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

Conditions in Puerto Rico and the US oppression of the Puerto Rican people Conditions in Puerto Rico and the US oppression of the Puerto Rican people
Call Number: AFR 082AFormat: Cass ACollection: Puerto Rico
Jose Lopez of the New Movement Conference speaks about the movement in Puerto Rico within the world context. He talks about how most people do not recognize the importance to Puerto Rico’s movement and the struggle its people have been going through. He speaks about against the United States and Europe’s imperialist acts on the rest of the world, and speaks about against the myth of superiority of capitalism. He speaks about the poor conditions most Puerto Ricans live in, and how Puerto Rico consumes what it does not produce, and produces what it does not consume. Lastly, he asks what the political plans of the US are for PR? He asserts that the United States wants to see Puerto Rico tied to them economically as to disallow them complete independence, while not allowing them statehood rights either.
Mass Incarceration and Control Units in Prisons: Mind Control or Social Control? CEML #3 Mass Incarceration and Control Units in Prisons: Mind Control or Social Control? CEML #3
Date: 10/21/1995Call Number: PM 345AFormat: Cass AProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
A program sponsored by the Committee to End the Marion Lockdown (CEML), an organization dedicated to closing the control units at Marion Prison. Nancy Kurshan of CEML introduces Jose Lopez, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, member of the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional, and brother of political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera. He discusses the connections between American colonialism/imperialism and the extensive use of prisons in the US. This tape is a continuation of PM 336. Transcript available for download.
CEML Program (10-21-1995) Keynote Address CEML Program (10-21-1995) Keynote Address
Date: 10/21/1995Call Number: V 620Format: VHSProducers: CEMLCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
MC Nancy Kurshan, speakers Dr. Alan Berkman, Nozomi Ikuta, and Jose Lopez. Topics discussed include proliferation of the criminal justice system and control units, control units and social control, physical and psychological conditions in control units, and prisons as reflections of America as a colonial power and its historical roots in racism and white power. There is also a taped video statement by Sanyika Shakur and his 60 minutes interview is shown. Transcript available for download.
Mass Incarceration and Control Units in Prisons: Mind Control or Social Control? Mass Incarceration and Control Units in Prisons: Mind Control or Social Control?
Date: 10/21/1995Call Number: PM 419Format: Cass A & BProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
A program sponsored by the Committee to End the Marion Lockdown (CEML), an organization dedicated to closing the control units at Marion Prison. Nancy Kurshan of CEML introduces Jose Lopez, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, member of the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional, and brother of political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera. He discusses the connections between American colonialism/imperialism and the extensive use of prisons in the US. This tape is a better copy of PM 336 and PM 345 A. Transcript available for download.
Mass Incarceration and Control Units in Prisons: Mind Control or Social Control? Mass Incarceration and Control Units in Prisons: Mind Control or Social Control?
Date: 10/21/1995Call Number: CD 810Format: CDProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
A program sponsored by the Committee to End the Marion Lockdown (CEML), an organization dedicated to closing the control units at Marion Prison. Nancy Kurshan of CEML introduces Jose Lopez, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, member of the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional, and brother of political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera. He discusses the connections between American colonialism/imperialism and the extensive use of prisons in the US. This tape is a better copy of PM 336/345 Transcript available for download.
CEML Ex-Prisoner Panel and Discussion CEML Ex-Prisoner Panel and Discussion
Date: 3/16/1990Call Number: PM 424Format: Cass A & BProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Former political prisoners talking about their struggles, cases and the cruel policies and procedures of control unit prisons.
CEML Ex-Prisoner Panel and Discussion CEML Ex-Prisoner Panel and Discussion
Date: 3/16/1990Call Number: CD 814Format: Cass A & BProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Former political prisoners talking about their struggles, cases and the cruel policies and procedures of control unit prisons.
Mass Incarceration and Control Units in Prisons: Mind Control or Social Control? CEML #2 Mass Incarceration and Control Units in Prisons: Mind Control or Social Control? CEML #2
Date: 10/21/1995Call Number: CD 801Format: CDProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
A program sponsored by the Committee to End the Marion Lockdown (CEML), an organization dedicated to closing the control units at Marion Prison. Nancy Kurshan of CEML introduces Jose Lopez, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, member of the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional, and brother of political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera. He discusses the connections between American colonialism/imperialism and the extensive use of prisons in the US. This tape is a continuation of PM 336. Transcript available for download.
Changing Nature of the US Prison System Changing Nature of the US Prison System
Date: 11/1/1986Call Number: CD 822Format: CDProducers: CEMLCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Steve Whitman and Jose Lopez talk about the US Prison system and it affects on communities of color. Speakers provide detailed statistics concerning mass incarceration and mass incarceration is placed in a historical context.
CEML Program (10-21-1995) Keynote Address CEML Program (10-21-1995) Keynote Address
Date: 10/21/1995Call Number: V 642Format: DV CamProducers: CEMLCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Excerpts from Keynote address: MC Nancy Kurshan, speakers Dr. Alan Berkman, Nozomi Ikuta, and Jose Lopez. Topics discussed include proliferation of the criminal justice system and control units, control units and social control, physical and psychological conditions in control units, and prisons as reflections of America as a colonial power and its historical roots in racism and white power. There is also a taped video statement by Sanyika Shakur and his 60 minutes interview is shown. Transcript available for download.