Category: Research Resources

Of the 26 databases we’ve looked at so far during Black History Month, this is far and away my favorite. The types of resources included are marvelously varied: podcasts, artwork, recipes, lectures, government documents, brochures, poetry, short stories, photographs, maps, playbills, essays, editor-selected external web sites, books, historical newspapers and magazines, documentary films, speeches, and…

Papers of Amiri Baraka, Poet Laureate of the Black Power Movement Series 15 in this 18-series collection consists of the publications The African World, Black Nation, Black NewArk, Unity and Struggle, Main Trend, and IFCO News. The African World was originally published by SOBU/YOBU (Student Organization for Black Unity/Youth Organization for Black Unity), and the…

An archival research resource containing the essential primary sources for studying the history of the film and entertainment industries, from the era of vaudeville and silent movies through to the 21st century. The core US and UK popular and trade magazines covering film, music, broadcasting, theatre and video gaming are included, together with film fan…

Federal Surveillance of African Americans, 1920-1984 Throughout the twentieth century Black Americans of all political persuasions were subject to federal scrutiny, harassment, and prosecution. The Federal Bureau of Investigation enlisted black “confidential special informants” to infiltrate a variety of organizations. Hundreds of documents in this collection were originated by such operatives. The reports provide a…

Another robust collection within ProQuest’s History Vault providing primary source materials from digitized archival collections is Slavery and the Law.  This database features petitions on race, slavery, and free blacks that were submitted to state legislatures and county courthouses between 1775 and 1867. These petitions were collected by Loren Schweninger over a four-year period from…

This collection is part of ProQuest’s History Vault providing primary source materials from digitized archival collections. The Plantation Records in this module documents the far-reaching impact of plantations on both the American South and the nation. As business owners, the commodities produced by plantation owners—rice, cotton, sugar, tobacco, hemp, and others— accounted for more than half of…

Black Studies Center –  This fascinating collection includes…  Almost 2,000 videos and images, from Langston Hughes’s performance of “The Weary Blues” with jazz accompaniment in 1950 to Roy Wilkins speaking about Civil Rights issues in 2014.  Articles from reference sources including The Routledge Encyclopedia of African Literature, The Handbook of African American Literature‎, and selections…