about african american culture
2006-12-25 13:31:57,from:WOWAfro-American Studies on the Web. Created and maintained at the University of Wisconsin, this is a visually aesthetic site with high-caliber, scholarly links in seven categories including electronic texts/historical texts. A link to the W.E.B. DuBois Virtual University is also provided. Access: http://afroam.aas.wisc.edu/places.htm.
University of California, Santa Barbara. This is a very manageable site with access to a range of data-types. The site has 16 broad categories and is especially strong in news media, historical texts, and documents. Access: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/subj/black.html.
Soul Search: The Search Engine for the World's People of Color. This is a search engine for accessing information contained in the African American Web Ring. One of many "Web rings" forming on the Internet, this one has collected over 1,000 sites related to African American culture including art, dance, history, and personal pages. Soul Search: Access: http://www.soulsearch.net/. African American Web Ring: Access: http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring= afroa&list.
Rutgers University: African-American Studies. This site focuses on library collections and more pure bibliographical links than information links. Also provided are specialized links, including Black Church Fires Resource Guide, Black Health Net, and Negro Baseball Leagues Online Archives. Access: http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rulib/socsci/afram/afram.htm.
Georgetown University: Race & Ethnicity-African-American. Part of their American Studies Web pages, this is an alphabetical listing of a nice variety of sites not often linked elsewhere. Access: http://www.georgetown.edu/crossroads/asw/afam.html.
The Universal Black Pages. This is a frequently hotlinked site. Originally created and developed by the Georgia Tech Black Graduate Students Association, its purpose is "to have a complete and comprehensive listing of African-diaspora related Web pages at a central site." Their effort is a modest beginning. Access: http://www.ubp.com/.
Educational sites/research centers
Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture. This renowned and widely linked site supports the Schomberg Center, "a national research library devoted to collecting, preserving and providing access to resources documenting the experiences of peoples of African descent throughout the world." The site continues to grow, recently adding The Digital Schomberg and Online Exhibitions. Access: http://www.nypl.org/research/sc/.
American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library. Developed by the Library of Congress for the study of black history and culture, this site includes African-American Mosaic, African-American Odyssey, and African-American Perspectives. American Memory is a searchable collection with documents, photographs, maps, sound, and film clips. Access: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/.
The Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Center for Nonviolent Social Change. This is the official MLK historical site. Provides links to the King Papers Project (at Stanford), a 2,700-item bibliography, photographs, and much more. Access: http://www.thekingcenter.com/.
Museum of Afro-American History, Boston. This visually attractive site provides links to 12 other museums of African American collections. Virtual tours, resource lists, museum hours, and other practical information are given. An example of what you can find here is Heroes in the Ships: African Americans in the Whaling Industry from the Kendall Whaling Museum in Sharon, Massachusetts, or The National Civil Rights Museum Web site. Access: http://www.afroammuseum.org/links.htm.
Exploring Amistad: Race & the Boundaries of Freedom in Antebellum Maritime America. Developed by Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea, this site has collected 500 primary documents, an Internet resources "bookmark" page, and even furnishes the opportunity for interactive discussion and comments. This impressive site, funded primarily by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Connecticut Humanities Council, offers full-text access to court records, popular media, government papers, maps, and images. A "Discovery Section" offers links to a broad overview, to specific people and places, and to a historical timeline. Access: http://amistad.mysticseaport.org/.
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. With an anticipated grand opening in 2003, this museum will be a "national education and distributive museum center located on the central riverfront in Cincinnati." In the meantime, this site provides sketches of historical figures in the abolition movement, an overview of the historic context, and a comprehensive collection of annotated links to other related Web sites. Access: http://undergroundrailroad.com/.
Our Shared History: Celebrating African American History and Culture. The National Park Service (NPS) features links and online tours to provide information on African American heritage. Visitors can tour the historic South, learn about the Underground Railroad, and visit other NPS sites dedicated to preserving African American heritage. Access: http://www.cr.nps.gov/aahistory/.
Afrigeneas. Afrigeneas at Mississippi State is a genealogical research site for African ancestry with over 30 links specific to African American genealogy, such as Freedmen's Bureau Records, the National Archives & Records Administration Archival Information Locator, and emancipation papers. Access: http://www.msstate.edu/Archives/History/afrigen/.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This is the most complete list we located, with links to the homepages of 71 colleges and universities. The Minority On-Line Information Service (MOLIS), whose ultimate goal is "to represent all minority institutions," maintains the link. The other feature MOLIS provides is links to scholarship and fellowship information for all "recognized minorities." Access: http://web.fie.com/molis/.
Indiana University, Bloomington. Under the auspices of the Department of Afro-American Studies, self described as "one of the most vital Black studies academic units in the coutry," the Black Film Center/Archive is a frequently hotlinked site to their extensive holdings. A limited number of related links to sites at Indiana University are also provided. Access: http://www.indiana.edu/~bfca/. A related site of interest is the Archives of African American Music & Culture. Access: http://www.indiana.edu/~aaamc/.
Urban Education Web. From this site you can search the ERIC database, use topical Internet pathfinders, and view documents on urban and minority families, school reform, and more. Presented by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, UEWeb offers manuals, brief articles, annotated bibliographies, as well as reviews and summaries of publications. Access: http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu.
African/Africana Studies, African-American/Afro-American Studies. These are a few of the numerous colleges and universities that offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in one or both of these disciplines. These sites generally are program-specific with few links via this route to other Internet sites. Cornell University: Access: http://132.236.36.31/; Howard University: Access: http://www.founders.howard.edu/cas/departs.htm; Morehouse College: Access: http://www.morehouse.edu/afr.htm; Morgan State University: Access: http://www.morgan.edu/catalog/graduate/programs/aframer.htm; University of Alabama: Access: http://www.as.ua.edu/american_studies.aasthome.htm; University of Illinois: Access: http://www.aasrp.uiuc.edu/.
Organizations and associations
African American Organizations. This collection of links to organizations is aggregated by the African American Web Connection. It includes many fraternal and social organizations as well as political and social advocacy groups. Access: http://www.aawc.com/aao.html.
NAACP. The homepage of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People includes timely information about the organization, text of speeches by the current president Kweisi Mfume, and a calendar of upcoming events. A page of NAACP Links connects to a range of minority interest and advocacy groups, such as the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute, and the Native American Rights Fund among many others. Access: http://www.naacp.org.
The National Urban League (NUL). Founded in 1910, the NUL is the "premier social service and civil rights organization in America . . . to assist African Americans in the achievement of social and economic equality." A very user-friendly site with a link to a changing selection of other Internet resources and programs" across the country. Access: http://www.nul.org.
The Nation of Islam (NOI). This site provides extensive coverage of speeches and writings by Minister Louis Farrakhan. There is also historical information about the founding of the NOI and links to domestic and international Islamic centers. An online version of their weekly newspaper, The Final Call, is also provided. Access: http://www.noi.org.
The National Bar Association (NBA).The African-American counterpart to the American Bar Association, the NBA was in the news last summer for inviting Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to address their annual conference. The most salient feature of this site is a long list of links to law-related Internet resources. Access: http://www.nationalbar.org.
National Association of Black Journalists. This is the homepage for the "largest media organization for people of color in the world." This site is primarily focused on information about the organization's events and purpose, with few links to other sites. Access: http://nabj.org/index2.html.
National Council for Black Studies, Inc. The official homepage of this organization changes periodically when their elections welcome new officers. It is presently hosted by Eastern Illinois University and includes a link to their African American Studies page. Access: http://www.usccr.gov.
United States Commission on Civil Rights. This site provides general information such as contact numbers to file discrimination complaints, a catalog of their publications, and press releases. Access: http://www.usccr.gov.
Afrocentric sites
Virtually Afrocentric. This site is one of three featured by The African World Community Network. The Virtually Afrocentric Repository contains dozens of links arranged in 16 broad categories, including business, organizations, and education. An attractive site with lots of potential. Access: http://www.tawcnet.com/~awe/va.htm.
University of Pennsylvania: African Studies Center. Frequently linked and regularly updated, this is a good basic site for all libraries. It has an extensive collection of links on Africa with specific subtopics by country; current and well organized. Access: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/AS.html.
African National Congress (ANC). The ANC and Nelson Mandela certainly have near universal name recognition, so this is another site all libraries should bookmark. It is very thorough, with an attractive and user-friendly layout. Of great utility is the access to the full-text of numerous ANC publications. Access: http://www.anc.org.za.
E-journals/news services
Africa News Online: Gateway to a Continent. This is another Africa-based site that all libraries should bookmark. It includes numerous links for current news and events in Africa. The link to news of the United States and Africa highlights up-to-the-minute news stories from throughout Africa. Access: http://www.africanews.org.
African-American Male Research began publishing in 1996. Articles, abstracts of research, book reviews, and announcements are published three times per year. The July/August 1998 issue had a substantial number of research, news, and policy briefs on socio-economic topics. Also provided are collections of Web-based resources that are well organized and cover a broad spectrum of African American research interests.
Access: http://www.tomco.net/~afrimale/.
Africa Update Archives. Published by the African Studies Program at Central Connecticut State University, this quarterly newsletter is in its fifth year. Each issue focuses on a particular theme (e.g., Languages of Africa) or a geographic region or country (e.g., Focus on Ethiopia and Somalia). Access: http://www.ccsu.edu/afstudy/.
African Studies Quarterly: The Online Journal of African Studies. Published by the Center for African Studies at the University of Florida, this refereed journal is available in electronic format only. The emphasis is on currency/timeliness to reap the full benefit from the electronic medium, and includes articles, op/ed pages, and book reviews. While the majority of the contributors are associated with the sponsoring institution, the advisory board has a much broader geographic representation. Volume 2, number 2 was issued in August 1998. Access: http://web.africa.ufl.edu/asq/.
AFRO-Americ@. The Afro-American Newspaper Company of Baltimore provides national news and archives dating back to 1996. Access: http://www.afram.org/.
The Black Collegian Online. This is the electronic version of the 27-year old, national magazine that focuses on career opportunities for young African Americans. While its target audience is college-age students, there is a broader scope, including commentary by leading African American writers. Very nicely organized with an attractive layout; includes full-text. Access: http://www.black-collegian.com/.
The Black World Today. Maintained by "a collective of journalists, writers, artists, communicators, racial justice advocates, and entrepreneurs" in concert with the National Council of Churches, this site was launched in July 1996 in response to the epidemic of Black church burnings across the United States. Its main purpose is "to chronicle the daily social, political, cultural and economic realities of Black communities and countries . . . [and] to advocate the universal principles of civility, justice, fairness, and respect." Access: http://www.tbwt.com/.
Callaloo. Published by the Johns Hopkins University Press since 1976, in print and in electronic format since 1995, this is a core journal in African American and African arts and letters. The electronic version is available by institutional subscription only. Access: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/callaloo/.
Chicago Council on Black Studies: Online Reader. This site provides links to an eclectic mix of mainstream, African American, and Afrocentric publications. Access: http://sol.plp.uic.edu/online.htm.
Gravity. Part journal, part 'zine, part chat room, this is a totally Afrocentric publication. Access: http://newsavann.com/gravity/.
Hype. Developed and maintained by the Center for Media & the Black Experience, Hype is a "webzine and print publication that monitors the Black image in the media." Access: http://www.webcom.com/nattyreb/hype/fnx5032.html.
Jouvert: A Journal of Postcolonial Studies. Published by the College of the Humanities and Social Sciences at North Carolina State University, this is an attractive and decidedly multicultural scholarly publication published only in electronic format. Vol. 2, no. 1 was dedicated to "postcolonial masculinities" and included eight articles ranging from seven to fourteen pages. Links to other academic electronic journals are also provided. Access: http://152.1.96.5/jouvert/.
The Network Journal. This business publication is aimed at African American professionals and small business owners. Access: http://www.tnj.com/tnjmain.htm.
The North Star: A Journal of African-American Religious History. Supported by a grant from and based at Barnard College, The North Star is an exclusively Web-based publication. The editors are affiliated with the Afro-American Religious History Group of the American Academy of Religion. The mission of The North Star is to provide information on events, new publications, and other resources, as well as to serve as a peer-reviewed journal. Access: http://cedar.barnard.columbia.edu/~north/.
Union List of African Newspapers Project: Electronic Newspapers of Sub-Saharan Africa. Lists online, free, full-text newspapers from Sub-Saharan Africa, soon to expand to North Africa. Access: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/libraries/indiv/area/Africa/newspapers.html.
Western Journal of Black Studies Online Journal. In print since 1977, this interdisciplinary journal now offers an electronic version with scholarly articles, selected by blind peer review, which report original investigations and contribute new knowledge to African American Studies. Available only by subscription to individuals, the modest price provides access to current issues and a two-year backfile. Access: http://www.wsu.edu/~wjbs/online.htm.
Discussion groups/mail lists
To locate discussion groups of African American interest, point your browser to a directory and search by keyword or subject.
Library-Oriented Lists and Electronic Serials. Originally compiled by Charles W. Bailey Jr. and continued by Wei Wu (Washington Research Library Consortium), this is an extensive list of electronic discussion lists, distribution lists, and electronic serials that are of interest to library professionals and staff. Search by category, geographic region, or subject. "Other Lists" on the toolbar will link to 15 additional sites that provide subject access to discussion groups. Access: http://www.wrlc.org/liblists/.