African American Studies

Background Information (Pre-Research)
Credo Reference -- Topic page on African Americans
Provides online access to over 500 reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, etc.) in all subject areas. This is the premier place to look up a quick fact or to search for background information on a research topic.  
 

• African American Almanac
• Black Firsts
• Encyclopedia of African-American Writing
• Freedom Facts and Firsts: 400 Years of the African American Civil Rights Experience
• Dictionary of Race, Ethnicity & Culture
• Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice
• Encyclopedia of Race and Racism

SAGE Reference Online
Provides access to 90 full-text specialized encyclopedias that offer excellent background information on a topic.
 

• Encyclopedia of African American Education
• Encyclopedia of Race and Crime
• Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society

To find scholarly articles on your topic, you need to search library databases. The main database for African American Studies is Ethnic NewsWatch which allows you to search for articles in publications that aren't always available in mainstream sources and that reflect the viewpoints of traditionally marginalized groups. Because African American Studies topics often intersect with other subjects/disciplines, you should try searching another database that focuses on the sector of society you are interested in (e.g. education, health, criminal justice, etc.). See Research Databases
for a full list of search options.

Ethnic NewsWatch
Articles from over 200 newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press. Provides in-depth coverage of a wide range of current and historical topics. Limit the Source Type to "Scholarly Journals" for peer-reviewed articles.

America: History & Life
Search 2,000 scholarly journals on the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present (the rest of the world is covered in Historical Abstracts).

Sociological Abstracts
The primary database for scholarly articles in sociology, anthropology, social work, and related topics of study.

Academic Search Premier
Full-text articles in biology, chemistry, education, engineering, humanities, physics, psychology, religion and theology, sociology, etc. Tip: Click the check box to limit to Academic (Peer Reviewed) Journals.

Search for Books in the Library

 

Multicultural Resource Center -- Miller Center 1st Floor 
New books about racial issues and ethnic studies are shelved near the Multicultural Resource Center outside of MC 137.

Miller Center Basement
Books on the history of African Americans generally have call numbers beginning with E184.5-E185.98. 

 

African American Digital Collections (Library of Congress)
Digitized rare materials from the Library of Congress collections that document African American history and culture. 

African American Newspapers
Searchable database of approximately 270 U.S. newspapers from more than 35 states chronicling a century and a half of the African American experience.

African Americans in Minnesota (MNopedia)
An online encyclopedia about Minnesota developed by the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) and its partners.

Encyclopedia of African American History 1896 to the Present
Contains over 1,000 entries by leading scholars and experts, offering highly reliable background information on African American history.

Umbra Search: African American History
Provides access to hundreds of thousands of digitized materials from over 1,000 libraries and archives across the country.

Ethnic Studies

American Civil Liberties Union: Racial Justice
Recent events related to racial justice.

Colorlines
A daily news site published by Race Forward, a national organization that advances racial justice through research, media and practice.

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
A Minneapolis-based newspaper representing the viewpoint of African Americans.

The Root
"Provides an unflinching analysis of important issues in the black community through insightful and savvy commentary from black thought-leaders."

The Serendibite
Celebrates current stories that highlight the Black experience in America. 

United States
African American Data Links (U.S. Census)
Data and reports based on the 2010 U.S. Census and the annual American Community Survey.

African American Health (CDC)
Reports and statistics from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention.

African American Health (MedlinePlus)
Links to health issues that affect African Americans, from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

American Community Survey
Provides up-to-date statistical summaries based on US Census data for states, selected cities(with populations greater than 65,000) and counties.

Minnesota
Age, Race, & Ethnicity (MN)
Statistics from the Minnesota State Demographic Center.

Populations of Color and American Indians (MN)
Statistics and other information on racial groups from the Minnesota Department of Health.

Films on Demand: African American Studies
Streaming video on topics related to African American studies.

Kanopy (Media Education Foundation)
Online videos that encourage critical thinking about the social, political, and cultural impact of American mass media, with a special focus on representations of gender and race.

The Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) is an academic center that supports those who are learning, researching or teaching about the experiences of people of color in the United States. Books in the MRC collection are on Miller Center 1st floor, near MC 137.