Library Research Guides: AFR 220: Black Studies at Wellesley and Beyond: Find Background &amp; Context

Helpful Starting Places: Reference Databases

These databases contain a variety of specialized encyclopedias, handbooks, biographical sources, bibliographies, and other reference works. They can be good starting places for getting overviews of a topic, biographical information, definitions of key terms, vocabulary for searching, and suggestions for further reading.

Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new window
Thousands of articles by scholars in the field (including many biographical articles) with primary source documents, maps, and images.
Biography (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new window
Authoritative biographies of historically significant figures and present-day newsmakers from every field—media, sports, politics, religion, medicine, and more. Find biographies by name, occupation, nationality, ethnicity, or gender.
Dates: 3000 BCE-Present
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Hundreds of full-text academic encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other sources for introductions to topics, definitions, or factual information. Includes subject-specific titles from art, literature, education, science, religion, history and more.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Search across full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference books in a variety of subject areas.
Sage Knowledge This link opens in a new window
Search across more than 100 full text encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works in the social and behavioral sciences.
Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new window
Annotated bibliographies for a variety of subject areas.

Encyclopedia Articles & More
This is a subset of SuperSearch that searches several reference databases at once.

Helpful Starting Places: Individual Titles

Encyclopedia of Black Studies by Molefi Kete Asante (Editor); Mambo Ama Mazama (Editor)
Publication Date: 2004
Covers the economic, political, sociological, historical, literary, and philosophical issues related to Americans of African descent. More than a chronicle of Black culture or Black people, this encyclopedia deals with the emergence and maturity of an intellectual field over the past four decades.
The History of Black Studies by Abdul Alkalimat
Publication Date: 2021
A reference guide to the history of Black Studies from one of the discipline's founders.
An Introduction to Black Studies by Eric R. Jackson
Publication Date: 2023
Jackson connects the growth and impact of Black Studies to the broader context of social justice movements, emphasizing the historical and contemporary demand for the discipline. The book features 17 chapters that focus on history, sociology, psychology, religion, feminism, education, political science, and the arts.
Encyclopedia of African American Culture and History (e-book)
Publication Date: 2006
Over 2,300 articles provide authoritative information about Black history, figures, and accomplishments throughout the Americas.
Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora (e-book)
Publication Date: 2008
Excellent source on diasporic peoples, with good bibliographies of further sources.
Encyclopedia of Diversity in Education
Publication Date: 2012
Reference source in diversity in education with historical context, bibliographies, and useful "see also"s for each entry.
Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural Foundations of Education
Publication Date: 2009
A comprehensive introduction to the social and cultural foundations of education, offering a thorough and interdisciplinary view of the field for all those interested in issues involving schools and society.
African American Lives by Henry Louis, Jr. Gates and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham
Publication Date: 2004
Authoritative biographies of some 600 noteworthy African Americans.