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

KPFA News KPFA News
Call Number: PM 141Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: George Jackson
First news story on KPFA after the death of George Jackson. Read copy only, no actuality.
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.
Manifesto of the Panther 21 Manifesto of the Panther 21
Date: 3/1/1970Call Number: KP 013Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Committee to Defend Panther 21, Radio Free PeopleProgram: Seize the Time Series IICollection: Panther 21
An open letter to Judge John Murtaugh by Michael Cetewayo Tabor in response to Murtaugh’s request of the Panther 21 to obey his rules and keep complete silence during their trail in his courtroom. This manifesto response, spoken in the courtroom, gives a history of America since colonialism until present day 1970 through the African-American experience. Topics mentioned are: colonialism, slavery, the constitution, Amendments 13,14,15, the Reconstruction Era, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board, public segregation, COINTELPRO. Key people mentioned: NYC District Attorney Frank Hogan, Judge Charles Marks, Black Panthers Joan Mury and Lee Barry. Manifesto ends with each Panther 21 stating their name.
Interviews about George Jackson Interviews about George Jackson
Date: 9/6/1971Call Number: PM 097Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Grenada TVCollection: George Jackson
Camera Roll 11: interviews with Black Panthers who were incarcerated with George Jackson at San Quentin; discussing how other prisoners were encouraged by and respected George’s defiance of the State’s orders; talk about the hole and degrading mistreatment; discussion about the yard and racist pitting of groups against each other by guards ; discuss what kind of self-discipline George had and what kind you need once inside ; Camera Roll 12: a former inmate of San Quentin pointing out various elements of a prison on a diagram - not much good on audio only.
Black Panther Garage Class Recordings Black Panther Garage Class Recordings
Date: 9/8/1971Call Number: PM 101Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: George Jackson
Camera Roll 17: Bobby Seale talking to kids in a garage class about George Jackson. Black Panther Party kids singing about George Jackson and other Black Panther Party songs.
Black Panther Party Political Education on George Jackson Black Panther Party Political Education on George Jackson
Date: 9/8/1971Call Number: PM 108Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: George Jackson
Bobby Seale preparing to teach in a garage to Panther kids, asking them what they know about George Jackson, where and how long he was incarcerated. Not much material.
Black Panther Party Political Education Garage School Black Panther Party Political Education Garage School
Date: 9/8/1971Call Number: PM 109Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: BBC - GranadaCollection: Black Panther Party general
Black Panther Party kids singing free political prisoners, free David Hilliard, free Angela Davis, free Ruchell Magee, free all our people. Panther woman (name unknown) leads a class discussing definition of political prisoners and the criminal justice system. If someone can’t feed/clothe their family, doesn’t that make them a political prisoner? Talk about racism in the courtroom, all white juries, how the law doesn’t serve the people, how many people personally know prisoners.
Black Panther Party kids singing and marching Black Panther Party kids singing and marching
Date: 9/8/1971Call Number: PM 110Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Black Panther Party general
Several minutes of Black Panther Party kids marching and singing, “the people must be free.”
All Power to the People Chants All Power to the People Chants
Call Number: PM 113Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Black Panther Party general
Mostly wild sound. Short reel. Can hear distance chants of “All power to the People” and “Long Live George Jackson”.
George Jackson funeral George Jackson funeral
Call Number: PM 114Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: George Jackson
Part of George Jackson’s funeral. Taped recording of woman singing about freedom. Songs plays over and over again. Talking in background but difficult to discern much. After song plays several times, can hear a man giving location of another church where people can view George’s body. Then hear chants of “power to the people”. Woman crying.