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: 6/23/1973Call Number: RD 048Producers: Lincoln Bergman, Claude MarksProgram: Real DragonCollection: “The Real Dragon” a news magazine including music and poetry
20th anniversary program on the Rosenberg executions. Includes two letters written by the Rosenbergs. Also contains news summaries: Breznhev & Nixon meeting, Attica, Arizona prison, Gibson, Justice, Martin Sostre, Camden draft office, Carlos Feliciano, Irish Republican Army, return of Peron to Argentina after exile, Chile, Bolivia.
Attica Prison Rebellion Attica Prison Rebellion
Collection: Attica
Frank "Big Black" Smith and L.D. Barkley, who proclaimed the Attica Manifesto, and Elizabeth Fink, an attorney for the Attica Brothers. Barkley was killed in the massacre. Smith survived mass torture to help lead the eventually successful legal battle on behalf of the Attica Brothers.
A Double Sentence- AIDS in Prisons A Double Sentence- AIDS in Prisons
Call Number: JG/ 007Producers: Judy GerberCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
"A Double Sentence- AIDS in Prisons" California male prisoners with AIDS are sent to insufficient facility in Vacaville and totally removed from the rest of the prison population
Empleo at San Quentin Prison Empleo at San Quentin Prison
Date: 6/3/1972Call Number: RP 021Producers: Raul Torres, Emiliano EcheverriaCollection: Reflecciones de la Raza by Comunicacion Aztlan
Larry Martinez and Manuel Estrada of EMPLEO, San Quentin, discuss issues relating to finding employment for Chicano ex offenders
Capital Punishment Discussion Capital Punishment Discussion
Call Number: JG/ 056Collection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
An interview of/discussion between Curtis Sliwa (Founder of Guardian Angels) and Karima Wicks of the Legal Defense Fund and Capital Punishment Project of the NAACP on the issue of the death penalty and capital punishment. Race/Class in punishment. Disproportionate sentencing.
Call Number: LA 088Collection: Struggles in Latin America
Real Dragon Real Dragon
Date: 10/24/1971Call Number: RD 009Producers: Lincoln Bergman, Claude MarksProgram: Real DragonCollection: “The Real Dragon” a news magazine including music and poetry
Continued from RD 008. News coverage of over 20 Black rebellions occurring around the country; Rebellion in women's prison in solidarity with Attica prisoners; Continued coverage of U.S. occupation in North Vietnam; VietNam Veterans Against the War occupied the Statue of Liberty in New York; September 2nd women's march; H.Rap Brown captured; Iranian embassy in San Francisco attacked.
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.
Prison Poets Prison Poets
Date: 12/5/1972Call Number: PM 272Collection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Prisoners at San Bruno Jail read their poems.
Nothing is More Precious Than (8/16/75) Nothing is More Precious Than (8/16/75)
Call Number: CD 579Program: NIMPTCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes