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

Her Wits About Her: Women’s Self Defense Her Wits About Her: Women’s Self Defense
Date: 1/28/1979Call Number: JG/ 006Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Judy GerberCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
"Her Wits About Her" Dale Groves and Denise Kannin read from their book of stories about "women who resist, successful self defense stories"
Discussion of the role of self defense in African and African American liberation. Discussion of the role of self defense in African and African American liberation.
Call Number: AFR 045Format: Cass A & BProgram: The Question of African ManhoodCollection: Robert F. Williams!
Discussion on the role of self defense in African and African American liberation. Robert Harris, Elombe Brath, and Vicki praise Robert Williams’ work and courage to free the black people. Elombe Brath speaks about the “May 8th Case” in New York in which 8 people were arrested for not cooperating with the state. Robert Harris speaks the struggle for African liberation and comments on how the conditions currently are the same as what Robert Williams faced in 1961. He concludes by calling the people to use self - defense to struggle against the state as Robert Williams did. Elombe Brath celebrates the memory of Robert Williams. He talks about the Williams’ sacrifices and work toward liberation, and the support he received from both blacks and whites. He points out that the people need to be educated to get anywhere in life. Lastly, Robert Harris speaks about African Nationalism and his admiration of Robert Williams because he rose to the challenge to free the black people and fight the media. He contemplates the role and importance of self defense in the struggle for liberation.
Self Respect, Self Defense & Self Determination; a Moderated conversation with Mabel Williams and Kathleen Cleaver Self Respect, Self Defense & Self Determination; a Moderated conversation with Mabel Williams and Kathleen Cleaver
Date: 3/14/2004Call Number: V 134Format: VHSProducers: Collision Course VideoCollection: Robert F. Williams!
Self Respect, Self Defense & Self Determination An event held at the First Congregational Church in Oakland on Sunday, March 14, 2004 with Mabel Williams and Kathleen Cleaver. Both women were welcomed and introduced by Angela Davis. These two inspiring women of the 60s Black liberation struggle met to share their personal experiences - resisting the KKK and police repression, forced into exile by government repression, and their international experiences in Third World nations. Mabel Williams, with her late husband Robert F. Williams, met with Malcolm X, Ho Chi Minh, Che Guevara and Mao Tse Tung to help internationalize support for the Black Liberation Movement. Kathleen Cleaver was Communications Secretary and the first woman on the Central Committee of the Black Panther Party. The event was sponsored by The Freedom Archives in partnership with: East Side Arts Alliance Community Center in the San Antonio district of Oakland, California Malcolm X Grassroots Movement - Oakland
Her Wits About Her: interviews with women who defended themselves against rape and assault Her Wits About Her: interviews with women who defended themselves against rape and assault
Date: 11/1/1987Call Number: JG/ 082Format: CassetteProducers: Judy GerberProgram: Her Wits About HerCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
The program consists of a series of interviews and testimonies from women who defended themselves from rapists and assault. The stories are often quite emotionally difficult to listen to, but the stories are ultimately hopeful and inspiring.
Her Wits About Her Rebroadcast Her Wits About Her Rebroadcast
Date: 8/3/1995Call Number: JG/ 094Format: CassetteProducers: Judy GerberProgram: A Defiant HeartCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Rebroadcast of 'Her Wits About Her' from several years prior.