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

Soffiyah Elijah speaks about Torture and Repression against Black Liberation Veterans Soffiyah Elijah speaks about Torture and Repression against Black Liberation Veterans
Date: 1/1/2006Call Number: CD 522Format: CDProducers: National Radio ProjectCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Speaking to the national Network of Grantmakers about the recent Grand Jury targeting former Black Activists, torture in New Orleans in 1973, and the lasting effects of COINTELPRO. Part 1
Soffiyah Elijah speaks about Torture and Repression against Black Liberation Veterans Soffiyah Elijah speaks about Torture and Repression against Black Liberation Veterans
Date: 1/1/2006Call Number: CD 523Format: CDProducers: National Radio ProjectCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Speaking to the national Network of Grantmakers about the recent Grand Jury targeting former Black Activists, torture in New Orleans in 1973, and the lasting effects of COINTELPRO. Part 2 - Q&A
American Revolution 2 American Revolution 2
Date: 1/1/1969Call Number: V 244Format: DVDProducers: Howard Alk, Mike GrayCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
A gritty but essential documentary charting social turbulences in late 1960's Chicago. American Revolution 2 includes footage of the 1968 Democratic Convention protest and riot, a critique of the events by working class African-Americans in Chicago, and attempts by the Black Panther Party to organize poor, southern white youths on the city's north side. Using direct sound, a handheld camera, no script, black-and-white film stock, and natural lighting, the directors' no-frills approach appropriately reflects the raw energy of this upheaval.
What We Want, What We Believe: The Black Panther Party Library What We Want, What We Believe: The Black Panther Party Library
Date: 1/1/2006Call Number: V 284Format: DVDProducers: Roz Payne, Newsreel FilmsCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
For the first time on DVD, AK Press is proud to present three acclaimed Newsreel Films on the Black Panther Party: Off the Pig; Mayday; and Repression. Formed in 1967, the Newsreel film collective was dedicated to chronicling and analyzing current events. In their time, they produced more than three dozen films throughout the US and abroad. By working directly with the Black Panthers, Newsreel was able to explore realities often ignored by traditional media outlets, while producing documents that the Panthers and other activists could use in organizing their own communities. The results speak for themselves and stand as true testimonials to the spirit of community self-defense and political savvy the Panthers are celebrated—and were targeted—for. Accompanying the Newsreel films is a massive quantity of rare and exclusive materials culled from Roz Payne's extensive collection of FBI documents, correspondence, and interviews with Black Panthers and their supporters. It's all here, the government-sponsored repression, the trials, exile, triumph, and reunion. What We Want, What We Believe is not a straight-forward documentary—the additional materials are like Roz Payne's home movies—but more like a tapestry woven from fragments of cloth. As a whole, these fragments present a rich and provocative history, straight from the mouths of Panthers, their supporters, and even the agents charged with neutralizing them. These materials—over 12 hours—are crucial to our continuing understanding of the Black Panther Party and their legacy. Any student of American History, Black Studies, Political Science & Law, Film Studies, or Civil Rights struggles will find a wealth of valuable information in the Library. This 12-hour DVD features three films on the Black Panther Party and additional footage on their history and legacy. Special bonus features: Documents from the Roz Payne Archives chronicling the movement and repression against it. Disc One: Three Newsreel Films, Interviews with Field Marshall Donald Cox, Footage from 35th Anniversary Reunion Disc Two: Interviews with Former FBI Agents discussing COINTELPRO tactics, Footage from the Wheelock Academic Conference on the BPP Disc Three: Interviews with various movement lawyers discussing Panther cases Disc Four: Interviews with Newsreel members, DVD-Rom extras from the Roz Payne Archives