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

Minister Louis Farrakhan speaks before the National Newspaper Publishers Association Minister Louis Farrakhan speaks before the National Newspaper Publishers Association
Date: 3/14/1996Call Number: V 159Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Louis Farrakhan is being honored with the 1995 newsmaker of the year award,given by the National Newspaper Publishers Associaton ( the assciaton is a trade association for 200 black newspapers). He speaks about how the media has distorted and crushed black leaders and their views; but he honors the National Newspaper Publishers Association for going against the mainsteam and awarding him for his work.He talks about his trips to Africa and the Islamic world.
Hijacked Hijacked
Date: 1/1/2006Call Number: V 221Format: DVDProducers: Ilan ZivProgram: American Experience - PBSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
On September 6, 1970, members of the militant Palestinian group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (P.F.L.P.), hijacked four commercial airplanes. They commandeered a fifth aircraft three days later. Wanting to attract attention to the Palestinian cause and secure the release of several of their comrades, the P.F.L.P. spectacularly blew up four of the planes. Today the commanders who planned and carried out the attack resist comparison to the terrorists who masterminded the events of September 11, 2001: members of the P.F.L.P. were not religious extremists, but secular Marxist Leninists. And of the almost 600 passengers taken hostage, none were killed. Great documentary footage & historical interviews though the predicatable politics of PBS overall.
Shutdown - the rise and fall of Direct action to Stop the War Shutdown - the rise and fall of Direct action to Stop the War
Date: 1/1/2009Call Number: V 331Format: DVDProducers: AK PressCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Using the March 20, 2003 occupation and disruption of the San Francisco Financial District as a case study, the film casts an eye on one of the most successful actions of the current anti-war movement, facilitated by Direct Action to Stop the War (DASW). The movie tells the story of how social justice organizers and everyday people came together to plan and shut down the financial district of a major US city.
ROTC Instructor Teaching ROTC Instructor Teaching
Date: 1/1/1990Call Number: V 485Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
ROTC instruction followed by a PSA featuring members of Women Against Imperialism calling on people to join a demonstration against the gulf war. Various features focusing on Libya and Gaddafi's foreign relations and anti-Israel politics.
Demonstration at Concord Naval Weapons Demonstration at Concord Naval Weapons
Date: 3/16/1991Call Number: V 504Format: Hi-8Producers: Lisa RudmanCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Preparation for anti-war demonstration and march on the Concord Naval Weapons center. Organizations include CISPES, ACT UP, and Food Not Bombs. Protestors uproot the railroad tracks in an attempt to halt their shipping of weapons to the Middle East.
Libya Travel Restrictions Protest Libya Travel Restrictions Protest
Date: 1/1/1988Call Number: V 509Format: Hi-8Producers: Lisa RudmanCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Protestors demand a reversal on the US government's ban on travel to and from Libya. Takes place outside of the Federal building in San Francisco.
Demonstration at Concord Naval Weapons Demonstration at Concord Naval Weapons
Date: 3/16/1991Call Number: V 525Format: Hi-8Producers: Lisa RudmanCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Preparation for anti-war demonstration and march on the Concord Naval Weapons Station. Organizations include CISPES, ACT UP, and Food Not Bombs. Protesters uproot the railroad tracks in an attempt to halt their shipping of weapons to the Middle East.
Demonstration at Concord Naval Weapons Demonstration at Concord Naval Weapons
Date: 3/16/1991Call Number: V 526Format: Hi-8Producers: Lisa RudmanCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Preparation for anti-war demonstration and march on the Concord Naval Weapons Station. Organizations include CISPES, ACT UP, and Food Not Bombs. Protesters uproot the railroad tracks in an attempt to halt their shipping of weapons to the Middle East.
Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers
Date: 9/1/2006Call Number: V 659Format: DVDCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Iraq for Sale uncovers the connections between private corporations making a killing in Iraq (Blackwater, Halliburton/KBR, CACI and Titan) and the decision makers who allow them to do so. Directed by Robert Greenwald
Weapons of Mass Deception Weapons of Mass Deception
Date: 12/12/2004Call Number: V 649Format: DVDCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Director Danny Schecter exposes the impact of the media's efforts to mislead and deceive the American public during the 2nd Iraq War.