Best Books and Web Sites for Learning About African American History

There are countless books and web sites available to someone who wishes to learn about African American history. The history of blacks in this country is as old as America herself, and the following list of books and web sites can help even the novice historian of African American culture chronicle the plight of blacks in America. This should by no means be taken as an official list of African American history resources; instead it may serve as a starting point for someone wanting to learn more about black history.

Some of the first Africans arrived in Jamestown, the Virginia colony in 1619. Most historical texts confirm that about 20 or so Africans were either sold into slavery or were used as indentured servants. The National Park Service, division within the U.S. Department of the Interior, maintains a web site devoted to the study of the colonial period of American history.

The web site, “African Americans at Jamestown,” gives a brief timeline of the arrival of the first blacks in America, which preceded the institution we would come to know as slavery. This site also includes suggested readings for further study.

http://www.nps.gov/colo/Jthanout/AFRICANS.html

Additionally, the book, Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America by social historian, Lerone Bennett, Jr. traces African American history from its roots in western Africa to America in the 1990s. Themes such as the African Diaspora and Civil Rights initiatives are discussed.

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has the web site “Africans in America,” which serves as a companion to its “Africans and America” television series. The web site is divided into four parts that correspond with the periods that are covered by the episodes in the show. A good thing about this web site is that its information comes from years of research by the production team, which includes seldom-seen historical documents and interviews.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/home.html