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

Interviews on Gay and Lesbian Rights legislation Interviews on Gay and Lesbian Rights legislation
Date: 1/1/1991Call Number: PM 086BFormat: Cass BProgram: pre-story interviewsCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Over the phone interview with a man from Concord with the last name Whitsell. Mr. Whitsell became involved with the Human Relations Commission of Concord, CA after Timothy Lee, a young gay black man, was found hung in the Concord BART in 1987. He discusses the Commission, failed the AIDS ordinance, and successful Gay and Lesbian Rights ordinance. There is another interview with a gay student from Clark Kerr College on the verbal assault he faced from the football team and the harassment other students in the gay community faced.
Historical Perspectives Historical Perspectives
Date: 11/15/1991Call Number: PM 249Format: CassetteProducers: Prison Radio ProjectProgram: Can't Jail the Spirit #1Collection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Discussion of definitions of political prisoners and the US government's denial of their existence in the US. Readings from Harriet Jacob's "Diary of a Slave Girl", from Assata Shakur's "Assata", and from Emma Goldman, in addition to discussions from Dr. Chinasole from San Francisco State University, and a question and answer segment with Gloria Alonzo of the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Political Prisoners, Dr. Candace Falk, Dr. Jose Lopez from the Movimento de Revolucion Nacional, and former political prisoner Alvaro Luna Hernandez from the Jailhouse Conveyor.
Repression, Resistance, and Knowing Your Rights Repression, Resistance, and Knowing Your Rights
Date: 1/1/1991Call Number: PM 391Format: CassetteProducers: Prison RadioProgram: You Can’t Jail The Spirit #7Collection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Repression of progressive movements, resistance to grand juries, FBI repression, and knowing your rights. An interview with Dr. Mutulu Shakur, from Lompoc prison, and Ricardo Romero from the MLN.
Laura Whitehorn "I am not a terrorist" Laura Whitehorn "I am not a terrorist"
Date: 12/31/1991Call Number: PM 396Format: CassetteCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
From an interview with Laura Whitehorn explaining why she is not a "terrorist."
Plowshare Disarmament - 1 Plowshare Disarmament - 1
Date: 12/20/1991Call Number: PM 402Format: CassetteProgram: You Can't Jail the SpiritCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
The Plowshare Disarmament movement, and Plowshare 8. Interviews with Gene Gump and Elizabeth McAllister.
Plowshare Disarmament - 2 Plowshare Disarmament - 2
Date: 12/20/1991Call Number: PM 403Format: CassetteProgram: You Can't Jail the SpiritCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
The Plowshare Disarmament movement, and Plowshare 8. Interviews with Gene Gump and Elizabeth McAllister.
The True Purpose of Imprisonment The True Purpose of Imprisonment
Date: 9/21/1991Call Number: PM 421Format: Cass A & BCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Jane Henderson on the Bush system of imprisonment and its demographics, the racist application of the death penalty, and the profit chain of the US Prison Industrial Complex. Ricardo Romero on border patrol, the parasitic system of power, the effect of drugs on struggle and the migration towards fascism. Al-Jundi speaks on control units and sensory deprivation.
The True Purpose of Imprisonment The True Purpose of Imprisonment
Date: 9/21/1991Call Number: PM 422Format: Cass A & BCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Jane Henderson on the Bush system of imprisonment and its demographics, the racist application of the death penalty, and the profit chain of the US Prison Industrial Complex. Ricardo Romero on border patrol, the parasitic system of power, the effect of drugs on struggle and the migration towards fascism. Al-Jundi speaks on control units and sensory deprivation. Copy of PM 421