The central Stanford University Library recently acquired the personal collection of Elizabeth “Betita” Martinez, 86, a Mission resident and social justice activist who has worked tirelessly for decades to promote peace and harmony.
Born in The Washington D.C., Betita arrived in San Francisco in 1982. Her love and labor for social justice, however, began over 50 years ago.
Over the years, she has provided great support to Bay Area communities as an educator, teaching ethnic, Chicano and women’s Studies courses at colleges and universities, and leading anti-racist workshops for various groups.
Recently, Betita’s health has been declining, but at her vibrant attitude and legacy remain solid proof of her passion to advance the rights of women and minorities.
With the expert help of the head of Stanford Special Collections, Roberto Trujillo, and the curatorial expertise of Adan Griego, the university has built an amazing collection of archives and manuscripts documenting the history of Mexican Americans in the United States.
The university’s archives include records from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Council of La Raza, the Ernesto Galarza papers, the Luis Leal papers and several other important Mexican-American collections.
Betita’s contributions have helped document the struggles of people of color in the United States and have advanced the discussion on human rights issues in Latin America and in other parts of the world.
Her collection includes journals, books, articles, posters and photographs as well as correspondence and manuscripts. It is an invaluable resource for anyone eager to learn about the history of minorities and women’s rights.
This will also be a great resource to learn about her activism and involvement in local, national and international groups working to advance social equality, racial harmony and peace.
The Elizabeth “Betita” Martinez collection has not been processed and therefore is not accessible yet. It could take a year or more to process it and make it available to the public, so be patient.
For more information about the Stanford University’s Special Collections visit: http://library.stanford.edu/depts/spc/spc.html