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.

Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials

Documents

Fifty One Fifty Performs Fifty One Fifty Performs
Call Number: V 197Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
This video contains concert footage of hip-hop group Fifty One Fifty performing at Marin City's Festival on the Green.
Inventos - Hip Hop Cubano Inventos - Hip Hop Cubano
Date: 1/1/2005Call Number: V 225Format: DVDProducers: Eli Jacobs-FantauzziCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Cuban Hip Hop provides a unique insight into the realities and politics of contemporary Cuba. Experience this as Inventos follows some of the pioneers of this musical movement to their homes, the stage and as they travel abroad for the first time. Inventos embodies the true spirit of Hip Hop, which is to build something that is powerful and useful out of what is seemingly impossible. Just as Hip Hop in the U.S. began as a form of creative self expression bringing awareness to oppressive social conditions, Cuban Hip Hop demonstrates the innovative and indestructible spirit born from a people suppressed by the U.S. embargo on Cuba. Inventos, serves as a reminder of the political consciousness through which this music was created. Thirty years after its conception, and in spite of commercialisation, Hip Hop culture continues to give voice to people who refuse to be silenced, ignored and cut off from the larger society. The film shows how both cultures reflect similar social struggles and if brought together, could transcend cultural barriers and build a collective community dedicated to spreading messages of truth and empowerment globally.
Inventos: Hip Hop Cubano Inventos: Hip Hop Cubano
Call Number: V 688Format: DVDCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
This film documents contemporary Cuban hip hop. Cuban musicians are interviewed in their homes, on stage and on tour. Despite the US embargo, the film illustrates the creative and artistic spirit of the island.