Search Help

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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

Jalil Muntaqim interview (2 of 4) Jalil Muntaqim interview (2 of 4)
Call Number: V 079Format: VHSProducers: John O’ReillyCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Continues about the tampering and destruction of evidence in his case. Once you’re convicted the burden is to prove yourself innocent. Discusses cases of Dhoruba and Geronimo, who spent almost 50 years together in prison after proving that the state had set them up. Calls the US a plutocracy, where the rich rule and control the government, operating under a hypocritical veneer of democracy. Hegemonic powers of the media, describes it as the wizard in the background. We need to break the illusion that the system works for the benefit of the people. All he sees in prison are black and brown faces because of the unequal distribution of wealth and poverty being an impetus towards “crime”, and institutional racism has created a mechanism for people of color to go to prison. Talks about bodies becoming commodities, his prison number is like his bar code, economics analysis of PIC. Discusses tax breaks for rural counties who can include prisoners in their population even though majority of prisoners come from NYC. Control units/SHU - for rebellious prisoners and mentally ill inmates who can’t be controlled among rest of general population. Discusses his own most recent experience in the “box”, where the state fabricated evidence that he was organizing a statewide prison strike. Talks about SHU, feed you through a slot in cell, 1 hour of recreation time, everything even food is a privilege, no phone use, visitation once a week but through glass. Talks about the extended effects of isolation and sensory deprivation, claustrophobia, loneliness, anxiety and panic disorders. There is no rehab/education/employment/therapeutic/skill s offered to prisoners, thus they leave embittered and destructive. Talks about manifest destiny and how it was turned into a country. Ideas are power if you know how to take control. Starts to talk about returning to San Quentin adjustment center post-sentencing, housed with San Quentin six. Talking about freeing political prisoners with Ruchell Magee, who just received a letter from Yuri Kochiyama about starting a movement around amnesty.
Jalil Muntaqim and Herman Bell interview Jalil Muntaqim and Herman Bell interview
Call Number: V 082Format: VHSProducers: John O’ReillyCollection: New York 3
Edited by Adisa, back and forth clips from videos 74-81 of Herman and Jalil talking specifically about Nuh Washington, memories they’ve had together, in the party, in political work, on his overall personality, on how he received his name and on his death.
Medical Neglect, Control Units, Women in Prison Medical Neglect, Control Units, Women in Prison
Date: 10/21/1996Call Number: PM 309Format: Cass A & BProducers: Prison Activist Resource Center PARCProgram: Prison Activist RadioCollection: Prisons - Women
News about the prison industrial complex and prisoners. Judy Greenspan, director of HIV/AIDS in Prison Project, about compassionate release and women with AIDS. Also Catherine Campbell, an attorney with California Prison Focus, discusses the culture of violence at prisons, verbal provocations by the guards, mandates to confine members of rival gangs in same yard. Jean Stewart from the Disabled Prisoners' Justice Fund discusses the Armstrong case and the growing, neglected population of disabled prisoners and its causes. Karen Shain from Legal Services for Prisoners with Children speaks about women in prison and the class action law suits that are filed for work release, prenatal care, mother and infant programs, HIV. Herman Bell of the New York Three and former member of the Black Panther Party, discusses the need for support of political prisoners.
Medical Neglect, Control Units, Women in Prison - Part 1 Medical Neglect, Control Units, Women in Prison - Part 1
Date: 10/21/1996Call Number: CD 788Format: CDProducers: Prison Activist Resource Center - PARCProgram: On the OutsideCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Judy Greenspan, director of HIV/AIDS in Prison Project, discusses compassionate release and women with AIDS. Also Catherine Campbell, an attorney with California Prison Focus, discusses the culture of violence at prisons, verbal provocations by the guards, mandates to confine members of rival gangs in same yard. Jean Stewart from the Disabled Prisoners' Justice Fund discusses the Armstrong case and the growing, neglected population of disabled prisoners and its causes. Karen Shain from Legal Services for Prisoners with Children speaks about women in prison and the class action law suits that are filed for work release, prenatal care, mother and infant programs, HIV. Herman Bell of the New York Three and former member of the Black Panther Party, discusses the need for support of political prisoners.
Prison Activist Radio- Medical Neglect, Control Units, Women in Prison Prison Activist Radio- Medical Neglect, Control Units, Women in Prison
Date: 10/21/1996Call Number: CD 789Format: CDProducers: Prison Activist Resource Center PARCProgram: Prison Activist RadioCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
News about the prison industrial complex and prisoners. Judy Greenspan, director of HIV/AIDS in Prison Project, about compassionate release and women with AIDS. Also Catherine Campbell, an attorney with California Prison Focus, discusses the culture of violence at prisons, verbal provocations by the guards, mandates to confine members of rival gangs in same yard. Jean Stewart from the Disabled Prisoners' Justice Fund discusses the Armstrong case and the growing, neglected population of disabled prisoners and its causes. Karen Shain from Legal Services for Prisoners with Children speaks about women in prison and the class action law suits that are filed for work release, prenatal care, mother and infant programs, HIV. Herman Bell of the New York Three and former member of the Black Panther Party, discusses the need for support of political prisoners.