African-American Experience
The following is a select guide to both print and electronic resources found in the Wake County Library System on the African-American experience. Please remember to ask for assistance at your local library.
(in library use only)
African-American Almanac
R 305.896 African
A comprehensive reference work on the historical contributions, accomplishments and current status of African-Americans in a variety of professional fields from entertainment to politics. Also, available via NCLive, Gale Virtual Reference Library. Scroll down and click next to multicultural.
African-American Biographies
R 920.0092 Hawkins
Provides background information for successful Black Americans who are living or died after 1968, including such individuals as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jordan, Coretta Scott King and Colin Powell.
African-American Encyclopedia
R 973 Afr
This encyclopedia is extremely useful for public, high school and college users.
African-American Sports Greats
R 927 Afri
This is a biographical dictionary of African-Americans in sports, with 166 personal and career profiles of athletes, coaches and administrators in team and individual sports, including male and female historical and contemporary figures.
Biographical Dictionary of Black Americans
R J 920 Kranz
This source includes short sketches of the lives of African-Americans who made significant contributions in the arts, politics, sports and religion, among other fields.
Black Firsts: 4,000 ground-breaking and pioneering events
R 909 Black
Jessie Carney Smith covers major African-American achievements in arts and entertainment, business, civil rights, education, government, religion, science, sports and other fields.
Contemporary African-American Novelists: a bio-bibliographical critical sourcebook
R813.54 Nelson
Includes 79 contemporary African-American writers.
Contemporary Black Biography
R 920 Con
This is a multi-volume set that provides lengthy biographical essays on contemporary Black novelists, dramatists, poets and short story writers.
Distinguished African-American Scientists of the 20th Century
R 925 KES
Includes lengthy biographical information on 100 scientists.
Encyclopedia of African-American Christian Heritage
R 200 Mcn
Encyclopedia of African-American Heritage
R 973 Alt
A History of African-American Artists from 1792 to the Present
R J 704 Bea
Notable Black American Men
R920.71 Notabl
Notable Black American Scientists
R 925 Nota
Notable Black American Women
R 920 Not
BIOGRAPHY
In all Wake County Public Libraries there is a Biography section both in Youth Services and Adult Services. These biographies are arranged in alphabetical order by the last name of the person the book is about. The call number of a biography in the Adult Services area is designated by a "B" followed by the person's last name. A biography in Youth Services is designated by "JB." Many of the Reference books listed earlier focus specifically on providing biographical information on African-Americans.
The following are databases you may use to retrieve biographical information on the person of your choice:
Biography Resource Center
Comprehensive database of biographical information on more than 180,000 people throughout history.
Biography.com http://www.biography.com/blackhistory
This website pays tribute to inspirational African-Americans from the past, as well as those who will contribute to make history well into the future. Sponsored by A&E Television Networks.
MAGAZINE AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
Many full-text articles are indexed online. EBSCOhost is a good NC Live databases to start your research.
Select list of magazines:
- Black Enterprise
- Ebony
- Essence
- Jet
Select list of local newspapers:
- Carolina Times
- Carolinian
LITERATURE
Chadwyck-Healy Literature Collections via NC LIVE:
Twentieth Century African-American Poetry
African-American Poetry
Reading Lists
African-American Fiction
African-American Historical Fiction
Inspirational African-American Novels
Women Writers of Color
African-American Literature Online http://www.geocities.com/afam_literature/
African-American Literature Book Club
www.aalbc.com
The most popular website dedicated to books by and about African-Americans.
Bible Search
www.biblegateway.com
http://bible.gospelcom.net/
Search the Bible in multiple languages and Bible versions.
Literature Resource Center
Critical analysis and biographies of more than 2,000 authors and their works.
LOCAL RESOURCES
African-American Cultural Complex, Raleigh
http://www.aaccmuseum.org/
The African-American Cultural Complex is a unique collection of artifacts, documents and displays of outstanding contributions made by African-Americans and are housed in several buildings along a picturesque nature trail.
Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum (Sedalia, NC)http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/hs/chb/chb.htm
Founded in 1902 by Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Palmer Memorial Institute transformed the lives of more than 1,000 African-American students. Today, restored campus buildings provide the setting for a unique educational experience.
The Church in the Southern Black Community – a project of UNC-Chapel Hill
http://docsouth.unc.edu/church/
"The Church in the Southern Black Community" collects autobiographies, biographies, church documents, sermons, histories, encyclopedias and other published materials.
Duke University http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/women/afrointr.html
A description of the holdings at Duke University on African-American Women. Also check out: http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/slavery/
These Web pages are based on the catalog of an exhibit mounted at Perkins Library, Duke University, in November and December 1995.
Mollie Huston Lee Collection http://web.co.wake.nc.us/lee/
Mollie Huston Lee was the first African-American librarian in Wake County. Mrs. Lee founded Raleigh's Richard B. Harrison Library. Mrs. Lee started and maintained a collection chronicling the African-American experience both locally and nationally.
North American Slave Narratives – a project by UNC-Chapel Hill
http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/
"North American Slave Narratives" collects books and articles that document the individual and collective story of African-Americans struggling for freedom and human rights in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries.
North Carolina Museum of History
http://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/wgo/Programs.html#february
Ongoing events celebrating Black History Month.
Plum Thickets and Field Daisies http://www.cmstory.org/exhibit/plum/chapters.htm
"Plum Thickets and Field Daisies" is Rose Leary Love's memoir of her life in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Charlotte.
The Pope House http://www.thepopehousemuseum.org/index.shtml
Built in 1901 by Dr. M.T. Pope, an important African-American citizen of Raleigh, the Pope House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an Official Project of the Save America's Treasures Program. Information on Dr. Pope and his family is available through the website.
Race and Slavery Petitions Project – UNC-Greensboro
http://library.uncg.edu/slavery_petitions/
The petitions portray, in vivid and personal terms, the contrasts, ambivalence, contradictions, ironies and ambiguities that comprise Southern history.
The State Library of North Carolina Selections from an Era of Progress and Promise, 1863-1910
http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/iss/EraOfProgress/EraOfProgress.htm
These selections, scanned from Era of Progress and Promise, highlight the many North Carolina schools for African-Americans that sprang up in the decades following the Civil War.
Thomas Day Education Project http://www.thomasday.net/thomas_day.html
Thomas Day (1801-1861), a free African-American cabinetmaker, fine furniture maker and businessman, lived and worked in Caswell County, North Carolina, from the early 1820s to the early 1860s. By 1850, he operated the largest furniture business in the state.
ARTS AND CULTURE
American Memory Collection of the Library of Congress
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
The American Memory Collection is an interactive, online exhibit of photographs, documents, sound recordings and video that document the rich culture and history of America. Included are images of the original manuscripts from ten of Zora Neal Hurston Plays and a look at Jackie Robinson's contributions to breaking the color line in baseball.
American Museum Congo Exhibition http://diglib1.amnh.org/
In 1909 Herbert Lang and James Chapin set sail for the northeastern Belgian Congo. By the time they sailed home five and a half years later, they had collected tons of precious zoological and anthropological specimens representing one of the most comprehensive collections of the day.
Anacostia Museum and Center for African-American History and Culture
http://anacostia.si.edu/index.htm
A part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Anacostia Museum hosts a range of artifacts, documents, photographs and other examples from the world of African-American material culture. Visit the online academy for their interactive Web exhibits.
Art Institute of Chicago http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_AfAm/
The Art Institute of Chicago's collection of African-American art provides a rich introduction to more than 100 years of noted achievements in painting, sculpture and printmaking.
John Coltrane http://www.johncoltrane.com
Hamlet, North Carolina, native John Coltrane is a jazz legend.
Jazz Review www.jazzreview.com
Jazz Review hosts discussion forums, CD reviews and artist interviews. Keep up to date on the latest happenings in the world of Jazz.
Motown Museum http://www.motownmuseum.com/mtmpages/index.html
The museum was founded in 1985 by Esther Gordy Edwards. Its mission is to preserve the legacy of Motown Record Corporation and to educate and motivate people, especially youth, through exhibitions and programs that promote the values of vision, creativity and entrepreneurship.
National Museum of African Art http://www.nmafa.si.edu/
The collection of the National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) embraces the diverse artistic expressions found throughout Africa, from ancient to contemporary times.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame http://www.rockhall.com/home/
From James Brown's red tuxedo worn onstage in 1983 to Jimi Hendrix's 1968 Fender Stratocaster to sequined gowns worn by the Supremes, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has it all. Search the site to find excellent profiles on the multitudes of African-American musicians who shaped the history and future of rock and roll. In particular check out the R-E-S-P-E-C-T: The Sound of Soul exhibit.
HISTORY
African-American Mosaic http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/intro.html
A Library of Congress resource guide for the study of Black history and culture.
African-Americans.com http://www.AfricanAmericans.com
This website is dedicated to all things for and about the African-American Diaspora.
Africans in America (PBS) series http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/home.html
America's journey through slavery is presented in four parts. For each era, you'll find a historical narrative, a resource bank of images, documents, stories, biographies and commentaries.
Afro-American History http://www.aawc.com/aah.html
An award winning cyber-gateway for the entire family.
American Slavery: a composite autobiography
(via NC Live)
A collection of the life histories of former slaves in the United States compiled through nearly 4,000 interviews with ex-slaves.
Black History Hotlist http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/bh_hotlist.html
Black History Hotlist is a starting point for anyone studying African-American events and issues. If you have your own learning activities in mind, you might use these links as raw material or the place to begin independent research.
Black History Pages http://5x5media.com/bhp/index.shtml
Provides links relating to black history that are truly rich in resources.
Black History Quest http://blackquest.com/link.htm
Black Quest is an African-American and Black History resource website that provides links to African-American history, culture and Black studies resources.
Christine's Genealogy Website http://ccharity.com/
Christine's Black History Pages http://blackhistorypages.com
Digital Librarian: a librarian's choice of the best of the Web for African-Americans
http://www.digital-librarian.com/africanamerican.html
Encyclopedia Britannica Guide to Black History http://search.eb.com/blackhistory
Includes timelines, eras in black history and articles A-Z: biographies Gateway to African-American History
History Makers http://www.thehistorymakers.com/
The uniqueness of this sites lies in its interactivity and the type of information offered. The user can see the History Maker live and hear his/her voices.
Martin Luther King Jr. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/mlk/king/
This is an excellent site on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., from the Seattle Times.
NAACP http://www.naacp.org/
The oldest, largest and strongest civil rights organization in this country. NAACP was first formed in 1909 in New York City. Today, NAACP is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, and it has more than 2,200 branches across the country, as well as in Japan and Germany. Its primary objective is to ensure political, economic, social and educational equality of minority Americans. It provides community outreach services and implements educational, legal and economic development programs.
PBS Site http://www.pbs.org
Using the search tool and typing in African-Americans, for example, results in lots of Internet sites.
Timeline of the Civil Rights Movement http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
We Shall Overcome http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/
Historic places of the Civil Rights movement.