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

Huey Says Panthers are Not Parties to Extortion Huey Says Panthers are Not Parties to Extortion
Author: Huey NewtonPublisher: The Black Panther PartyDate: 2/14/1974Volume Number: 14-FebFormat: CorrespondenceCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
A letter from Huey P. Newton of the Black Panther Party to Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Hearst. The letter volunteers the Black Panthers to distribute the food as part of the bargain from the SLA to return Patricia Hearst to her family.
Weather Underground February 20, 1974 Weather Underground February 20, 1974
Author: Bernadine DohrnPublisher: Weather UndergroundDate: 2/20/1974Volume Number: 20-FebFormat: PamphletCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
This pamphlet is from the Weather Underground and commends the SLA for kidnapping Patricia Hearst in order to give food to the poor people. Bernadine Dohrn offers four points in response to the war between the rich and the poor.
BGF solidarity with SLA open letter BGF solidarity with SLA open letter
Publisher: BGFDate: 3/1974Volume Number: MarchFormat: CommuniqueCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
This communique is from the Black Guerrilla Family that calls for an end of sufferng and the oppression of the people. It outlines what oppression looks like, supports the SLA in their movement, and calls for action against oppression to be taken, but to be objective when taking action.
Political Prisoners of California Letter to SLA Political Prisoners of California Letter to SLA
Author: Political Prisoners of CaliforniaDate: 3/1/1974Volume Number: 1-MarFormat: CorrespondenceCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
A letter from Poltical Prisoners of California that thanks the SLA taking action and kidnapping Patricia Hearst because it resulted in food being given to the poor.
Communique from the United People's Liberation Army (Transcript) Communique from the United People's Liberation Army (Transcript)
Authors: Chunga Abdul Asad and ChakaFormat: CommuniqueCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
This communique indicates that the Symbionese Liberation Army has joined with the Guerrilla Organizations to create the United People's Liberation Army in response to the killing of the six SLA members. Also, it commemorates those six slain SLA members and also honors Patricia Hearst.
Free the SLA Free the SLA
Author: SLAFormat: StatementCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
This statement written from the "underground" critiques the current revolutionary groups and provides directions for how the Left should continue. Its idea to unite the masses includes building a non-racist movement, incorporating the ideology of feminism into all theory and practice, and creating organizations capable of surviving repression from oppositional forces.
Those Who Do Nothing Make No Mistakes Those Who Do Nothing Make No Mistakes
Author: Martin Sostre & Weather UndergroundPublisher: Bay Area Research CollectiveFormat: PamphletCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
This pamphlet is a response by Martin Sostre and the Weather Underground to the shootings of SLA members on May 17, 1974 in Los Angeles. Martin commemorates actions taken by the SLA and mourns the loss of those members. The Weather Underground also celebrates the SLA and pushes to continue the revolutionary armed struggle.
Dragon Dragon
Publisher: Bay Area Research CollectiveYear: 1976Volume Number: No. 6 JanuaryFormat: PeriodicalCollection: The Dragon
Table of Contents: BARC Finances, Shorts, Racism Among Prison Supporters, On Grand Juries, On Criticism, On Bio-Dossiers, Guerrilla Activity and Analysis, New World Liberation Front/Community Health Campaign, George Jackson Brigade, On and From the Zapata Unit, Red Guerrilla Family Bombs the Iranian Consulate, Poem: Prison Is, Women In Prison at North Carolina, Atmore-Holman Bros. and Inmates for Action, Nam Bros. Part 2, How Did the Dragon Get Its Fire?
Dragon Dragon
Publisher: Bay Area Research CollectiveYear: 1976Volume Number: No. 8 AprilFormat: PeriodicalCollection: The Dragon
Table of Contents: Open Letter To the Movement: BARC, George Jackson Brigade, A Comrade on the Weather Underground, New World Liberation Front, Red Guerrilla Family, Black Liberation Army, Political Fugitives Statement, Graham and Allen Sentenced to Death, California Institute for Women