The University of Massachusetts Amherst
Robert S. Cox Special Collections & University Archives Research Center
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Amherst Disarmament Coalition. Vigil for Peace and Justice

(Not fully processed)

Amherst Disarmament Coalition Collection

1979-1987.
1 box 0.25 linear feet
Call no.: MS 165

Vigil for Peace and Justice group that peacefully protested the Vietnam War, nuclear weapons, and government policy in Central America and the Middle East by organizing a weekly vigil in downtown Amherst, Massachusetts. Includes handouts and news clippings.

Historical Note

In winter, 1966, Amherst, Massachusetts became the first town in the United States to form a weekly vigil protesting the Vietnam War. Standing at the northwest corner of the town common on Sundays from 12 to 1 p.m., participants sought to publicly record their political and moral objections to government policies. The vigil continued until the war’s end in 1973.

Wishing to protest the nuclear arms race and the use of nuclear power, and in support of a nuclear freeze moratorium, organizers revived the vigil in 1979, vowing to continue until the establishment of global nuclear disarmament. Frances Crowe, who helped organize the earlier one as well, sees vigils as “a constant, quiet witnessing, a presence to remind ourselves and others of what needs to be done.”

In an expansion of the scope of its concerns, the Nuclear Moratorium Vigil was renamed the Vigil for Peace and Justice of the Amherst Disarmament Coalition in about 1984, protesting government policy in Central America and the Middle East as issues related to global security.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The collection includes handouts and news clippings about the vigil for each year from 1981 to 1987, as well as some from 1979. Also included is a folder of handouts and news clippings from “A Peaceful Response to Recognition Weekend” July 18-20, 1986. Recognition Weekend included, in addition to other events, a 3-hour military parade in Amherst to honor Navy, Coast Guard, Marine, and Seabee veterans. It was organized by regional military veterans and had the support of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.


Information on Use
Terms of Access and Use
Restrictions on access:

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Cite as: Amherst Disarmament Coalition Collection (MS 165). Special Collections and University Archives, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

History of the Collection

Acquired from: Margaret Holt.

Processing Information

Processed by Linda Seidman, 2002.


Additional Information

Sponsor
Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Language
English.

Subjects

Amherst (Mass.)--Social conditions--20th centuryAnti-imperialist movements--Massachusetts--AmherstAntinuclear movement--MassachusettsNuclear Moratorium Vigil (Amherst, Mass.)Peace movements--Massachusetts--AmherstSocial movements--Massachusetts--AmherstVigil for Peace and Justice (Amherst, Mass.)

Contributors

Amherst Disarmament Coalition (Amherst, Mass.)Crowe, Frances, 1919-

Types of material

Handbills