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

Interview with Herman Bell Interview with Herman Bell
Date: 8/31/1977Call Number: CD 780Format: CDCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Interviews with Herman Bell on August 31, 1977 at USP Marion. He speaks mainly about prison conditions, control units, behavior modification, the injustice of the prison system.
Bonnie Kerness Interviews Sundiata Acoli Bonnie Kerness Interviews Sundiata Acoli
Date: 4/27/1996Call Number: PM 414AFormat: Cass AProducers: Bonnie KernessCollection: Sundiata Acoli
Interview conducted at Allenwood Federal Prison surrounding the trial on control units.
Bonnie Kerness Interviews Sundiata Acoli Bonnie Kerness Interviews Sundiata Acoli
Date: 4/27/1996Call Number: CD 806Format: CDProducers: Bonnie KernessCollection: Sundiata Acoli
Interview conducted at Allenwood Federal Prison surrounding the trial on control units. Sundiata Acoli on explanations on Control Units and their use and psychological effect on political prisoners, prisoners of war and people's struggle. Phillip Zimbardo narrates this audio portion of the documentary "Quiet Rage: The Documentary" which covers a 6 day experiment on the psychological effects of prisoner and guard roles and relationships.
Marion Program Panel 1 Marion Program Panel 1
Date: 10/1/1988Call Number: CD 821Format: CDProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Introduction by Nancy Kurshan and preliminary comments by Jose Lopez. Lecture by Bruce Wright, judge, scholar, poet and activist for social justice. Using his own experience as a Black man, he describes the history of US racism and the criminal justice system. Program on the life and work of Assata Shakur, and her influence on the work and life of fellow activists. Also speakers on the Puerto Rican liberation movement.
Chrystos Reads Authenticity Chrystos Reads Authenticity
Format: mp3Producers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Materials Recorded and Gathered for "Wild Poppies"
Menominee rights activist and poet Chrystos read Marilyn Buck's piece on violence against urban Black youth.
Staajabu Reads Black August Staajabu Reads Black August
Format: mp3Producers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Materials Recorded and Gathered for "Wild Poppies"
Staajabu reads Marilyn Buck's poem in memory of the those who lost their lives through imprisonment or death for Black liberation.
Presente! Performs Blues for Shaka Presente! Performs Blues for Shaka
Format: mp3Producers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Materials Recorded and Gathered for "Wild Poppies"
Presente! performs Marilyn Buck's poem on the Jim Crow era, accompanied by music.
Kiilu Nyasha Reads In Memory of Kuwasi Balagoon Kiilu Nyasha Reads In Memory of Kuwasi Balagoon
Format: mp3Producers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Materials Recorded and Gathered for "Wild Poppies"
Kiilu Nyasha reads her poem in memory of Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army leader Kuwasi Balagoon, who died in prison in 1986. Kiilu Nyasha is a revolutionary artist, activist and journalist in the liberation struggle for over 35 years. A former Black Panther, she is a radio and newspaper journalist who has done much to keep political prisoners in the public eye.
Uchechi Kalu Reads They Came for Me Uchechi Kalu Reads They Came for Me
Format: mp3Producers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Materials Recorded and Gathered for "Wild Poppies"
Poem on repression and liberation read by the author, Uchechi Kalu. Uchechi Kalu is a Nigerian-born poet who has conducted writing workshops at schools, prisons and community organizations.
Angela Davis Release Speech Angela Davis Release Speech
Format: mp3Collection: Black Panther Party general
Angela Davis, African-American leader, scholar, and prison abolitionist. She was charged in connection with events at the Marin Courthouse on August 7, 1970. this is from her first statement after her acquittal.