Guides: African and Black Diaspora Studies Research Guide: Primary Resources

Primary Sources

Primary sources are sources that allow researchers to get as close as possible to what happened during a historical time or event.

For more help with primary sources see How to Find Primary Resources.

African American Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Provides indexing and full-text coverage of newspapers from the 1800s and early 1900s. Includes information on black history and culture, including first-hand reports of the major events and issues of the day.
African American Newspapers, 1827-1998 This link opens in a new window
This resource provides online access to approximately 270 U.S. newspapers published by or for African Americans between 1827-1998. This collection features papers from more than 35 states, and was created from the most extensive African American newspaper archives in the United States: Those of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Kansas State Historical Society and the Library of Congress.
African Newspapers This link opens in a new window
This collection includes more than 70 newspapers published between 1800 and 1922 in Sub-Saharan Africa offer an unrivaled viewpoint into a time of drastic change. A wide range of colonial era viewpoints is chronicled in titles from Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe and other locales.
Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new window
Indexes US ethnic and minority publications; with full text.
Dates Covered: 1960-present.

Ebony Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
A monthly publication steered toward the African-American community, Ebony typically covered the lifestyles and accomplishments of influential black people, fashion, beauty, and politics. A highlight of the publication is its annual list of "100 Most Influential Blacks," which began in 1963. The publication was founded by the Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, IL in 1945 and ran in print until 2019.
JET Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
A weekly magazine focusing on news, culture, and entertainment featuring mostly young adult African Americans. The publication was founded by the Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, IL in 1951 and ran in print until 2014.

American Slavery Collection, 1820-1922 This link opens in a new window
American Antiquarian Society collection of 3,500 slavery and abolition titles includes books, pamphlets, graphic materials, and ephemera.

Black Metropolis Research Consortium: Black Archival Collections Resource List
List of curated collections information, online exhibits, and digital materials to enhance your search and study of Black experiences through history.

HistoryMakers Digital Archive This link opens in a new window
The HistoryMakers Digital Archive is an extensive online database of over 9,000 hours of full-text and video interviews with African-Americans distinguished in the fields of science, culture, politics, the arts, and public life.
Struggles for Freedom: Southern Africa This link opens in a new window
Focuses on the complex and varied liberation struggles in Southern Africa, with an emphasis on Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
World Heritage Sites: Africa This link opens in a new window
Contains visual, spatial, and research documentation of cultural heritage sites and landscapes in Africa.