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

35% Puerto Rican Women Sterilized 35% Puerto Rican Women Sterilized
Publisher: Committee for Puerto Rican DecolonizationYear: 1974Volume Number: Vol. 2-5Format: ArticleCollection: Puerto Rico: A History of the People
An article from the Committee for Puerto Rican Decolonization in New York exposing the massive sterilization program carried out by the U.S. Government and the Rockefeller Foundation in response to the "population problem" in Puerto Rico that was seen as responsible for widespread unemployment.
Gov't Network Sterilizes Workers Gov't Network Sterilizes Workers
Publisher: Committee for Puerto Rican DecolonizationFormat: ArticleCollection: Puerto Rico: A History of the People
A continuation of an article about the history of mass sterilization in Puerto Rico but focuses on the problems with the current health system and includes the results of a 1968 study on sterilzation.
The Other Side of Sexual Assault: When a Woman is Raped by a Woman The Other Side of Sexual Assault: When a Woman is Raped by a Woman
Author: Victoria A. BrownworthPublisher: San Francisco Bay TimesDate: 8/1991Volume Number: AugustFormat: ArticleCollection: Violence Against Women
Original Article
Psychiatrists Disagree at Lorena Bobbitt Trial Psychiatrists Disagree at Lorena Bobbitt Trial
Publisher: San Francisco ChronicleFormat: ArticleCollection: Violence Against Women
Original Article
Under Attack but Fighting Back Under Attack but Fighting Back
Author: Nina SchuylerPublisher: On the IssuesYear: 1992Volume Number: WinterFormat: ArticleCollection: Violence Against Women
Reproduction of original article.
Lesbian Consciousness and Male Violence Lesbian Consciousness and Male Violence
Author: Denslow tregarthen BrownPublisher: Fight Back!Format: ArticleCollection: Violence Against Women
Reproduction of original article.
Psychiatrists and Cops: Unholy Alliance Psychiatrists and Cops: Unholy Alliance
Author: Philip ShapiroPublisher: New American MovementYear: 1973Volume Number: Vol. 3-1 SeptemberFormat: ArticleCollection: Mental Health
Original article discussing the relationship between law enforcement, prison authorities and psychiatry.
Senators Critical of Violence Study Senators Critical of Violence Study
Author: David PerlmanPublisher: San Francisco ChronicleDate: 5/31/1973Volume Number: 31-MayFormat: ArticleCollection: Mental Health
Original Article
Violence Study Center Defended by Researcher Violence Study Center Defended by Researcher
Author: David PerlmanPublisher: San Francisco ChronicleDate: 5/31/1973Volume Number: 31-MayFormat: ArticleCollection: Mental Health
Original Article
Prison Psychiatry: The Clockwork Cure Prison Psychiatry: The Clockwork Cure
Author: Bernard WeinerPublisher: The NationYear: 1972Volume Number: Vol. 214-14 April 3Format: ArticleCollection: Mental Health
Article about aversion therapy, routinely practiced in California's prison system. Article further investigates medical and mental health practices at Vacaville Prison.