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

Black Liberation Army - Fact or Fantasy Black Liberation Army - Fact or Fantasy
Date: 1/1/1974Call Number: PM 165Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Ron Magee, Rest of the News, Claude Marks, Bruce Soloway, Mark SchwartzProgram: Rest of the NewsCollection: BLA
Interviews and discussion concerning the Black Liberation Army and it’s alleged members. The question is raised as to the actual existence of the group which some claim to be a fabrication of the media and police to justify increased repression of Black revolutionaries. Various criminal trials of black activists are looked at to reveal how the local Police, FBI, News Media, and U.S. Justice System have worked together to pursue a repressive course to combat what they see as a threat to the very structure of American Society. Interviews detail use of police violence and torture to intimidate and demoralize the black radical movement. The cases of the “New York Five”, Joanne Chesimard (Assata Shakur), and Fred Hilton are described, along with the killing of Fred Hampton and the imprisonment of Muhammad Arif and Victor Cumerbash. Black Liberation Army prisoners (Herman Bell and Gabriel Torres) are interviewed extensively. Family members speak to the violence and repression of the police at a press conference. The murder by police of Twyman Myers is extensively addressed.
Pajaro Latino Pajaro Latino
Date: 10/3/2002Call Number: JH 684AFormat: Cass AProducers: Jorge HerreraCollection: “Pajaro Latino” Programs produced by Jorge Herrera
ACLU Union de Libertades Civiles, Mariana Bustamante Coordinadora de Educacion Proyecto del derecho de los inmigrantes; Dream Act, Campaña de Legalizacion
A Defiant Heart: Focus on Sodomy A Defiant Heart: Focus on Sodomy
Date: 1/8/1990Call Number: JG/ 104Format: CassetteCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
In 1986, the U.S. Supreme Court had upheld Georgia state sodomy laws in the landmark case "Bowers vs. Hardwick". Recorded here is a mass demonstration against such laws. The demonstration takes place at the Georgia state capitol on the opening day of its 1990 state legislature. Groups represented ranged from the Aids Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT UP), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the National Organization for Women (NOW) to religious groups to advocates for AIDS awareness, pro-choice, anti-racism, and anti-ableism. Speakers touched upon many subjects, from the importance of choice in and out of the bedroom, the danger of sodomy laws' silencing consequences in the face of the AIDS crisis to sodomy laws' place in the long-standing history of persecution in the U.S. and in the world. Many of the speeches featured are intended to rally the crowd and do not go into great depth.
Medical Neglect Medical Neglect
Date: 1/1/1995Call Number: PM 302Format: Cass A & BProducers: Prison Activist Resource CenterProgram: Prison Activist RadioCollection: Medical Care In Prison
Prison Activist Radio discuss the battle for medical care and healthcare rights for prisoners. Judy Greenspan, director of HIV/AIDS in Prison Project and member of California Coalition for Women Prisoners, speaks about the lack of women's healthcare in prisons, the serious medical conditions that men and women prisoners enter the system with, and the hostility of doctors, officials, and guards towards prisoners. She also discusses prisoner-activist Joanne Walker and the effective campaign for HIV/AIDS care and medical rights. Jean Stewart, from the Disabled Prisoner's Justice Fund and ADAPT discusses the abuses suffered by prisoners with disabilities. She also discusses health care issues, including the Armstrong and Shumate cases. Stewart states that the biggest problem with medical justice is the public's ignorance of people with disabilites.
Shield for Abuse - Update Shield for Abuse - Update
Date: 4/1/1991Call Number: V 479Format: VHSProducers: Spencer MichelCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Special for KQED about police brutality and rare instances of SFPD accountability. Footage of the Castro Sweep, were cops beat Dolores Huerta so badly that she had her spleen removed, and an incident involving the macing of a legal observer.
ACLU Plans Suit to Challenge Prison Censorship ACLU Plans Suit to Challenge Prison Censorship
Author: Hanna W. RoslaPublisher: New Jersey Law JournalDate: 12/7/1992Volume Number: 7-DecFormat: ArticleCollection: Control Units
reproduction of original article.
Report on the High Security Unit for Women Federal Correctional Institution Lexington, Kentucky Report on the High Security Unit for Women Federal Correctional Institution Lexington, Kentucky
Publisher: National Prison Project of the ACLU FoundationDate: 8/25/1987Volume Number: 25-AugFormat: ReportCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
Report written from experiences of two National Prison Project Staff attorneys and a correctional psychologist and criminalogist who undertook a tour of Lexington Prison.
The Black Panther Black Community News Service The Black Panther Black Community News Service
Publisher: The Black Panther PartyYear: 1970Volume Number: Vol. 5-16 October 17Format: PeriodicalCollection: Black Panther Party Community News Service
Cover Story: Alprentice 'Bunchy' Carter Deputy Minister of Defense Black Panther Party L.A. California. Born- October 12, 1942 Assassinated- January 17, 1969.