Research Guides: Africana Studies: Primary Documents & Special Collections

Selected Special Collections

Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora
A collection of resources listed by geography and information type, which includes...
Africa, Africana/African Diaspora, African American, Black Studies, Caribbean, Latin America, Associations/Societies, Bibliographies, Centers/Institutes, Databases, Internet Resources, Journals, Library Catalogs/Collections, Museums/Cultural Centers, Academic Programs Institutes and Centers for the Study of Africa and its Diaspora, and Special Projects
Africana Collection at Northwestern University
Established in 1954, the Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University is the largest separate Africana collection in existence. Its subject matter ranges from art, history, literature, music, and religion to communications, management, and cooking.
BlackPast.org
This 13,000 page reference center is dedicated to providing information to the general public on African American history and on the history of the more than one billion people of African ancestry around the world. The website is divided into three main areas: African American History, African American History in the West, and Global African History.
Buffalo Soldiers: New Mexico Photograph Collection
This collection consists of photographs of African-American soldiers, known as Buffalo Soldiers, from the 24th Infantry, based at Columbus, N.M., January 20, 1918. The photos show soldiers at rifle and machine gun practice, at chow line, at attention, etc.
Ralph J. Bunche papers (1927-1971) at UCLA
The collection consists of correspondence, speeches, manuscripts, articles, publications, and photographs related to Ralph J. Bunche's life and career. He was a UN diplomat, a Howard professor, and scholar. In 1950, Bunche was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation Collection at Stanford
Provides digital access to the materials contained within the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation Inc. collection, 1968 -1994. Funded by Andrew Mellon Foundation.
Tombouctou Manuscripts Project
This project is for researching and documenting manuscript tradition in Africa. the project team has been involved in manuscript translation, digitalisation and historical studies of book and library traditions.
Umbra Search African American History (U of Minnesota)
A free resource that provides broad access to over 400,000 digitized archival materials documenting African American history from more than 1,000 libraries, archives, and cultural heritage institutions across the United States.

Primary Document Collections

Federal Response to Radicalism in the 1960s
Collection of Federal Bureau of Investigation documents sheds light on internal organization, personnel, and activities of some of the most prominent American radical groups and their movements to change American government and society. Coverage: 1956-1971. Provided by the UNM Law Library
Federal Surveillance of African Americans, 1920-1984
Collection of documents on the scrutiny, harassment, and prosecution of Black Americans of all political persuasions by the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Coverage: 1920-1984. Provided by the UNM Law Library
Westlaw Campus Research
Access to federal & state court cases, annotated statues/codes, administrative law, and regulations. It also includes law reviews, local, national & international news sources, and trade journal. Coverage: 1790-present.