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

Militant Workers in Detroit, 8/27/73 Militant Workers in Detroit, 8/27/73
Date: 8/27/1973Call Number: KP 058Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: General materials
Poor conditions in Detroit auto factory’s result in strikes against the Chrysler Corporation , among others. Jefferson Ave. and the Detroit Forge Plant were two sites of strike activity. Jim Jacobs explains some of the reasoning behind the strikes, and relates the issue to black equality as well.
Racism in San Bruno County Jail Racism in San Bruno County Jail
Date: 10/30/1973Call Number: PM 271Collection: Race and the Prison System
The first part of this recording is a question and answer session between San Bruno County Jail inmates and the head cook in their cafeteria. The conversation is facilitated by an ex-inmate. Topics discussed include the firing of three Black members of the kitchen staff, and insufficient quantities of food. The second part is the facilitator speaking on institutionalization, political education, and the creation of revolutionaries within the prison system.
A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle by Asians in America A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle by Asians in America
Date: 1/1/1973Call Number: Vin 015Format: VinylProducers: Paredon Records, Chris Kando Iijima, Joanne Nobuko Miyamoto, Charlie ChinCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Folk songs by a Japanese-American song writing collective that protests racism and imperialism in America. Lyrics also express support for other solidarity movements, particularly that of African-Americans and Latin Americans, as well as the political impetus for a socialist state. Notably the first Asian American music album. Liner notes includes a lengthy political statement by the artists.
Brotando del Silencio (Breaking out of the Silence) Brotando del Silencio (Breaking out of the Silence)
Date: 1/1/1973Call Number: Vin 032Producers: Paredon RecordsCollection: General materials
Songs that give voice to the women of La Raza, or people of mixed racial descent from Latin America. Suni Paz's music empowers both the Chicano Movement and women's liberation. Artist's statement and lyrics contained in the liner notes.
A Strategy for Struggle A Strategy for Struggle
Author: Ron KarengaPublisher: The Black ScholarDate: 11/1973Volume Number: NovemberFormat: ArticleCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
This article by Rob Karenga appears in the Black Scholar of November 1973. Karenga calls for liberation of Afroamericans by accessing "critical space" inside economic and political institutions. In his article he provides ways to meet objectives of the liberation struggle and comments on Pan-Africanism.