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

Geronimo Ji Jaga from Cointelpro 101 Geronimo Ji Jaga from Cointelpro 101
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Cointelpro
Interviews with Geronimo Ji Jaga Pratt, Catherine Campbell and others on the Federal Government's targeting of Pratt for his involvement with he Black Panther Party.
Geronimo Ji Jaga from Cointelpro 101 Geronimo Ji Jaga from Cointelpro 101
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesProgram: COINTELPRO 101Collection: Geronimo Pratt
On Geronimo Ji Jaga involvement with the Los Angeles Panther Party and the FBI's COINTELPRO efforts to repress movement building and frame Geronimo Ji Jaga.
Geronimo Ji Jaga release in 1997 - news footage Geronimo Ji Jaga release in 1997 - news footage
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesProducers: Pam MooreProgram: KRON Channel 2 NewsCollection: Geronimo Pratt
Bay area news story on Pratt's release.
George Jackson - 41 year commemoration George Jackson - 41 year commemoration
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesProgram: Prisons on FireCollection: George Jackson
August 21st marks the 41st anniversary of the execution of George Lester Jackson. The Chicago- born Jackson would have celebrated his 71st birthday on September 23rd. Jackson was a prisoner who became an author, a member of the Black Panther Party, and co-founder of the Black Guerrilla Family prison organization. He achieved global fame as one of the Soledad Brothers before being executed by prison guards in San Quentin Prison. Based on an edited portion of Prisons on Fire by the Freedom Archives (2001) with video editing by Oriana Bolden.
Free Herman Bell Free Herman Bell
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesFormat: Collection: Herman Bell
More than 2.4 million human beings are imprisoned in the US. This massive incarceration—overwhelmingly aimed at people of color and criminalizing youth—makes the US by far the greatest purveyor of punishment in the world. Among these millions are a number of political prisoners, and among these courageous sisters and brothers is Herman Bell. Herman Bell has been a political prisoner in the US for nearly 40 years. When national liberation and revolution rocked the world in the 1960s and 70s, Herman was active in the social justice movements of those times, particularly the Black Liberation movement and the Black Panther Party.
Shut Down the Control Units Shut Down the Control Units
Date: 1/1/1988Call Number: V 375Format: VHSProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
US policies at Marion violate the United Nation's Standard Minimum Rules for Treatment of Prisoners that were established for countries like Chile and South Africa. The control units at Marion often are used to silence political prisoners and those demanding prisoners rights.
Marion and Lexington Control Unit p.1 Marion and Lexington Control Unit p.1
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesFormat: Video ClipCollection: Control Units
This video examines the women's control unit in the basement of Lexington FCI. Taken from recordings between 1986 and 1988, this video features general information as well as interviews with three of the five women being held in Lexington.
The Lexington Women's Control Unit p.2 The Lexington Women's Control Unit p.2
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesFormat: Video ClipCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
This video discusses the conditions of Lexington Prison and how people end up in Lexington control unit. Contains a short interview with a doctor who speaks about the psychological affects of prolonged isolation.
The Lexington Women's Control Unit p.3 The Lexington Women's Control Unit p.3
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesFormat: Video ClipCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
This video continues to examine the women's control unit at Lexington Prison. Susan Rosenberg talks about some of the affects of prolonged isolation and the results of the federal lawsuit against Lexington are discussed.
CEML: Marion Conf 10-24-1987 Tape #3 CEML: Marion Conf 10-24-1987 Tape #3
Date: 10/24/1987Call Number: V 622Format: VHSProducers: CEMLCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Footage of a model control unit cell followed by the judges all speaking and rendering verdicts. Moderator: Nancy Kurshan. Judges: Betty Balanoff, Darla Bradley, Dave Dellinger, Bernard Headley, Sister Jean Hughes, Morton Sobell, Akinyela Umoja.