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

Recuerdos de Cuba 50 Anos, Part 2 Recuerdos de Cuba 50 Anos, Part 2
Call Number: V 006Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
IN FRENCH, from TV documentary, biography of Fidel Castro, Pinochet, and more
The Moncada Attack: The twentieth Anniversary The Moncada Attack: The twentieth Anniversary
Call Number: KP 061Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Lincoln Bergman, Gayle Markow, Claude MarksCollection: Cuba
A program about the attacks on the Moncada Barracks in Cuba which led to the guerrilla war and the success of the Cuban revolution. Includes historical information, interviews with female and male soldiers, traditional Cuban music and readings of Jose Marti’s poetry.
Sample of the voices of Ariel Dorfman, Isabel Letelier, Rene Castro, and Isabel Allende Sample of the voices of Ariel Dorfman, Isabel Letelier, Rene Castro, and Isabel Allende
Call Number: CD 127Format: CDProducers: Freedom ArchivesProgram: Chile: Promise of FreedomCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
A sample of the voices of Ariel Dorfman, Isabel Letelier, Rene Castro, and Isabel Allende from their main interviews. Done for the 30th anniversary of the coup in Chile and used extensively in the program, Chile: Promise of Freedom.
SFPD Out of the Castro SFPD Out of the Castro
Call Number: V 191Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
This video contains footage of a demonstration fro AIDS awareness and Queer rights in San Francisco's Castro district. Demonstrators occupy Market Street and refuse to disperse upon SFPD's request. Some arrests are made.
Fidel Castro - Televised Speech Fidel Castro - Televised Speech
Call Number: V 338Format: VHSProducers: CNNProgram: CNNCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Issues include a medicine shortage and Guantanamo Bay.