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

Female Political Prisoners - series of interviews Female Political Prisoners - series of interviews
Call Number: JG/ 070Format: CassetteProducers: Judy Gerber, Lisa RudmanProgram: KPFACollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
This is a collection of different interviews and recordings of female political prisoners from around the world. Lisa Rudman collages them together to show the injustice towards political prisoners and to highlight some of the many tactics used by the US government and prison system to get information out of political prisoners. Rudman defines political prisoners and interviews Laura Whitehorn and Linda Evans and speaks about their cases and the circumstances leading to their imprisonment. The other political prisoners interviewed on the tape are: Dora Garcia, active in the national liberation struggles in the US colony of Puerto Rico; Mercedes Algado, a refugee active in the FSLM and FDR in El Salvador; Elizabeth Sebego, active in the Pan African Congress; Assata Shakur, active with the Black Panthers and now a refugee in Cuba; a Filipina imprisoned for her work with the church.
Assata Shakur: clips from her 1980 address to the people after her escape from prison Assata Shakur: clips from her 1980 address to the people after her escape from prison
Call Number: PM 227Format: CassetteCollection: Assata Shakur
This program is an edited version of her address to the people after she escaped. She begins the recording by stating that she loves everyone and encourages everyone to continue to struggle for our liberation. Assata talks about how Black people are constantly under attack by the poor school system, infiltration of drugs, welfare system, police state, etc. She talks about the necessity for a Black Nation and how Black women must play a key role in the struggle for liberation. She says that they are the most closely related to the struggle because of their position in White American society. Assata talks about the direction of the US government and how it is continually becoming more racist and fascist; how the government sees Black peoples as expendable and just "a thorn in their side."
Assata Shakur: clips from her 1980 address to the people after her escape from prison Assata Shakur: clips from her 1980 address to the people after her escape from prison
Call Number: PM 228Format: CassetteCollection: Assata Shakur
Same as PM 227. This program is an edited version of her address to the people after she escaped. She begins the recording by stating that she loves everyone and encourages everyone to continue to struggle for our liberation. Assata talks about how Black people are constantly under attack by the poor school system, infiltration of drugs, welfare system, police state, etc. She talks about the necessity for a Black Nation and how Black women must play a key role in the struggle for liberation. She says that they are the most closely related to the struggle because of their position in White American society. Assata talks about the direction of the US government and how it is continually becoming more racist and fascist; how the government sees Black peoples as expendable and just "a thorn in their side."
Assata Shakur: In Her Own Words Assata Shakur: In Her Own Words
Call Number: PM 229Format: CassetteProgram: In Her Own WordsCollection: Assata Shakur
Two international reporters conducted this interview with Assata Shakur in Havana Cuba in 1987. Assata talks about what it's like to live in Cuba, her relationship with her daughter and the changing struggle of Black rights, Black liberation, and human rights.
Assata Shakur: In Her Own Words Assata Shakur: In Her Own Words
Call Number: PM 230Format: CassetteProgram: In Her Own WordsCollection: Assata Shakur
Same as PM 229. Two international reporters conducted this interview with Assata Shakur in Havana Cuba in 1987. Assata talks about what it's like to live in Cuba, her relationship with her daughter and the changing struggle of Black rights, Black liberation, and human rights.
Wishlist of Political Prisoner Pardons, 1994 Wishlist of Political Prisoner Pardons, 1994
Call Number: JG/ 086BFormat: Cass BProducers: Judy GerberProgram: A Defiant HeartCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Wish list of New Year's resolutions for Bill Clinton focusing on political prisoners and prisoners of war, 1994. Eulogy for AIDs activist Michael Callen. Requests for the retrial and/or pardoning of political prisoners Leonard Peltier, Geronimo Pratt, Mumia Abu Jamal, and Silvia Baraldini and for the pardoning of Puerto Rican prisoners of war, with background information on each of their situations.
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.
Panel Discussion on the crisis of racism PART 2 Panel Discussion on the crisis of racism PART 2
Date: 5/1/1962Call Number: KP 095Format: Cass A & BProducers: Public Affairs Department of WBAI, and Pacifica RadioProgram: “The Crisis of Racism”Collection: Black Liberation
A Continuation of KP 094, A panel discussion on "The Crisis of Racism", with Malcolm X, James Farmer, and William Worthy. Moderated by Murray Kempton. Conclusion and Question and Answer period - Malcolm X answers questions from the audience about racism in America. James Farmer, the National Director of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), speaks about the 500 years of racial oppression in America. Malcolm X speaks about being ready to die for liberation, and about how the American colonists were also labeled revolutionaries. Finally there's a speech by James Farmer about CORE and the responsibilities of the blacks today to do something and take action against white racism.
George Jackson at San Quentin George Jackson at San Quentin
Date: 7/28/1971Call Number: PM 211AFormat: Cass ACollection: George Jackson
Interviewed by Max Bloom. Jackson speaks about the Prison Movement. Discusses different organizations and vanguard parties collaborating with each other to help the fight against white oppression. He speaks about the Weathermen and the Panthers.
Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad on The Phil Donahue Show Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad on The Phil Donahue Show
Date: 5/23/1994Call Number: KP 118Format: CassetteProducers: NBCProgram: Phil Donahue ShowCollection: General materials
Dr. Khalid Abdul Muhammad appeared on The Phil Donahue Show, a nationally aired daytime talk show, after Muhammad was publically penalized by the mass media about his comments and book on the relationship between the Black and the Jewish populations historically in the world. The show emphasizes the one sided picture of mainstream television with the hostility he receives from the host, Phil Donahue. Donahue constantly badgers Muhammad with miniscule questions and talks down to him when he answers them with a more general overview of a situation. There is little interviewing that occurs, rather it is a situation where Donahue is constantly attacking Muhammad, and Muhammad is cleverly answering and pointing out the flaws in Donahue’s argument. Some of the topics which Muhammad does briefly touch upon are: Jesse Jackson, Nelson Mandela, Black Liberation, Black Unity, South Africa, Coleman Ferguson, and the Nation of Islam.