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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

Ruchell Magee Ruchell Magee
Date: 8/18/1971Call Number: PM 075Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Dave StevensCollection: Ruchell Magee
Prison interview with Ruchell Magee 3 days before assassination of George Jackson conducted by Dave Stevens of KPFK-Los Angeles. Discusses his original case and appeals. Then goes to what happened on the day of the Marin County courthouse rebellion but he mostly declines to comment. Speaks on why his and Angela’s case were separated, on being his own attorney. His case to Reagan for a pardon (Ruchell Magee vs. Ronald Reagan.) Good quote re Panthers on UNITY. More on Angela--need unity not “stars,” but the gun---Mention of Nixon and Vietnam. “No pleasure in San Quentin.” What would you do if you were on the outside? (organize, bring people in to show them the real conditions). When did you first begin to feel like a “slave?” Talks about his early background. Discusses 1963 conviction briefly 19:04 "These dogs have kept me in prison all this time… these dogs have one leg to stand on, racism." 22:27 "Those appointed by the court are shysters and buzzards, they work for the state." (Referring to the attorneys) 28:10 "I file a case and it sits in a drawer for 3 or 4 years." 29:30 "We (Black people) are going thorough hell, it's time to unite, no time to fight one-and-other." 31:24 "That's the pigs, they use confusion to divide us." 34:35 "The contradictions, the dogs are compelling people to pick up guns." 35:10 "There is no pleasure in prison." 36:10 "As soon as they let one go, here go another one, it's how prison is designed, tap dancing and actin' the fool won't help if you on the list to do some time it don't matter." "What I would do on the outside is organize the people." 42:25"You don't put no MF? Fool as a king." 42:55 "It's me today, it's you tomorrow." 48:00 "the government will destroy the people and itself too." 49:40 "I would help the Viet Cong fight."
Paul Cook, Ruchell Magee, And Justice In America Paul Cook, Ruchell Magee, And Justice In America
Date: 6/4/1971Call Number: CD 440Format: CDProducers: Carolyn CravenCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Paul Cook is interviewed by Carolyn Craven. Cook is a former cellmate of Ruchell Magee, who is at the time of the interview on trial with Angela Davis in connection with the escape attempt and shootout at the Marin Civic Center in August, 1970. Cook discusses his relationship with Ruchell Magee and his role as a member of his Defense Committee. He begins the interview by describing his being approached by police agents wanting him to testify against Ruchell Magee under threat on June 3, 1971. Topics addressed include the difficulty of organizing Magee’s defense, and the frustration working within the legal system. The growth of the California Prison Industry is analyzed, as are the conditions of prison life and their impact on prisoners’ families . He discusses George and Jonathan Jackson, Larry West and Ruchell Magee. 2:10 …While they were considering bail for Angela I was there 'cause I didn't want them to forget about Ruchell. 42:50 & 49:10 Jonathan and George Jackson
Real Dragon
Real Dragon
Date: 8/15/1971Call Number: RD 003Producers: Lincoln BergmanProgram: Real Dragon (Midnight Flash)Collection: “The Real Dragon” a news magazine including music and poetry
Lincoln Bergman reads "Midnight Flash" with focus on the civil war in Northern Ireland in 1971. News reports on other events of the world in August of 1971 include Uruguay's attempt to remove their president, the United States basketball team's loss to the Cuban national team, South Africa's continued protests against apartheid by proposing a bill to turn the U.S. companies in South Africa over to Black Africans, the United States continued to stall an NLF Peace Proposal in VietNam, the six year anniversary of the 1965 Watts Riot. Reading of a poem written by Charlie Cobb formerly of SNCC. Bergman also reports the crumbling of the Saigon government, and rebellion by war veterans at an Air Force base that was trying to appeal for benefits from the U.S. government. Other coverage of 6 Pitt River Indians forced off their land by Pacific Gas & Electric, and Chicano march at Folsom Prison in protest of prison conditions.
Real Dragon Real Dragon
Date: 9/8/1971Call Number: RD 004Producers: Lincoln BergmanProgram: Real DragonCollection: “The Real Dragon” a news magazine including music and poetry
Talks about the retaking of Attica prison in the struggle for humane treatment of prisoners. The demands include that they be moved to a non-imperialist country. Also news of inequality for Black students in public education, riots in San Diego, CA; Police brutality in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Puerto Rican youth struggle with the police in Hoboken, NJ. Also mention of Los Angeles and San francisco racist acts and killings.
Real Dragon Real Dragon
Date: 10/7/1971Call Number: RD 006Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Lincoln BergmanProgram: Real DragonCollection: “The Real Dragon” a news magazine including music and poetry
One-on-one interview with Ernesto "Che" Guevara from 1964. During the interview, Che speaks about some necessary elements for the seizure of power for revolution. He reveals that each movement depends on the people and cannot be an imitation of another movement such as the one that took place in Cuba. He uses the case of Puerto Rico as an example and also feels that in order for a revolution of the people to happen in the U.S- the considerations would be much more complex and need to take on a character of its own.
Press Conference at San Quentin Press Conference at San Quentin
Date: 8/22/1971Call Number: PM 270Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: KPFACollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Warden Luis Nelson, Associate Warden James Parks, and the State Director of Corrections, Raymond Procunier, field questions from reporters the day after George Jackson's death. Details on their story of the timeline, gun, visitors, number of dead and body placement. Questions and theories on whether the event was pre-planned by Jackson and the role of the Black Panthers, including revolutionary reading material. Begins with short comments from Georgia Jackson & Doris Maxwell.
Scanlan's Monthly Scanlan's Monthly
Date: 1/1/1971Call Number: M 055Format: CDProducers: Scanlan'sCollection: Master recordings
Special Issue on Guerilla War in the US - 1965 to 1970 Volume One, Number 8 - three consecutive US printers refused to print this issue, forced to be printed in Canada causing a delay of months. Scans of original magazine.
Palestine PDFLP - Part 1 Palestine PDFLP - Part 1
Date: 3/10/1971Call Number: CE 207Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Collection
Edwards explains the politics of various Palestinian resistance organizations, interviews two members of the Democratic Popular Front for Liberation in Palestine (PDFLP) about the unification of Palestinian resistance groups as well as the impact of Israeli occupation on Palestinian people. Also an international message about anti-imperialism and solidarity with all national liberation groups.
Palestine PDFLP - Part 2 Palestine PDFLP - Part 2
Date: 3/10/1971Call Number: CE 208Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Collection
Edwards explains the politics of various Palestinian resistance organizations, interviews two members of the Democratic Popular Front for Liberation in Palestine (PDFLP) about the unification of Palestinian resistance groups as well as the impact of Israeli occupation on Palestinian people. Also an international message about anti-imperialism and solidarity with all national liberation groups.
Palestine PDFLP - Part 3 Palestine PDFLP - Part 3
Date: 3/10/1971Call Number: CE 209Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Collection
Edwards explains the politics of various Palestinian resistance organizations, interviews two members of the Democratic Popular Front for Liberation in Palestine (PDFLP) about the unification of Palestinian resistance groups as well as the impact of Israeli occupation on Palestinian people. Also an international message about anti-imperialism and solidarity with all national liberation groups.