The Marzette Lewis Papers (1970-2011) reflect Lewis' extensive history of activism in the Las Vegas, Nevada community regarding the education standards of the Clark County School District (CCSD), and her work to fight discrimination within the district. The bulk of material dates from 1988 to 2009. It contains correspondence, Clark County School District (CCSD) zoning information, CCSD agendas, information on Lewis' two organizations, Westside Action Alliance Korps (W.A.A.K- U.P.) and Concerned Citizens, and video and audio recordings.
The Marzette Lewis Papers (1970-2011) reflect Lewis' extensive history of activism in the Las Vegas, Nevada community regarding the education standards of the Clark County School District (CCSD), and her work to fight discrimination within the district. The bulk of material dates from 1988 to 2009. It contains correspondence, Clark County School District (CCSD) zoning information, CCSD agendas, information on Lewis' two organizations, W.A.A.K- U.P. and Concerned Citizens, and video and audio tapes.
Collection is open for research, with the exception of materials that are restricted to protect personally identifiable information. Restrictions are noted at the file level of this inventory and will be open for research use January 1, 2074.
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Materials are arranged alphabetically by accession.
Educational rights activist Marzette Lewis was born in 1940 in Quitman, Mississippi. She first visited Las Vegas, Nevada in 1953. She moved to Las Vegas permanently in 1960. Lewis is best known for her educational activism in Nevada. She opposed the local Clark County School District in order to gain better education opportunities for the families and children of the district and to end racial and economic discrimination faced by students and employees of the district.
Lewis coordinated her efforts by creating two organizations, Westside Action Alliance Korps- Uplifting People (W.A.A.K-U.P) and Concerned Citizens. She was the president of both organizations. Additionally Lewis was a member of the NAACP Board of Directors, a member of the Foster Parents of Southern Nevada Association, and a part of the Attendance Zone Advisory Commission for Clark County (AZAC).
Lewis is also responsible for creating the first magnet elementary school in Las Vegas, Nevada. As of 2014 Lewis is still a very active member of the Las Vegas community and is concerned with providing equal and quality education to children, especially those in poor communities.
Marzette Lewis Papers, 1970-2011, MS-00621. Special Collections,University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
Materials were donated in 2013 by Marzette Lewis, accession number: 2013-004.
In 2014, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Hana Gutierrez created the collection description in compliance with current professional standards. In 2016 Joyce Moore updated and enhanced the collection and entered it into ArchivesSpace.
Administrative Information
Some of the photographs in this acquisition were removed from the collection and placed in the Marzette Lewis Photographs, 1972-1992. PH-00372. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.