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

Paul Robeson speaks in Oakland Paul Robeson speaks in Oakland
Call Number: PR 063Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Out-takes: Excerpts from interview in Oakland, CA. Robeson speaks about the Council on African Affairs, his passport struggle, his love for the folk songs of many cultures, art as the reflection of a common reality and universal aspirations for a better life all over the world, his travels to socialist countries, and socialism. Also, excerpts from his speech on civil rights, the history of slavery and the abolition movement. (Some distortion on tape.) Same as CD 308, Track 1
Paul Robeson: Raw Materials Paul Robeson: Raw Materials
Call Number: PR 064Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
1950s: Taped message from Robeson to Marine Cooks and Stewards Same as CD 308, Track 2
WBAI Tribute to Paul Robeson WBAI Tribute to Paul Robeson
Date: 1/1/1968Call Number: PR 065Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: WBAIProgram: Tribute to Paul RobesonCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Tribute to Paul Robeson WBAI Reel 3 (exact duplicate of Reel 2, but better quality). Recording of Paul Robeson singing “Joe Hill” Same as CD 344, Track 2
Tribute to Paul Robeson WBAI Reel 2 Tribute to Paul Robeson WBAI Reel 2
Date: 1/1/1968Call Number: PR 066Format: 1/4 3 3/4 ipsProducers: WBAICollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Ossie Davis, Pete Seeger, Lloyd L. Brown, William L. Patterson, Hope Stevens, Lawrence Brown, Douglas Turner Ward, Harry Bragg, Irwin Silber speak on Robeson’s activism for social justice, his intergrity and his refusal to give up his principles regardless of the personal sacraifice it caused him. Same as PR 065 and CD 344, Track 1
Paul Robeson & Joe Johnson Paul Robeson & Joe Johnson
Call Number: PR 067Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Joe Johnson, Marine Cooks & Stewards Union, introduces Paul Robeson. Robeson, speaks, sings 5 songs, recites speech from “Boris Gudonov” in English and Russian, sings part of an aria from Mussorgsky’s opera; also recites “Dr. Butts” by Langston Hughes. (The latter has some parts missing from the tape.) Same as CD 308, Track 3
Robeson Program Introduction Robeson Program Introduction
Call Number: PR 068Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Program introduction: Paul Robeson Show 1982-84
Paul Robeson Sings at Marine Cooks & Stewards Union Paul Robeson Sings at Marine Cooks & Stewards Union
Date: 5/1/1951Call Number: PR 069Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Paul Robeson speaks at Marine Cooks and Stuards Union meeting in San Francisco, May 1, 1951; tape begins in mid-sentence. Also, 7 songs. Same as CD 322, Track 1
Paul Robeson Songs II Paul Robeson Songs II
Call Number: PR 070Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Recorded from old 78s, (scratchy): Hymn of Soviet Union, with chorus, sung all in English,1941; United Nations Song, 1944; Chee Lai, 1941, sung in Chinese and English; Feng Yang, 1941, sung in Chinese; Chinese Army Song, 1941, sung all in English; Riding the Dragon, 1941, a Chinese children’s song, sung in English and Chinese; medley of Spirituals, with chorus, 9//2431; King Joe (1&2), an ode to Joe Louis, recorded 10/1/41, with Count Basie Orchestra; song in an unidentified language; Eriskay Love Lilt (possibly from Scotland); Curly-Headed Baby; Song of Freedom (stage version, 1936); Deep River, at the Eisteddfod Song Festival in Wales, Feb., 1940, in tribute to the late Dick Perry, leader of the Welsh Miners Union Same as CD 322, tracks 2-12
Paul Robeson: Conference of Negro Labor Council Paul Robeson: Conference of Negro Labor Council
Date: 1/1/1955Call Number: PR 071Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Robeson at Ebony Plaza Hotel, Oakland CA, January 1955; sings and talks; "Dr. Butts" by Langston Hughes. Same as CD 323, Track 1
Paul Robeson: Discussions & Interviews Paul Robeson: Discussions & Interviews
Call Number: PR 072Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Paul Robeson recordings
Message to San Francisco 5/1965; Bill of Rights -message to Marine Cooks and Stuards Union; Interview by Sid Roger KROW 1955; about Harry Bridges 1953; Discussion at house party Berkeley 7/1/1955 Same as CD 323, Track 2