African-American History: A Research Guide

Learn about the importance of the Dred Scott case, the Civil War, the civil rights movement, school integration, and how these past events affect the present-day African-American community by exploring the booklists, online databases, Web sites and other resources assembled by library staff. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library’s catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

African American Literary Criticism 1773–2000 by Hazel Arnett Ervin. New York: Twayne, 1999. ISBN: 0805716831.
Includes major periods and themes of African-American literary criticism through more than 100 essays and articles. Also includes a chronology.

Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience edited by Kwame Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates. New York: Basic Civitas Books, 1999. ISBN: 0465000711.
Landmark reference includes illustrations, charts, graphs, pictures, and articles covering the religion, arts, and cultural life of Africans and of black people everywhere.

Encyclopedia of African and African-American Religion by Stephen D. Glazier New York: Routledge, 2001. ISBN: 0415922453.
Covers religious movements and churches of Africa, North America, South America, and the Caribbean.

Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History edited by Jack Salzman, David Lionel Smith, and Cornel West. New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 1995. ISBN: 0028973453; Supplement, 2000. ISBN: 0028654412.
An excellent starting point for research. Includes biographies of African-Americans and essays on historical periods, places, cultural achievements, professions, and sports. The supplement includes updates to articles and more than 100 new entries.

The Harvard Guide to African American History edited by Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Leon F. Litwack, and Darlene Clark Hine. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2001. ISBN: 0674002768.
Includes essays on historical research aids, comprehensive bibliographies, and directories of library collections. Also features Web sites, photo archives, and film repositories.

The Oxford Companion to African American Literature edited by William L. Andrews, Frances Smith Foster, and Trudier Harris. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. ISBN: 0195065107.
Contains entries on African-American authors, literary works, and themes or topics addressed in African-American literature.