[News] Freedom Archives - 2004

[News at freedomarchives.org]

As a special note to those of you who receive this email news, please 
consider contributing to our ongoing work - 85% of our operating funds come 
from individuals like you rather than from foundations. Please also 
consider getting on our snail mail list (if you haven't already) for 
periodic newsletters (and an occasional request like this one).
Thanks in advance!
claude


December 2004
Dear Friend:

Collective victories have been few and far between for all of us this year 
of 2004.  But here at Freedom Archives, we've had some sweet successes and 
are moving ahead with new projects and new opportunities. Many of our small 
victories and progress, we owe to you, our supporters, who've stood with us 
and helped us keep moving forward. Last year, 85% of our operating funds 
came from contributions from individuals like you – and we hope we can 
count on our relationship with you continuing in the years to come.

With your help, we've produced work to help us all stay organized and 
inspired.  We recently released Wild Poppies: a poetry jam across prison 
walls, an audio CD in which over 30 poets and musicians honor poet and 
political prisoner Marilyn Buck. The release was celebrated with 
inspirational events in New York and Berkeley.  The story of the struggle 
for proper medical care for women prisoners, entitled Charisse Shumate: 
fighting for our lives is our newest video, produced in partnership with 
the California Coalition for Women Prisoners. It will be shown in schools 
and communities across the country. We have also teamed up with Bay Area 
muralist Susan Greene to produce an audio accompaniment to her Mission 
district mural, titled La Lucha Continua/The Struggle Continues.

After two years of research, tapes of Robert F. Williams broadcasting Radio 
Free Dixie from Cuba, as well as speeches and interviews from Tanzania, 
China and the US sparked the production of a CD on the lives and 
experiences of Mabel Williams and her late husband Robert F. Williams. It 
will be available in the spring of 2005, and will be celebrated in Oakland 
on May 20th with Mabel Williams.  The historical material is complemented 
with a wide-ranging interview that Lincoln and Claude conducted with Mabel 
in Michigan in 2003. Inspired by this history, we co-sponsored a 
well-attended event in March featuring a dialogue between Mabel Williams 
and Kathleen Cleaver, introduced by Angela Davis.  A video of that event is 
also available.

While our production work remains a strong aspect and conveys our work to 
wide audiences around the world, our growing work with young people is the 
foundation of the future. Our ability to bring the progressive history 
documented in our now 7,000-hour collection to young people hinges on your 
generous support. This summer and fall, we have provided students from high 
school to graduate school with the tools necessary to incorporate this 
important history into their consciousness and new programs. Each intern 
comes to us with a different idea for creatively disseminating our 
materials to other young people and the general public. With enthusiasm and 
imagination, these young people represent the broad impact our materials 
and productions can have on present and future generations.

In these difficult times, we hope you are able to make a contribution to 
the Freedom Archives. Your generous support will allow our internship 
program to grow and serve more young people, and ensure that our history 
remains alive.  You can help us create the victories of tomorrow.


In gratitude,
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Claude 
Marks 
Sele Nadel-Hayes
Project 
Director 
Youth Program Director

Thanks also to our funders: The Handleman Trust, LEF Foundation, Phogg 
Foundation, Puffin Foundation, Robeson Fund, Sonya Staff Foundation, 
Vanguard Public Foundation, Women’s Foundation & Zellerbach Family Foundation.


The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
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