African American History Sources
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Bibliography of Reference Books about African American History in Owens Library
Africana: the Encyclopedia of the African, and African American Experience
1st Floor, Reference 909.0496 A25a
"A landmark in reference publishing, Africana is an incomparable one-volume encyclopedia of the black world..." "Here you will find entries on the most prominent ethnic groups in Africa and the lives of every African and African American Nobel Laureate as well as each member of the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus."--Summary from the MOBIUS catalog. This sources also includes a bibliography, as well as charts, maps, and portraits.The Black 100: a Ranking of the Most Influential African Americans, past and present
1st Floor, Reference 973.0496 S16b
"Who are the most influential African-Americans that ever lived?" "After extensive thought and research the author and educator, Dr. Columbus Salley has selected the 100 most influential African-Americans of all time, and then ranked them according to their contributions to the struggle for equality." "...Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Zora Neale Hurston, Paul Robeson, Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall, James Baldwin, Booker T. Washington, Fannie Lou Hamer, Muhammad Ali, Bill Cosby."--Summary from the MOBIUS catalog. A bibliography and an index are available at the end of this volume.Black Firsts: 2,000 Years of Extraordinary Achievement
1st Floor, Reference 909.0496 B62b
"Nearly 3,000 instances of firsts ranging from science to education to sports and entertainment are described, supplemented by tables, illustrations, and photographs." This volume includes a "Timeline of Important African-American Events".Black Heritage Sites: an African American Odyssey and Finder's Guide
1st Floor, Reference 973.0496 C97b
This book "...describes a wide variety of historic African American sites. Some are in fine condition, others show signs of neglect." "This book is divided into five regions: South, Northeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West and Noncontiguous States." "Each section of this book is introduced with a brief description of the states in that region and highlights of the types of structures a visitor might see--churches, schools, dwellings, commercial building, battlefields, cemeteries, and monuments."
Black Leaders of the Nineteenth Century
1st Floor
Reference 920.009 B61bBlack Leaders of the 20th Century
1st Floor
Reference 920.009 B62bSouthern Black Leaders of the Reconstruction Era
3rd Floor
975.004 S72sBiographies of African American leaders from Reconstruction until today are found in the three volumes listed above. Each volume has a bibliography. Selection for inclusion in these volumes was made on the importance of the individual, as well as enough primary material to allow for a scholarly treatment of the significance of that person's contribution to the American experience.
Chronology of African American History: Significant Events and People from 1619 to the Present
1st Floor, Reference 973.0496 H81c
This chronology "...contains biographical information on representative African-Americans, depictions of significant events, legislation, court decisions, programs, manifestos, and data on social, economic, political and educational milestones." "The book is subdivided into the eleven most significant eras affecting African-Americans in the United States. There is also a Selected Bibliography and an Appendix containing excerpts from court decisions, laws, speeches, and proclamations, as well as tables with demographic data."Encyclopedia of African American Culture and History
1st Floor, Reference 973.0496 E56e
Two-thirds of the entries in this set are biographical. To be included the person must not only have affected the lives of African Americans, but must be African American. "The remaining entries deal not with people, but with events, historical eras, legal cases, areas of cultural achievement (music, architecture, the visual arts), professions, sports, and places. The Encyclopedia also includes entries for all fifty states as well as separate articles for cities with a special significance for black Americans, past or present." "One of the features that will make the Encyclopedia stand out from other reference works is the inclusion of a number of large essays by well-known scholars that examine the importance and legacy of such events as the Civil War and the various civil rights movements or discuss the role of religion in the lives of African Americans." "Another important and exciting part of the Encyclopedia is the large number of illustrations--more than one thousand--that enrich these volumes."The Encyclopedia of Civil Rights in America
1st Floor, Reference 323.1196 E56e
"This three-volume encyclopedia surveys the history, meaning, and application of civil rights issues in the United States." "..[I]t takes a broad view of what is meant by civil rights and addresses the subject from as many perspectives as possible." "...[R]eaders will find essays on subjects ranging from events that occurred on a single day--such as the 1963 March on Washington--to patterns of discrimination that have affected the entire history of the United States." "African Americans figure prominently in the encyclopedia because they, perhaps more than any other single group, have been at the center of rights struggles throughout the entire history of the nation." "Readers will find 17 entries on different racial, ethnic, and religious groups, as well as general essays on the rights of gays, women, children, older Americans, persons with disabilities, and others." Also included are the text of court citations, a chronology, a filmography, a list of suggested readings, and a list of museums and memorials dedicated to civil rights.Encyclopedia of Minorities in American Politics
1st Floor, Reference 305.80097 E56e
Part 1 of this two volume set "...addresses the historical and contemporary impact..." of African Americans. "The entries cover people, events, court cases, movements, and organizations that have shaped the political struggles of African Americans...". The appendices include reprints of selected documents and speeches, a directory of organizations, and a timeline.Facts on File Encyclopedia of Black Women in America
1st Floor, Reference 920.72 F14f
This encyclopedia set "...includes entries on individuals and organizations whose most significant achievements occurred before the twentieth century; however, some whose accomplishments spanned the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are also included. The entries cover all areas of life." Volume titles are: The early years, 1619-1899; Literature; Dance, Sports and Visual Arts; Business and Professions; Music; Education; Religion and Community; Law and Government; Theater Arts and Entertainment; Social Activism; and Science, Health, and Medicine. It includes a master index.The Historical and Cultural Atlas of African Americans
1st Floor, Reference 973.0496 A79h
"The fundamental purpose of the atlas is to provide detailed maps of information and events." "Thus we have carefully created maps and charts to give the reader a holistic view of the African-American people." Subjects included here are the ancient origins of African Americans, the migration of Africans all over the world, slave trade, the resistance movement, the abolition movement, Civil War, Reconstruction, lynching, achievements of African Americans, the Civil Rights Movement, and data about employment, poverty, illiteracy, and infant mortality.
Historical Statistics of Black America
1st Floor, Reference 973.0496 H67h
"Tables in this book begin with information recorded in the eighteenth century and extend through 1975." "Much of the information came, as has been the case with the Statistical Record of Black America series, from the U. S. government publications, but a significant amount of material came from publications originating at African-American institutions or from African-American authors." Chapters deal with statistics on agriculture; business and economics; crime, law enforcement, and legal justice; education; family; health, disabilities, and health care; housing; income, spending, and wealth; labor and employment; media; military and military affairs; politics and elections; population; religion; slavery and slave trade; sports and leisure; and vital statistics.The Timetables of African American History: a Chronology of the Most Important People and Events in African American History
Locate additional books about African American history available in Owens Library using these directions:
1st Floor, Reference 973.0496 H28t
"From the days of the first African communities in North America to slavery, from the esthetic achievement of the Harlem Renaissance to the political accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement, the African-American experience has been marked by both struggle and triumph." Biographical sketches are included for such people as Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Run, DMC, Salt N Pepa, Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Edmonia Lewis, Romare Rudolph, Paul Robeson, and Dorothy Dandridge. --Summary from the MOBIUS catalog.
The Winding Road to Freedom: a Documentary Survey of Negro Experiences in America
1st Floor, Reference 973 C13w
This reference work "[c]hronicles the history of blacks in America from slavery through the Civil Rights Act approved in 1964. [It i]ncludes digests of significant Supreme Court rulings."--Summary from the MOBIUS catalog.
- Connect to the Library Catalog
- Click "Keyword"
- Click in the entry box and type (black or african) and american and history
- Click
- You will retrieve a list of books about African American history.
All quoted material is from the respective source unless otherwise noted.
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