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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.
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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

Joyce Kangai is interviewed on the ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) Women’s League and its goals for women’s participation in the struggle for liberation in Zimbabwe. Joyce Kangai is interviewed on the ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) Women’s League and its goals for women’s participation in the struggle for liberation in Zimbabwe.
Date: 12/12/1979Call Number: AFR 029AFormat: Cass ACollection: Zimbabwe
In an interview, Joyce Kangai of the ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) Women’s League speaks about women’s role in the Zimbabwe liberation struggle and in ZANU women’s league. The women participate fully in the struggle, and raise support for women refugees. The League’s slogan of “Liberation through Participation” is the goal of educating women on politics and the nature of the struggle, recruiting women to participate in the liberation of Zimbabwe, and to work together for equality and raising materials for the women freedom fighters.
Discussion of the role of self defense in African and African American liberation. Discussion of the role of self defense in African and African American liberation.
Call Number: AFR 045Format: Cass A & BProgram: The Question of African ManhoodCollection: Robert F. Williams!
Discussion on the role of self defense in African and African American liberation. Robert Harris, Elombe Brath, and Vicki praise Robert Williams’ work and courage to free the black people. Elombe Brath speaks about the “May 8th Case” in New York in which 8 people were arrested for not cooperating with the state. Robert Harris speaks the struggle for African liberation and comments on how the conditions currently are the same as what Robert Williams faced in 1961. He concludes by calling the people to use self - defense to struggle against the state as Robert Williams did. Elombe Brath celebrates the memory of Robert Williams. He talks about the Williams’ sacrifices and work toward liberation, and the support he received from both blacks and whites. He points out that the people need to be educated to get anywhere in life. Lastly, Robert Harris speaks about African Nationalism and his admiration of Robert Williams because he rose to the challenge to free the black people and fight the media. He contemplates the role and importance of self defense in the struggle for liberation.
Science and technology chievements of Africans throughout history Science and technology chievements of Africans throughout history
Call Number: AFR 046Format: Cass A & BProgram: African Presence in World CulturesCollection: Africa- General Resources
Ivan Van Sertima of Legacies, Inc. lectures on the sciences of Africa, particularly Egypt, and the influence of African sciences on Europeans. He studies the African American contributions to science and the world. Issac Gillam, black director of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), calls people to change their conscience, but also realizes that one cannot do that without examining the past. He also speaks of the achievements of black people throughout history in science and technology. He explains the advancements of the Africans long before the Europeans, and asks why scientist turn to Europe for answers and discount the Africans as primitive.
Adelaide Sanford on African values Adelaide Sanford on African values
Date: 3/3/1990Call Number: AFR 049Format: Cass A & BProgram: To Be African in Today’s America - Toward Liberation!Collection: Africa- General Resources
Adelaide Sanford speaks about how Africans in America have rid themselves of the chains of oppression. She talks about how ancestral strengths and power do not fit into American society, and thus causes harm to the black psyche. Sanford says Blacks built the American economy and society (for example, music, religion, and ideas) that Europeans took credit for and denegrated the blacks while enjoying all that the black contributed. She also speaks about education in American prisons as a myth of justice. In feeling anger towards racial discrimination from whites, it is ok to feel anger, it just depends on what you do with that anger. Whites want to see a reaction, but do not give them the satisfaction or predictability. Lastly, she calls people to not buy into white American values because the black person’s strength only comes from African value systems.
Adelaide Sanford on African values Adelaide Sanford on African values
Date: 3/3/1990Call Number: AFR 050AFormat: Cass AProgram: To Be African in Today’s America - Toward Liberation!Collection: Africa- General Resources
Continuation of AFR 049 Adelaide Sanford speaks about improving education in America. She talks about changing education in America and fighting for educational freedoms. She calls the people to be aware of the power of the African story and to get it out to all people through the media. She speaks about the destruction of black civilization in America. Because of the association of the black man and drugs, particularly crack, a derivative of cocaine, as an agent of melanin in black skin pigment, people need to be educated about cocaine’s dangers.
John Henrik Clarke on the change and challenge of history for the African person John Henrik Clarke on the change and challenge of history for the African person
Date: 2/10/1992Call Number: AFR 074Format: Cass A & BProducers: Wahat productions, New York Urban LeagueProgram: Black History Month Lecture: The Change & Challenge of History in the 20th CenturyCollection: Africa- General Resources
Lecture by Dr. John Henrik Clarke about the change and challenge of history for the African person. He speaks about how it is more difficult to understand the changes and challenges of history if we do not read the basic history of our people. History tells a people where and what they are and have been, what they still must be. He comments on how most people simply look at the history of the world as a whole, but overlook the histories of each people. He talks about the differences between men and women, blacks, and whites. Lastly, he speaks about placing black relationships on a new level based on tradition and a common history. Quote: “You don’t beg for something that belongs to you, you take back what belongs to you.”
Discussion on the effects of global white supremacy on Africans Discussion on the effects of global white supremacy on Africans
Date: 10/23/1991Call Number: AFR 053Format: Cass A & BProducers: UAM: United African MovementProgram: Global White Supremacy, Part 1Collection: Africa- General Resources
Recorded off mic. Discussion on the effects of global white supremacy on Africans historically, legally, and psychologically. The audio begins with Imhotep Gary Byrd leading the audience in a song. John Henrik Clarke speaks how black people are the chosen people of God, and how historically, the Jews have benefited from the slave trade. He also talks about Louis Farrakhan, minister of the nation of Islam, and his contributions to the black man. He also gives a historical perspective on global white supremacy, saying that blacks do not understand white supremacy because they don’t understand white people. He asserts that whites feel superior because they aren’t rich in culture and family life like blacks are, and they want that without paying for it. Clarke calls people to read more and to become educated. He speaks about Egypt not being white because it is deep within Africa, so they cannot claim superiority over other Africans. He also speaks about the bastardization of Africans, physically through skin color, and mentally through the desire to be white. He claims there is no reason for white colonization except the whites desire for resources and to take over another people. He says that the only way to overcome global white supremacy would be for all Africans to unite. Audio tape includes a rap song about race relations between minorities (blacks) and whites. No Justice, No Peace.
ZANU representatives interview two South African women about education in their coutnry. Also, French radio program on Congo. ZANU representatives interview two South African women about education in their coutnry. Also, French radio program on Congo.
Call Number: AFR 064Format: Cass A & BCollection: South Africa
Recorded off mic. ZANU representatives interview two women from South Africa about education in South Africa. The South African women from Soweto speak about the lack of education for children in South Africa, especially those from the townships. Recording breaks abruptly into a French radio program on the Congo, recorded in French. Side B is a continuation of French radio program.
Focus on the Americas with Blase Bonpane, Ph.D. Building Communities of Resistance Focus on the Americas with Blase Bonpane, Ph.D. Building Communities of Resistance
Date: 7/10/1991Call Number: JG/ 083AFormat: Cass AProducers: Judy GerberCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Bonpane discusses a need to build communities of resistance. Speaks about the population's general acceptance of hearsay excuses to invade countries (e.g. nuclear potential) and to invade homes on the domestic front (e.g. drugs), the criminalization of poverty, support for the Gulf War, and sanctions (i.e. starvation and torture of the civilian population) against Iraq and other countries. Discusses downfalls of US foreign policy noting Nicaragua and El Salvador as examples and argues against defending an institution or a nation "as if it were an idol and can do no wrong." Calls for citizens to seek knowledge as collaborative effort in order to thwart the depression of facing these issues alone. Instead to celebrate life, community, struggle and knowledge. To use as resources the media, government, education and mass mobilization to bring about change.
Discussion on the effects of global white supremacy on Africans Discussion on the effects of global white supremacy on Africans
Date: 10/23/1991Call Number: AFR 054Format: Cass A & BProducers: UAM: United African MovementProgram: Global White Supremacy, Part 2Collection: Africa- General Resources
Recorded off mic. Discussion on the effects of global white supremacy on Africans historically, legally, and psychologically. The audio begins with Imhotep Gary Byrd leading the audience in a song. John Henrik Clarke speaks how black people are the chosen people of God, and how historically, the Jews have benefited from the slave trade. He also talks about Louis Farrakhan, minister of the nation of Islam, and his contributions to the black man. He also gives a historical perspective on global white supremacy, saying that blacks do not understand white supremacy because they don’t understand white people. He asserts that whites feel superior because they aren’t rich in culture and family life like blacks are, and they want that without paying for it. Clarke calls people to read more and to become educated. He speaks about Egypt not being white because it is deep within Africa, so they cannot claim superiority over other Africans. He also speaks about the bastardization of Africans, physically through skin color, and mentally through the desire to be white. He claims there is no reason for white colonization except the whites desire for resources and to take over another people. He says that the only way to overcome global white supremacy would be for all Africans to unite. Audio tape includes a rap song about race relations between minorities (blacks) and whites. No Justice, No Peace.