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

Underground: The Life of a Political Fugitive Underground: The Life of a Political Fugitive
Date: 4/28/1973Call Number: KP 007Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Nick EglesonProgram: WBAICollection: Anti-War
This is a story about “Tom”, who in 1969 burned the 1A draft records of 34 boards in Chicago, and how he lived on the run for the years following. The story is told through interviews with Tom, his family and various voices from his small-town Minnesota upbringing. Tom’s soft underground experience is very different from the experience of serious clandestine political groups of the time, but nonetheless informative. For example, Tom enjoyed freedom of white privilege, i.e. carrying no ID and hitchhiking in cars with busted headlights and carrying dope.
Chicago Conspiracy Trial Chicago Conspiracy Trial
Date: 12/13/1973Call Number: KP 073Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Claude Marks, Andy TruskierCollection: Chicago Conspiracy Trial
Documentary about the Chicago eight conspiracy trial, includes amazing actual courtroom recordings including the exchange between prosecutors, Judge Hoffman and Black Panther Bobby Seale - resulting in Hoffman having Seale bound and gagged, Bobby Seale tring to speak while bound and gagged, the outrage expressed by Attorney William Kunstler in Court at Bobby Seale's treatment and the refusal of the court to allow Ralph Abernathy to testify. Other interviews include Attorney Leonard Weinglass and defendant Tom Hayden.
A Strategy for Struggle A Strategy for Struggle
Author: Ron KarengaPublisher: The Black ScholarDate: 11/1973Volume Number: NovemberFormat: ArticleCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
This article by Rob Karenga appears in the Black Scholar of November 1973. Karenga calls for liberation of Afroamericans by accessing "critical space" inside economic and political institutions. In his article he provides ways to meet objectives of the liberation struggle and comments on Pan-Africanism.
Poltical Kidnappings (1968-73) Poltical Kidnappings (1968-73)
Publisher: US Government Printing OfficeDate: 8/1/1973Volume Number: 1-AugFormat: Government DocumentCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
This pamphlet produced by the United States government gives a detailed overview of political kidnappings from 1968 to 1973.
Superintendent's Bulletin Superintendent's Bulletin
Publisher: Oakland Unified School DistrictYear: 1973Volume Number: Nov/DecFormat: PamphletCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
The Superintendent's Bulletin is a pamphlet that is a tribute to Marcus Foster after his assassination. It contains his achievements and postive remarks left by colleagues, relatives, and his employees.
Common Victories Common Victories
Publisher: Common Victories; Old Berkeley Tribe; Weather Underground OrganizationDate: 2/23/1973Volume Number: 23-FebFormat: MonographCollection: Weather Underground Organization
SLA Communique #1 SLA Communique #1
Publisher: Symbionese Liberation ArmyDate: 11/6/1973Volume Number: 6-NovFormat: CommuniqueCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
This communique discusses the attacks on the Oakland Board of Education, Dr. Marcus Foster and Robert Blackburn.
Declaration of Revolutionary War & the Symbionese Program Declaration of Revolutionary War & the Symbionese Program
Author: SLAPublisher: Bay Area Research CollectiveDate: 8/21/1973Volume Number: 21-AugFormat: CommuniqueCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
This is a communique by the Symbionese Liberation Army that states what their goals are, details their political and military commitments, and a declares a revolutionary war against oppression.
The Symbionese Liberation Federation and the Symbionese Liberation Army: Declaration of Revolutionary War and the Symbionese Program The Symbionese Liberation Federation and the Symbionese Liberation Army: Declaration of Revolutionary War and the Symbionese Program
Publisher: Symbionese Liberation ArmyDate: 8/21/1973Volume Number: 21-AugFormat: FlyerCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
This flyer contains a shorter version of the SLA's declaration of revolutionary war.