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

Ruchell Magee Ruchell Magee
Date: 8/1/1993Call Number: KN 003Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Kiilu NyashaProgram: Black August 93Collection: Programs produced by Kiilu Nyasha
Edited actuality w/ Ruchell Magee who talks about his case, Aug 7, 1971. Includes George Jackson actuality about Aug 7.
Ruchell Magee Case Ruchell Magee Case
Date: 8/2/1972Call Number: PM 012Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Lincoln BergmanProgram: KPFA News interviewCollection: Ruchell Magee
Interview by Lincoln Bergman with Sandy Close, then working on Ruchell Magee case, describes his effort to defend himself, disqualify Judge Colvin, and general legal issues. Sandy reads a statement by Ruchell on right of self defense possible highlight piece. Intermittent squeaks.
Ruchell Magee & Fleeta Drumgo case Ruchell Magee & Fleeta Drumgo case
Date: 3/10/1973Call Number: PM 016Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Mark SchwartzProgram: Real DragonCollection: Ruchell Magee
Mark Schwartz on Magee/ Drumgo legal decision.
Report on Doc Holiday Arrest Report on Doc Holiday Arrest
Date: 11/8/1975Call Number: PM 033Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProgram: Nothing Is More Precious ThanCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Special reports on arrest of Doc Holiday in Los Angeles, SWAT team, Cowans also arrested, earlier taped statement from Doc played (was also on previous program) with analysis of increasing fascist control in US society, George Jackson, comment on SLA critique of left criticism of SLA. Then report on Russell Little and Joseph Remiro, Emily and Bill Harris, Marilyn Buck case (charges dropped in Texas and Oregon). Mark Schwartz report on Ruchell Magee and San Quentin 6. Narrated by Kathy Streem.
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."
Black Panther Party Political Education Garage School Black Panther Party Political Education Garage School
Date: 9/8/1971Call Number: PM 109Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: BBC - GranadaCollection: Black Panther Party general
Black Panther Party kids singing free political prisoners, free David Hilliard, free Angela Davis, free Ruchell Magee, free all our people. Panther woman (name unknown) leads a class discussing definition of political prisoners and the criminal justice system. If someone can’t feed/clothe their family, doesn’t that make them a political prisoner? Talk about racism in the courtroom, all white juries, how the law doesn’t serve the people, how many people personally know prisoners.
Black Panther Party garage school Black Panther Party garage school
Date: 9/8/1971Call Number: PM 127Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Black Panther Party general
Singing by Black Panther Party sister and lots of kids at the garage school about George Jackson, “George Jackson, your spirit lives in the youth”. Black Panther Party sister asking more questions about political prisoners. Kids discuss their correspondence with specific Black Panther Party political prisoners. Talked about going to court and watching pigs surround George when he went to reach for his mother, Georgia Jackson, after she fainted.
Real Dragon Real Dragon
Date: 4/7/1973Call Number: RD 037Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Claude Marks, Lincoln Bergman, Mark SchwartzProgram: Real DragonCollection: “The Real Dragon” a news magazine including music and poetry
Ruchell Magee mistrial, with actuality of juror and Sandy Close, Marilyn Buck report on hearing, Native America, Justice and Gibson, Hugo Pinell, the Harlem 4, Weather Underground Grand Jury, James Davis, Wounded Knee. people’s subpoena against James Dierker, Russell Means long statement read by Lincoln Bergman, Pathet Lao, Vietnam
Real Dragon Real Dragon
Date: 4/28/1973Call Number: RD 040Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProgram: Real DragonCollection: “The Real Dragon” a news magazine including music and poetry
A satiric look at the Watergate crisis, in faux soap opera style/radio drama. Followed by other news, international, Vietnam, Larry Justice and Earl Gibson
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.