The Collections

The Freedom Archives comprise major collections of audio and video tapes and documents:

• “Freedom is a Constant Struggle”
• “Communicación Aztlán”
• “Pájaro Latino – Latin American News and Views”

The “Freedom is a Constant Struggle” Collection

This component includes programs and raw audio materials recorded from the late 1960s to 1995. Much of the material was broadcast on KPFA in Berkeley. The programs were weekly, thus forming a consecutive historical record. The producers, including Lincoln Bergman, Claude Marks, Nancy Barrett, Heber Dreher, Barbara Lubinski, Emiliano Echeverria, Kiilu Nyasha, and Nina Serrano have preserved the tapes. In addition to the audio tapes, this collection includes scripts, written papers, and publications. While not fully indexed, the tapes are ordered by date and main topics are noted. The historic content includes:

• Interviews and actuality of activists and spokespeople
• Original poetry and music in collage with news and editorial opinion
• Civil rights, Black liberation, other Third World, women's, and student movements
• Vietnam war: anti-war events, numerous interviews/actuality
• Black Panther Party, Attica, George Jackson, other prisoner's issues
• Latino movement, cultural and political contributions
• Alcatraz, Wounded Knee and American Indian Movement
• Poverty, welfare rights, working class and trade union issues
• Numerous other social and cultural issues and events
• Other international issues: Puerto Rico, Cuba, Chile, Asia, Africa
• Special remote recordings: community events, People's Park airchecks (Bergman was News Director of KPFA at that time), coverage of 1970 May Day demonstrations in Washington, D.C., numerous other demonstrations, marches, protests
• Chronological record by week of major events in Bay Area, nation, and world, with emphasis on social protest issues
• Unique multicultural perspectives on US recent history, as well as documentaries and special programs on many past events and leaders: May Day, Malcolm X, Cuban history, Ho Chi Minh, etc.
• Underground communiqués, including original SLA-media material
• Diverse and rare recordings of trade union and folk songs
• Spanish Civil War songs, other historical and recent protest songs
• Cuban and many other international musical elements
• Special series on Paul Robeson, including audio unavailable anywhere else
• Special series on Langston Hughes
• Special series on Pete Seeger

The Communicación Aztlán Archive

This component represents a crucial period in the historic development of the Latino community. It has been amalgamated into and strongly complements the Freedom Archives. It also requires urgent attention to be preserved. The Communicación Aztlán Archive derives from the early 1970s. Most of the activities and programs of the Communicación Aztlán collective centered at KPFA-FM. This collection includes:

1. “Reflecciones de la Raza,” one of Northern California's first bilingual community radio programs. The program included call-ins, music, interviews, poetry, events, and coverage of current issues, and as such constitutes a lovely weekly review of stirrings of culture and consciousness in the Bay Area Latino communities. It was broadcast from November 1971–November 1974. Most programs were two hours long. These are live, edited airchecks.
2. “Como Mis Antepasados,” a documentary series of historical and political analysis, from Latin American and Latino perspectives, with oral history, poetry, dramatic readings, actualities, and music. It was broadcast from June 1973–September 1974 and was pre-produced and edited.
3. Several other program series and appearances include Unidos, Third World Now, Third World Special, Third World News, and the KPFA News. Other special broadcasts are also included. It should be noted that active program participants and producers on these series included some who have gone on to distinguished careers in media, such as Sherri Hu, Isabel and Andres Alegría, as well as other poets, writers, activists, and scholars. These are original, live broadcasts between 1971–1974 and are from 30–60 minutes in length.
4. Raw materials, in the following main categories:
   • United Farmworkers, including demonstrations, benefits, poetry, speeches, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, other interviews
   • Prison movement: poetry, interviews, analysis
   • International issues: Cuba, Chile, Central America, Mexico
   • The 1973 coup in Chile, September 11, 1973 and aftermath.
   • Wounded Knee, reports from the Native American struggle
   • Community issues: education, housing, and health. police brutality, labor, welfare, community development
   • Culture: including poetry, dramatic readings, interviews, events
   • Surviving files of the Communicación Aztlán collective, including minutes of meetings, scripts, and production notes