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.

African liberation movements

African liberation movements arose from a growing nationalism among previously divided African communities, the unfulfilled promise of self-determination following the end of World War II and the weakened economic and political capacities of Western Europe.

Our collection contains a wide range of materials representing liberation movements from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, and the Congo (DRC). Our collection also features containing Human Rights Reports from South Africa, IKWEZI, a revolutionary Azanian journal, and a sub-collection containing general resources about the continent. This collection includes audio and paper materials.

Strengths of the collection include materials on the role of women in African liberation struggles and national reconstruction, an interesting assortment of periodicals from Southern Africa, speeches and interviews with revolutionary leaders from across the continent, audio from solidarity events in the United States, and a set of human rights reports compiled during the transition from Apartheid to democracy in South Africa.

Subcollections

  • Africa- General Resources
    This collection contains general resources about various themes related to the African continent. The collection draws from many types of materials (periodicals, books, pamphlets) and many different countries (Kenya, Guinea, Tanzania).
  • Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique
    This collection contains materials from the liberation struggles in former Portuguese colonies. Guinea Bissau gained independence in 1973 and Mozambique and Angola achieved independence in 1975.
  • Anti-Apartheid Solidarity
    This collection contains materials from Bay Area anti-apartheid movements of the 1980s originating from various sources, primarily Bay Area-based South African solidarity groups.
  • Eritrea
    Eritrea is located in the Horn of Africa. It gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1991 after a 30 year struggle for independence.
  • IKWEZI
    IKWEZI is a revolutionary Azanian Journal based on Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tsetung Thought.
  • South Africa
    This collection contains a variety of materials which focus on the anti-apartheid movement both within and outside of South Africa.
  • South Africa: Human Rights Reports
    The Human Rights Commission published weekly, monthly and annual reports. In addition, occasional in-depth special reports were published on important human rights issues.
  • SWAPO- Namibia
    SWAPO (Southwest Africa Peoples Organization) was formed in 1960 to fight for liberation in present day Namibia. Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990.
  • Zaire-DRC
    This collection contains materials from the Congolese struggle against neocolonialism and the rule of General Mobuto Sese Seko.
  • Zimbabwe
    This collection contains information about the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe, mainly focused on the struggle against Rhodesia and white settler rule.

Documents

Speech by Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe to African Americans Speech by Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe to African Americans
Date: 8/23/1980Call Number: AFR 006BFormat: Cass BCollection: Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe gives a speech to African Americans living in Harlem, at a rally on Harlem Day, August 23, 1980. On the occasion of Zimbabwe’s admission to the United Nations, Mugabe thanks people for their support of Zimbabwe’s struggle for national independence and against colonial racist white rule. He celebrates the victory of the black man in Zimbabwe and the continued struggle for non-racialism and equality. He ends his speech with the hope that the victory of Zimbabwe will inspire the oppressed Africans in South Africa and Namibia.
Diane Lacey interviews Judy Jensen of Material Aid Campaign for ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) Diane Lacey interviews Judy Jensen of Material Aid Campaign for ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union)
Call Number: AFR 017BFormat: Cass BProducers: WWRL New YorkProgram: Black Dialogue ProgramCollection: Zimbabwe
Jensen speaks about changing American’s attitudes toward Southern Africa, and the Material Aid Campaign’s “Dollars for Bullets” Campaign. The Campaign supports the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe and also SWAPO’s (Southern African People’s Organization) call for United Nations sanctions against South Africa.
Naomi Nhiwatiwa of the World Health Organization, speaks in solidarity with ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) on women’s contributions to the fight for liberation in Zimbabwe. Naomi Nhiwatiwa of the World Health Organization, speaks in solidarity with ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) on women’s contributions to the fight for liberation in Zimbabwe.
Date: 6/17/1979Call Number: AFR 028Format: Cass A & BCollection: Zimbabwe
Naomi Nhiwatiwa, senior advisor to the United Nations for the World Health Organization’s Africa Region, speaks about women’s contribution to the fight for liberation in Zimbabwe. She notes that equality exists between men and women within ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union), but usually not outside of the organization. She thanks the Material Aid Campaign for ZANU, praising them for their efforts to make the world a better place and for eradicating the symbol of white as oppressors in the black person’s mind.
International African Forum and the celebration of Elombe Brath’s 85th Birthday International African Forum and the celebration of Elombe Brath’s 85th Birthday
Date: 9/30/1994Call Number: AFR 044Format: Cass A & BProducers: The Patrice Lumumba CoalitionProgram: Making Our Struggle A Lifetime Committment: The Only Way Forward For African Worldwide LiberationCollection: African liberation movements
An international African Forum and the celebration of Elombe Brath’s 85th Birthday. Speakers include: Uganda Ambassador to the UN (United Nations) Ambassador Perezi Kamunanwire, Dr. Betty Shabazz, Sonny Carson, Don Rojas, Les Payne, Bernard White, moderator,and Viola Plummer. Viola Plummer gives an introduction to Elombe Brath, speaking on his accomplishments over his lifetime. Kamunanwire speaks about the history of the struggles in Africa, about the superficial divisions between the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda made by the Europeans, the evils of colonialism, and how colonialists use the people of Africa to divide and rule each other. He gives a brief update on the status of most African countries, and praises Elombe Brath’s continued work with those who are liberating the African continent. Next, Sonny Carson speaks about having committment to freedom and the black people, and remembering those who have been committed to liberation, like Elombe Brath. Les Payne speaks on the power of journalism and the ongoing struggle for empowerment for black Africans like Brath. Lastly, Don Rojas, former executive editor of Amsterdam of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), celebrates Elombe Brath’s work against oppression and for the People’s University of Harlem.
Panel Discussion on the current state of Congo. Panel Discussion on the current state of Congo.
Call Number: AFR 062Format: Cass A & BCollection: Zaire-DRC
Panel discussion on the current state of Congo. Zairian Political Scientist Ilunga Kabongo speaks about the past struggles of Congo, and about former Congo Prime Minister and revolutionary Patrice Lumumba’s efforts in the struggle for liberation in Congo. He speaks about how FLN (National Liberation Front) was restricted because of revolutionary mercenaries from South Africa and other neighboring countries. He speaks about Congo’s abundance of natural resources as well. Next, Nzongola Ntalaja, Congolese Political Scientist, speaks about the continuing struggles in Congo, and about the struggle for autonomy in that country. He calls for the complete liberation of the Congolese people, and speaks about the struggle against Sese Seko Mobutu, president/dictator of Congo from 1930 - 1997, who had usurped power through a coup and was backed by Western powers. Ntalaja speaks about the struggle for a “second independence”, and the need to continue the struggle for liberation against Mobutu’s regime. On Side B, Dr. Tshiteya Mukona of Penn State University speaks about Mobutu’s Development policy of bribery, and how American foreign policy in Zaire (DRC - Democratic Republic of Congo) is supportive of Mobutu. Lastly, he speaks about the US’s role as a superpower and how it can influence other countries without destroying them.
Namibia: Formula for Independence? 1989 Namibia: Formula for Independence? 1989
Publisher: Episcopal Church People for a Free Southern AfricaDate: 1/1989Volume Number: JanuaryFormat: MonographCollection: SWAPO- Namibia
Constructive Engagement: The U.S. Strategy to Defeat African Liberation and Build Neo-colonialism Constructive Engagement: The U.S. Strategy to Defeat African Liberation and Build Neo-colonialism
Publisher: Revolution in Africa Action CommitteeFormat: MonographCollection: South Africa
A critical analysis of the current US policy toward Africa and an argument for building anti-imperialist solidarity with African liberation.
Freedom Rising! Africa Solidarity Committee Freedom Rising! Africa Solidarity Committee
Format: FlyerCollection: Anti-Apartheid Solidarity
Call to demonstrate against South African Airways