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

Speech by Malcolm X at the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, 1964 Speech by Malcolm X at the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, 1964
Date: 12/20/1964Call Number: KP 056Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Charles HobsonCollection: Malcolm X
Speech given at DNC about how some African countries won their independence through anger and violence. Black people must speak the language of the captors and recognize that what happens in Mississippi has nationwide impact. There is no difference between Northern and Southern Democrats because they work as a whole not as separate parts. Freedom is not something that is given to you, you must take it and Black people must be equipped to do that in the same way that others have done it in the past. Audio tape is cut off at the end.
Interview of Mike Tissong, a white newspaper reporter for a South African white newspaper, about his views on news censorship and the political and social situation in South Africa Interview of Mike Tissong, a white newspaper reporter for a South African white newspaper, about his views on news censorship and the political and social situation in South Africa
Call Number: AFR 027Format: Cass A & BCollection: South Africa
Mike Tissong, a white newspaper reporter for a South African Anglo newspaper, is interviewed about his views on news censorship. He speaks about the types of views presented in the news depending on the type of newspaper (liberal, conservative, white, or black),and about the government censorship of black liberation prevalent in South Africa. Tissong also speaks on the dangers of being a white reporter in black townships because that is where the struggle is being waged. He mentions the horrible practice of prison detention of children, and laments the lack of those calling for sanctions (besides prominent people like Desmond Tutu). He comments on the current situation of oppressed people supporting the struggle against Apartheid through armed struggle. He mentions Robert Mugabe’s liberation strategy of a “bullet for a bullet” by killing whites. Tissong speaks about black on black violence in South Africa, pointing out two levels: one of the right wing (IFP - Inkatha Freedom Party), the other from cultural movements in Natal. On political and social movements and organizations, he talks about the Black Consciousness Movement and its call for a stop to violence, and the UDF’s (United Democratic Front) call for violence in the struggle. Lastly, he speaks on the west’s (United States) view of Southern Africa, as they treat it like a game. The west only supports groups like AZAPO (Azanian People’s Organization), but ignores ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union), and only recognizes the ANC (African National Congress), not other South African liberation organizations.
Julius Lester and H. Rap Brown speak on the Vietnam war and race relations in America Julius Lester and H. Rap Brown speak on the Vietnam war and race relations in America
Date: 8/29/1967Call Number: KP 092Format: Cass A & BCollection: Black Liberation
Julius Lester and H. Rap Brown speak at an Anti - Vietnam rally. Julius Lester, the former director of the Newport Folk Festival, SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) photographer, and host of WBAI radio station, speaks about war in Vietnam. He speaks about his recent visit to Vietnam, the weapons used by the US and how they connect to the protests and riots in the US. Next, H. Rap Brown, SNCC National Director, member of the Black Panther Party, speaks about black and white race relations in America, saying that blacks have to the right to defend themselves. Side B. H. Rap Brown continues speaking about how black society suffers from an inferiority complex and are constantly in danger of being overwhelmed. Brown also speaks about the Vietnam War, how black soldiers are used to further US imperialism and used primarily on the front lines. Lastly, he speaks about American's true political motives in Indochina and the rest of the world.
AZAPO and conditions in Southern Africa AZAPO and conditions in Southern Africa
Call Number: AFR 081Format: Cass A & BCollection: South Africa
Program on AZAPO and the state of Southern Africa. AZAPO chairman Pokela, SWAPO representative, and AZAPO representative Nick Tucker speak. AZAPO (Azanian People’s Organization) chairman Pokela speaks about the lack of knowledge people in the United States and Europe have about the struggles in Azania. He also speaks about how the native African people lost their land and their rights to the white imperialists. He says that in order for Africans to fight back, they must remove their inferiority complexes (as Robert Sobukwe, former president of the PAC (Pan African Congress), suggests). He speaks about the injustices of the Pass Laws in South Africa, and encourages blacks to go to the prisons and challenge the police to arrest them. Next, a woman representative of SWAPO (South West African People’s Organization - dedicated to opposing injustice in Southern Africa) speaks about the problems of violence in South Africa, and also about the bloody war going on in Namibia. She speaks about the policy of “Destabilization” that was designed by the white Nationalists, and about the Western media’s perception, pressure, and influence on events in South Africa. Lastly, Nick Tucker of AZAPO speaks about AZAPO and the current events and conditions in Southern Africa, mourning the large number of murders in the area. He quotes Amilcar Cabral, “We should tell no lies and claim no easy victory”. Tucker speaks about two theories that determine revolutions: 1) To have a revolution, one must have a revolutionary theory and convey it to the masses. 2) Continued economic depression will heighten revolutionary anarchy and the masses will want to organize and revolt. He says that AZAPO is trying to do the former strategy. Lastly, Tucker speaks about the formation of black worker’s unions - that they form under Black Consciousness because black men can truly understand the hardships and oppression of other blacks, and can then translate that idea to whites.
The state of South Africa and relations with the United States. The state of South Africa and relations with the United States.
Call Number: AFR 087AFormat: Cass ACollection: South Africa
Interviews about the state of South Africa. Elizabeth Sebeko is interviewed about the South African Freedom Charter, the ANC (African National Congress), the PAC (Pan African Congress), land issues, race issues, and discrimination and overt oppression in South Africa. She speaks about how the Freedom Charter is designed and should be for the native black people of South Africa, not the colonizers. Next, Harold Fuluin, South African Minister of Cooperation and Development & “black affairs”, responds to a question about the government’s reforms increasing violence in the country. He responds, saying that the ones inciting the violence are the militant leftist groups in South Africa, who are only looking for complete revolution. He states that in the government’s reforms, the term “one man, one vote” does not apply to black enfranchisement because of such population diversity in the country. In response to the interviewer’s claim that the South African white government is only moving toward reform in response to black violence, Mr. Fuluin answers by repudiating the claim, instead saying that the reform process bagan around 1982, “long before there was any sign of organized violence in the country” (which, of course, is not true). Next, a news program discusses Washington D.C.’s perceived pressure on Pretoria, South Africa, to step up reforms in the country. Mr. Maines of Washington speaks about President Ronald Reagan’s administration getting much opposition to its foreign policy on South Africa. He says that Prime Minister P. W. Botha does not seem to respond to the pressure. He also says that Reagan is in a quandry because his support comes from the Right and their ties with South Africa, but he is facing major pressure from all over the US to impose sanctions on South Africa. Lastly, poor recording of a woman and man speaking about the Congo and the Belgians.
Julius Lester and H. Rap Brown speak on the Vietnam war and race relations in America Julius Lester and H. Rap Brown speak on the Vietnam war and race relations in America
Date: 8/29/1967Call Number: CD 297Format: CDCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Julius Lester and H. Rap Brown speak at an Anti - Vietnam rally. Julius Lester, the former director of the Newport Folk Festival, SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) photographer, and host of WBAI radio station, speaks about war in Vietnam. He speaks about his experiences in Vietnam, the weapons used by the US and about the protests and riots in the US. Next, H. Rap Brown, SNCC National Director, member of the Black Panther Party, and extreme militant, speaks about black and white race relations in America, saying that blacks have to defend themselves. Side B. H. Rap Brown continues speaking about how white society is overwhelming blacks, and making blacks think they are inferior. Brown also speaks about the Vietnam War, how black soldiers did not get the respect they deserved. He says that American whites are violent - blacks have to be violent because it didn't work to be non-violent. Blacks are not asking for love, just respect. Lastly, he speaks about American's true political motives in Indochina and the rest of the world.
Julius Lester and H. Rap Brown speak on the Vietnam war and race relations in America Julius Lester and H. Rap Brown speak on the Vietnam war and race relations in America
Date: 8/29/1967Call Number: KP 532Format: 1/4 3 3/4 ipsCollection: Black Liberation
Julius Lester and H. Rap Brown speak at an Anti - Vietnam rally. Julius Lester, the former director of the Newport Folk Festival, SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) photographer, and host of WBAI radio station, speaks about war in Vietnam. He speaks about his recent visit to Vietnam, the weapons used by the US and how they connect to the protests and riots in the US. Next, H. Rap Brown, SNCC National Director, member of the Black Panther Party, speaks about black and white race relations in America, saying that blacks have to the right to defend themselves. Side B. H. Rap Brown continues speaking about how black society suffers from an inferiority complex and are constantly in danger of being overwhelmed. Brown also speaks about the Vietnam War, how black soldiers are used to further US imperialism and used primarily on the front lines. Lastly, he speaks about American's true political motives in Indochina and the rest of the world.