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

Green Giant Layoff Marcha Green Giant Layoff Marcha
Date: 10/27/1990Call Number: CV 076Format: Cass A & BCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Interviews and speeches recorded at a march in Watsonville, CA in support of laid-off workers from the Green Giant frozen foods packing plant. Interviews in English and Spanish, speeches in Spanish with translation.
Watsonville Green Giant Layoffs and the Earthquake One Year Later Watsonville Green Giant Layoffs and the Earthquake One Year Later
Date: 10/11/1990Call Number: CV 077Format: Cass A & BCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Collection of interviews by Chuy Varela about the Green Giant lay offs as well as the progress and recovery of Watsonville from the 1989 earthquake. Interviewees include laid-off workers, Teamsters Local 912 Sec. Treas. Sergio Lopez, FEMA employees, families living in trailer parks, and other community members. Tape ends with the radio program about free trade agreements and the Watsonville plant closing.
Justice for Janitors Justice for Janitors
Date: 1/1/1990Call Number: CV 168Format: Cass A & BProducers: Chuy VarelaProgram: KPFACollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Four activists from the LA based Justice for Janitors campaign, including Jono Shaffer and Jesus Perez, speak about the struggle of janitors in LA and efforts to improve the conditions for these workers. In English and Spanish
Latinas in the 90s - Dolores Huerta Tribute Latinas in the 90s - Dolores Huerta Tribute
Date: 12/12/1990Call Number: CV 273AFormat: Cass AProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
2nd annual Latinas in the 1990s event, organized by the Contra Costa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Acknowledges and cultivates women's accomplishments in human rights and social advancement on the Feast Day of the Lady of Guadalupe. Dolores Huerta, the keynote speaker, discusses how women have been at the forefront of social justice and that more women are needed in leadership for social justice to advance.