Search Help

How does this work?
There are many ways to search the collections of the Freedom Archives. Below is a brief guide that will help you conduct effective searches. Note, anytime you search for anything in the Freedom Archives, the first results that appear will be our digitized items. Information for items that have yet to be scanned or yet to be digitized can still be viewed, but only by clicking on the show link that will display the hidden (non-digitized) items. If you are interested in accessing these non-digitized materials, please email info@freedomarchives.org.
Exploring the Collections without the Search Bar
Under the heading Browse By Collection, you’ll notice most of the Freedom Archives’ major collections. These collections have an image as well as a short description of what you’ll find in that collection. Click on that image to instantly explore that specific collection.
Basic Searching
You can always type what you’re looking for into the search bar. Certain searches may generate hundreds of results, so sometimes it will help to use quotation marks to help narrow down your results. For instance, searching for the phrase Black Liberation will generate all of our holdings that contain the words Black and Liberation, while searching for “Black Liberation” (in quotation marks) will only generate our records that have those two words next to each other.
Advanced Searching
The Freedom Archives search site also understands Boolean search logic. Click on this link for a brief tutorial on how to use Boolean search logic. Our search function also understands “fuzzy searches.” Fuzzy searches utilize the (*) and will find matches even when users misspell words or enter in only partial words for the search. For example, searching for liber* will produce results for liberation/liberate/liberates/etc.
Keyword Searches
You’ll notice that under the heading KEYWORDS, there are a number of words, phrases or names that describe content. Sometimes these are also called “tags.” Clicking on these words is essentially the same as conducting a basic search.

Search Results

Letter to Walter, Claude, et. al. Letter to Walter, Claude, et. al.
Publisher: Bonnie KernessYear: 41216Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Letter itemizing donations.
Statement by Clark Edward Squire Statement by Clark Edward Squire
Publisher: Sundiata Acoli (Clark E. Squire)Year: 41216Format: StatementCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Statement by Sundiata Acoli Describing His placement experience in 1975. Oversized. Part of packet donated by AFSC 12/4/12
Appeal of Parole Denial (collage) Appeal of Parole Denial (collage)
Publisher: Ojore Lutalo; New Jersey State of Parole BoardFormat: Government Document; GraphicCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Copy of May 25, 2006 appeal of parole denial and collage of 2009 release donated by AFC 12/4/12
Letter to members Letter to members
Publisher: Corey Weinstein, National campaign to Stop Control Unit Prisons-West (Monitoring Committee)Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Invitation to next meeting.
Hunger strike in protest of supermax Hunger strike in protest of supermax
Publisher: Dave Taylor (Tribune-Star)Year: 1998Format: ArticleCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Article on hunger strike protesting treatment of African-American inmates at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility, IL. Part of 9/1998 mailing.
Memo to NCSCUP members Memo to NCSCUP members
Publisher: Bonnie Kerness; Christie Donner, American Friends Service CommitteeYear: 1998Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Proposals for NCSCUP next steps on recruiting state monitors. Part of 9/1998 mailing.
Rough draft of letter to members Rough draft of letter to members
Publisher: Bonnie Kerness, American Friends Service CommitteeYear: 1995Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Letter informing of AFSC/NCSCUP activities. Part of 11/7/1995 mailing.
Letter to members Letter to members
Publisher: Bonnie Kerness, American Friends Service CommitteeYear: 1998Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Letter informing of AFSC/NCSCUP activities. Part of 9/1998 mailing.
Letter to Helen Woodson Letter to Helen Woodson
Publisher: Bonnie Kerness, American Friends Service CommitteeYear: 1995Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Response to 10/5/1995 Letter regarding false claims of mistreatment and false allegations of Shawnee Unit as a "Control Unit". Promise to take concerns to next meeting. Part of 11/7/1995 mailing.
Letter to Bonnie Kerness, American Friends Service Committee Letter to Bonnie Kerness, American Friends Service Committee
Publisher: Helen WoodsonYear: 1997Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Letter regarding false claims of mistreatment and false allegations of Shawnee Unit as a "Control Unit". Part of 11/7/1995 mailing.