As a Background Source: The purpose of an encyclopedia is to provide basic information about a topic. Within the article, you should encounter important terms, the names of notable people, and background information on the topic. This can help you establish a foundation for your research.
Never Cite an Encyclopedia Article: This is something that is never done. Never!
Use the Bibliography at the End of an Article: Sources included are considered classic books and articles on the topic.
Encyclopedia of African and African-American Religions
Dictionary of Afro-American Slavery
Contemporary Quotations in Black
The African American Encyclopedia
The African American Atlas
Chronology of African American History
Pan-African Chronology, 1400-1865
Organizing Black AmericaIndex to Black PeriodicalsStatistical Record of Black America
The Encyclopedia of Civil Rights in AmericaThe African-American Almanac
Notable Black American WomenWho's Who Among African Americans
The Trans-Atlantic Slave TradeAfro-American Artists; A Bio-Bibliographical Directory
Black Theatre and Performance
African-American Writers
The Oxford Companion to African American Literature (online)
