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Renee Diamond
June 19, 1937 -
Renee Diamond served in the Nevada Assembly for one term, but supported
social justice and sex-equity campaigns for much of her adult life.
She worked on the Equal Rights Amendment, Campaign for Choice, welfare
rights, fair housing laws, and Democratic Party women candidates’ campaigns.
Renee Diamond was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1937. At five years
old, her family left Chicago and moved to Los Angeles, California.
Renee married at age 16 and gave birth to two daughters. A few years
later, the marriage ended in divorce and she became a single mother
raising two children. Years later, she viewed these experiences as
having shaped her activism. Despite working several jobs, Renee found
time to be involved with several causes. In California, she helped
to organize the group Another Mother for Peace to oppose above-ground
nuclear testing. She also participated in the Beverly Hills Young
Democrats, worked for fair housing, and to increase political participation
among minorities.
Diamond married Lou Diamond and in 1972 the family moved to Las
Vegas where she became involved in local causes once again. She joined
the welfare-rights group Operation Life and helped it develop into
an economic development organization. The National Organization for
Women (NOW) selected Diamond, along with Cynthia Cunningham, to lead
the Southern Nevada campaign for the ERA and the Campaign for Choice.
She served as co-chair of the 1977 Nevada Women’s Conference.
Diamond also worked on campaigns for Democratic candidates in Nevada,
including Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign. She served
one term in the Nevada Assembly in 1989.
Diamond continues her service to the state of the Nevada as an Administrator
of the Division of Manufactured Housing for the State of Nevada.
Source:
- Renee Diamond, “An Interview with Renee Diamond,” an
interview by Caryll Batt Dziedziak [transcript], Las Vegas Women
Oral History Project (2002), Special Collections, Library, University
of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Photo courtesy of Renee Diamond
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