Research Resources
Black History Resources (General)
- African-American History This link opens in a new windowCovering more than 500 years of the African-American experience, African-American History offers a fresh way to explore the full spectrum of African-American history and culture, with tablet/mobile-friendly videos and slideshows, images, biographies of key people, event and topic entries, primary sources, maps and graphs, and timelines.
- Milestone Documents in African American History This link opens in a new windowImportant primary source documents in African American history. Includes an analysis of the full text documents. If you experience any accessibility problems with this resource including color contrast, alt-text, or keyboard navigation please contact a librarian for assistance.
- Black Freedom This link opens in a new windowThis website contains approximately 1,600 documents focused on six different phases of Black Freedom:
Slavery and the Abolitionist Movement (1790-1860)
The Civil War and the Reconstruction Era (1861-1877)
Jim Crow Era from 1878 to the Great Depression (1878-1932)
The New Deal and World War II (1933-1945)
The Civil Rights and Black Power Movements (1946-1975)
The Contemporary Era (1976-2000) - Diversity/DEI Ebook Collection This link opens in a new windowA comprehensive collection of E-Books to help foster an inclusive and diverse climate. Subjects covered include:
• African American Studies
• Age & Gerontology Studies
• Asian Studies
• Disability Studies
• Ethnic Studies
• Hispanic & Latin American Studies
• Indigenous Studies
• Islamic Studies
• Jewish Studies
• Migration Studies
• Native American Studies
• Poverty Studies
• Religious Studies
• Sexuality & LGBTQ+ Studies
- Library of Congress Digital CollectionsMore than 40 collections featuring historical photos, maps, documents, letters, speeches, recordings, videos, prints, and more.
- World Digital LibraryThe World Digital Library is a project of the Library of Congress, UNESCO, and libraries around the world. Many historical documents with explanations of their significance can be found.
- National Archives: African American HistoryThe Archives holds a wealth of material documenting the Black experience. This page highlights these resources online, in programs, and through traditional and social media.
- Black PastBlackPast is dedicated to providing reliable information on the history of Black people across the globe, and especially in North America.
Black History (Music)
- Archives of African-American Music and CultureThe Archives of African American Music and Culture (AAAMC) is a repository of materials covering a range of African American musical idioms and cultural expressions from the post-World War II era.
- International Library of African MusicILAM is one of the world’s great repositories of African music. A research institution devoted to the study of music and oral arts in Africa, it preserves thousands of historical recordings going back to 1929 and supports contemporary fieldwork. The majority of its collections are digitised and accessible on its website www.ru.ac.za/ilam. Its journal, African Music, is into its seventh decade.
- Black Music in Europe (podcasts)Black Music in Europe: A Hidden History
Radio 4 (BBC)
Clarke Peters uncovers the stories of black musicians in Europe, from the birth of recorded sound to the present day - Timeline of African American MusicThe Timeline of African American Music represents decades of scholarship conducted and led by Dr. Portia K. Maultsby, a pioneer in the study of African American music, as well as the contributions of numerous scholars. From the earliest folk traditions to present-day popular music, the timeline is a detailed view of the evolution of African American musical genres that span the past 400 years.
- A Timeline of Black MusicA brief timeline of black music from a popular music site. Includes audio.