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

Vicki Garvin interviewed by Lincoln Bergman Vicki Garvin interviewed by Lincoln Bergman
Call Number: CD 343Producers: Lincoln BergmanCollection: Garvin, Vicki
same as KP 154. This is the third cassette in a series. Vicki Garvin is interviewed by Lincoln Bergman. In this interview Ms. Garvin discusses living in Africa and China during the 60s. Ms. Garvin talks about living in Ghana with Maya Angelou and spending time with Dubois and his family. She speaks in depth about the CIA monitoring her travel through Africa and the difficulty this caused when she moved throughout. She talks about a meeting with Malcolm X in Cairo just before she moved to China and shortly before his death. Her experience with Chairman Mao is discussed as well as the Chinese understanding of black liberation politics.
Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton Speaks at University of Chicago Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton Speaks at University of Chicago
Collection: Fred Hampton Jr.
Taken from speech at University of Chicago, March 1969. Fred Hampton about the U.S. prison system and the fight for equal rights among people of color
Malcolm X Speaking Malcolm X Speaking
Date: 1/1/1964Call Number: Vin 054Producers: Ethnic Records, Malcolm XCollection: Malcolm X
A compilation of excerpts from speeches given by Malcolm X. The first speech compares the nonviolent protest method employed by the civil rights movement and the black militancy, or self-defense strategy of Black Power and the Nation of Islam. The second speech describes the role of the United Nations in the global black liberation movement. Side 2 includes three speeches about the Birmingham Sunday School Bombing, and more on black militancy and nationalism.
Up You Mighty Race: Recollections of Marcus Garvey Up You Mighty Race: Recollections of Marcus Garvey
Date: 1/1/1921Call Number: Vin 055Producers: Garvey Records, Marcus Garvey, Amy Ashwood Garvey, Thelma Massy, Lord Obstinate, The Tony Thomas OrchestraCollection: Malcolm X
Tribute album to Marcus Garvey and his work for the black nationalist and Pan-Africanist movements. Side A includes songs about Garveyism by Thelma Massy, Lord Obstinate ,and the Tony Thomas Orchestra. Side B, narrated by Garvey's wife, Amy Ashwood Garvey, includes the pivotal speech, "Up, You Mighty Race."
Angela Davis Release Speech Angela Davis Release Speech
Year: 1972Collection: Angela Davis
Upon release after 2 years of incarceration, Angela Davis expresses her joy in freedom and desire to liberate her people from oppression.
Geronimo Ji Jaga on Black Liberation Geronimo Ji Jaga on Black Liberation
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Geronimo Pratt
Geronimo Ji Jaga discusses SNCC organizing throughout the country, working with the Deacons for Defense and the Black Panthers. G also discusses growing up in the Black Nation and fighting the Klan.
Maya Angelou reads "Harriet Tubman" Maya Angelou reads "Harriet Tubman"
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Black Liberation
Excerpt of Maya Angelou reading "Harriet Tubman" by Margaret Walker at at 1972 benefit for Angela Davis.
Martin Luther King Jr. "Something is happening in our world" Martin Luther King Jr. "Something is happening in our world"
Collection: Martin Luther King Jr.
Excerpt from "I've been to the Mountaintop" speech. This speech was given April 3, 1968, at Mason Temple, Church of God in Christ Headquarters, in Memphis, Tennessee shortly before Rev. King was assassinated.
G is Free G is Free
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Geronimo Pratt
Approximately 10 separate news blitzes/interviews about Geronimo Pratt
Geronimo Ji Jaga release in 1997 - news footage Geronimo Ji Jaga release in 1997 - news footage
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesProducers: Pam MooreProgram: KRON Channel 2 NewsCollection: Geronimo Pratt
Bay area news story on Pratt's release.