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

Mexican Elections Mexican Elections
Date: 8/16/1994Call Number: CV 100BFormat: Cass BProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
California Policy Seminar Director, Antonio Jimenez, discusses the Mexican elections, NAFTA and the different effects each candidate would have on US-Mexico relationships and specifically economic relationships between Mexico, the US and Latinos living in California.
Instituto Laboral #1 Instituto Laboral #1
Date: 9/4/1987Call Number: CV 104AFormat: Cass ACollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Continuation of annual awards ceremony of the Insituto Laboral de la Raza. Speeches and presentations by various San Francisco labor leaders. Curt Flood gives speech and is presented with award in his name.
From Oakland to Soweto From Oakland to Soweto
Date: 3/26/1977Call Number: FI 066Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Barbara Lubinski, Heber DreherProgram: Freedom Is A Constant StruggleCollection: Freedom is a Constant Struggle
Issue of unemployment in Oakland at a meeting for candidates for Mayor and Council. Chile news roundup. Situation at International Hotel, two reports with actuality. Interview on South Africa with an exiled Soweto student leader visiting Bay Area.
Protest of Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Protest of Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Date: 9/30/1991Call Number: CV 129Format: Cass A & BProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Demonstration against the announcement by rulers of the US, Mexico & Canada that they sought a "free trade agreement." Includes advocates for Mexican workers and other viewpoints.
Appalachia to California Appalachia to California
Date: 8/7/1976Call Number: FI 025Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Barbara Lubinski, Heber DreherProgram: Freedom Is A Constant StruggleCollection: Freedom is a Constant Struggle
Massive mineworkers wildcat strike in Appalachia. Grand Jury on police shooting in Oakland of Jose Barlow Benavidez. Russell Means case, not guilty on murder charges, SLA trial in LA continues.
I-Hotel and Housing Nationwide I-Hotel and Housing Nationwide
Date: 7/10/1976Call Number: FI 031Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Heber Dreher, Barbara LubinskiProgram: Freedom Is A Constant StruggleCollection: Freedom is a Constant Struggle
Issue of housing and tenant's rights nationwide and at the I-Hotel in San Francisco. Roundup of labor strikes nationwide. Attacks on welfare in Georgia. Mattie Shepherd speech, mother of Tyrone Guyton, young man (14 year old) killed by police in Emeryville. PSA on march to support Gary Tyler in Louisiana.
Fuerza Unida Fuerza Unida
Date: 11/3/1993Call Number: CV 151AFormat: Cass AProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
An interview in spanish with co-coordinators of Fuerza Unida, Irene Riena and Petra Mata. Riena and Mata discuss the boycott of Levi's organized in response to the layoff of 1,150 workers from a factory in San Antonio, Texas. They discuss they're fight agaisnt Levi's in the context of labor rights struggles for Mexican immigrants, specifically women. They see their case as an example of what happens under free trade and what will worsen with NAFTA.
Justice for Janitors Justice for Janitors
Date: 1/1/1990Call Number: CV 168Format: Cass A & BProducers: Chuy VarelaProgram: KPFACollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Four activists from the LA based Justice for Janitors campaign, including Jono Shaffer and Jesus Perez, speak about the struggle of janitors in LA and efforts to improve the conditions for these workers. In English and Spanish
David Ilchert Interview - INS David Ilchert Interview - INS
Date: 9/30/1992Call Number: CV 195AFormat: Cass AProducers: Chuy VarelaProgram: KPFACollection: Chuy Varela Collection
INS director speaks about immigration law, employers duties to verify the employment eligibility of workers The day laborers in San Rafael are also discussed.
Peoples Park Protest / San Rafael Hiring Hall Hearing Peoples Park Protest / San Rafael Hiring Hall Hearing
Call Number: CV 197Format: Cass A & BProducers: Chuy VarelaProgram: KPFACollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Protest at People's Park in Berkeley against the installation of sports courts in the park. A public hearing for/against the construction of a hiring hall for immigrant day laborers in San Rafael.