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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

Jonathan Jackson funeral Jonathan Jackson funeral
Call Number: PM 008Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Claude Marks, Lincoln BergmanProgram: Real Dragon and laterCollection: George Jackson
Statements read by Huey Newton at Jonathan Jackson's funeral including an letter from George Jackson; a letter from Soledad political prisoners; and Black Panther Party statement ”we must be free, so help us God."
Memorial program Aug 7 Memorial program Aug 7
Date: 8/1/1975Call Number: PM 021Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Lincoln Bergman, Claude Marks, Mark SchwartzProgram: Real DragonCollection: George Jackson
Jonathan Jackson memorial program - long George Jackson and Huey Newton exerpts and audio from funeral.
Interviews with Soledad Brothers Interviews with Soledad Brothers
Date: 8/17/1970Call Number: PM 058Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Dave Stevens, PA Director of KPFKCollection: George Jackson
Interviews with Fleeta Drumgo, John Cluchette and George Jackson about prison, their histories, Jonathan Jackson and the Marin County Rebellion. George Jackson on his early history, talks abaout reading and studying inside, racism in prison, Jonathan Jackson’s death and the possibility of his own death. Interview with George is most substantive of the three. John Cluchette on the first Soledad incident, political views of prison, on George and Jonathan Jackson Fleeta Drumgo on his political views of prison. Gets cut off at the end.
Ruchell Magee Ruchell Magee
Date: 8/18/1971Call Number: PM 075Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Dave StevensCollection: Ruchell Magee
Prison interview with Ruchell Magee 3 days before assassination of George Jackson conducted by Dave Stevens of KPFK-Los Angeles. Discusses his original case and appeals. Then goes to what happened on the day of the Marin County courthouse rebellion but he mostly declines to comment. Speaks on why his and Angela’s case were separated, on being his own attorney. His case to Reagan for a pardon (Ruchell Magee vs. Ronald Reagan.) Good quote re Panthers on UNITY. More on Angela--need unity not “stars,” but the gun---Mention of Nixon and Vietnam. “No pleasure in San Quentin.” What would you do if you were on the outside? (organize, bring people in to show them the real conditions). When did you first begin to feel like a “slave?” Talks about his early background. Discusses 1963 conviction briefly 19:04 "These dogs have kept me in prison all this time… these dogs have one leg to stand on, racism." 22:27 "Those appointed by the court are shysters and buzzards, they work for the state." (Referring to the attorneys) 28:10 "I file a case and it sits in a drawer for 3 or 4 years." 29:30 "We (Black people) are going thorough hell, it's time to unite, no time to fight one-and-other." 31:24 "That's the pigs, they use confusion to divide us." 34:35 "The contradictions, the dogs are compelling people to pick up guns." 35:10 "There is no pleasure in prison." 36:10 "As soon as they let one go, here go another one, it's how prison is designed, tap dancing and actin' the fool won't help if you on the list to do some time it don't matter." "What I would do on the outside is organize the people." 42:25"You don't put no MF? Fool as a king." 42:55 "It's me today, it's you tomorrow." 48:00 "the government will destroy the people and itself too." 49:40 "I would help the Viet Cong fight."
Interview with George Jackson’s lawyer and former fellow inmate/comrade Interview with George Jackson’s lawyer and former fellow inmate/comrade
Call Number: PM 104Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: George Jackson
Track 1: Interview with John Thorne, George Jackson’s lawyer, about his relationship with George. Describes George as a selfless leader, always bringing in lawyers to discuss the cases of fellow inmates. Talks about George’s solidarity with other movements, his dedication to struggle for freedom, his ultimate discipline and preparedness for attack. Discusses some of the letters between George and Angela Davis about fascism within the United States. Track 2: Interview of Popeye Jackson, former fellow prisoner of George’s in San Quentin and Soledad prisons, discussing the impossibility of the State’s case for assassinating George Jackson. Discusses the repressive conditions of the adjustment center and the many revolutionaries abused within solitary confinement. Reads a letter from Fleeta Drumgo about his treatment in the case of his death.
Paul Cook, Ruchell Magee, And Justice In America Paul Cook, Ruchell Magee, And Justice In America
Date: 6/4/1971Call Number: PM 154Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Carolyn CravenCollection: Ruchell Magee
Paul Cook is interviewed by Carolyn Craven. Cook is a former cellmate of Ruchell Magee, who is at the time of the interview on trial with Angela Davis in connection with the escape attempt and shootout at the Marin Civic Center in August, 1970. Cook discusses his relationship with Ruchell Magee and his role as a member of his Defense Committee. He begins the interview by describing his being approached by police agents wanting him to testify against Ruchell Magee under threat on June 3, 1971. Topics addressed include the difficulty of organizing Magee’s defense, and the frustration working within the legal system. The growth of the California Prison Industry is analyzed, as are the conditions of prison life and their impact on prisoners’ families . He discusses George and Jonathan Jackson, Larry West and Ruchell Magee. 2:10 …While they were considering bail for Angela I was there 'cause I didn't want them to forget about Ruchell. 42:50 & 49:10 Jonathan and George Jackson
Ruchell Magee Ruchell Magee
Date: 8/18/1971Call Number: CD 439Format: CDProducers: Dave StevensCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Prison interview with Ruchell Magee 3 days before assassination of George Jackson conducted by Dave Stevens of KPFK-Los Angeles. Discusses his original case and appeals. Then goes to what happened on the day of the Marin County courthouse rebellion but he mostly declines to comment. Speaks on why his and Angela’s case were separated, on being his own attorney. His case to Reagan for a pardon (Ruchell Magee vs. Ronald Reagan.) Good quote re Panthers on UNITY. More on Angela--need unity not “stars,” but the gun---Mention of Nixon and Vietnam. “No pleasure in San Quentin.” What would you do if you were on the outside? (organize, bring people in to show them the real conditions). When did you first begin to feel like a “slave?” Talks about his early background. …Discusses 1963 conviction briefly 19:04 "These dogs have kept me in prison all this time… these dogs have one leg to stand on, racism." 22:27 "Those appointed by the court are shysters and buzzards, they work for the state." (Referring to the attorneys) 28:10 "I file a case and it sits in a drawer for 3 or 4 years." 29:30 "We (Black people) are going thorough hell, it's time to unite, no time to fight one-and-other." 31:24 "That's the pigs, they use confusion to divide us." 34:35 "The contradictions, the dogs are compelling people to pick up guns." 35:10 "There is no pleasure in prison." 36:10 "As soon as they let one go, here go another one, it's how prison is designed, tap dancing and actin' the fool won't help if you on the list to do some time it don't matter." "What I would do on the outside is organize the people." 42:25"You don't put no MF? Fool as a king." 42:55 "It's me today, it's you tomorrow." 48:00 "the government will destroy the people and itself too." 49:40 "I would help the Viet Cong fight."
Paul Cook, Ruchell Magee, And Justice In America Paul Cook, Ruchell Magee, And Justice In America
Date: 6/4/1971Call Number: CD 440Format: CDProducers: Carolyn CravenCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Paul Cook is interviewed by Carolyn Craven. Cook is a former cellmate of Ruchell Magee, who is at the time of the interview on trial with Angela Davis in connection with the escape attempt and shootout at the Marin Civic Center in August, 1970. Cook discusses his relationship with Ruchell Magee and his role as a member of his Defense Committee. He begins the interview by describing his being approached by police agents wanting him to testify against Ruchell Magee under threat on June 3, 1971. Topics addressed include the difficulty of organizing Magee’s defense, and the frustration working within the legal system. The growth of the California Prison Industry is analyzed, as are the conditions of prison life and their impact on prisoners’ families . He discusses George and Jonathan Jackson, Larry West and Ruchell Magee. 2:10 …While they were considering bail for Angela I was there 'cause I didn't want them to forget about Ruchell. 42:50 & 49:10 Jonathan and George Jackson
KPFA Radio News Summary and Update on the San Quentin Six Trial. KPFA Radio News Summary and Update on the San Quentin Six Trial.
Date: 1/1/1976Call Number: KP 218BFormat: Cass BProducers: KPFACollection: George Jackson
Attorney for David Johnson, Frank Cox, filed an affidavit regarding Melvin Cotton Smith's role as a paid informant for the L.A. police department. The news summary gives a good and detailed history of the events surrounding George Jackson's death up to the circumstances involving the San Quentin Six. Included is information on James Carr, COINTELPRO, and the ideological split between Eldridge Cleaver and Huey P. Newton in the Black Panther Party. Contains excerpt of a recording of George Jackson talking three months before his murder, excerpts of an interview with Eldridge Cleaver in exile from Paris, and a telephone interview with Bob Gardner who witnessed the 1970 shootings of W. L. Nolan, Alvin Miller, Cleveland Edwards at Soledad Prison.
George & Jonathan Jackson George & Jonathan Jackson
Statements read by Huey Newton at Jonathan Jackson's funeral including an letter from George Jackson; a letter from Soledad political prisoners; and Black Panther Party statement ”we must be free, so help us God." August 1970 [PM 008] Reading by Claude Marks and Lincoln Bergman of communiqués re armed actions in retaliation for George Jackson assassination; rally in Willard Park, reporter reads statement from Herman Bell for Unity. August 1975 [PM 013] Jonathan Jackson memorial program - long George Jackson and Huey Newton exerpts and audio from funeral. 8/1/75 [PM 021] A KPFA report on assassination of George Jackson aftermath at San Quentin, with mostly actuality of staff, district attorney, and visiting legislators on 8/21/71 and prison conditions as of 8/27/71. 8/27/71 [PM 025]