Starting Points

The following resources offer introductions to research on race and ethnicity. You can use them to get a broad understanding of your topic before delving deeper with the databases and other resources listed further down on this page.

Featured Resource: Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery

View of Harvard's old quad during the 18th or 19th century.In September 2022, the Presidential Committee on Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery released its landmark report that "documents the University's ties to slavery - direct, financial, and intellectual - and offers seven recommendations that will guide the work of reckoning and repair now beginning."

In January 2023, Sarah Bleich returned to Harvard as the Vice Provost for Special Projects to begin leading the implementation of the seven recommendations laid out in the report.

Featured Resource: The Hutchins Center for African & African American Research

The Hutchins Center for African & African American Research "supports research on the history and culture of people of African descent the world over and provides a forum for collaboration and the ongoing exchange of ideas. It seeks to stimulate scholarly engagement in African and African American studies both at Harvard and beyond, and to increase public awareness and understanding of this vital field of study."

Initiatives include:

Find Data

For country-specific articles & data, explore our
Country Information Sources Research Guide


Find data on all topics & support resources in our

Data Resources for HKS Affiliates Research Guide

Find Books & Articles

For books, search for full titles or keywords in HOLLIS, Harvard's library catalog.

 
For help with HOLLIS, see the HOLLIS User Guide.

Also explore the following resources at HKS:

Find Primary Sources

Find Video

Find Podcasts

Related Research Guides