The Kimela Nelson papers date from 1977-1996 and measure 1.25 linear feet. The collection has been organized into five series: Activism, Publications, WRAC, Photographs, and Artifacts.

The Activism series includes material related to Nelson’s political activism and the group Women Against Racism, materials from the First National Conference on Black Women’s Health Issues in 1983, and promotional materials for the 1988 film “Wrath of Grapes.” This series also contains material relating to the Plutonium Players, a professional theater company whose script “Ladies Against Women: An Evening of Consciousness Lowering” spawned chapters all across the country, with members dressing in costume and performing as a form of protest at appearances by Phyllis Schlafly.

The Publications series includes materials produced by the University of Iowa, as well as scholarly articles, the newsletter “Women in the Trades,” and a catalog for the company WorkAbles for Women.

The WRAC series contains information about the organization as well as workshop materials and a copy of the book At the Center: Celebrating Thirty Years of Activism and Communities, which includes a brief piece Nelson wrote about her time at WRAC.

The Photographs series contains four folders and one binder of undated photographs.

The Artifacts series consists of an Emma Goldman quilt and t-shirt, as well as a Grace and Rubies Rats baseball hat.