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, specifcally AND/+, NOT/-, and OR operators. 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.
Welcome to the Freedom Archives' Digital Search Engine.The Freedom Archives contains over 12,000 hours of audio and video recordings which date from the late-1960s to the mid-90s and chronicle the progressive history of the Bay Area, the United States, and international movements. We are also in the process of scanning and uploading thousands of historical documents which enrich our media holdings. Our collection includes weekly news, poetry, music programs; in-depth interviews and reports on social and cultural issues; numerous voices from behind prison walls; diverse activists; and pamphlets, journals and other materials from many radical organizations and movements.

Search Results

Self Respect, Self Defense & Self Determination - Full program Self Respect, Self Defense & Self Determination - Full program
Date: 3/14/2004Call Number: Format: Video ClipProducers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Mabel and Robert F. Williams
An event held at the First Congregational Church in Oakland on Sunday, March 14, 2004 with Mabel Williams and Kathleen Cleaver. Both women were welcomed and introduced by Angela Davis. These two inspiring women of the 60s Black Liberation struggle met to share their personal experiences - resisting the KKK and police repression, forced into exile government repression, and their international experiences in Third World nations. Mabel Williams, with her late husband Robert F. Williams, met with Malcolm X, Ho Chi Minh, Che Guevara and Mao Tse Tung to help internationalize support for the Black Liberation Movement. Kathleen Cleaver was Communications Secretary and the first woman on the Central Committee of the Black Panther Party.
Mabel Williams- Are You Proud of Your Efforts? Mabel Williams- Are You Proud of Your Efforts?
Year: 2004Call Number: Format: mp3Producers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Mabel and Robert F. Williams
Interviewed by Walter Turner, Mabel Williams discuss the legacy of her struggle.
Mabel Williams on Being in the Shadow of her Husband Mabel Williams on Being in the Shadow of her Husband
Date: 3/14/2004Call Number: Format: Video ClipProducers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Mabel and Robert F. Williams
Mabel Williams talks about "being in the shadow" of her husband, Robert F. Williams. Mabel speaks on the importance of unity in the struggle, love for all people and setting a positive example for our children.
Kathleen Cleaver COINTELPRO 101 Extra Footage Kathleen Cleaver COINTELPRO 101 Extra Footage
Call Number: COI 10 130Format: Video ClipCollection: Cointelpro
Kathleen Cleaver became involved in the civil rights movement. In 1967 she left college to work full-time for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The following year she met Eldridge Cleaver and moved from New York to San Francisco to join the Black Panther Party (BPP). Kathleen Cleaver became the BPP's National Communications Secretary and helped to organize the campaign to get Huey Newton released from prison. She was also the first woman to be appointed to the Black Panthers Central Committee. Kathleen continues to struggle for civil and human rights and teaches law at Emory University.
Mabel Williams- The Story of the Crusader Mabel Williams- The Story of the Crusader
Year: 2004Call Number: Format: mp3Producers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Mabel and Robert F. Williams
Interviewed by Walter Turner, Mabel Williams recounts the story of the Crusader.
Mabel Williams' Experience in Cuba Mabel Williams' Experience in Cuba
Year: 2004Call Number: Format: mp3Producers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Mabel and Robert F. Williams
Interviewed by Walter Turner, Mabel Williams recounts her experience in exile in Cuba.
Mabel Williams- Membership of the Monroe NAACP Mabel Williams- Membership of the Monroe NAACP
Year: 2004Call Number: Format: mp3Producers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Mabel and Robert F. Williams
Interviewed by Walter Turner, Mabel Williams recounts the story of NAACP branch in Monroe, North Carolina.
An Undying Love Flyer An Undying Love Flyer
Date: 5/31/1969Volume Number: 31-MayFormat: FlyerCollection: Eldridge Cleaver
Flyer: "release Eldridge Cleaver rally," at Parole Office in San Francisco, with Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, and Kathleen Cleaver.
Robert and Mabel Williams on Viet Nam Robert and Mabel Williams on Viet Nam
Call Number: Format: mp3Collection: Viet Nam
Clip discusses how Robert and Mabel Williams resisted the war in VietNam. Robert and Mabel recount their experiences.
Mabel Williams' Advice to Young People Mabel Williams' Advice to Young People
Year: 2004Call Number: Format: mp3Producers: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Mabel and Robert F. Williams
Interviewed by Walter Turner, Mabel Williams gives advice to young people.