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

Panel discussion on the crisis of racism, PART 1 Panel discussion on the crisis of racism, PART 1
Date: 5/1/1962Call Number: KP 094Format: Cass A & BProducers: Public Affairs Department of WBAI, Pacifica RadioCollection: Black Liberation
A panel discussion moderated by Murray Kempton, James Farmer, William Worthy, and Malcolm X, discussing the crisis of racism in the US. James Farmer, National Director of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), speaks about the problems of hatred, racism, and exclusivity. He says that racism is the misuse of words that mean different things to different people, and is really the belief of the superiority of one race over another. William worthy, an American journalist, poses the question: if a Civil Rights Movement involves white money, does it betray the movement? He speaks about how serious racism is in America, and that whites need a devastating event to get them to overcome their set ways. Next, Malcolm X speaks about how it is impossible for black Americans to realize the same dream as whites. He also speaks about withstanding the racism if it means one could know and fight the enemy. Malcolm X tells the people that it is ok for black people in America to fight back in self-defense because theirs is the most colonized country in the world. The panel discussion ends with a question and answer session about racism and atrocities against blacks fighting for equality.
Minister Louis Farrakhan speaks before the National Newspaper Publishers Association Minister Louis Farrakhan speaks before the National Newspaper Publishers Association
Date: 3/14/1996Call Number: V 159Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Louis Farrakhan is being honored with the 1995 newsmaker of the year award,given by the National Newspaper Publishers Associaton ( the assciaton is a trade association for 200 black newspapers). He speaks about how the media has distorted and crushed black leaders and their views; but he honors the National Newspaper Publishers Association for going against the mainsteam and awarding him for his work.He talks about his trips to Africa and the Islamic world.
“Malcolm X: The Last Message” “Malcolm X: The Last Message”
Date: 2/14/1965Call Number: PM 246Format: Cass A & BCollection: Malcolm X
Malcolm X delivered this speech in Detroit, Michigan February 14, 1965: the same evening his home was attacked in New York. In his speech, Malcolm X provides an extensive and in depth analysis and explanation of the condition of Black people both in the United States as well as around the world. He examines the colonial powers and provides several examples of terror committed on the part of the United States and other Imperial powers against Africans, African Americans, Latinos, Asians, Central and South American and all other non-white people across the globe. An extensive portion covers important issues in Africa and their direct relation to struggles in the US. Malcolm defines his view of Power in an oppressive society and speaks to the issue of religion, specifically Christianity and Islam. The idea of fear and false propaganda created by ruling powers are highlighted as methods "the man" employs in hopes to create a permanent and unchallenged vibe of ignorance in the Black community. The Media and press are thoroughly explored, discussed and critiqued. He explains how the media removes all responsibility of society and places it on the Black community. He continues on to compare and contrast situations of political and racial oppression in the US as well as all around the globe. He describes organized attacks of genocide against innocent villages at the aid of United States political, military and economic forces. He continues on to interpret the situation of Black people in the US and focuses on how all images given to Black people of themselves are always negative or uncivilized. This very extensive speech covers much of Malcolm X's thoughts on the situation of Imperialism and what must be done immediately to protect not civil rights, but human rights across the globe.