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

Puerto Rico status Puerto Rico status
Date: 9/9/1989Call Number: JG/ 003Format: CassetteProducers: Judy GerberCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
ACLA show, Just Peace Today Program, Bill Crossman from the Free PR committee on upcoming US government referendum on PR's status.
Gay & Lesbian Programming Gay & Lesbian Programming
Call Number: JG/ 031Format: CassetteProducers: Judy GerberCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Part of eight hours of programming put together by Judy Gerber on Gays and Lesbians. Great into song "Glory, Glory I'm a Homosexual". Interview with Carlos Ortiz, a Puerto Rican Independista and member of National committee to free Puerto Rican Political Prisoners. Ortiz discuss the Stonewall riots, AIDS work in Puerto Rican community, and repression and acceptance of homosexuality in the national liberation movement. Also interview with Carmen Vasquez a Puerto Rican Independista and member of GLTF. Music from local Atlanta gay/lesbian bands. Interview with Bill Haskill of ACT UP SF on the investigation NC senator Jesse Helms instigated against ACT UP.
Bolivia: Drug War Bolivia: Drug War
Date: 8/25/1989Call Number: JG/ 033AFormat: Cass AProducers: Judy GerberCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
ACLA (Atlantic Committee on Latin America) show. Covers Bolivia following the murder of 2 Mormon missionaries the crackdown on left wing guerilla organizations and the US War on Drugs , FBI involvement and $11 million for War on Drugs in 1989. Uruguay from a article in the "Guardian" on massive unemployment, the exodus of youth and youth withdrawal from activism. El Salvador on the ARENA party and Salvadorian refugees in the US and the repression they face when trying to organize against right wing ARENA. Vieques: 4 month stand off between Puerto Rican residents and the US Navy, history of resistance on Vieques and the living/environmental conditions.
Female Political Prisoners - series of interviews Female Political Prisoners - series of interviews
Call Number: JG/ 070Format: CassetteProducers: Judy Gerber, Lisa RudmanProgram: KPFACollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
This is a collection of different interviews and recordings of female political prisoners from around the world. Lisa Rudman collages them together to show the injustice towards political prisoners and to highlight some of the many tactics used by the US government and prison system to get information out of political prisoners. Rudman defines political prisoners and interviews Laura Whitehorn and Linda Evans and speaks about their cases and the circumstances leading to their imprisonment. The other political prisoners interviewed on the tape are: Dora Garcia, active in the national liberation struggles in the US colony of Puerto Rico; Mercedes Algado, a refugee active in the FSLM and FDR in El Salvador; Elizabeth Sebego, active in the Pan African Congress; Assata Shakur, active with the Black Panthers and now a refugee in Cuba; a Filipina imprisoned for her work with the church.
Florence Prison and the Fight to Free Oscar Lopez Florence Prison and the Fight to Free Oscar Lopez
Date: 1/20/1995Call Number: JG/ 075AFormat: Cass AProducers: Judy GerberProgram: A Defiant HeartCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Lugo Lopez and Alejandro Molina of the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War (Chicago) protesting the imprisonment of Oscar Lopez, sentenced to 75+ years on seditious conspiracy charges for his political work in Puerto Rico.
International Human Rights Day, 1994 International Human Rights Day, 1994
Date: 12/2/1994Call Number: JG/ 088AFormat: Cass AProducers: Judy GerberProgram: A Defiant HeartCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Interview with Judy Siff and Bill Crossman of Prairie Fire Organizing Committee about International Human Rights Day, 1994. International Human Rights Day, December 10, is a global holiday not well known in the U.S. that champions human rights for political prisoners. The U.S. focus of this year's campaign are the 150+ political prisoners held currently by the U.S. justice system, many of whom were social activists of the 1960's, 70's, 80's. Siff and Crossman stress that with political prisoners it is important to factor not what illegal actions they committed but rather what their conscience was. They deplore the suppression of popular information on political prisoners within the U.S that leads to a popular attitude of disbelief about the problem. They explore the cases of Mumia Abu Jamal, Geronimo Pratt, Leonard Peltier, Sylvia Baraldini, and discus the Amnesty campaign for Puerto Rican prisoners of war. They note that any victory for any prisoner helps the effort as a whole and illustrate the grassroots efforts to shut down the inhumane Lexington, KY prison. They lament that the U.S. does not allow dissent because it gives abnormally long sentences to "freedom fighters." They offer info on how to support the campaign for human rights.
A Defiant Heart New Year 1995: Political Prisoner Program A Defiant Heart New Year 1995: Political Prisoner Program
Date: 12/30/1994Call Number: JG/ 089BFormat: Cass BProducers: Judy GerberProgram: A Defiant HeartCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
New Year 1995 show with a focus on political prisoners. Accounts of Puerto Rican political prisoners of the earlier 20th century. Reading of an article by Jan Sassler of the People’s Law Office of Chicago in ‘Bulldozer’ magazine that stresses biases in the American parole system. Discusses the San Francisco prison group Out of Control’s work as well as ‘The Key,’ a lesbian and gay prisoner newsletter.
Bill Crossman on Puerto Rican Prisoners of War Bill Crossman on Puerto Rican Prisoners of War
Call Number: JG/ 098AFormat: Cass AProducers: Judy GerberProgram: A Defiant HeartCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Bill Crossman speaks about Puerto Rican Prisoners of War in the US, a petition for their amnesty to the Justice Dept. under President Clinton. Puerto Rican support for these prisoners. The 16 prisoners’ sentences, convictions, and conditions are discussed. Crossman also gives historical background about US occupation of Puerto Rico, and military strategy and plans to control the southern hemisphere.
Puerto Rico and The U.S.: What's Next? Puerto Rico and The U.S.: What's Next?
Call Number: JG/ 156Format: CassetteProducers: WBAI New YorkCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
A broadcast of "Puerto Rico and The U.S.: What's Next?" a story by Mario Marrero, part of the continuing struggle for PR independence, including debate about U.S. policies.