Research Guides: African American Studies: Useful Websites

Websites for African American Studies

Websites on various aspects of African American history and culture.

Bowling Green African American Museum
New York Public Library: Digital Schomburg
Digital Schomburg provides access to trusted information, interpretation, and scholarship on the global Black experience through online materials at the Schomburg Center created and curated by our staff and librarians.
Digital Slavery Research Lab (University of Colorado Boulder)
The Digital Slavery Research Lab (DSRL) focuses on developing, linking, layering, and archiving open-source data and multimedia related to the global phenomenon of slavery and human trafficking. In particular, this lab examines the historic Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and trans-Saharan slave trades.
Kentucky African American Heritage Commission
The commission was established to identify and promote awareness of significant African American influences upon the history and culture of the Commonwealth and to support and encourage the preservation of Kentucky African American heritage and historic sites. The commission is administered by the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office.
African-American Odyssey
The Library of Congress created these searchable online collections of African American History
Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (UK LIbraries)
The Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (NKAA) has been developed as a finding aid to bring together a brief description of pertinent names, places, and events, and to list the sources where additional information may be found.
African American Literature Book Club
From Achebe to Zora, you’ll discover a wide variety African American and Black writers from all over the world. Read excerpts from their books, reviews, articles, interviews, watch videos, purchase their books, and more.
How to Do Research Papers on African-American Studies
by Donna L. Gilton
Best African-American History Programs
From U.S. News & World Report rankings
The 1619 Project
The 1619 Project launched in August 2019 with a special issue of The New York Times Magazine, including essays and creative works by journalists, historians, and artists. The project illuminates the legacy of slavery in the contemporary United States, and highlights the contributions of Black Americans to every aspect of American society. As the official education partner for The 1619 Project, the Pulitzer Center has provided free curricular materials, hosted open-access events, and engaged with educators across the country who are eager to share its perspectives with their students.
Slave Voyages
The SlaveVoyages website is a collaborative digital initiative that compiles and makes publicly accessible records of the largest slave trades in history. Search these records to learn about the broad origins and forced relocations of more than 12 million African people who were sent across the Atlantic in slave ships, and hundreds of thousands more who were trafficked within the Americas.

Professional societies allow academics, professionals, and students within a particular discipline to network and share their research, products, and endeavors.

As students, you can take advantage of participating in these associations. Here are some perks of becoming a member as a student:

Reduced membership fees
Reduced conference registration rates
Scholarship and grant opportunities
Access to job and internship listings
Mentorship programs (depends on the society)
Access to many resources on various research areas

AFRO: The Black Media Authority
A major African American News clearinghouse.
BlackNews.com
A directory of Black newspapers and other media outlets
The Atlanta Voice
Atlanta newspaper founded in 1966
Citizen Newspapers
The Citizen Newspaper Group is the largest Black owned chain of weekly in the Midwest with 80,000 circulation and 3.4 readership. Publishing weekly on Wednesdays, serving the Black community since 1965.
Indianapolis Recorder
Founded in 1895
The St. Louis American
Published continuously, without missing a single issue, since 1928

Chicago Defender (1909 - 1975) This link opens in a new window
This historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.
Pittsburgh Courier (1911 - 2002) This link opens in a new window
This historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.

Freedom (nwspaper)
Freedom (1951-55) was a newspaper founded in Harlem, New York by activists Paul Robeson and Louis Burnham during the Cold War and McCarthy eras. It openly challenged racism, imperialism, colonialism, and political repression and advocated for civil rights, labor rights and world peace.
The Crisis
The official publication of the NAACP
Jet Magazine
Created in 1951, JET has always been the trusted source for news, information and entertainment for Black culture both young and old.
Ebony Magazine
Since 1945, EBONY magazine has shined a spotlight on the worlds of Black people in America and worldwide.

Black Lives Matter
"Black Lives Matter began as a call to action in response to state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism." Black Lives Matter movement was sparked by the death of Trayvon Martin and the acquittal of George Zimmerman--Black Lives Matter website.
NAACP
"WE ARE NAACP We are the home of grassroots activism for civil rights and social justice. We advocate, agitate, and litigate for the civil rights due to Black America. In our cities, schools, companies, and courtrooms, we are the legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, Thurgood Marshall, and many other giants."

NAACP Papers (History Vault) This link opens in a new window
To access the NAACP papers, click on the Civil Rights and the Black Freedom Struggle icon on the main History Vault page.

ProQuest History Vault's coverage of the Black Freedom Struggle offers the opportunity to study the most well-known and also unheralded events of the Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century from the perspective of the men, women, and sometimes even children who waged one of the most inspiring social movements in American history.

Black Panther Party
"The Black Panther Party was founded in October of 1966 in Oakland, California by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale".--Black Past website.
Nation of Islam (NOI)
Nation of Islam (NOI) is an African American movement and organization, founded in 1930 and known for its teachings combining elements of traditional Islam with Black nationalist ideas
SNCC Digital Gateway
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was the only national civil rights organization led by young people. Organized in 196o and mentored by the legendary Black organizer, Ella Baker, SNCC activists became full-time organizers, working with community leaders to build local grassroots organizations in the Deep South.
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is a nonprofit, non-sectarian, inter-faith, advocacy organization that is committed to nonviolent action to achieve social, economic, and political justice.
The Universal Negro Improvement Association
The Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) was formed in 1914 by Marcus Garvey. The organization's philosophy was for African Americans to return to Africa.