For more resources and information about related activities at UCF, please visit the
African American Studies homepage. If you have
further questions or need additional assistance with your research, use the
ask a librarian link to chat with a librarian
in real-time, or call the Reference Department at (407) 823-2562. For
more extensive one-on-one help, consider making an appointment for a
Research Consultation
with a librarian who has expertise in your area of research.
Books and Multimedia
Use the books / catalog feature on the
UCF Libraries website to locate books, DVDs, CDs, VHS, etc. You can search by author, title,
keyword, or subject. For more information about how to search the catalog, or for questions
about other library services, please visit the library's main page or go to the
FAQ / How do I...? section
of the website. Listed below is a partial list of keywords that may be helpful as you search:
- African American Experience
- African American Literature
- African / African American Art
- African Americans & Pop Culture
- Harlem Renaissance
- History of the South
- Black Migration
- Black Cinema
- Black Music / Jazz
- Race / Ethnic Minorities in the U.S.
- Minorities in Politics
- Racial Prejudice
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Article Databases
Use the following print indexes and electronic databases to find articles related to
African American studies. Many of these databases include articles that are available for
download in full-text. If the article you want does not have a full-text link, trying using
the "SFX" icon to redirect your search to a database or journal that does have the full
article. If no online version is available, you may have to cross-reference the UCF Libraries
catalog to find a print copy of the journal.
Indexes a broad array of scholarly and popular topics. Provides full text for over
3,460 scholarly publications journals covering the social sciences, humanities,
general science, multi-cultural studies, education, and much more.
Search humanities, education, business, science, current events, art, politics,
economics, social science, law, health care, computers, technology, environmental
issues, and general interest topics. Contains the complete General Business File
and Expanded Academic ASAP.
A Multi-disciplinary database providing the complete content - indexing, abstracts,
and full-text - from six of Wilson's databases: Education, General Science, Humanities,
Readers' Guide, Social Sciences, and Wilson Business Index.
An electronic database with the full text of articles from over 200 ethnic, minority,
and native periodicals published in the United States. Features over 65 African,
African American, and Caribbean publications.
Full-text articles, including illustrations, published in Harper's Weekly. A good
source for information on issues affecting the African American experience during
the Civil War and Reconstruction.
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Key Journals
The following selected periodicals are devoted exclusively to African American topics.
Please note, however, that many other periodicals not listed here will contain articles
by and about African Americans (consult an article database or index for a complete listing).
Current print issues of periodicals to which the Libraries subscribe are arranged by title
on the third floor; print back issues are shelved in the general collection by call number,
while microform back issues are arranged by call number on the third floor.
A journal that publishes essays on African American literature, art and culture.
Contains interviews, fiction and poems.
Each issue of this quarterly academic journal is devoted to a specific topic. Recent
issues have focused on black intellectuals, Pan-Africanism, and writer Paule Marshall.
General Collection NX 506 .C34 (1999-present) -- A literary journal publishing original
by and critical studies of black writers worldwide.
Formerly known as The Journal of Negro History (see below) this journal covers all
aspects of Black life, history and culture in a global community. Published by the
Association for the Study of African American Life and History (see the Internet
section below for link)
A multidisciplinary forum for social scientists engaged in the analysis of the struggles
and triumps of black males... was called the Journal of African American Men until
2003. Full text archives for both titles are now stored in EBSCO (with a six month
delay).
General Collection E 185.5 .J8 (1970-present) -- Provides a forum for economic,
political, sociological, historical, literary, and philosophical issues related
to the African American experience.
General Collection LC 2701 .J6 (1932-present) -- One of the oldest continuously-published
periodicals by and about African Americans, serving as an invaluable source on major
developments as they affect African Americans.
General Collection E 185 .J86 (1960-84) & Microfilm E 185 .J86 (1916-59) -- The
leading journal in the field of African American history, now titled The Journal
of African American History as of 2001.
General Collection E 185.5 .C9 (1910-present) -- Originally titled Crisis (1910-96).
Founded by W.E.B. Du Bois, this is the official publication of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
A scholarly online journal that focuses on current research related to the history
of African American religious movements. Recent issues have had articles on such
topics as "Du Bois's Souls: Thoughts on 'Veiled' Bodies and the Study of Black Religion,"
"Engendering Church: Women, Power, and the A.M.E. Church," and "Black Theodicy:
African Americans and Religion in the Antebellum North."
General Collection E 185.5 .W54 (1997-present) & Microfilm E 185.5 .W54 (1980-96)
-- And interdisciplinary journal offering research, social analysis, political commentary,
literary criticism, and contemporary and classical arts of people of African descent.
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Reference Sources
Sources such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, chronologies, and quotation books
are good starting points for obtaining basic information about issues, events, organizations,
and the like. Below is a sampling of the key titles in each category.
General Sources
African American Almanac:
Reference E 185 .P35 -- A comprehensive work in 29 sections, covering a broad range
of topics on African American life, history, and culture. Also includes many biographies.
African American Encyclopedia:
Reference E 185 .A253 1993 -- Approximately 2,900 entries on the experiences, history,
and contributions of African Americans. Signed articles usually have bibliographies
appended.
African-American Firsts: Famous, Little-Known and Unsung Triumphs of Blacks in America:
Reference E 185.96 .P68 1994 -- Lists of firsts are arranged by topic. Brief selected
bibliography and index.
African American Firsts in Science and Technology:
Reference Q 141 .W43 1999 -- A list of African American firsts in all fields of
the pure and applied sciences.
Reference E 185 .A2534 1994 -- A listing of properties from the National Register
of Historic Places that pertain to African American history, with brief essays on
the sites.
Provides short biographies, historical documents, folk tales, as well as numerous
links to other African American Internet sources.
A searchable calendar of African American history.
Black Firsts: 2,000 Years of Extraordinary Achievement:
Reference E 185 .B574 -- Approximately 3,000 entries are arranged chronologically
under subdivided subject areas. Indexed by year and keyword.
Over 600 articles, historical film clips, and audio recordings are included, as
well as hundreds of photographs and other images. Also contains related Internet
links, and a bibliography provides a list of sources for further study.
Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History:
Reference E 185 .E54 1996 + supplement -- Approximately two-thirds of the 2,200
signed articles are about persons, both historical and contemporary. The remaining
articles deal with events, historical eras, legal cases, and areas of cultural achievement.
Brief list of references appended to most articles.
Florida Black Heritage Trail:
Reference E 185.93 .F5 F56 1992 -- A listing by county of significant, historic
African American sites. Includes some brief biographical profiles and "Black Firsts
in Florida."
Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups:
Reference E 184 .A1 H35 -- Surveys all ethnic groups in America through 106 signed
essays ranging in length from 3,000 to 40,000 words. Each essay touches upon origins,
migration, arrival, settlement, economic and social life, religion, education, politics,
and maintenance of ethnicity. A good supplement and update can be found in the Encyclopedia
of Multiculturalism (Reference E 184 .A1 E58 1994).
Organizing Black America: An Encyclopedia of African American Associations:
Reference E 185.5 .O74 2001 -- Includes 576 entries on African American associations
of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, discussing their origins, goals, founders,
membership, achievements, and the ways in which the organizations influenced black
life in America.
Atlases
African-American Atlas: Black History and Culture (An Illustrated Reference):
Reference E 185 .A79 1998 -- Provides detailed maps on such topics as "African Origins,"
"The Era of Demonstrative Protest," and "Social and Economic Realities." Includes
list of selected references and sources for graphics.
The Routledge Atlas of African American History:
Reference E 185 .E125 2000 -- Focuses on "elements of African American history that
could be enhanced with maps." Coverage spans from the empires of Africa to the African
American population in 1990. Includes a separate chronology, list of sources for
further reading, and an index.
We the People: An Atlas of America's Ethnic Diversity:
Reference E 184 .A1 A479 1988 -- Uses 115 maps to show the U.S. distribution of
67 ethnic and racial groups, as well as population shifts between 1920 and 1980.
Chapter 10 is "People of African Origin."
Chronologies
Black Chronology from 4000 B.C. to the Abolition of the Slave Trade:
Reference DT 17 .D5 1983 -- Chronology of notable events and dates in the history
of African people and their descendents from c. 4777 bce to 1888.
Chronology of African-American History: Significant Events and People from 1619
to the Present:
Reference E 185 .H64 1991 -- Lists major events in the history of black America.
Timelines of African-American History: 500 Years of Black Achievement:
Reference E 185 .C86 1994 -- Covers the social, cultural, and intellectual contributions
of African Americans from 1492 to 1993. Also includes a listing of contemporary
events for most years after 1502 that places the African American past into the
broader context of U.S. and world history.
Quotations
African American Quotations:
Reference PN 6081.3 .A36 1998 -- Includes more than 2,000 quotations ranging in
time from early American settlement to the present.
Contemporary Quotations in Black:
Reference E 184.6 .C665 1997 -- Quotations from prominent African Americans culled
from books, interviews, speeches, magazines, and newspapers from the late 1980s
through the mid 1990s.
My Soul Looks Back, 'Less I Forget: A Collection of Quotations by People of Color:
Reference PN 6081.3 .M9 1993 -- More than 7,000 entries are arranged chronologically
under 453 topical headings.
Quotations in Black:
Reference PN 6081.3 .Q67 -- Quotations by black persons are arranged by author in
chronological sequence by birthdate.
Statistics
America's Black Population: 1790 to 1982; A Statistical View:
US Documents C 3.268:83-1 -- Presents data on population and socioeconomic characteristics
of African Americans derived from the 1980 census, with selected trends from 1970.
Black Americans: A Statistical Sourcebook:
Reference E 185.5 .B512 1991 -- A compilation of statistics on African Americans
from a variety of federal government sources, with references given to all sources.
Black Demographic Data (1790-1860) A Sourcebook:
Reference E 185.18 .C73 1997 -- Contains tables and graphs with numbers and percentages
of the slave, free-black, and overall population in individual states and regions
of the antebellum United States. Explains the limitations of census data and, in
separate chapters, discuses emancipation, manumission, black migration, and the
controversy surrounding the 1840 census.
A compilation of statistical data and reports produced by the U. S. Census Bureau.
Most of the information dates from 1990 to the present, including a link to population
estimates and projections. A link to "Historical Census Statistics on Population
Totals by Race, 1790 to 1990" covers retrospective statistics. Links to publications
such as "Facts for African American History Month" are also included.
Characteristics of the Black Population, 1990:
US Documents C 3.223/10:1990 CP-3-6 -- Report on population and housing characteristics
of the black population as of April 1990. Data are shown for the entire U.S. and
selected states and metropolitan areas.
Negro Population, 1970 Census of Population Subject Report:
American Statistics Index Microfiche [1974] 2533--14 -- Contains detailed statistics
from the 1970 census, cross-classified by various socio-economic characteristics.
Geographic coverage is entire U.S., states with 250,000 blacks, Standard Metropolitan
Statistical Areas (SMSAs) with 100,000 blacks, and cities with 100,000 blacks.
Negro Population, 1790-1915:
Reference HA 205 .A33 -- Documents the development of African Americans using published
and previously unpublished U.S. Census Bureau data and commentary. Includes coverage
at national, regional, state, county, and city levels, with detailed subject index.
Negroes in the United States, 1920-32:
Reference E 185.6 .U5853 1969 -- Commentary and statistics on all facets of black
life for the period, drawn from published and previously unpublished census data.
An appendix give characteristics of the black population by county from the 1930
census.
Social and Economic Status of the Black Population in the United States: An Historical
View, 1790-1978
US Documents C 3.186:P23/80 -- Provides commentary and statistical tables of the
demographic, social, and economic characteristics of African Americans. Part 1 covers
historical trends from 1790 to 1975; part 2 covers trends from 1975 to 1978. For
an update of selected socio-economic characteristics covering the years 1979 to
1988, see Black Population in the U.S.: March 1988, Current Population Reports,
Population Characteristics (American Statistics Index Microfiche, [1990] 1546--1.442).
Statistical Record of Black America:
Reference E 185.5 .S83 -- Includes tables and figures, arranged in broad categories,
from public and private sources on a wide variety of topics.
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Biographies
There are many sources for biographical information (see, for example, the
Biography Resource Center database), but the focus of the titles listed below is exclusively
on African Americans. Note, too, that many general sources listed under "Definitions,
Summaries, and Facts" of this guide contain biographies as well.
An electronic database featuring a collection of digitized directories, encyclopedias,
biographical dictionaries, yearbooks, newsfile clippings, and other sources published
between 1790 and 1950. The full-text biographical information on more than 30,000
African Americans is accompanied in some instances by illustrations or photographs.
Black Americans in Autobiography:
Reference E 185.96 .B67 -- An Annotated Bibliography of Autobiographies and Autobiographical
Books Written Since the Civil War. Coverage is to the early 1970s. In two sections:
(1) autobiographies, "volumes describing appreciable spans of the authors' lives,"
and (2) autobiographical books such as diaries, journals, and eyewitness accounts.
Black Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia:
Reference E 185.96 .B542 1993 -- Contains 804 entries, 641 of which are biographies
of individuals and 163 of which deal with general topics and organizations.
Contemporary Black Biography:
Reference DT 18 .C66 -- A multivolume series that provides profiles of important
and influential persons of African heritage. Cumulative nationality, occupation,
subject, and name indexes in most volumes.
Dictionary of American Negro Biography:
Reference E 185.96 .D53 1982 -- Includes only individuals who died prior to January
1, 1970. Signed articles with notes on sources, intended to meet the need for a
comprehensive biographical dictionary of African Americans based on scholarly research.
"Historical significance" was the principal criterion for inclusion.
Notable Black American Men:
Reference E 185.86 .N68 1999 -- Contains 500 biographical essays on men both living
and dead. Essays include references and, when available, description and location
of primary sources.
Notable Black American Women:
Reference E 185.96 .N68 1992 -- A two-volume set with over 800 biographical essays
on black American women from colonial times to the present. Essays include references
and, when available, description and location of primary sources.
Reference E 185.96 .W52 -- Formerly titled Who's Who Among Black Americans, 1976-1994/95.
Persons listed "become eligible for inclusion by virtue of positions held through
election or appointment to office, notable career achievements, or outstanding community
service" (preface). Entries are now available online through the
Biography Resource Center database; use the Advanced Search mode to limit by
source title.
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Primary Sources
Primary sources in African American studies include materials such as autobiographies,
court cases, government documents, letters, literary works, newspaper articles, speeches,
and slave narratives. The following titles are examples of primary source material available
in the UCF Libraries or on the Internet. Additional primary sources in the UCF Libraries
may be located by searching the UCF Library
Catalog for specific authors, subjects, or keywords.
African American History in the Press (1851-1899):
Reference E 185.2 .A25 1996 -- From the Coming of the Civil War to the Rise of Jim
Crow as Reported and Illustrated in Selected Newspapers of the Time Reprints some
1,200 articles and 470 illustrations from nineteenth-century newspapers, primarily
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Harper's Weekly (see also
HarpWeek: The
Civil War Era, Reconstruction I & II, and Gilded Age I (1857-1883)), and Gleason's
Drawing Room. Organized into chapters by year with keyword, illustration, and newspaper
indexes.
The American Slave: A Composite Autobiography:
General Collection E 444 .A45 -- A multivolume set of reprints of the transcripts
of the slave narrative collections at the Library of Congress and Fisk University,
consisting of interviews conducted during the 1920s and 1930s with former slaves.
Separate cumulative name indexes. See also the online collection
Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938
, part of the Library of Congress' American Memory project; this site includes the
full text and audio of 2,300 first-person accounts of slavery collected between
1936 and 1938 which are part of the American Slave: A Composite Autobiography series.
The Black Abolitionist Papers:
General Collection E 449 .B624 1985 -- A collection in five volumes of documents
drawn from the writings of African Americans involved in the movement to end slavery
during the period 1830-1865, selected from approximately 14,000 letters, speeches,
and essays.
The Claude A. Barnett Papers: Part One: Associated Negro Press, News Releases (1928-1964):
Microfilm PN 4882.5 .S35 1986 -- Accompanied by a printed guide (Reference PN 4882.5
.S35 1986 Guide). UCF Libraries owns Series B and C only (19945-1964). Articles
issued by the Associated Negro Press (founded by Barnett, born in Sanford, Florida),
the largest and longest-running African American news service.
A collection of original 18 & 19th century advertisements for runaway slaves, mostly
reprodeced from Virginia newspapers.
Documentary History of the Modern Civil Rights Movement:
Reference E 185.61 .D64 1992 -- A collection of speeches, documents, and excerpts
of speeches and books, spanning the 1940s to the 1990s.
General Collection E 185.97 .K5 A2 -- Provides the full text of selected speeches,
sermons, and correspondence of Dr. King, along with some audio clips. Also includes
chronologies, the full text of several articles about Dr. King's legacy and influence,
and links to other pertinent Internet sites. The entire collection of papers is
being published by Stanford University Press in what eventually will be a 14-volume
set, The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mary McLeod Bethune Papers: The Bethune-Cookman College Collection (1922-1955):
Microfilm E 185.97 .B34 B3 1995 -- Accompanied by a printed guide (Reference E 185.97
.B34 B3 Guide). Contains the administrative records of Mrs. Bethune as president
of Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Mary McLeod Bethune Papers: The Bethune Foundation Collection:
Microfilm E 185.97 .B34 B32 1996 -- Accompanied by a printed guide (Reference E
185.97 .B34 B32 1996 Guide). Covering the period 1915 through 1955, contains correspondence,
diaries, speeches, essays, biographical materials, news clippings, and files on
the National Youth Administration and women's organizations.
The Papers of the Congress of Racial Equality: Addendum (1944-1968):
Microfilm E 185.5 .C88 -- Accompanied by a printed guide (Reference E 185.5 .C88
1982 Guide). This collection offers materials specifically released for micro-publication
and provides information on the history, strategies, tactics, and ideologies of
the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE), one of the major organizations involved
in the struggle for African American civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s. Includes
correspondence, meeting minutes, staff memoranda, and reports.
Papers of the NAACP (1909-1950):
Microfilm HN 53 .N375 pts. 1, 2, 3 -- Accompanied by printed guides (Reference HN
53 .N375 pts. 1, 2, 3 Guide). Offers on microfilm the core materials of the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1909 through 1950.
Includes meeting minutes, monthly reports, annual conference proceedings, business
meeting proceedings, legal documents, and correspondence.
An extensive collection of rare original sources that document the anti-slavery
struggle at both regional and national levels. The collection includes sermons,
position papers, off-prints, local Anti-Slavery Society newsletters, poetry anthologies,
freedmen's testimonies, broadsides, and Anti-Slavery Fair keepsakes all document
the social and political implications of the abolitionist movement.
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Papers (1959-1972):
Microfilm E 185.61 .S916 1981 -- Accompanied by a printed guide (Reference 185.61
.S916 1981 Guide). The papers, reproduced on microfilm, of the Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee (SNCC), one of the major organizations involved in the struggle
for African American civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s. The collection include
correspondence, meeting minutes, staff memoranda, press releases, reports, and newspaper
clippings.
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Internet Sites
There are literally thousands of Internet (or World Wide Web) sites pertinent to African
American studies. The following are essentially "metasites," starting places for finding
and linking to a wide variety of information online.
An annotated directory of Internet sources on black history, with links to such
topics as slavery, the Civil War, and the civil rights movement.
Provides a nice breakdown of the African American Migration by region and provides
an assortment of original images, texts, maps, and even compiles an array of related
educational materials for both teachers and students.
This site developed by the Library of Congress covers only four areas -- Colonization,
Abolition, Migrations, and the WPA (Works Progress Administration). According to
the site's introduction, "These topics were selected not only because they illustrate
well the depth, breadth, and richness of the Library's black history collections,
but also because of the significant and interesting interplay among them."
A large collection of African American resources covering many subjects.
An interdisciplinary collection of Internet connections, including a section specifically
for African American studies; select the link: Race, Ethnicity, and Identity.
This organization's stated goal is to create and disseminate knowledge about Black
History, to be, in short, the nexus between the ivory tower and the global public.
a directory compiled and maintained by the City College of New York Libraries. Providees
an extensive list of links to other related web sites and collection broken down
by subject area... very thorough and well-maintained site.
Lists many links to both primary and secondary documents, databases, archives, libraries,
maps, images and more. The focus is Internet sites in United States with an emphasis
on Florida and Central America. The links cover at least one of the following criteria:
sites that offer resources at the secondary, college and university levels; sites
that allow access to material without copyright restrictions on downloading and
circulating materials in an educational setting; and sites from well-known government
databases.
An extensive annotated list of links and resources related to slavery from Stanford
University. These are free Internet sources, so links and access may change occasionally,
but the site is well maintained and there are lots of good resources to be found.
Extensive list of Web connections, including events calendars, organizations, education
links, cultural sites, and more.
The oldest research institute in the country dedicated to African American Studies.
A great way to keep up-to-date on current events, research and outreach projects,
opportunities for students, fellowships, conferences, recent publications, etc.
Directed by Henry Louis Gates Jr. of Harvard University.
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