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African American Studies: Home

Welcome to the African American Studies research guide at the Yale University Library. This guide provides an overview of library resources and tools for pursuing research in African American Studies.

Key reference resources

Black Studies Center

This database combines primary and secondary sources. Main modules included here are: Schomburg Studies on the Black Experience (including Schomburg Essays), Journals, Newspapers, and the Black Literature Index.

Cambridge Core

Includes key reference collections such as the Cambridge Histories and Cambridge Companions.

Gale Virtual Reference Library

Includes the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences and other sources useful for quick references.

Harvard Guide to African-American History

Published in 2001, a major one-volume reference work full of extensive bibliographies. Available only in print.

MLA International Bibliography

The major index for literary studies, updated several times throughout the year. Subjects covered are:
Modern literatures; Literary theory and criticism; Linguistics; Teaching of language; Film, television and theater; Rhetoric and composition; History of the book; Folklore.

Oxford African American Studies Center

This resource includes a wide range of sources, both primary and secondary, useful for research as well as teaching.

Oxford Bibliographies

This is a large collection of bibliographic “articles,” each containing numerous bibliographic annotations, often of both primary and secondary sources. The content is arranged into modules including African American Studies, African Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Cinema and Media Studies, Literary and Critical Theory, Political Science, Sociology, and several more. 

Oxford Handbooks Online

Includes The Oxford Handbook of African American Theology, The Oxford Handbook of African American Citizenship, 1865-Present, The Oxford Handbook of the African American Slave Narrative, and other relevant titles with useful articles.

Wiley Online Library

Includes many encyclopedias, handbooks, and other reference works. Look for relevant titles under Communication and Media Studies, Cultural Studies, History, Literature, Race and Ethnicity Studies, Religion, and other headings. Individual books include A Companion to African American Studies and A Companion to African American History.

 

Off-campus access

To access Yale resources from off-campus, you will need to use the University's Virtual Private Network (VPN).