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Common Ground Records

Notifications

Held at: Swarthmore College Peace Collection [Contact Us]500 College Avenue, Swarthmore 19081-1399

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Swarthmore College Peace Collection. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
DG.243
Repository:
Swarthmore College Peace Collection
Extent:
2.5 linear ft. (2.5 linear feet.)
Preferred Citation:
Cite as: [Identification of item], in the Common Ground Records DG243, Swarthmore College Peace Collection.
Date:
1982-2006 (bulk)
Creator:
Common Ground (Organization : Baton Rouge, La.), Oliver, Hoyt, and Quinlan, Lilith
Abstract:
Common Ground was a community of faith founded by Quakers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1982 to break cycles of poverty, racism, and sexism through nonviolence education and action. Collaborative work with Baton Rouge Friends Meeting, local Clergy and Laity Concerned and Dignity chapters led to founding and shared workspace at Bienville House Center for Peace and Justice. Common Ground developed an educational program for abused residents and ex-residents from the city's domestic violence shelter. Providing sanctuary for Central American refugees led to successful national organizing in opposition to detention of those refugees in remote Oakdale, Louisiana. Eight journals and five newsletters created with and by grassroots women at their request were printed in-house in Lousiana and Indiana. In Georgia, Common Ground organized biannual leadership retreats with women from a diversity of cultures and faiths. The organization was dissolved in 2006

Common Ground was a nonprofit organization and faith community founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1982 by a Quaker couple, Lilith Quinlan and Hoyt Oliver, and a small group of friends from other faith traditions. Common Ground's mission was to break cycles of poverty, racism, and sexism through nonviolence education, organizing, trainings and action. Collaboration with Baton Rouge Friends Meeting, the local Clergy and Laity Concerned and Dignity chapters led to founding and complementary work at Bienville House Center for Peace and Justice. Common Ground's programs included offerings for abused children and providing hospitality for survivors of violence. Offering sanctuary for Central American refugees led to successful national organizing with legal, immigrant rights and religious/Sanctuary organizations in opposing U.S.Justice/INS/Bureau of Prisons' mass detention of refugees in remote Oakdale, Louisiana. National and regional conferences on nonviolence were held. From Indiana, the organization published journals and newsletters with and by grassroots women, including tenant organizers in New Orleans, leaders in India, Indigenous women across North America, and farmworker women in Florida. These journals, printed in-house on donated presses, were used as literacy, organizing, fundraising tools by the groups who requested and raised their voices by producing them. In Georgia, Common Ground sponsored "Women Promoting Wholeness," a group which created and organized biannual women's retreats for grassroots community leaders from diverse spiritual traditions. The organization was dissolved in 2006.

This collection is unprocessed and remains in the order in which it was donated.

The Swarthmore College Peace Collection is the official repository for these papers/records.

Gift of Lilith Quinlan, Jenny Inglis and other Common Ground friends, 2011 [acc. 11A-068].

For the catalog record for this collection and to find materials on similar topics, search thelibrary's online catalog.

This collection is unprocessed. This finding aid created by Wendy E. Chmielewski, with assistance from SCPC staff.

Items removed: Photographs, Audiovisual items.

People
Organization
Subject
Place

Publisher
Swarthmore College Peace Collection
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research without restrictions.

Copyright has been transferred to the Swarthmore College Peace Collection by Common Ground. Copyright to other items in the collection remains with the authors of items in these papers, or their descendents, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Use Restrictions

None.

Collection Inventory

Common Ground Official Documents: Incorporation and Dissolution.
Box 1
Common Ground Board Documents, 1983-1988.
Box 1
Common Ground Board Documents, 1989-1991.
Box 1
Common Ground Board Documents, 1991-1993.
Box 1
Common Ground Board Documents, 1994-2005.
Box 1
Distribution of Assets.
Box 1
Bienville House Sale/Purchase.
Box 1
Bienville House Information.
Box 1
Dignity at Bienville House.
Box 1
Common Ground Correspondence with Oakdale, 1985-1990.
Box 2
Common Ground Correspondence, 1983.
Box 2
Common Ground Correspondence, 1984.
Box 2
Common Ground Correspondence, 1985.
Box 2
Common Ground Correspondence, 1986.
Box 2
Common Ground Correspondence, 1987.
Box 2
Common Ground Correspondence, 1988.
Box 2
Common Ground Correspondence, 1989.
Box 2
Common Ground Correspondence with Caridad India, 1989.
Box 2
Common Ground Correspondence, 1990.
Box 2
Common Ground Editor's Correspondence, 1992.
Box 2
Scope and Contents

[includes Journal 1991]

Common Ground Correspondence, 1991.
Box 3
Common Ground Correspondence, 1992.
Box 3
Scope and Contents

[2 folders]

Common Ground Editor's Correspondence with "Farmworker Women", 1993.
Box 3
Common Ground Correspondence, 1993.
Box 3
Common Ground Editor's Correspondence, 1994.
Box 3
Common Ground Correspondence, 1994.
Box 3
Common Ground Correspondence, 1995.
Box 3
Common Ground Correspondence, 1996.
Box 3
Common Ground Correspondence, 1997.
Box 3
Common Ground Correspondence, 1999.
Box 3
Common Ground Correspondence with Highlander Research and Education Center, 2000.
Box 3
Common Ground Correspondence, 2000.
Box 3
Common Ground Correspondence, 2002.
Box 3
Common Ground Correspondence, 2006.
Box 3
Bosnia: Petition/Presentation/ Background, 1993-1995.
Box 3
Beyond Words: Arab/Israeli Conflict, July, 2002.
Box 3
Dance of Universal Peace, 2002.
Box 3
Common Ground Poster and Magazine, 1985-1986.
Box 3
Common Ground Mission.
Box 4
Common Ground Logo.
Box 4
Common Ground Core Workers.
Box 4
Common Ground Work Days, 1989-1990.
Box 4
Common Ground Journal Editing Process.
Box 4
Common Ground Covers for Advertisements.
Box 4
English Translation from Spanish of Journal "Farmworker Women", 1993.
Box 4
Annie Armstead Smart.
Box 4
Common Ground Brochures.
Box 4
Common Ground Flyers/Posters/Advertisements.
Box 4
Common Ground Tenth Anniversary, 1992.
Box 4
"Feminist Periodicals" University of Wisconsin System.
Box 4
Common Ground Reprints.
Box 4
Oakdale, Louisiana House and Community Space.
Box 4
Refugee Support Network.
Box 4
Martha Vidrine drawing.
Box 4
Southeastern Nonviolence Pilgrimage and Conference, 1986.
Box 4
Programs and Events, 1981-1998.
Box 4
Common Ground Children's Program, 1984-1986.
Box 4
Southern Progress Workshop, 2000-2002.
Box 5
Unpublished Appalachian Journal Correspondence, 1993-1995.
Box 5
Common Ground Appalachian Journal Planning and Correspondence, 1993.
Box 5
Amy, Anita Armbrister, Sharon Blackwell.
Box 5
Appalachian Cover.
Box 5
Pull Quotes.
Box 5
Appalachian Journal Artwork.
Box 5
Appalachian Journal Artwork, Major Drawings.
Box 5
Appalachian Journal Cover and Outline.
Box 5
Appalachian Journal Introduction.
Box 5
Thanks.
Box 5
Vanessa Baumgardner.
Box 5
Betty Jo Bilbrey.
Box 5
Evelyn Farmer.
Box 5
Allyne McMillian.
Box 5
Sue Green.
Box 5
Carol Hunicutt.
Box 5
Joyce Hill.
Box 5
Dessie Peake "Granny" Moore.
Box 5
Beth Bingham.
Box 5
Linda Lester and Mary Yates.
Box 5
Appalachian Journal Pictures.
Box 5
Appalachian Journal Bibliography.
Box 5
Miscellaneous Grant/Fundraising Information.
Box 5
Marketing, Advertisements, and "International Standard Book Number ISBN's".
Box 5
Women's Center/Women's Funds Network.
Box 6
Encouragements/Kudos.
Box 6
Common Ground Press Clippings.
Box 6
Volunteer's Experience.
Box 6
Women's Southeastern Regional Resource Center Meetings, 1990-1992.
Box 6
Women Promoting Wholeness, 1997-1999.
Box 6
Women Promoting Wholeness, 2000-2002.
Box 6
Ideas for "A Center for Total Revolution" Paintings.
Box 6
Quotes to Inspire.
Box 6

Print, Suggest