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

The Jena 6 The Jena 6
Date: 1/1/2008Call Number: V 281Format: DVDProducers: Big NoiseCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Jena, LA - In a small town in Louisiana, six families are fighting for their sons' lives. Two nooses are left as a warning to black students trying to integrate their playground, fights break out across town, a white man pulls a shotgun on black students, someone burns down most of the school, the DA puts six black students on trial for attempted murder, and the quiet town of Jena becomes the site of the largest civil rights demonstration in the South since the 1960s. The Jena 6 is the story of hidden racial inequality and violence becoming visible. It is a powerful symbol for, and example of, how racial justice works in America where the lynching noose has been replaced by the DA's pen. Narrated by Mumia Abu-Jamal
Assorted News Reports Assorted News Reports
Call Number: KP 533Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: General materials
CBS news covers the inauguration of newly elected California governor Ronald Reagan followed by segments on the reproduction of Nazi speeches and tapes from the late 1930s. Two random news segment follow, then a focus on the Negro’s self-image, Black history, and a poem about lynching.
FIAS: African Liberation Day 1977 FIAS: African Liberation Day 1977
Date: 5/21/1977Call Number: FI 290Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProgram: Freedom is a Constant StruggleCollection: Freedom is a Constant Struggle
Freedom is a Constant Struggle celebrates African Liberation day by dedicating the show to liberation struggles in Southern Africa and solidarity demonstrations in Oakland. The show also celebrates the birthdays of both Malcolm X and Ho Chi Minh by playing Malcolm X speeches on black nationalism, American hypocrisy and terrorism, and illuminating Ho Chi Minh's experiences with the American narrative of lynching post emancipation. As a whole this episode of Freedom is a Constant Struggle encapsulates the 1960/1970 histories of Pan- Africanism, unity, celebration, and continued resistance towards self determination.
The Black Panther Black Community News Service The Black Panther Black Community News Service
Publisher: The Black Panther PartyYear: 1972Volume Number: Vol. 8-23 August 23Format: PeriodicalCollection: Black Panther Party Community News Service
Cover Story: Landslide Community Vote Elects Peoples Candidates- West Oakland Community Overwhelmingly Endorses Entire Black Panther Slate