BLACK HISTORY MONTH RESOURCES
To celebrate the positive contributions to the U.S. made by people of African descent, American
historian Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week beginning on 12 Feb. 1926. In 1976, as
part of the nation’s bicentennial, the week was expanded into Black History Month. (per U.S. Census Dept.)
- Timeline of African American History (Library of Congress)
- Key events in African-American history from 1852 to 1925 (when Malcolm X was born).
- African-American History Month: February 2006 (U.S. Census)
- Demographic data on African Americans.
- The Encyclopedia Britannica Guide to Black History
- Excellent resource. Biographies from A-Z, events and institutions from A-Z (Morehouse College,
KKK, Congress of Racial Equality, lynching, etc.), black history timeline, detailed info about eras in black
history, study guide (on slavery, black artists/Harlem Renaissance,
sports, the fight for equal rights, affirmative action, and the
contributions of African Americans today; also teacher's guide),
weblinks to related sites. Highly recommended.
- Black History Hotlinks (Pacbell Co./Education First)
- Extensive links to info on Black History Month, slavery, leaders, news, poetry, etc.
- African-American History Resources (Montgomery County Public Schools - MD)
- Over 40 annotated on-line resources, listed in alphabetical order.
- Franklin Institute Black History Links (Franklin Institute)
- 21 links, not annotated.
- Chronology on History of Slavery and Racism (Eddie Becker)
- Events in slavery and racism, by year with source links.
- Major League Baseball's Negro League History (MLB)
- New site. Profiles on 8 Negro League players, with about 40 more to be added.
Other sections: legacy, team histories, features, just the facts, audio
and video clips.
- Black History in New Hampshire
- Lots of articles and links on black history in seacoast N.H. (Portsmouth area).
- "Yes, we still need Black History Month--and more"
- Clarence Page essay (Dec. 2005) in the Chicago Tribune about the need for Black History month.
- Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950): Founder of Black History Month (Chicago Public Library)
- Woodson founded Negro History Week, which in 1976 became Black History Month. This
is a page of biographical information on him, including an introduction to the man; a timeline of
his life; bibliographies of works by Woodson and about him; periodical and
newspaper articles by and about him; etc.
- The Encyclopedia Britannica Guide to Black History: Biographies A-Z
- Excellent resource. Entries for over 500 African-Americans, from Hank Aaron
to Whitney M. Young, Jr.
- The Faces of Science: African-Americans in the Sciences (Mitchell C. Brown)
- "Profiled here are [about 150] African American men and women who have contributed to the advancement of science
and engineering." Alphabetical index, as well as Index by Profession and
special sections on Women Scientists and First Science Ph.D.s awarded to African Americans.
Also bibliography for research on African Americans in science and technology.
- The Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Project (Stanford Univ.)
- Papers, Speeches, Sermons, Autobiography, Biography, Chronology, Articles,
About the Project, Internships, etc.
- Afro-Art History 101 (Artnoir)
- Background on over 30 black artists, from William Ellsworth Artis to
Hale Woodruff.
- African American Writers: A Celebration (Middle Tennessee State University)
- Sections on Books and Authors (lists online resources as well as books available
at MTSU Library); Poetry; Reference; Web sites; Martin Luther King,
Jr. Resources; Awards; list of Holiday Books; list of Short stories, collections, anthologies.
- A Brief Chronology of African American Literature (Roger Blackwell Bailey, Ph.D. - San Antonio College LitWeb)
- From 1746-1990, with some links.
- African American Women Writers of the 19th Century (Digital Schomberg - New York Public Library)
- Browse by title, author, or genre. About 40 authors (and titles) listed,
from Octavia V. Rogers Albert to Phillis Wheatley. All works are available
online at this site. Brief info on authors is included.
- A Brief Guide to the Harlem Renaissance (The Academy of American Poets)
- Essay and links on James Weldon Johnson, Langston Hughes, Jean Toomer, Countee Cullen,
Claude McKay, Sterling Brown, Robert Hayden, and Gwendolyn Brooks.
- The Harlem Renaissance: Personalities (Paul P. Reuben, PAL: Perspectives in American Literature: A Research and Reference Guide)
- Over 50 people listed, with on-site links to more information for about half, including
Gwendolyn Bennett, Arna Bontemps, Sterling Brown, Countee Cullen, W.E.B. Du Bois,
Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, Mary White Ovington, Jean Toomer, and
Dorothy West.
- Writing Black (School of American Studies, Keele University, UK)
- Web resources listed by author's name (over 35 authors listed, from Maya Angelou to Malcolm X);
links to historical texts; links to similar sites.
- African-American Writers' E-Texts (James Madison Univ. Internet School Library Media Center)
- A very nice selection of material for lessons on about 50 black American writers, plus excerpts from
slave narratives. From Octavia Albert to Carter Woodson.
- Classic African-American Literature (Paul Gorski, EdChange.org)
- Links to etexts of classic works, such as The Color Line by Frederick Douglass, The Christian Slave by Harriet Beecher Stowe,
The Effects of Negro Suffrage by H.H. Chalmers, The Free Colored People of North Carolina by Charles W. Chesnutt,
From Darkness Cometh the Light by Lucy A. Delany, Heroes in Black Skins by Booker T. Washington, many more.
- Fiction about Black America (Waterboro Public Library)
- Annotated list of several booklists of African-American fiction.
- African and African American Studies - Curriculum Page (School District of Palm Beach County, FL)
- A wealth of information here, in PDFs. Consists of 34 units (e.g., Ancient Africa: History and Culture;
Florida History: Slavery Estavanico Estavan De Dorantes Little Steven Explorer; Haiti: First Free
African Nation in the Western Hemisphere; Harlem Renaissance: The Great Debate;
An African American Celebration - Introduction and Overview; African American Celebration -
Kwanzaa; etc.) with focus on Florida. Curriculum objectives, timelines, print resources, lots more.
- The New Jersey African American History Curriculum Guide (New Jersey State Library)
- For grades 9-12. 15 units on topics such as African Beginnings; Africa, Europe, and the Rise of Afro-America, 1441-1619;
Slavery and Abolition in Post-Revolutionary and Antebellum America, 1790-1860; The Rise
of Jim Crow and The Nadir, 1878-1915; The Civil Rights and Black Power Era: Gains and Losses, 1954-1970;
lots more. Each unit contains detailed background text, a core lesson, learning activities, and relevant resources. Developed in 2003.
- Beyond Black History Month: The African American Studies Toolkit for Grades 6-12 (Gerri Gribi, Creative Folk)
- Huge resource for studying African American history and culture.
Links to biographical databases, texts, speeches, documents and
images; historical timelines and Black History calendars; museums and
online exhibits; recommended books, videos and CDs for school and
public libraries, plus resources for Young Adult media specialists; online and
offline tools for collection development; FAQ on origins and themes of annual
celebrations, national organizations, Black Nationalist Colors, and 'Lift Every
Voice and Sing' history, lyrics, recordings; and resources for teaching black
history in subject areas: history, language arts, math and science,
music, visual arts.
- The Encyclopedia Britannica Guide to Black History: Study Guide
- Excellent resource. Well-developed sections on slavery, black artists/
Harlem Renaissance, sports, the fight for equal rights, affirmative
action, and the contributions of African Americans today; also teacher's guide.
Recommended.
- Black History Links (Wisconsin Educational Communications Board)
- Excellent and lengthy annotated list of websites for students learning
about black history. Sections on general information, slavery, civil
rights, and culture
- The Harlem Renaissance (Paul P. Reuben, PAL: Perspectives in American Literature: A Research and Reference Guide)
- For high school students. Website includes sections on Important Features of the Harlem Renaissance,
Personalities, An Assessment, A Chronology of Important Events,
a list of Novels of the Harlem Renaissance, and list of Research and
Study Topics.
- The Amistad Case (National Archives and Records Administration)
- Background, original documents, teaching activities. For middle school and older.
- African-American Writers' E-Texts (James Madison Univ. Internet School Library Media Center)
- A very nice selection of material for lessons on about 35 black American writers, plus excerpts from
slave narratives. From Octavia Albert to Phyllis Wheatley.
