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

Black Liberation Army - Fact or Fantasy Black Liberation Army - Fact or Fantasy
Date: 1/1/1974Call Number: PM 165Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Ron Magee, Rest of the News, Claude Marks, Bruce Soloway, Mark SchwartzProgram: Rest of the NewsCollection: BLA
Interviews and discussion concerning the Black Liberation Army and it’s alleged members. The question is raised as to the actual existence of the group which some claim to be a fabrication of the media and police to justify increased repression of Black revolutionaries. Various criminal trials of black activists are looked at to reveal how the local Police, FBI, News Media, and U.S. Justice System have worked together to pursue a repressive course to combat what they see as a threat to the very structure of American Society. Interviews detail use of police violence and torture to intimidate and demoralize the black radical movement. The cases of the “New York Five”, Joanne Chesimard (Assata Shakur), and Fred Hilton are described, along with the killing of Fred Hampton and the imprisonment of Muhammad Arif and Victor Cumerbash. Black Liberation Army prisoners (Herman Bell and Gabriel Torres) are interviewed extensively. Family members speak to the violence and repression of the police at a press conference. The murder by police of Twyman Myers is extensively addressed.
Emiliano Echeverria banned from KPFA Emiliano Echeverria banned from KPFA
Date: 7/29/1973Call Number: KP 334Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Mark SchwartzCollection: General materials
Report for KPFA News by Mark Schwartz on the management of KPFA banning Emiliano "Jeff" Echeverria from the station by station manager Roger Pritchard, as part of the struggle for independent Third World programming.
Elsa Knight Thompson interview Elsa Knight Thompson interview
Date: 3/15/1982Call Number: KP 350Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Lincoln BergmanCollection: General materials
Lincoln Bergman talks to Elsa Knight Thompson about her career in broadcasting, time at BBC and KPFA, art of interviewing, and advice to young journalists. Also broadcast 2/12/1983 for memorial broadcast on Elsa's death.
Elsa Knight Thompson interview Elsa Knight Thompson interview
Date: 11/1/1971Call Number: KP 359Format: 1/4 3 3/4 ipsProducers: Cy ShoenfeldProgram: CommentaryCollection: General materials
Interview of Elsa Knight Thompson as broadcast on KPFA that includes some more personal information about her life, including description of abortion in her early life and her satirical version of a song directed against right wing abortion critics, and much other information about Elsa's life.
A Pacifica Sampler A Pacifica Sampler
Date: 11/1/1961Call Number: KP 361Format: 1/4 3 3/4 ipsProducers: John Whiting, othersCollection: General materials
First part of an LP sampler made by KPFA in 1961 to highlight their programming, including folk guitar Christmas Carols, a poem recited by KPFA Founder Lewis Hill, and speech by leading first amendment activist.
Elsa Knight Thompson Memorial Elsa Knight Thompson Memorial
Call Number: KP 362Format: 1/4 3 3/4 ipsProducers: Lincoln bergman, Philip MaldariCollection: General materials
Recording of Memorial Event for Elsa Knight Thompson in 1983 held at Berkeley Senior Center with a number of notable speakers and brief excerpts from Elsa's interviews.
Elsa Knight Thompson Memorial Insert #2 Elsa Knight Thompson Memorial Insert #2
Date: 3/31/1983Call Number: KP 364Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Lincoln BergmanCollection: General materials
Several speakers at Elsa Knight Thompson memorial. Peace activist Madeleine Duckles, El Teatro Campesino founder Luis Valdez, Gene Marine, and Chris Koch.
Elsa Knight Thompson interview Elsa Knight Thompson interview
Date: 3/15/1982Call Number: CD 639Format: CDProducers: Lincoln BergmanCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Lincoln Bergman talks to Elsa Knight Thompson about her career in broadcasting, time at BBC and KPFA, art of interviewing, and advice to young journalists. Also broadcast 2/12/1983 for memorial broadcast on Elsa's death.
Letter to Huey from Algiers Letter to Huey from Algiers
Author: Elsa Knight ThompsonPublisher: KPFADate: 3/11/1971Volume Number: March 11Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Huey Newton
Letter to Huey to accompany audio track of video released in NY previous week, from Algiers, inviting Newton to record his answer at KPFA.
Elsa Knight Thompson Letter in response to Cyrill Abels Elsa Knight Thompson Letter in response to Cyrill Abels
Author: Elsa Knight ThompsonPublisher: KPFADate: 3/24/1969Volume Number: 24-MarFormat: CorrespondenceCollection: Cleaver, Eldridge
Letter in response to Cyrill Abels re: Eldridge Cleaver having rights to talk he gave on KPFA re: Bobby Hutton shooting, and correspondence leading up to this KPFA clarification letter.