Online Resources
These databases are useful for preliminary research on various topics, persons, themes, and time periods that relate to the study of the African diaspora and peoples of African descent in America and other parts of the world.
- The Oxford African American Studies Center (Includes African American National Biography)This database contains over 7500 articles from five Oxford University Press encyclopedias and 18 other OUP reference sources. Covers all aspects of the African American experience. The database includes articles, primary source documents, images, maps, charts, tables, and government documents. The African American National Biography is also included in this database.
- African American Biographical DatabaseFrom the famous to the everyday person, AABD includes profiles and full-text sketches providing both biographical detail and illuminating narratives chronicling the lives of Black Americans. These biographical sketches have been carefully assembled from biographical dictionaries and other sources. Use this resource to find information on lesser-known people.
- Oxford Bibliographies This link opens in a new windowLiterary guide to significant sources on a variety of subjects. Works as an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia.
- Women and Social Movements in the United States This link opens in a new windowDocument projects and archives, including book, film, and website reviews, notes from the archives, and teaching tools; organized around the history of women in social movements.
Useful E-Books
Atlas of SlaverySlavery transformed Africa, Europe and the Americas and hugely-enhanced the well-being of the West but the subject of slavery can be hard to understand because of its huge geographic and chronological span. This book uses a unique atlas format to present the story of slavery, explaining its historical importance and making this complex story and its geographical setting easy to understand.
The Black Studies ReaderIn 32 articles, leading scholars examine what the editors call the 'socially engaged field' of Black studies. They examine the evolution of consciousness, feminist resistance, and the representation of Black men, as well as the conceptualization of culture and ideology. They also examine Black sexuality, education and religion by analyzing autonomy, subjectivity, the pedagogy and practice of education, and the role of faith in Black life. A selected bibliography is included.
A Companion to African-American StudiesIncludes articles by a wide range of scholars that document the development of black studies in the United States and outline the trajectories of the field in all its multi-genre richness. Each original essay by an expert scholar in the field covers its topic with authority and clarity. Extensive bibliography included
Print Resources
Blacks in the Humanities, 1750-1986Call Number: Central 3rd-flr: Z1361 .N39 J694 1999
Rooted in the Chants of Slaves, Blacks in the Humanities, 1985-1997Call Number: Central 3rd-flr: Z1361 .N39 J694 1999
Harvard Guide to African-American HistoryCall Number: Central Reference 4th-flr: E185 .H326 2001
Encyclopedia of African History (3 volumes)Call Number: Central Reference 4th-flr: DT20 .E53 2005
Pan-African Chronology 1865-1915: A Comprehensive Reference to the Black Quest for Freedom in Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia (3 volumes)Call Number: Central Stacks: DT17 .J46 1996
Online Primary Sources
- African Americans - Guide to Online Primary Sources (UC San Diego)Most of the links found here are open to the public. For those that are not, check to see if Vanderbilt has access if you're interested in the content.
