Reference Library of Black America

Five deluxe volumes · nearly 500 years of history · widely considered among the finest sets of Black history reference books available anywhere.

Still life of hardcover books and vintage photographs honoring African American history — The series presents African American history through narrative, biography, documents, and statistics.

About the Series

The five-volume Reference Library of Black America contains biographical data on an imposing roster of historical and contemporary personalities in the African American community. Historical narratives, statistical tables, and graphs present in great detail nearly 500 years of history. Based on the African American Almanac, this authoritative set provides a range of historical and current information on African American history, society, and culture — chronologies, texts of important documents and speeches, biographical profiles, legislation, essays, statistics, and more than 800 illustrations to support research.

Topics Covered

African American history and culture — African American firsts — slavery and emancipation — civil rights — the Black church — Black media, blues, jazz, and hip hop — modern Africa and the diaspora — national Black organizations and the Congressional Black Caucus — famous African American sports figures, scientists, artists, and political leaders — Black History Month and its observance.

Volume by Volume

Volume 1: Chronology — African American Firsts — Significant Documents — Landmarks
Volume 2: Africa and the Black Diaspora — Africans in America — Civil Rights — National Organizations
Volume 3: Politics — Employment and Income — Education — Religion
Volume 4: Literature — Media — Performing Arts — Classical Music — Blues and Jazz
Volume 5: Popular Music — Visual and Applied Arts — Science and Technology — Sports — Military

In the Classroom and Library

This is the anchor set for any Black History Month program that aims to outlast February — our Black History Month article explains the observance's scholarly roots, and our lesson plans guide shows how the significant-documents chapter supports document-based questions. The set pairs well with the free digital exhibits and educator resources of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The set's lineage is part of its authority. Its parent work, the African American Almanac, descends from the Negro Almanac first compiled in 1967 — one of the earliest comprehensive reference works on Black America, sustained and re-edited across decades by distinguished scholars. Each edition absorbed the scholarship of its era, which is why the reference library reads less like a compilation and more like an inheritance, with editor Jessie Carney Smith — a pioneering librarian and scholar at Fisk University — carrying the tradition forward.

Reading Pathways

Three routes through the set, depending on the reader. The chronology route starts in Volume 1 with the timeline and African American firsts, then follows any thread that catches the eye into the topical volumes — ideal for browsers and younger researchers. The documents route, for advanced students, moves straight to the significant documents chapter: the texts of emancipation orders, civil-rights legislation, and landmark speeches, each of which can carry a full document-based lesson. The arts route begins in Volumes 4 and 5 with literature, jazz, and visual arts — often the most inviting door for students who think history is not for them.

Researchers tracing individual figures should note that the set's biographical profiles cross-reference the companion biographical database — the entry format is described, with samples, on our research database page. For local history extensions, many state humanities councils maintain African American heritage trail guides that pair well with the landmarks chapter of Volume 1.

Reference Details

Format: 5 deluxe hardcover volumes; appendix, bibliography, glossary, index
Length: Approximately 1,500 pages; more than 800 illustrations
Editor: Jessie Carney Smith
ISBN: 0-7876-4363-7 (0787643637)
Reading level: Middle and high school; teacher resource for elementary grades

To find this set in a library near you, search WorldCat by title or ISBN. See also the rest of the series guide or the complete 31-volume collection.