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

Women’s Poetry Festival Women’s Poetry Festival
Call Number: KP 097Format: CassetteCollection: General materials
The first tape of a women’s poetry reading in the Bay Area. Sharon Isabel reads from a book of prison poems by Norma Stafford. Genie Serotkin reads poems and a short story. Kitty Tsui, a contributing editor to the Third World Women’s Anthology reads poems. Most of the readings are centered around female experience.
Women’s Poetry Festival (Part Two) Women’s Poetry Festival (Part Two)
Call Number: KP 098Format: CassetteCollection: General materials
The second of two tapes of a women’s poetry reading in the Bay Area. Terry McMillan reads some poems. Judy Brown, a 16 year old composer/singer, plays three folk songs. Judy Gran, part of the Women’s Press Collective in Oakland, reads three poems.
Maya Angelou-- Collage of music and poetry Maya Angelou-- Collage of music and poetry
Date: 2/16/1982Call Number: KP 100Format: CassetteProgram: Freedom is a Constant StruggleCollection: Black Arts
Four Maya Angelou poems from a benefit reading in 1972 for Angela Davis, interspersed with jazz and blues music for a radio program called “Freedom is a Constant Struggle”. Poems: Harlem Hopscotch, Time-Square Shoe-Shine Composition, Harriet Tubman (?) (by Margaret Walker), For My People (by Margaret Walker).
Algo de mi Vida - Pablo Neruda Algo de mi Vida - Pablo Neruda
Date: 1/1/1991Call Number: CD 162Format: CDProducers: Alerce ProduccionesCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
1 Barrios sin luz - - 2 Maestranza de noche - - 3 Explico algunas cosas - - 4 El empalado - - 5 Lautaro - - 6 Oda a los poetas populares - - 7 Oda a la manzana - - 8 Las aves del Caribe - - 9 Américas - -
Nicaragua bebop Nicaragua bebop
Date: 10/28/1985Call Number: KP 102BFormat: Cass BCollection: Nicaragua
Unedited recording session of Rosario Murillo’s poem “I’ve had to tear up all the daily papers” read by Nina Serrano, accompanied by Stephen Herrick on sax. Rosario Murillo is the director of the association of Sandanista Cultural workers. The poem is dedicated to her husband, Daniel Ortega, the President of Nicaragua.
Break the Silence Break the Silence
Date: 9/28/1989Call Number: FI 018Format: Cass A & BProducers: Lincoln Bergman, KPFAProgram: Freedom Is A Constant StruggleCollection: Freedom is a Constant Struggle
Lincoln Bergman interviews Jewish women artists who are trying to make peace in the Middle East - Break the Silence Mural project. About their work and goals for peace, solidarity, and on their experiences. Includes music and Lincoln Bergman reading poems about Huey P. Newton.
Viva Chile M...! (Mierda) Viva Chile M...! (Mierda)
Date: 12/1/2004Call Number: V 402Format: DVDProducers: Uwe BleschingCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
This documentary film is a humanistic portrayal of one of the most influential figures from Chile and a key figure in the advancement of Latino culture in the US. Frenando Alegria’s Viva Chile Mierda is the most recited poem of the Allende era. Please see the following website for more information: http://www.cineaccion.com/viva_chile_m.html
Langston Hughes: Poetry and Jazz Langston Hughes: Poetry and Jazz
Call Number: CD 177Format: CDCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
An un-released CD of Langston Hughes reading his poetry to a jazz score.
Scores & Encores - Music from Simply Heavenly by Langston Hughes Scores & Encores - Music from Simply Heavenly by Langston Hughes
Date: 1/1/1957Call Number: CD 178Format: CDProgram: Scores & EncoresCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Scores & Encores - Music from Simply Heavenly by Langston Hughes with Claudia McNeil and Melvin Stuart.
Interviews with Puerto Rican former political prisoners and their lawyer Interviews with Puerto Rican former political prisoners and their lawyer
Date: 1/30/2003Call Number: V 143Format: VHSProducers: nyla rosen, hana tauber, jose ignacio fuste, marcos garofaloCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
First 20 minutes: Edited and subtitled (both English and Spanish) interviews on the connection between the release of the prisoners and the Puerto Rican Independence Movement. First footage of a march for peace for Vieques; then former political prisoner Dylcia Pagan talks about the connection between Vieques and PR Independence and the prisoners’ release; lawyer Jan Susler talks about fear and action; former political prisoner Jose Solis Jordan talks about solidarity, love, formal and informal/social/internal prison, the academy/university, and freedom; former political prisoner Elizam Escobar talks about art and liberation. Next 40 minutes: Roughly edited clips from interviews with these Independence fighters, as well as with Luis Rosa and Adolfo Matos. In English and Spanish, Not subtitled. To use these or other clips, see full interviews -- V 135 through V 142.