gathered here reveal how the act of publishing, whether through formal outlets or grassroots platforms, became a tool for visibility, resistance, and solidarity. Together, they offer insight into how ideas were shaped, shared, and mobilized in the ongoing pursuit of collective liberation.