Digital Primary Sources
Below is a list of online databases containing digitized resources relevant to the study of African American history and education.
The African American Library Resources at Harvard guide provides additional resources.
- Black Abolitionist PapersDigital edition of approximately 15,000 articles, documents, correspondence, proceedings, manuscripts, and literary works of nearly 300 Black abolitionists in the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, France and Germany, first issued on microfilm. Includes correspondence, speeches, sermons, and lectures; articles, essays, editorials, and other major writings from abolitionist and reform newspapers; and receipts, poems, and other miscellaneous documents.
- Black Studies CenterBlack Studies Center consists of scholarly journals, commissioned overview essays by top scholars in Black Studies, historic indexes, and The Chicago Defender newspaper from 1910-1975. At the heart of Black Studies Center is Schomburg Studies on the Black Experience, consisting of essays that provide an introduction to major topics in Black Studies. Black Studies Center provides the historical full-text of one of the most influential black newspapers in the United States, The Chicago Defender.
- Black Thought and CultureFully indexed, full-text database of monographs, essays, articles, speeches and interviews written by leaders within the black community from the early 19th century to 1975. The collection begins with the works of Frederick Douglass, and will include works by W.E.B. DuBois, Alain Locke, Mary McLeod Bethune, Malcolm X, Ida B. Wells, Bobby Seale, and many others. Approximately 20% of the collection has not been previously published.
- Civil Rights Digital LibraryAn online, open-access database of photographs and documents related to the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.
- HBCU Library AllianceA digital collection of primary resources from member libraries of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Library Alliance primarily highlighting founding and early historical documents. The collection includes photographs, university correspondence, manuscripts, images of campus buildings, alumni letters, memorabilia, and programs from campus events.
- HistoryMakersAn African American oral video history archive assembled by The HistoryMakers, a national non-profit 501(c)(3) educational institution committed to preserving, developing and providing access to an internationally recognized archival collection of thousands of African American video oral histories. The archive contains interviews African Americans who have made a significant contribution in area of American life or culture, or who has been associated with a particular movement or organization that is important in the African American community. Disciplines include Art, Business, Civics, Education, Entertainment, Law, Media, Medicine, Military, Music, Politics, Religion, Science, Sports and Style.
- JSTOR collection of the Journal of Negro EducationDigitized and searchable issues of the Journal of Negro Education (JNE) from 1932-2019. The scholarly journal was founded at Howard University.
- JSTOR collection of the Negro History BulletinAccess to digitized and searchable issues of the Negro History Bulletin published by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History from 1937-2019. Carter G. Woodson founded the bulletin to serve as a resource for school teachers.
- National Archives and Records Administration Guide to African American EducationA research guide to materials held at the National Archives and Records Administration covering African American education history and primary source documentation.
- Oxford African American Studies CenterThe Oxford African American Studies Center provides students, scholars and librarians with more than 20,000 articles by top scholars in the field. Over 2,500 images, more than 700 primary sources with specially written commentaries, and nearly 200 maps have been collected to enhance this reference content. Discover over 60 "Focus On" articles which feature essays, photographic essays, and a selected list of articles that will further guide the reader.
- ProQuest History Vault: Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th CenturyAccess digitized archival materials related to the Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century.
- Proquest History Vault: NAACP Papers - Board of Directors, Annual Conferences, Major Speeches and National Staff FilesThis digital archive of the NAACP Papers consists of six sections: the Minutes of the Board of Directors Meetings, 1909-1950; Monthly Reports of NAACP Officers, 1918-1950; Annual Conference Proceedings, 1910-1950; Proceedings of the Annual Business Meetings, 1912-1950; and Special Correspondence, 1910-1939.
- Slavery, Abolition and Social Justice, 1490-2007Slavery, Abolition, and Social Justice, 1490-2007 is a portal for slavery and abolition studies, bringing together documents and collections covering an extensive time period 1490-2007, from libraries and archives across the Atlantic world. Close attention is being given to the varieties of slavery, the legacy of slavery, the social justice perspective and the continued existence of slavery today.
- Umbra Search African American HistoryUmbra Search brings together more than 400,000 digitized materials from over 1,000 libraries and archives across the country.