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Ain't I A Woman? newspapers, June 1970-July 1971

1970-10-30 "Ain't I a Woman?" Page 11

[3 photos]

OY SUCH TROUBLE

   After a long struggle last Spring trying to find a structure to end the frustrating general meetings in which nothing got done and where we were at different political levels, Women's Liberation in Iowa City finally came up with a structure in which sisters could be close to one another and grow politically together as well as do things. It was a structure with autonomous cells and a monthly general meeting. Over the summer five cells were formed: Publications, Day Care, Gay cell, Speakers Bureau, and the Medical Issues cell. Although the general meetings were supposed to be for intercellular communication, there was a tendency not to discuss reports from the cells and even not to have the general meeting. During August when the Gay cell and the Medical Issues cell were temporarily not meeting, there began to be intimations of a schism between the Day Care cell that was busy setting up three free community controlled day care centers and the Publications cell which was busy putting out bimonthly issues of Ain't I A Woman?  Almost everyone who was in Women's Liberation during the summer was in one of two cells. Although a member of the day care cell questioned the policy of Ain't I A Woman? to allow only female writers in the paper, the split was not yet visible.

   To recruit parents and volunteers for the day care center, the Day Care cell decided it wanted a supplement on day care printed in Ain't I A Woman? which would include reactions written by male parents. The Publications cell, agreeing to publish and finance the supplement but in light of its no male writers policy and wanting to encourage women to write, suggested that the reactions of the men be written by women. The Day Care cell felt that potential male day care volunteers and parents should hear reactions directly from the males involved because male experience is different from female experience. Day Care pointed out the control they thought the Publications cell had with power of the press. At this point it was clear that there were differing political opinions and yet Iowa City Women's Liberation did not deal with the schism as a group.

   Finally the Day Care cell decided that they wanted to extend the involvement of the parents from control of the individual day care centers to political action on the day care issue in Iowa City. This would mean working politically with men. The Day Care cell asked at the next day care center meeting whether anyone would be interested in doing this and males were interested. The Day Care cell then asked at a general meeting of Women's Liberation how WL wanted to relate to the proposed Day Care cell: 1. disassociation from Women's Liberation 2. partial disassociation form Women's Liberation or 3. the Day Care cell with men included would become part of Women's Liberation.

   The meeting was polarized; both sides sat separately, felt on the defensive, gave arguments defending their politics, and vented resentments that had been building all summer because they weren't talked about. The Publications Collective saw the three alternatives as an ultimatum. Either men would be brought into Women's Liberation or the women in the Day Care cell would disassociate. 

   The women at the meeting decided to put off the decision until another workshop could be held so that all the women in the Day Care cell who weren't present could listen to the discussion and better make their decision. We realized that lack of communication had made of a problem that once could have been more easily handled, one whose scars we would personally feel and as an organization would have to deal with for a long time. A structure of intercellular workshops was set up to be held every two weeks until things got ironed out and later once a month so that sisters in different cells could talk politically about issues that come up throughout the year.

   The second meeting was better in that the atmosphere was more sisterly. The Publications collective, however, was disappointed that the attendence of the Day Care cell was not greater. The Day Care cell contended that all members of the cell who had been active in the cell regularly were there. Since members of Women's Liberation who were not in the Day Care cell would not agree to having men in a Women's Liberation cell, the suggestion was made by a member of the Day Care cell that women who wanted to work with men would help form a male consciousness raising group, but that the Day Care cell would remain open only to women and do consciousness raising. The Day Care cell met later and agreed to try it.

   Ain't I A Woman? felt that it was important to deal with the problems in Iowa City Women's Liberation openly for two reasons: That other groups should not consider as a personal problem the phenomenon that seems to be happening throughout the Women's Movement. Secondly, that other groups around the country be able to benefit form our mistakes and what we learn.

   On the next 2 pages are an article by a member of the Day Care cell and an article written collectively by the Publications Cell.

A WOMAN!  OCTOBER 30, 1970   11.

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[3 photos] OY SUCH TROUBLE After a long struggle last Spring trying to find a structure to end the frustrating general meetings in which nothing got done and where we were at different political levels, Women's Liberation in Iowa City finally came up with a structure in which sisters could be close to one another and grow politically together as well as do things. It was a structure with autonomous cells and a monthly general meeting. Over the summer five cells were formed: Publications, Day Care, Gay cell, Speakers Bureau, and the Medical Issues cell. Although the general meetings were supposed to be for intercellular communication, there was a tendency not to discuss reports from the cells and even not to have the general meeting. During August when the Gay cell and the Medical Issues cell were temporarily not meeting, there began to be intimations of a schism between the Day Care cell that was busy setting up three free community controlled day care centers and the Publications cell which was busy putting out bimonthly issues of Ain't I A Woman? Almost everyone who was in Women's Liberation during the summer was in one of two cells. Although a member of the day care cell questioned the policy of Ain't I A Woman? to allow only female writers in the paper, the split was not yet visible. To recruit parents and volunteers for the day care center, the Day Care cell decided it wanted a supplement on day care printed in Ain't I A Woman? which would include reactions written by male parents. The Publications cell, agreeing to publish and finance the supplement but in light of its no male writers policy and wanting to encourage women to write, suggested that the reactions of the men be written by women. The Day Care cell felt that potential male day care volunteers and parents should hear reactions directly from the males involved because male experience is different from female experience. Day Care pointed out the control they thought the Publications cell had with power of the press. At this point it was clear that there were differing political opinions and yet Iowa City Women's Liberation did not deal with the schism as a group. Finally the Day Care cell decided that they wanted to extend the involvement of the parents from control of the individual day care centers to political action on the day care issue in Iowa City. This would mean working politically with men. The Day Care cell asked at the next day care center meeting whether anyone would be interested in doing this and males were interested. The Day Care cell then asked at a general meeting of Women's Liberation how WL wanted to relate to the proposed Day Care cell: 1. disassociation from Women's Liberation 2. partial disassociation form Women's Liberation or 3. the Day Care cell with men included would become part of Women's Liberation. The meeting was polarized; both sides sat separately, felt on the defensive, gave arguments defending their politics, and vented resentments that had been building all summer because they weren't talked about. The Publications Collective saw the three alternatives as an ultimatum. Either men would be brought into Women's Liberation or the women in the Day Care cell would disassociate. The women at the meeting decided to put off the decision until another workshop could be held so that all the women in the Day Care cell who weren't present could listen to the discussion and better make their decision. We realized that lack of communication had made of a problem that once could have been more easily handled, one whose scars we would personally feel and as an organization would have to deal with for a long time. A structure of intercellular workshops was set up to be held every two weeks until things got ironed out and later once a month so that sisters in different cells could talk politically about issues that come up throughout the year. The second meeting was better in that the atmosphere was more sisterly. The Publications collective, however, was disappointed that the attendence of the Day Care cell was not greater. The Day Care cell contended that all members of the cell who had been active in the cell regularly were there. Since members of Women's Liberation who were not in the Day Care cell would not agree to having men in a Women's Liberation cell, the suggestion was made by a member of the Day Care cell that women who wanted to work with men would help form a male consciousness raising group, but that the Day Care cell would remain open only to women and do consciousness raising. The Day Care cell met later and agreed to try it. Ain't I A Woman? felt that it was important to deal with the problems in Iowa City Women's Liberation openly for two reasons: That other groups should not consider as a personal problem the phenomenon that seems to be happening throughout the Women's Movement. Secondly, that other groups around the country be able to benefit form our mistakes and what we learn. On the next 2 pages are an article by a member of the Day Care cell and an article written collectively by the Publications Cell. A WOMAN! OCTOBER 30, 1970 11.