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

Big Black speaks at Attica anniversary event Big Black speaks at Attica anniversary event
Call Number: PM 052Format: CassetteProgram: Prison MovementCollection: Attica
Big Black (Frank Smith) speaks about “where we should see ourselves in 1977”; US as prison state; need for intra-racial and inter-racial solidarity; responsibility and commitment to political organizing; ends with Q and A session
Assata Shakur Communiqué Assata Shakur Communiqué
Date: 11/1/1980Call Number: PM 053Format: CassetteProgram: Prison MovementCollection: Assata Shakur
Communiqué 11/80 where Assata Shakur speaks of positive strategies of revolutionary struggle against a system that has declared war
Geronimo Pratt Interview Geronimo Pratt Interview
Date: 10/26/1992Call Number: PM 087Format: CassetteCollection: Geronimo Pratt
Pratt talks about his life pre Black Panther Party: growing up in Louisiana, family life, KKK, service in Vietnam and enrollment in UCLA. At UCLA he is roommates with Black Panther Party Minister of Defense Bunchy Carter. After Bunchy Carter’s murder Pratt takes his place. He talks about government repression, COINTELPRO, relations with other New Left Organizations and role of women and sexism in the Party. Then the interviews follows his arrest and conviction of murder in 1970, he was in the hole from 70-’78. Pratt discuss becoming a New Afrikan, the role of armed national liberation struggle and role of struggle within the legislative realm. He discusses youth anger and education in the 90’s, LA rebellions, prison industrial complex, and political prisoners.
Resistance Conspiracy Resistance Conspiracy
Call Number: JG/ 012Format: CassetteProducers: Judy GerberCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Tim Blunk, Susan Rosenberg, Marilyn Buck, Linda Evans, Laura Whitehorn, Alan Berkman on trial for capitol bombing in 1983, two military bases between 1983 and 1984.
Unicor Demonstration Unicor Demonstration
Date: 7/24/1996Call Number: SS 010Format: CassetteProducers: Sue SuprianoCollection: Sue Supriano Interviews and Programs
Comments from various people about the prison industry.
Interviews with UNICOR officials Interviews with UNICOR officials
Call Number: SS 019Format: CassetteProducers: Sue SuprianoCollection: Sue Supriano Interviews and Programs
1) Unicor official spokesperson 2) Curt Gray, union 3) another union personal 4) Henry Kroll Businessman 5) Dr. Corey Weinstein
Interview with Kiilu Nyasha Interview with Kiilu Nyasha
Date: 9/1/1997Call Number: SS 021Format: CassetteProducers: Sue SuprianoCollection: Sue Supriano Interviews and Programs
Interview with Kiilu Nyasha regarding the Soledad Brothers.
Interview with Selby Interview with Selby
Call Number: SS 035Format: CassetteProducers: Sue SuprianoCollection: Sue Supriano Interviews and Programs
Interview with Selby, one of the youth activist who was arrested in the Soweto South Africa uprising.
Black Panthers- Geronimo Ji Jaga Black Panthers- Geronimo Ji Jaga
Date: 1/14/1987Call Number: JG/ 057Format: CassetteProducers: Judy GerberProgram: interview with GeronimoCollection: Geronimo Pratt
This is an interview with Geronimo Ji Jaga, a Black Panther leader who was imprisoned for over 20 years at San Quentin prison, charged with a murder in Los Angeles, even though FBI surveillance showed him to be in the Bay Area at the time.
Geronimo interview Geronimo interview
Call Number: PM 195Format: CassetteCollection: Geronimo Pratt
Former Black Panther and Political Prisoner Geronimo Pratt discusses his innocence, abuses endured during his 17 years in prison, time as a member of the Black liberation movement in the 60s, his service in Vietnam, his family, the changing character of young inmates, the government's use of psychological warfare, the many years he spent in solitary confinement in various prisons, and why he considers himself a political prisoner.