This collection covers social issues of the late 1960s to mid 1970s as well as from 2016 to present in the United States, especially as manifested on the San Diego State University (College) campus and in San Diego County. These issues include women's rights, civil rights, Marxism, Socialism, Vietnam war protests and other issues related to military conflicts, prisoners' rights, and counter-culture or alternative lifestyles.

The bulk of the Radical Ephemera series relates to activities and controversies on the San Diego State campus, including the Peter Bohmer controversy, protests against Dow Chemical and ROTC presence on campus, protests against faculty firings, and various student strikes. National activities are represented especially by a folder of ephemera relating to radical/subversive student movements at the University of Texas. Ephemera is defined here as flyers, handbills, broadsides, brochures, newspaper clippings, posters, manifestos, and advertisements. The series is arranged alphabetically by originating body, group, or club. There are also topical files alphabetically arranged at the end of each of the three sub-series.

The Underground Publications series, arranged alphabetically, consists mostly of newspapers with nation-wide circulation covering national events, though several journals and newsletters are also represented. The series is particularly strong in Chicano rights, labor reform, and Communist newspapers.