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.

Independent Collections

These collections were produced by independent journalists. Many of these recordings make up the bulk of the original collection of the Freedom Archives.

Subcollections

Documents

Berkeley SDS on Aftermath of People’s Park Berkeley SDS on Aftermath of People’s Park
Call Number: CE 637Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Colin Edwards Collection
This tape contains an interview with members of Berkeley SDS after a police crackdown on protestors in People’s Park. The interview details how 200-400 cops descended on People’s Park. SDS claims that this repression was an excuse for administrators and the power structure to crack down and intimidate the student movement. They claim that this action is a part of a larger context of repression. It’s acknowledged that Black students and Black people have experienced this repression for years; the work-in conducted by SDS was a major threat to state power (student-worker alliance) and the opinion that the decision to fire on the students, resulting in two being killed, came from a national level.
Berkeley City Council (May 21st, 1969) Berkeley City Council (May 21st, 1969)
Date: 5/21/1969Call Number: CE 638Format: 1/4 3 3/4 ipsCollection: Colin Edwards Collection
Audio from a session of the Berkeley City Council, convened a week after Bloody Thursday, when 128 Berkeley residents were injured and over 2500 National Guard troops were brought in. Ron Dellums speaks prominently and effectively. Motions are debated and then voted on. Sacramento should not decide what happens in Berkeley. Use of bayonets by the National Guard. Dellums makes motion to remove the National Guard from Berkeley completely. Council debates, some like the Guard, some are ok with it but less power and some want it gone. Motion passed to convene grand jury to investigate what happened.
November 30th Revolt: Participant reflections November 30th Revolt: Participant reflections
Call Number: CE 749Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
Interview with Leo Bach, general manager of the Berkeley Free Press, who had been in the downstairs of the student union on 11/30/66. He describes the series of events that unfolded around student opposition to a Navy recruitment table, police violence (including encouraging violence by football players against progressive students), and arrests. Interviews with several students who were present and describe their experiences with police violence and the variety of police forces and agencies present, including the FBI. Leo Bach’s interview plays at 7½ ips while the rest of the tape is 3¾.
Main Floor ASUC November 30 1966 Reel 1 Main Floor ASUC November 30 1966 Reel 1
Date: 11/30/1966Call Number: CE 753Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
Discussion from within the main floor of the ASUC building during the November 30th, 1966 demonstration. About twelve people, mostly students and one faculty member, discuss the possibility of a strike the following day and how to organize it. Most students are in favor of the strike and talk about how to set up picket lines as well as involve the TAs and faculty. Has many splices that can break.
Main Floor ASUC November 30 1966 Reel 2 Main Floor ASUC November 30 1966 Reel 2
Date: 11/30/1966Call Number: CE 754Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
More discussion from within the demonstration in the ASUC building on November 30th, 1966. Students and faculty continue to talk about the possibility of striking the following day. Professor Henkin tried to call a vote on postponing the strike, which students called a "cheap demagogic trick." They discuss the Mulford Act arrests of non-students and the status of non-students. Students find out that ASUC voted to strike if two demands were not met before the following morning. Speakers who are opposed to the idea of a strike are given the stage to talk.
Main Floor ASUC November 30 1966 Reel 3 Main Floor ASUC November 30 1966 Reel 3
Date: 11/30/1966Call Number: CE 756Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
More discussion from within the demonstration in the ASUC building on November 30th, 1966. Students and faculty continue to talk about the possibility of striking the following day. Speakers discuss how leaders have been singled out, the campus issues that students disagree with, the faculty's inaction, the willingness of graduate students to help with a strike, as well as reasons not to strike. The third speaker announces that bail has been set at $3300 per person for the three non-students who had been arrested. He presents the three demands for the strike: No police on campus, amnesty for participants in the demonstration, and student power on campus.