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

Mark Essex Mark Essex
Date: 1/6/1974Call Number: KP 012AFormat: Cass AProducers: Dave LampellCollection: Black Liberation
Dave Lampell delivers a short program documenting the shootout in New Orleans in 1974 where Mark Essex, a 23 year old Vietnam veteran killed police officers. The area was closed off, and calling on backup for reinforcements, police numbers were in the hundreds. They believed there to be more than one sniper. They shot Mark Essex over one hundred times, killing him the first night of the shootout. The police also took out many of their own in an insane display of force. The rest of the program gives a history of Mark Essex’s life in Kansas and suffering racism in the military. Great quotes about the racist State from his mother and sister.
Interviews with Herman Bell Interviews with Herman Bell
Date: 9/16/1974Call Number: PM 162Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: KPFACollection: Herman Bell
Compilation of interview clips with Herman Bell. Among the topics discussed are Bell’s bank robbery conviction in San Francisco, the history of black rebellions in America, and methods of encouraging people to organize and participate in revolutionary change. There are frequent references to the Black Liberation Army, Black Liberation Army, SLA, Symbionese Liberation Army, and the Weather Underground. Prison conditions and police harassment are also brought up.
Contradictions Within the Black Panther Contradictions Within the Black Panther
Date: 9/17/1974Call Number: KP 031Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Bruce SolowayProgram: Contradictions Within the Black Panther PartyCollection: Black Panther Party general
The Black Panther Party Intercommunal Section in Algiers, demanding the expulsion of David Hilliard and criticizing Huey Newton. Released by the East Coast Ministry of Information in New York, March 4, 1971. Recorded in Algiers on videotape, February 28, 1971. This is basically a compilation of testimonials of high profile Panther Party members speaking on the contradictions within the party, namely the expulsion of certain members expelled because of their less than favorable public image or agenda. Judy Douglass declared insane by people in the central party. Everyone speaking here is calling for the expulsion of David Hilliard from his position as Chief of Staff for the Black Panther party. Also testimonials for reinstatement of New York Panther 21 and Geronimo.
Interview with Herman Bell Interview with Herman Bell
Date: 6/21/1974Call Number: PM 164Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Claude MarksProgram: KPFACollection: Herman Bell
Black Panther Herman Bell talks openly about the criminal charges filed against him in New York and San Francisco. The discussion also ranges from examples of police corruption and the relationship between the police and the black community, to the need for “people’s” media outlets to compete with the ruling classes monopoly on information dissemination. Later in the tape Bell talks of the possibility of bringing the case of Human Rights abuses in the U.S. to the attention of the United Nations. And he ends with his analysis of what the differences are between a “real” revolutionary and a superficial one.
Herman Bell - Partial Out-takes Herman Bell - Partial Out-takes
Date: 6/13/1974Call Number: PM 080Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Claude MarksCollection: Herman Bell
Herman Bell talks about Marcus Foster’s assasination and CIA affiliation and the replication of South African aparteid in San Francisco. Discusses his arrest in New Orleans, the practices of intimidation and torture used by police in New Orleans, and the shooting of Twymon Myers in New York.
Interview with Herman Bell Interview with Herman Bell
Date: 6/13/1974Call Number: CD 539Format: CDProducers: Claude MarksCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Interview with Herman Bell by Claude Marks about the Black Liberation Movement, his reflections on political realities for Black communities and the politics of liberation and resistance; his capture in New Orleans; the torture of Black Liberation Army members by the police; BLA members murdered by police in New York; and his vision for the future.
SLA - Patty Hearst SLA - Patty Hearst
Date: 1/6/1974Call Number: KP 428Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
About the murder of SLA members in Los Angeles, May 17, 1974.
SLA - Hearst Complies with Food Giveaway SLA - Hearst Complies with Food Giveaway
Date: 2/18/1974Call Number: KP 429Format: 1/4 3 3/4 ipsCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
Charles Gould, Publisher of SF Examiner speaks on behalf of Hearst Corporation announcing their plan to comply with the demands of the SLA regarding the food giveaway program.
Armed Struggle Natural Response to Fascist Rule Armed Struggle Natural Response to Fascist Rule
Author: Martin SostrePublisher: Berkeley BarbDate: 5/3/1974Volume Number: 3-MayFormat: ArticleCollection: Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA)
This article featured in the Berkeley Barb suggests that the SLA's response to fascism with armed struggle is a step in the right direction for leftist movements. The article lumps all those from the Left who denounce the SLA with the ruling class. Sostre argues for more to take up arms in revolution against the U.S. fascist rule.
Women Armed for Self-Protection letter Women Armed for Self-Protection letter
Publisher: Women Armed for Self-ProtectionDate: 10/30/1974Volume Number: 30-OctFormat: CorrespondenceCollection: Violence Against Women
Letter from the organization WASP (Women Armed fro Self-Protection); a group based in Dallas Texas.