Reference Materials Overview
If a subject is new to you, or if you would like an overview of a topic, basic factual information, or sources for further reading, you may want to consult reference materials. The sources listed below are located in the reference collection, in Bizzell Library's stacks, or online via the Local Catalog feature on the University Libraries homepage. Click on the link for each reference for more information and eBook access if available.
African and African American Studies Reference Materials
Print copies are in the reference collection or the stacks of Bizzell Library. To access the online resources, click on the title. In most cases, descriptions are based on the publisher's summary of the resource.
African American National BiographyCall Number: E 185.96 .A4466 2008 v.1-8 (ref)Contains more than 4,000 entries written and signed by distinguished scholars.
Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American ExperienceCall Number: DT 14 .A37435 2005 v.1-5 (ref)ISBN: 0195170555More than 4,000 articles cover prominent individuals, events, trends, places, political movements, art forms, business and trade, religion, ethnic groups, organizations and countries on both sides of the Atlantic. African American history and culture in the present-day United States receive a strong emphasis, but African American history and culture throughout the rest of the Americas and their origins in African itself have an equally strong presence.
Black Americans: A Statistical SourcebookCall Number: E 185.5 .B512 2008 (ref)A comprehensive statistical reference book. Drawing on the vast information resources of the federal government, it culls the most vital and current facts available on Black Americans and presents them clearly and understandably.
Encyclopedia of AfricaCall Number: OnlinePublication Date: 2010Articles cover prominent individuals, events, trends, places, political movements, art forms, business and trade, religions, ethnic groups, organizations, and countries throughout Africa.
Encyclopedia of African American HistoryCall Number: OnlinePublication Date: 2010Includes more than 650 essays to introduce readers to significant people, events, sociopolitical movements, and ideas that have shaped African American life from earliest contact between African peoples and Europeans through the late 20th century.
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895: From the Colonial Period to the Age of Frederick DouglassCall Number: E 185 .E545 2006 (ref) and OnlineNearly 700 entries document the full range of the African American experience from the arrival of the first slave ship to the death of Frederick Douglass, and shows how all aspects of American culture, history, and national identity have been profoundly influenced by the experience of African Americans.
Encyclopedia of African American History: 1896 to the PresentCall Number: E 185 .E5453 2009 (ref) and OnlineTraces the transition from the Reconstruction Era to the age of Jim Crow, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, and the ascendant influence of African Americans on the American cultural landscape. With coverage up to and including the 2008 election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, the Encyclopedia contains approximately 1,200 fully cross-referenced entries all signed by leading scholars and experts, offering the most reliable and extensive treatment to be found on African American history in this era.
Encyclopedia of African American Popular CultureCall Number: OnlinePublication Date: 2010Features more than 600 entries on entertainment, history, sports, art, writing and publications, food, business, organizations, and more.
Encyclopedia of African American SocietyCall Number: E 185 .E546 2005 v.1-2 (ref) and OnlineSeeks to capture the ways in which the tenets and foundations of African American culture have given rise to today's society. Approaching the field from a "street level" perspective, these two volumes cover topics of universal interest in America: rap music, sports, television, cinema, racism, religion, literature, and much more.
Encyclopedia of African HistoryCall Number: DT 20 .E53 2005 v.1-3 (ref) and OnlineNearly 1,100 entries, covering the earliest evolution of humans to the new millennium.Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History
Call Number: OnlinePublication Date: 2006Covers all aspects of the African-American experience from 1619 to the present day. 2,300 articles, including biographies, historical essays, and thematic pieces, many written by foremost scholars.
Encyclopedia of African-American Writing: Five Centuries of Contribution: Writers, Poets, Publications, Trials & Triumphs Through American HistoryCall Number: PS 153 .N5 A3444 2009 (ref)Covers the role and influence of African American cultural leaders, from all walks of life, from the 18th century to the present.
Encyclopedia of American Race RiotsCall Number: E 184 .A1 E573 2007 v.1-2 (main floor, east)While most riots have occurred within the past century, the encyclopedia reaches back to colonial history, giving the encyclopedia an unprecedented historical depth. Topics include: notorious riots like the Tulsa Riots of 1921, the Los Angeles Riots of 1965 and 1992
Encyclopedia of Black StudiesCall Number: E 185 .E554 2005 (ref) and OnlineEncyclopedia containing a full analysis of the economic, political, sociological, historical, literary, and philosophical issues related to Americans of African descent.
Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and SocietyCall Number: HT 1521 .E63 2008 v.1-3 (ref)Containing nearly 600 entries, this resource provides a foundation to understanding as well as researching racial and ethnic diversity from a multidisciplinary perspective.
Encyclopedia of the Harlem RenaissanceCall Number: NX 512.3 .A35 E53 2004 v.1-2 (ref) and OnlineMore than 635 entries by leading historians, scholars, articles, and writers. In order to fully understand the movement and its achievements, the Encyclopedia examines not only the cultural and artistic accomplishments of the time but also the political, social, and economic climate.
Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural AmericaCall Number: E 184 .A1 G14 2000 v.1-3 and OnlineContains 152 original essays (about 8,000-12,000 words each) on specific minority and ethnic groups in the U.S., with an emphasis on culture (religions, holidays, customs, language) in addition to information on historical background and settlement patterns.
Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American FolkloreCall Number: GR 111 .A47 G74 2006 v.1-3Roughly 700 entries by more than 100 contributors overview all aspects of African American folklore, including folktales, music, foodways, spiritual beliefs, and art.
Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American LiteratureCall Number: PS 153 .N5 G73 2005 v.1-5 (ref)More than 1,000 entries by more than 200 expert contributors. Most of the entries are on individual authors.
New Encyclopedia of AfricaCall Number: OnlinePublication Date: 2008Addresses the entire history of African cultures from the pharaohs and the ancient civilizations of the south through the colonial era to the emergence of 53 independent countries, some of them newly emergent in world commerce and others deep in conflict.
