This record group documents the Gray Panthers of Huron Valley and subsequently the Gray Panthers of Washtenaw's activities and administration from 1979 to 2011.
Maggie Kuhn founded the Gray Panthers (initially named "The Consultation of Older and Younger Adults for Social Change") in 1970 when faced with mandatory retirement. Its members were committed to building an intergenerational organization and initially focused their energies on opposition to the Vietnam War and fighting mandatory retirement.
The Gray Panthers soon expanded their mission to take on a range of social injustices. Their goals included fighting ageism; fostering a positive concept of aging as growth; helping remove barriers between generations; and promoting social change that will serve the needs of all ages. To these ends, the Gray Panthers have rallied around issues such as nursing home abuse, health care reform, age bias in radio and television programming, rent control, and decent housing.
The grass-roots Gray Panther network tackles issues at the community level. These nationally-dispersed groups prioritize membership involvement to take on social issues. Tactics include educational programs, petition drives, demonstrations, legislative letter-writing blitzes, and rallies. Members often are also involved in coalition groups.
The Southeastern Michigan Gray Panthers (renamed the Gray Panthers of Huron Valley in 1983, then the Gray Panthers of Washtenaw in 2008) was formed in February 1979 "to further the ideals of the national Gray Panthers." The nascent group stated it was primarily concerned with housing, transportation, and nursing homes. In subsequent years, the Gray Panthers of Huron Valley members also organized for a nuclear freeze and the preservation of Social Security and Medicare.
