Narrator
Randy Albelda was born in 1955 in Wilmington, Delaware to Jewish Eastern European immigrant parents. Her family moved frequently, and throughout her childhood she lived in many places including Pittsburgh, PA; Pensacola, FL; and Ponce, Puerto Rico. Albelda moved to western Massachusetts to attend Smith College, where she majored in economics and first came out as lesbian. Graduating in 1977, she later moved back to Northampton to pursue her doctorate in economics at UMass Amherst. During her time in western Massachusetts, Albelda was one of the original members of GALA (Gay and Lesbian Activists) and helped to plan the first gay and lesbian liberation marches. She also helped found the Red Scare softball team. Albelda left Northampton in 1983 to take a teaching position at Hobart & William Smith, which she held for three years until she left to work for the Massachusetts state legislature.
Albelda is a feminist economist whose research focuses on issues concerning low-income women and families. She is the author and co-author of numerous books, including Economics and Feminism: Disturbances in the Field and Glass Ceilings and Bottomless Pits. She taught at UMass Boston for over thirty years, working to grow their progressive program until she retired in 2021. Outside of teaching, Albelda consults on economic issues for feminist organizations. She lives with her partner in Cambridge, MA.
Abstract
Randy Albelda was interviewed by Emily Ehrensberger on April 8, 2021. In this interview, Albelda reflects on her participation in planning the first Northampton gay and lesbian liberation marches as well as her life as a feminist economist and “Commie, Jew, Dyke.” Albelda discusses the significance of a gay and lesbian liberation march versus a Pride march, the role of straight allies in organizing the first liberation marches, and the importance of community softball teams both socially and politically. Other notable topics include Albelda’s experiences of antisemitism as a child, her time at Smith College as middle-class, Jewish, and lesbian, and discussions of her career at UMass Boston. Albelda also speaks about the state of the contemporary gay and lesbian movement and her opinion on the future of radical politics.
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Examples from Randy Albelda at Forbes Library.