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.

Political Prisoners

There is no standardized definition to describe a political prisoners. Here are two good definitions:

Political Prisoner- A man or woman who is imprisoned, either awaiting trail, serving a sentence or in any other status, who is incarcerated by reason of acts, associations or beliefs in favor of self-determination for racially, sexually and nationally oppressed peoples, against United States foreign and military policy, or domestic policy of the United States or its corporations which contribute to the impoverishment, suffering and repression of poor and working people and racially and nationally oppressed peoples. 

The term political prisoner is not limited to those who are incarcerated merely for holding beliefs or having political affiliations. It encompasses those who have taken actions, either symbolic or tactical, which violate laws of the United States in pursuit of their political goals. The term political prisoner is used generically to include those who describe themselves as Prisoners of War and demand treatment under the Geneva Convention Protocols I and II. 

Political Prisoner- A term describing anyone who is incarcerated by reason of his or her committment to struggle against injustices committed against the people by the United States, including racism, inequitable distribution of wealth and failure to provide a descent standard of living for all of its children, the genocide of indigenous peoples and cultures, colonialism, nuclear militarism, and support for anti-democratic and repressive regimes across the world.

Documents

Poems of Veronza Bowers Poems of Veronza Bowers
Date: 6/24/1974Volume Number: 24-JunFormat: PoemCollection: Veronza Bowers Jr.
Four pages of poetry written by Veronza Bowers during his incarceration in Lompoc Federal Penitentiary.
Dear Resistance Conspiracy Case Supporters Dear Resistance Conspiracy Case Supporters
Author: Judy GreenspanPublisher: Washington Area Committee for Political Prisoners RightsDate: 1/29/1991Volume Number: 29-JanFormat: CorrespondenceCollection: Resistance Conspiracy
Wrap-up letter of the Resistance Conspiracy Case. Tim Blunk, Marilyn Buck, Linda Evans, Susan Rosenberg, Laura Whitehorn, Alan Berkman all sentenced and taken to various federal prisons around the country. Addresses are included for correspondence, more info about Freedom Now and information about Mumia Abu Jamal and Bashir Hameed.
Resistance is not a Crime Resistance is not a Crime
Author: Ceres MayPublisher: Hag RagVolume Number: July-AugustFormat: ArticleCollection: Resistance Conspiracy
Editorial on the Resistance Conspiracy Case, resistance is not a crime.
1990 Tribunal Fundraiser and Registration Letter 1990 Tribunal Fundraiser and Registration Letter
Authors: Margaret Randall, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Dan BerriganDate: 9/15/1990Volume Number: 15-SepFormat: CompilationCollection: 1990 Tribunal
Packet containing general and registration information concerning the 1990 Tribunal.
Dr. Luis Nieves Falcon letter to supporters Dr. Luis Nieves Falcon letter to supporters
Author: Dr. Luis Nieves FalconDate: 10/1/1990Volume Number: 1-OctFormat: CorrespondenceCollection: 1990 Tribunal
Letter asking for assistance dissiminating information about the conference.
Shakuhachi Orthodoxy and Heresy and Meditation Healing with Shakuhachi Shakuhachi Orthodoxy and Heresy and Meditation Healing with Shakuhachi
Authors: Monty H. Levenson and Veronza Bowers Jr.Publisher: Kyoto JournalYear: 1996Volume Number: No. 32Format: ArticleCollection: Veronza Bowers Jr.
A history of the Shakuhachi, a five hole bamboo flute played in Japan since the 7th century but originating in Egypt. Levenson talks about the cultural significance of the instrument and introduces readers to Veronza Bowers. Second article describes in words and pictures, aspects of the spiritual practice developed by Veronza and his Rastafarian Meditation Group at FCC Coleman.