"By Any Means Necessary": The Lincoln, Nebraska, YWCA Confronts Racism, 1970-1984

Authors

Brianna Jo Theobald, University of Nebraska at LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

5-2010

Document Type

Article

Comments

A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts, Major: History, Under the Supervision of Professor Margaret D. Jacobs. Lincoln, Nebraska: May, 2010
Copyright (c) 2010 Brianna Jo Theobald

Abstract

This thesis documents the struggle of the Lincoln, Nebraska Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) to implement a national organizational policy that mandated an aggressive stand toward the elimination of racism within the organization and the larger community. The study reveals the limitations of the colorblind discourse espoused by YWCA women in the early 1970s and examines some key changes that were made in the following decade that allowed the Lincoln organization to join cause with national movements in the fight to eliminate racism. Thus, the study offers an analysis of efforts to undertake antiracist action in a predominantly white environment. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the relevance and significance of this study in the twenty-first century.