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

Paul Robeson sings Paul Robeson sings
Call Number: KP 057Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson, sings “Joe Hill”.
Paul Robeson Show: Spirituals, Lena Horne Paul Robeson Show: Spirituals, Lena Horne
Date: 1/1/1982Call Number: PR 012Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Emiliano EcheverriaProgram: Freedom Is A Constant StruggleCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Spirituals and Lena Horne, the 1958 Moscow concert, and excerpts from Robeson speeches & interviews. Also on CD 238, Track 1
Paul Robeson: Sid Roger Remembers - Part 1 Paul Robeson: Sid Roger Remembers - Part 1
Date: 5/28/1983Call Number: PR 016Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Emiliano EcheverriaProgram: Freedom Is A Constant StruggleCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Excerpts from 1976 interview with Sid Roger, KPFA commentator and friend of Robeson. Roger tells anecdotes and speaks about Robeson’s political views and activities for peace, justice and equality. Excerpts from Roger’s interviews with Robeson and from Robeson’s speech at the Marine Cooks & Stewards Union convention in San Francisco. Also on CD 243, Track 1
In the midst of struggle: Songs of Paul Robeson. In the midst of struggle: Songs of Paul Robeson.
Date: 1/25/1985Call Number: PR 028Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Emiliano Echeverria, Lincoln BergmanProgram: Freedom Is A Constant StruggleCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Comments on Robeson’s activism in the struggle for peace and equality, with Robeson songs. CD 262, Track 2
Paul Robeson Show Paul Robeson Show
Date: 7/27/1991Call Number: PR 040Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Emiliano EcheverriaProgram: Freedom Is A Constant StruggleCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Tribute to Earl Robinson one week after his death - discusses his relationship with Paul Robeson. Includes taped greeting by Robeson to “my friends in the Bay Area,” Robeson singing “Ballad For Americans “ and “Joe Hill,” written by Robinson, and Robinson singing “The House I Live In,” written by Lewis Allen. Same as CD 278, Track 1
Paul Robeson: Black Man in America Paul Robeson: Black Man in America
Call Number: PR 046Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Paul Robeson: biography interspersed with recordings of songs, speeches and interviews; final speech from Othello. Same as CD 281, Track 1
Paul Robeson Political Songs Paul Robeson Political Songs
Call Number: PR 047Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Paul Robeson's political songs USA, USSR, Wales & Ireland Same as CD 280, Track 6
Paul Robeson, Marine Cooks & Stewards Paul Robeson, Marine Cooks & Stewards
Date: 5/31/1951Call Number: PR 051Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProgram: Paul Robeson, Marine Cooks & Stewards Collection: Paul Robeson recordings
Paul Robeson sings and speaks at the annual convention of the Marine Cooks and Stewards Union in San Francisco, at Macedonia Baptist Church. Political and folk songs : Joe Hill, Water Boy, Scandalize My name, No More Auction Block, Los Cuatro Generales (The Four Insurgent Generals), The Four Rivers, Old Man River. Same as CD 286, Track 1
Paul Robeson raw materials Paul Robeson raw materials
Call Number: PR 059Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Robeson raw materials: sings Prayer and Death (aria from Boris Gudonov, Mussorgsky opera); Sid Roger interview from 1955; Robeson speaks about the role of the UN in the struggle for peace, the denial of his passport and his struggle for his right to travel, his varied musical repertoire; recites the lyrics to The Four Rivers and tells the story behind the song and its message of peace; speaks at the convention of the Marine Cooks & Stewards Union and sings Joe Hill; Sid Roger from 1955 continued; Robeson speaks about the government’s attack on Harry Bridges and the ILWU Same as CD 296, Track 1
WBAI Tribute to Paul Robeson WBAI Tribute to Paul Robeson
Date: 1/1/1968Call Number: PR 065Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: WBAIProgram: Tribute to Paul RobesonCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Tribute to Paul Robeson WBAI Reel 3 (exact duplicate of Reel 2, but better quality). Recording of Paul Robeson singing “Joe Hill” Same as CD 344, Track 2