Africana Studies: Primary Sources
Links to Special Collections and Archival Materials for Africana Studies
Special Collections at Binghamton University
Binghamton University Libraries' Special Collections Department includes a number of excellent resources for the study of peoples of African descent.
- The William J. Haggerty Collection of French Colonial History
This collection corresponds to the library of the Comité Central Français pour l'Outre-Mer, primarily dating from the late-19th century to the mid-20th century. Much of the collection focuses on French colonies in Africa during this period. Collection is largely in French, with limited materials in other languages. You can locate individual items in the library catalog InfoLINK by searching for the subject “Haggerty Collection.”
- Institute for Development Anthropology Collection
This now-defunct non-profit gave its library of materials on development anthropology to the libraries. This collection includes both the Institute’s reports as well as quite a number of books, journals, newsletters and other materials related to development issues in Africa, and to a lesser extent in the African diaspora. To locate materials in this collection using the library catalog infoLINK, simply search for “Institute for Development Anthropology” and any other keyword of interest.
- The Loften Mitchell Collection
Finding aid for this collection held at Binghamton University. Mitchell was a prominent African American playwright at Professor of Theater and Afro-American Studies at Binghamton University. His personal papers include scripts, reviews, lecture notes, and memorabilia.
- Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Special Collections has a first edition of this important work.
Africa Focus: Sights and Sounds of a Continent
A series of digital collections from the University of Wisconsin, Africa Focus includes both primary and secondary sources related to the study of Africa. Collections include more than 3000 slides, 500 photographs, 50 hours of sound, and digitized texts on Africa. (University of Wisconsin)
Africa Research Central
This database provides information to help scholars locate the archives, museums, and libraries with special collections materials on Africa. Includes repositories in Africa, Europe, and North America. (Africa Research Central)
African American Collections in New York State
This website brings together links to digital collections, finding aids, information about existing documentation projects and other resources for the study of African American life through primary sources. Great source to locate special collections about African Americans that can be found in institutions across New York. (New York State Archives)
African American Newspapers: The Nineteenth Century
This database is accessible via the New York State Library. Residents of New York state and state employees may apply for a New York State Library card, which will enable access to this database. This database has full-text coverage of 6 African American Newspapers - The Freedom's Journal, The Colored American, The North Star, Frederick
Douglass Paper, The National Era, Provincial Freeman, and The Christian
Recorder. Coverage is 1827-1902. (New York State Library)
African American Women Writers from the 19th Century
A digital collection of works by 52 authors. Option to keyword search. Includes fiction, poetry, and essays. Some early-20th century works are also included. (Schomberg Center, NYPL)
African National Congress: Historical Documents
Contains many important texts about the history of the ANC and apartheid. Includes the text of numerous speeches by Mandela, among others. (ANC)
Africana Collections: An Illustrated Guide
Details the holdings of the Library of Congress. The collection is particularly strong in the disciplines of economics, history, language, and literature. (Library of Congress)
American Memory: African American History
Provides links to the 17 collections of materials in the Library of Congress detailing African American life and culture. Highlights include slave and other personal narratives, sheet music, sound recordings of the blues, pamphlets, and collections on Jackie Robinson, Fredrick Douglass, and Zora Neale Hurston. (Library of Congress)
American Museum Congo Expedition 1909-1915
This multimedia website documents the expedition to the Congo led by the American Museum of Natural History. Includes biographies of the major players, academic texts about the expedition from the anthropological, zoological, and historical perspectives. Includes digitized maps, watercolors, short videos and audio recordings, photographs of preserved specimens in their collection, and excerpts from the field diaries. (American Museum of Natural History, NY)
Chronicling America
Database of selected digitized newspapers from 1900-1910 from California, District of Columbia, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Utah, and Virginia. Users can search within the full-text of the articles. Also offers information about newspapers published in the United States from 1690 to the present. (Library of Congress)
Documenting the American South
A digital library of texts, audio clips, and images that focus on the African-American experience in the South, with particular attention given to North Carolina. Great online source for primary documents. (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
Freedom's Journal
The Wisconsin Historical Society has digitized the full run (1827-1829) of Freedom's Journal, the first newspaper that was owned and operated by African-Americans in the United States. (Wisconsin Historical Society)
James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection of African American Arts and Letters
Yale’s collection of important African American writers includes the papers of Claude McKay, Lloyd Richards, as well as the Black Panther Trial Sketches. Additional info about these collections can be found at blog, African American Studies at the Beinecke. (Yale University)
M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives
SUNY-Albany’s Special Collections has subject collections for Africana Studies, African Americans and Civil Rights Organizations, both of which are particularly strong on materials from individuals and organizations based in the Albany area. (SUNY-Albany)
National Museum of African American History and Culture
The Smithosonian's newest museum exists virtually. Includes digital collections of photographs on the Civil Rights movement and black resistance, as well as audio files from Story Corps Griot. (Smithosonian)
Nordic Documentation of the Liberation Struggles in Southern Africa
This website provides information about Nordic archival holdings on the liberation movements in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, and Cape Verde. In addition to information about archival holdings, users can browse digitized interviews, posters, photographs, newspaper clippings, and publications on the topic. Website in English, but holdings are chiefly in Nordic languages. (Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Sweden)
Repositories of Primary Resources: Africa and the Near East
This website lists links to repositories of primary sources available in Africa and the Middle East. Includes university archives and national archives. Some links are broken. (University of Idaho)
The Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture
The preeminent collection of archival material on the experience of people of African descent. Particularly strong in African American experiences, and to a lesser extent Caribbean experiences. Includes significant materials on the Harlem Renaissance, as well as excellent collections of photographs, art and artifacts, and sound recordings relating to black culture. Also has strong collections of digitized materials. Check out their list of digitized finding aids to get a sense of what manuscripts and collections are available. (Schomberg Center, NYPL)
Selected Africana in MSU Special Collections
Michigan State University's special collections include signifigant holdings related to the study of Africa. One of their most notable collections is the African Activist Archive, which collects the papers of U.S. solidarity organizations involved with Africans fighting against colonization and apartheid. (Michigan State University)