Jeris Cassel
February 15, 1997
Designed and maintained by David Rubin

Research Resources: Subject Research Guides: Finding Aids:
African American Studies: A Library Research Guide

Reference Books

The following is a list of selected reference sources related specifically to topics in African American history, life, and culture:

General History and Culture

Afro-American Reference: An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Resources: Compiled and edited by Nathaniel Davis. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1985.; This lists and describes 642 reference sources (i.e., bibliographies and indexes) useful for research on aspects of African American history and culture. Focus is on the African American experience in the United States.; KILMER Ref. E185.D37 1985

Black Access: A Bibliography of Afro-American Bibliographies: Compiled by Richard Newman. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1984.; A comprehensive bibliography of bibliographies on black subjects and the African American experience, as well as some on non-black persons significant in African American history. Covers slavery and Reconstruction, but excludes bibliographies on the Civil War and on the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa.; KILMER Ref. E185.M48 1984

Encyclopedia of African-American Civil Rights: From Emancipation to the Present: Edited by Charles D. Lowery and John F. Marszalek. New York: Greenwood, 1992.; KILMER Ref. E185.61.E54 1992

Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History: Edited by Jack Salzman, David Lionel Smith, and Cornel West. New York : Macmillan Library Reference, c1996.; This impressive five volume set contains 2,200 short articles on people, events, historical eras, legal cases, areas of cultural achievement, professions, sports, and places. Two thirds of the articles are biographical and all include bibliographic references. The fifth volume includes a rich appendix that includes demographic and historical statistics, lists of award winners (Nobel, Pulizer prizes, Olympic medalists, etc), top black financial institutions, and much more.; KILMER Ref. E185.E54 1995

Encyclopedia of Black America: Edited by W. Augustus Low and Virgil A. Clift. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1981.<; Includes topical and biographical articles. Bibliographical references are given at the end of major articles.; KILMER Ref. E185.E55

Historical and Cultural Atlas of African Americans: By Molefi K. Asante and Mark T. Mattson. New York: Macmillan, 1991.; Provides selected information, events, personalities, detailed maps, charts, photographs, and illustrations related to the history and culture of African Americans. Includes a chronology of dates (pp. 186-189) and a selected bibliography (pp. 190-191).; KILMER Ref. E185.A8 1991

Index to Afro-American Reference Resources: Compiled by Rosemary M. Stevenson. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1988.; Indexes books and parts of books with information related to the Black experience. Emphasis is on the United States, but includes Canada, the Caribbean, South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe.; KILMER Ref. E185.S77 1988

The Negro Almanac: A Reference Work on the African American: Compiled and edited by Harry A. Ploski and James Williams. 5th ed. New York: Wiley, 1989.; Covers a wide range of topics on various aspects of African-American life, history, and culture. Includes numerous statistical tables and charts and a select bibliography.; KILMER Ref. E185.P55 1989

Art

Afro-American Artists: A Bio-Bibliographical Directory: Compiled and edited by Theresa Dickason Cederholm. Boston Public Library, MA, 1973.; Covers African American artists from the eighteenth century to the present, giving biographical data and lists of information sources on the artists and their work.; KILMER Ref. M6538.M5C42

The Black Artist in America: An Index to Reproductions: Compiled by Dennis Thomison. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1991.; Index to printed photographic reproductions of fine art by Black artists born in the United States or who chose the United States as their home regardless of birthplace. Indexes reproductions in books, periodicals and exhibition catalogs through 1990, covering artists from the 18th century to the present. Arranged alphabetically by artist, with references to biographical sources and published reproductions.; KILMER Ref. N6538.N5T46 1991

250 Years of Afro-American Art: An Annotated Bibliography: By Lynn Moody Igoe and James Igoe. New York: Bowker, 1981.; A comprehensive annotated bibliography of African-American artists, artworks, and art history. Includes a range of scholarly and popular references, as well as primary sources. Divided into three major sections: Basic Bibliography, Subject Bibliography, and Artist Bibliography.; KILMER Ref. N6538.N5I36

Biography

African American Biographies: Profiles of 558 Current Men and Women: By Walter L. Hawkins. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1992.; Includes biographical sketches of individuals who were either born or spent their childhood years in the U.S. (with a few exceptions) and who played an important role model for the development of African American children. Excludes anyone who died in or before 1968.; KILMER Ref. E185.96.H38 1992

Contemporary Black Biography: Profiles from the International Black Community: Edited by Michael L. LaBlanc. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1992.; Provides biographical profiles of persons of various nationalities and of African heritage in a variety of fields. Includes Nationality, Occupation, Subject, and Name indexes.; KILMER Ref. E185.96.C65 1992

Chronologies

Black Firsts: 2000 Years of Extraordinary Achievement: Edited by Jessie Carney Smith, Casper L. Jordan, and Robert L. Johns. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 1994.; A subject and chronological arrangement of the most significant first achieved by Blacks, especially African Americans.; KILMER Ref. E185.B574 1994

Chronology of African American History: Significant Events and People from 1619 to the Present: By Alton Hornsby, Jr., Detroit: Gale, 1991.; Subdivided into eleven significant eras affecting African-Americans in the United States, this work provides biographical information, depictions of significant events, legislation, court decisions, programs, manifestos, and data on social, economic, political and educational milestones. Appendices cover statistical information and a selected bibliography of sources related to each of the eleven eras: Involuntary Servitude, 1619-1860; War and Freedom, 1861-1876; The Nadir, 1877-1900; Age of Booker T. Washington, 1901-1917; Between War and Depression, 1918-1932; A New Deal--A New Life? 1933-1940; War Again, 1941-1945; Attack against Segregation, 1946-1954; "The Second Reconstruction," 1954-1964; "The Second reconstruction" Wanes, 1964-1972; "The Second Reconstruction" Betrayed, 1973-1990.; KILMER Ref. E185.H64 1991

Timelines of African-American History: 500 Years of Black Achievement: By Tom Cowan and Jack Maguire. New York: Roundtable Press, 1994.; A chronology of major events in African-American history from 1492 through 1993. Divided by subject categories such as Politics and Civil Rights, Business and Employment, Exploration, Religion and Education, Literature and Journalism, Sports, Military, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts.; KILMER Ref E185.C86 1994

Family

Black American Families, 1965-1984: A Classified, Selectively Annotated Bibliography: Edited by Walter R. Allen and others. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1986.; Includes 1,153 citations of books, articles, essays in collected works, government documents, and other sources. The work includes a topical arrangement of the publication titles, as well as an alphabetical listing by author and keyword index.; KILMER Ref. E185.86.B5 1986

Harlem Renaissance

The Harlem Renaissance: A Historical Dictionary for the Era: edited by Bruce Kellner. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1984.; A compilation of brief articles on the significant events, publications, organizations, and individuals associated with the Harlem Renaissance. Each article is followed by other references (books and articles) related to the subject of the article.; KILMER Ref. NX511.M4H37 1984

The Harlem Renaissance: An Annotated Bibliography and Commentary: By Margaret Perry. New York: Garland, 1982.; This work includes lists and descriptions of bibliographical and reference sources, as well as general studies, related to the Harlem Renaissance and general histories of African American literature which contain significant information on the Harlem Renaissance. The major portion of the work is devoted to major and minor authors and includes descriptions of works written by each author; as well as critical works written about these authors and their writings.; KILMER Ref. NX511.N4P47 1982

Afro-American Writers from the Harlem Renaissance to 1940: (Dictionary of Literary Biography, v. 51) Detroit, MI: Gale, 1987; Includes lengthy biographical and critical articles which include lists of information sources about the authors and their writings.; KILMER Ref. PS88.D57

Religion

Encyclopedia of African American Religions: edited by Larry G. Murphy, J. Gordon Melton, and Gary L. Ward. New York: Garland, 1993.; Includes brief and some lengthy essays on various names, events, and aspects of African American religions, as well as a bibliography (pp. 865-875), a directory of African American Churches and Religious Organizations, and a Biographical Cross-Index by Religious Tradition. Provides the following three introductory essays: "Religion in the African American Community," "Martin Luther King, Jr. and Modern African American Religion," and "Womanist Theology: Black Women's Experience as a source for Doing Theology."; KILMER Ref. BR563.N4E53 1993

Science and Medicine

Blacks in Science and Medicine: By Vivian Ovelton Sammons. New York: Hemisphere, 1990.; This is a compilation of biographical sketches of black men and women scientists and physicians throughout history. Each biographical sketch includes References to books and articles.; KILMER Ref. Q141.B58 1990

Statistics

Statistical Record of Black America: Compiled and edited by Carrell Peterson Horton and Jessie Carney Smith.; Includes tables of statistics on attitudes, values, and behavior; business and economics; crime, law enforcement, and legal justice; education; family; health and medical care; housing; labor and employment; religion; professions; social services; vital statistics; and other areas.; KILMER Ref. E185.86.S74 1990

Urban Issues

Afro-American Demography and Urban Issues: A Bibliography: Compiled by R.A. Obudho and Jeannine B. Scott. Westport. CT: Greenwood, 1985.; Covers publications on demography and population; urbanization and disurbanization; housing and residential patterns; ghettoization, slum, and squatter settlements; suburbanizationand reurbanization; geography and rural studies; and urban and regional planning policies.; KILMER Ref. E185.87.O29 1985

Women

African American Women: A Biographical Dictionary: Edited by Dorothy C. Salem. New York: Garland, 1993.; Biographical sketches of approximately 300 African American women who have made significant contributions to social reform, politics, arts and entertainment, religion, business, education, and the professions from the Colonial era to the present. Bibliographical references to primary and secondary sources included with each entry. Included a detailed index and a listing of entries by career category.; KILMER Ref. E185.96.A45 1993

Black Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia: Edited by Darlene Clark Hine. Brooklyn: Carlson, 1993. 2 volumes.; Contains 641 biographical entires of individual African American women and 163 entries on general topics and organizations. Includes a chronology of black women in the United States from 1619-1992, an annotated bibliography of basic resources.; KILMER Ref. 185.86.B542 1993

Black Women in American History: From Colonial Times to the Present: Edited by Darlene Hine. Brooklyn, NY: Carlson, 1990. 16 vols.; A multivolume set of essays and monographs on a wide range of themes, including slavery, emancipation, reconstruction, migration, works, family, and civil rights.; KILMER Ref. E185.86.B543

The Progress of Afro-American Women: A Selected Bibliography and Resources Guide: Compiled by Janet L. Sims. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1980.; A comprehensive bibliography of nineteenth and twentieth century sources pertaining to black women. Covers a wide range of broad topical areas, including armed services, the arts, economic conditions, education, literature, moral and social conditions, slave narratives, and religion.; KILMER Ref. E185.86.S5

Finding Journal & Magazine Articles

Below are some recommended sources for finding citations to journal articles and other current literature related to African American Studies. Be aware that there are scholarly (or academic) vs popular (or general interest) journals or periodicals. Select the journal article index according to your research requirements.

TIP: When you find an article that is promising, remember that you can use that article's bibliography as an

excellent place to find other relevant articles.

Article Indexes in Print

America: History and Life	Abstracts. Scholarly periodicals. KILMER Ref. Z1236.A48 (1989+) See below for electronic format.
In Black and White	"A Guide to Magazine Articles, Newspaper Articles, and Books Concerning More than 15,000 Black Individuals and Groups" Edited by Mary Mace Spradling. 3rd ed. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1980. 2 volumes KILMER Ref. E185.96.S655
Index to Black Periodicals	Formerly: Index to Periodical Articles By and About Blacks KILMER Ref. AI3.O4
The Kaiser Index to Black Resources, 1948-1986	From the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library. Brooklyn, NY: Carlson, 1992. 5 volumes KILMER Ref. E185.K25 1992
Readers Guide to Periodical Literature	This is the best index at Rutgers for general interest articles: KILMER Ref. AI3.R48 (1900-1993). For more recent coverage, go to the Alexander Library: ALEXANDER Ref. AI3.R4 (1900+)

Electronic Article Indexes

America: History and Life	Abstracts. Scholarly periodicals. Available on CD ROM at the Alexander Library, College Ave. 1982+
Current Contents	Access to table of contents of scholarly periodicals in all disciplines. Access through: Indexes to Articles. Updated monthly, 1994+
Ethnic Newswatch	Some fulltext. Ethnic periodicals and newspapers. Access through: Indexes to Articles. 1990+
FRANCIS	Index covering Humanities, Social Science, and Economics. Citations only. Scholarly periodicals. Access through: Indexes to Articles. Updated monthly, 1984+
Humanities Index	Citations only. Scholarly periodicals. Access through: Indexes to Articles>. Updated monthly, 1984+
MLA Bibliography	Citations only. Scholarly periodicals. Access through: Indexes to Articles. 1963+
PAI-Public Affairs Information Service	Citations and abstracts. Scholarly periodicals. Access through: Indexes to Articles. 1972+
Periodical Abstracts and Full Text	Citations and abstracts from top General Interest as well as scholarly journals in many disciplines, as well as fulltext from more than 600 journals. Access through: Indexes to Articles. 1989+
PsycINFO	Comprehensive abstracts. Scholarly periodicals. Access through: Indexes to Articles. Updated monthly, 1967+
Social Sciences Index	Scholarly periodicals. Access through: Indexes to Articles. Updated monthly, 1984+
SocioFile	Citations and abstracts. Scholarly periodicals. Access through: Indexes to Articles. 1974+

REMEMBER !!! Once you've compiled a list of article citations, you need to search IRIS, under "Periodical Title":

To see if Rutgers subscribes to the journal title (source)
To see which library has it and for which years
To see what format it is in: PER = paper, CDPER= CD-ROM, FLMPER= microfilm

Internet Sites

The Internet is a vast and constantly changing information medium. There are many sites of relevance to research on African American studies. Below are two excellent sites. To do your own more focused searches, use a search engine like Google.

Internet Resources for Students of African-American History and Culture
This includes a listing of some primary historical sources available in the Rutgers University Libraries.

African Studies
This links to an array of sites related to various aspects of the history, life and culture of African Americans.