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

A Revolutionary Exile's Life Story A Revolutionary Exile's Life Story
Author: Karen WaldPublisher: GuardianDate: 2/10/1988Volume Number: 10-FebFormat: ArticleCollection: Assata Shakur
Original News article
Eyes of the Rainbow Documentary Screening Eyes of the Rainbow Documentary Screening
Year: 1988Format: FlyerCollection: Assata Shakur
Flyer for a screening of Eyes of the Rainbow at the Alice Art Theater
Words from a Sister in Exile Words from a Sister in Exile
Author: Cheryll Y. GreenePublisher: EssenceDate: 2/1988Volume Number: FebruaryFormat: ArticleCollection: Assata Shakur
When revolutionary political activist Assata Shakur (previously JoAnne Chesimard) made a daring escape from prison in 1979, she- like our fugative slave ancestors- became legendary in the Black community. Here she speaks about her life in Cuba today.
Assata Shakur- The Interview Assata Shakur- The Interview
Publisher: Pan-African News WireDate: 5/2/2003Volume Number: 2-MayFormat: TranscriptCollection: Assata Shakur
Reproduction of Interview from 2003.
Assata Shakur Betrayed by the Black Congressional Caucus Assata Shakur Betrayed by the Black Congressional Caucus
Publisher: Rain and Thunder: A Radical Feminist Journal of Discussion and ActivismYear: 1998Volume Number: Issue 1 Winter SolsticeFormat: ArticleCollection: Assata Shakur
article talking about HCR 254 which calls on the government of Cuba to extradite Assata Shakur to the US. Article critizes the Congressional Black Caucus for its support of the resolution.
Prisoner in Paradise Prisoner in Paradise
Author: Evelyn C. WhitePublisher: EssenceDate: 6/1997Volume Number: JuneFormat: ArticleCollection: Assata Shakur
In 1977 Black Panther Assata Shakur was sentenced to life for a crime she says she didn't commit. Two years later she masterminded a daring prison escape and now lives in exile in Cuba. Here, 20 years after her conviction, Shakur reflects on politics, family, and the island she calls home.
Letter to the Pope from Sister Assata Shakur Letter to the Pope from Sister Assata Shakur
Author: Assata ShakurPublisher: The Daily ChallengeDate: 1/22/1997Volume Number: 22-JanFormat: CorrespondenceCollection: Assata Shakur
reproduction of original letter
Interview by Karen Wald of Assata Shakur during the Pope's Visit to Cuba in 1998 Interview by Karen Wald of Assata Shakur during the Pope's Visit to Cuba in 1998
Format: TranscriptCollection: Assata Shakur
Assata Shakur Speaks on Castro/ United Nations Assata Shakur Speaks on Castro/ United Nations
Author: Assata ShakurDate: 10/23/1995Volume Number: 23-OctFormat: StatementCollection: Assata Shakur
Statement delivered by Sis. Safiya Bukhari when Fidel Castro spoke at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, Harlem, NY, 10-23-1995.