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

Real Dragon Real Dragon
Call Number: RD 007Format: 1/4 1 7/8 ipsProducers: Lincoln Bergman, Claude MarksProgram: Real DragonCollection: “The Real Dragon” a news magazine including music and poetry
Report on the release of "Word Is Out" about 26 gay men and women across the United States, directed by Peter Adair and the Mariposa Film Group of San Francisco. Made in the 1970s, this is the first film made shedding light on the lives of gay people on an individual basis, unmasking traditional and conventional stereotypes over what it is to be gay or lesbian. Includes actuality of an interview with Pat, a 53 year lesbian woman who spoke of her experiences growing up with the full knowledge and acceptance that she was a lesbian, and several stories from her days in WAAC (Women's Army Auxiliary Corps), and her perception of the lines of gender roles as she had seen them to be from the 40s to the 70s. Also speaks of the contained feeling felt by women who moved to San Francisco as their only refuge, and feared being trapped within only those bounds where they were accepted.
Yugoslavia: Art, Architecture, and Film Yugoslavia: Art, Architecture, and Film
Date: 1/1/1964Call Number: CE 019Format: CassetteProducers: Colin EdwardsProgram: Yugoslavia: Art, Architecture, and FilmCollection: Colin Edwards Collection
Leading Yugoslav writer and critic discusses in detail history, influences, and current state of Yugoslav art, architecture, and film, especially the animated film industry, known worldwide for its sophistication.
Californians of Mexican descent; Program #4 Drama in the Mexican Community, Reel 2 of 2 Californians of Mexican descent; Program #4 Drama in the Mexican Community, Reel 2 of 2
Date: 5/22/1963Call Number: CE 648Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Collin B. EdwardsProgram: Californians of Mexican descentCollection: Colin Edwards Collection
Explores the interest in Mexican film in Mexican Americans, and the differences between films from Mexico and the US. Various interviews.
Mills of the Gods: Vietnam War Mills of the Gods: Vietnam War
Call Number: CE 586Format: 1/4 3 3/4 ipsCollection: Colin Edwards Collection
Audio recording of “Mills of the Gods: Viet Nam War”. Directed by Canadian filmmaker Beryl Fox in 1965. The 56-minute film was broadcast on CBC’s “This Hour Has Seven Days,” a controversial talk show from Canada. It was one of the only films produced while the Vietnam War was ongoing. It was condemned by the US government and shunned by mainstream American television.