The ACT UP/ Los Angeles Records collection guide is a thorough record of photos, administrative records, press clippings, files, marketing materials, and much more regarding the protesting done by the AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power/Los Angeles (ACT UP/LA) from 1987 to 1997. The collection is split up into three series:
Series 1. Administrative Records
Series 2. Actions and Events
Series 3. Subject Files
Each series gives complete information on the topic at hand. Series 1 includes internal records and documents regarding funding, administration, membership information and more on ACT UP. From these documents we know who was running the program, members of the program, how the program was funded and the steps taken towards actions and events. Series 2 includes promotional materials, photographs and press for all events from 1987-1997. These documents educate us on the what the organization did to raise money/be active in the community through benefits, conferences, marches, retreats, protests and more. This information tells us who were partners with the organization, personally and commercially, and gives insight to the politics involved regionally and nationally. Series 3 includes files regarding other ACT UP chapters as well as documents of the most influential people and companies to the Los Angeles chapter.
Although this is a comprehensive data set of ACT UP/Los Angeles’ activism, there is still a lot we don’t know. Some questions that can still be asked are:
– What findings came out of the research that was conducted from the funds raised?
– Which organizations continued their support of ACT UP/Los Angeles after this 10 year time period?
– Where did the funds go? Which research institutes were most prevalent in their commitment to ACT UP/LA?
– Which families were directly affected by ACT UP/LA?
These questions and more could be answered by various research on websites, institutional documents from where research was conducted, newspaper clippings, magazine articles and so much more. ACT UP/Los Angeles clearly did a lot of work over this time period and made a difference to a lot of people in the area. According to this data set, they had a lot of resources and seemed to use them to their highest potential due to the extensive collection involved. I think it would be interesting to see how these documents differ from the documents of other decades. Luckily all it takes is a simple Google search to find out.