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

Real Dragon Real Dragon
Date: 5/26/1973Call Number: RD 044Program: Real Dragon Collection: “The Real Dragon” a news magazine including music and poetry
Real Dragon Watergate and Africa, interspersed with limericks.
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
Real Dragon Real Dragon
Date: 5/26/1971Call Number: RD 002Producers: Lincoln BergmanProgram: Real DragonCollection: “The Real Dragon” a news magazine including music and poetry
News reports of May 26, 1971 march on Washington of over 15,000 to protest against President Richard Nixon and voice outrage over his administration's racist actions toward South Africa. The day is called African Liberation day.
Racism in San Bruno County Jail Racism in San Bruno County Jail
Date: 10/30/1973Call Number: PM 271Collection: Race and the Prison System
The first part of this recording is a question and answer session between San Bruno County Jail inmates and the head cook in their cafeteria. The conversation is facilitated by an ex-inmate. Topics discussed include the firing of three Black members of the kitchen staff, and insufficient quantities of food. The second part is the facilitator speaking on institutionalization, political education, and the creation of revolutionaries within the prison system.
San Quentin 6 and George Jackson San Quentin 6 and George Jackson
Call Number: CD 580Collection: San Quentin Six
Update on civil suit filed against California prison system by the San Quentin 6. Program features background on the 6 as well as George Jackson. Actuality of Jackson, Fania Jordan, Johnny Larry Spain, James “Doc” Holiday, Luis “Bato” Talamantez, Hugo Pinell, Michael Burgener, Fleeta Drumgo, and David Johnson. Ends with Johnny Cash song denouncing San Quentin. [PM 001] BBC Report, Iron Box: The Prison Life and Death of George Jackson, on Jackson after assassination, good Jackson actuality, Fay Stender, early blues music, Inez Williams, Doris Maxwell (Clutchette's mother), Elsa Knight Thompson on prison, Frazel Sheldon, public defender Sonoma County, Robert Charles Jordan 1966 suit for cruel and unusual punishment. [PM 023]
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.
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.
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.
Paul Robeson Speaks at Marine Cooks & Stewards Union Paul Robeson Speaks at Marine Cooks & Stewards Union
Collection: Paul Robeson recordings
Sample of Paul Robeson, the great African-American Singer and activist, in a rare recording, takes from a speech to a union gathering in San Francisco.