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.

Independent Collections

These collections were produced by independent journalists. Many of these recordings make up the bulk of the original collection of the Freedom Archives.

Subcollections

Documents

Staughton Lynd - Part 1 Staughton Lynd - Part 1
Call Number: CE 499Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Collin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Collection
Staughton Lynd discusses the origins of SNCC, the formation of Freedom Schools in the South and the continued fight for Civil Rights under the new Black Power Movement.
Staughton Lynd - Part 2 Staughton Lynd - Part 2
Call Number: CE 500Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Collin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Collection
Lynd discusses what the shift in Black Power meant for SNCC’s administrative organization and the New Left in relation to Civil Rights. Additionally, Lynd discusses Black education further in terms of the creation of Free Schools and the value and productivity of Teach-Ins.
The Best of Paul Robeson Vol. 3: Paul Robeson The Best of Paul Robeson Vol. 3: Paul Robeson
Call Number: Vin 082Format: VinylProducers: Starline, EMI RecordsCollection: Colin Edwards Collection
An actor, singer, professional football player, humanitarian, and civil rights activist, Paul Robeson was an extremely influential figure of the 20th century. This album is a collection of Robeson's recordings over his career. It ranges from Russian folk songs to war song to Negro spiritual songs.
The Essential Paul Robeson: Paul Robeson The Essential Paul Robeson: Paul Robeson
Date: 1/1/1974Call Number: Vin 085Format: VinylProducers: Vanguard Recording Society Inc.Collection: Colin Edwards Collection
An actor, singer, professional football player, humanitarian, and civil rights activist, Paul Robeson was an extremely influential figure of the 20th century. This album is a collection of Robeson's recordings over his career. It ranges from his renditions of European classics to Negro Spirituals.
Clark Kerr, John Ligett, Howard Jetter, Hal Draper Clark Kerr, John Ligett, Howard Jetter, Hal Draper
Date: 12/3/1964Call Number: CE 675Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
President Clark Kerr’s press statement following the Sproul Hall sit-in, denouncing the FSM as “anarchy” (partial recording). UC Berkeley Sociology professor John Leggett discusses the FSM in relationship to the civil rights movement, and reads from a letter written by national CORE leader James Farmer. Leggett also discusses right wing presence in Northern California, specifically Oakland Tribune owner William Knowland. Howard Jetter, president, 7th Congressional Democratic Club, San Francisco science teacher and member of the American Federation of Teachers, discusses what he expects to be the devastating effects of campus events on Governor Pat Brown’s career. He also reflects on acting as a legal observer for student protests and witnessing police violence. Hal Draper, university librarian and socialist activist, disagrees with Jetter about Pat Brown, asking “what alterative do they have?” He also discusses right wing presence on campus.
Wallace Turner: Covering the FSM Wallace Turner: Covering the FSM
Call Number: CE 694Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
The first part of this tape is an interview with the West Coast correspondent with the New York Times. He discusses the Sproul Hall sit-in, the nature of the protest, the nature of the students, what did the inside of Sproul Hall look like and other topics. He re-enforces the dominant narrative of the establishment by refusing to contradict the official version of accounts from the police and the district attorney. He describes the arrests of the students, talks about the connections between the civil rights movement and the leadership of the FSM and supports Clark Kerr commenting “ he’s done more to protect free speech than any of the protestors.” The second part of the tape focuses on the Jail sentences handed out to students arrested at the Sproul Hall sit-in. Accounts of the students’ experience in Santa Rita Jail are remembered by Hal Draper, Roberta Alexander, Bettina Apickther, and Anita Lavin. Specifically discussed are the conditions inside the jail and the attempts of the guards to separate the prisoners from the students and the politicization of the prisoners.
Assemblyman Donald Mulford: 16th Assembly District Assemblyman Donald Mulford: 16th Assembly District
Call Number: CE 702Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
Assemblyman Mulford watched many of the arrests that took place at Sproul Hall on December 2nd and 3rd and talks about what he saw. This recording illuminates some of the details behind the decision to send in police to break up the sit-in. Mulford describes student leaders as “militant”, “profane”, “defiant”; talks about recognizing the hardcore leadership from other local protests and justifies the decision to use the police by claiming there would have been “bloodshed in the morning” and “mob violence” had the police not intervened. He answers questions about the autonomy of the university, allegations of physical mistreatment by students against the police, faculty support of students, the political make-up of the FSM leadership and the importance of this issue in the next election.
FSM Movement Pocket Documentary FSM Movement Pocket Documentary
Date: 12/3/1964Call Number: CE 719Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsProgram: TransCanada Matinee Collection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
The first portion of this documentary talks about the events leading up to the Sproul Hall sit-in. Faculty perspectives on the situation are featured. The second portion of this documentary contains voices from a student rally (difficult to hear). The third portion of this documentary talks about the role of the Academic Senate in the crisis, President Clark Kerr's attempts to bypass dealing with the FSM and details about the leadership of the movement.
Faculty Rally on Obscenity Case March 24th 1965 Faculty Rally on Obscenity Case March 24th 1965
Date: 3/24/1965Call Number: CE 722Format: 1/4 3 3/4 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
This recording is taken from a faculty rally following the banning of the UC student publication, the Spider. Mario Savio is the first speaker and he talks about what’s at stake concerning this issue. The following speakers are all faculty members and talk about a wide range of topics including the responsibility of faculty in protecting students’ rights, the need for student gains to be codified, the need to not lose perspective of larger issues including the civil rights struggle in Selma, various perspectives on the filthy speech movement, and that student actions demonstrate that students care about the university community.
Civic Park rally: 7/29/65 (part 1 of 2) Civic Park rally: 7/29/65 (part 1 of 2)
Date: 7/29/1965Call Number: CE 730Format: 1/4 3 3/4 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
Second rally held on 7/29/65, at Civic Park in Berkeley near the courthouse, in support of students facing trial. David Goines goes to jail at the beginning of the rally, and the crowd sings “Goodbye David.” Speakers discuss specific legal strategy, fundraising needs and earlier mistakes. There are also several speakers from the Vietnam Day Committee discussing the war and how the committee plans to learn from the FSM. Lou Smith of CORE speaks on themes of commitment and the connections between the FSM and civil rights. Allen Ginsberg chants and rings a bell. Bettina Aptheker calls attention to an FBI agent in the crowd who has been following her and declares that “we’re the fighting generation.” Mario Savio discusses his experiences in Santa Rita and the impacts of incarceration.