Colorado’s Big Mama Rag $491: Women’s History Research Center Papers

Published May 15, 2025 at 6:00 AM MDT

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Photograph of members of the Big Mama Rag newspaper staff. Box 129, Women’s History Research Center papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Front cover of the first volume of the Big Mama Rag newspaper, 1972. Box 129, Women’s History Research Center papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Dedication page from the first volume of the Big Mama Rag newspaper, 1972. Box 129, Women’s History Research Center papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Colorado’s Big Mama Rag was a monthly newspaper focused on feminist issues. First published in 1972, it grew from an idea shared at a Denver women’s festival. It was born from a desire to give women in Colorado a uniquely feminine avenue for expression. At first, it was an all-volunteer effort. A collective of more than thirty women wrote articles, created illustrations and conducted interviews.

Articles were produced using an IBM Selectric typewriter. Readers could subscribe for five dollars a year. Members of the collective railed against “the patriarchy that controlled every aspect of women’s lives.”

The Big Mama Rag featured stories on women’s liberation and women in politics. Readers learned about the plights of incarcerated women and female farm workers. The paper also served as a clearinghouse of resources for women in Colorado. Listings included everything from health care services for women to a women’s rugby club.

The paper ceased publication in the early 1980s. See copies of the Big Mama Rag in the Women’s History Research Center Papers at UW’s American Heritage Center