Every February we celebrate the lives, achievements and experiences of African-Americans as part of African-American History Month. The Library offers a variety of resources and databases many people may not know about or think to explore. This post seeks to highlight one of our notable databases, but we have many, many more that are well-worth checking out on our research page.

African American Newspapers 1827-1998

This database is an invaluable resource that provides a wealth of information on history, culture and daily life written in African-American newspapers from around the U.S.

African American Newspapers – Readex

African-American Newspapers Database Highlights

• Digital primary source collection
• First-hand perspectives on notable Americans
• Chronicling a century and a half of the African American experience
• Offers perspectives not found in mainstream publications
  
• Includes more than 350 newspapers provide a one-of-a-kind record of African American history, culture and daily life
  
• The world’s most comprehensive collection of its kind
  
• Covers life in the Antebellum South, growth of the Black church, the Jim Crow Era, the Great Migration, Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights movement, political and economic empowerment and more

Looking for More Library Resources?

Users will find a wealth of information related to African-American history and culture in many of our databases. However, the resources listed below are especially notable, because their main focus is on African-American culture, heritage and history.

African-American History and Culture, 1540-1921
Covers the history of Africa and its diverse people through more than 1,300 books, pamphlets, almanacs and more.

African-American Periodicals, 1825 – 1995
Explore crucial facets of the African-American experience through more than 170 wide-ranging periodicals. Rare titles, many short-lived and not collected by most libraries, brim with surprises and untold stories.

African-American Heritage
A great resource for African-American genealogical and biographical research. Search essential historical records including federal census, slave and freed person registers, marriage and military records and more. Connect with others using AfriGeneas, a social networking website.

Online Resources Exploring African-American History

Library of Congress
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.

National Museum of African American History and Culture
The only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. It was established by Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans.

National Archives
A wealth of material documenting the African American experience, paying tribute to the struggles and achievements of the people and events that have shaped our nation.

Related Toledo Library Blog Posts

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Books to Read During Black History Month and Beyond

Plays by African-American Playwrights

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