RESOURCES
Welcome to a comprehensive collection of resources celebrating African American history!
Whether you're an educator, student, or community member eager to delve into the rich tapestry of African American experiences, this curated list offers a diverse array of materials to explore. These resources serve as tools for further understanding of local & national history, inviting engagement, reflection, and dialogue.
FEATURED
ORGANIZE
National Museum of African American History & Culture
The mission of the NMAAHC is to capture and share the unvarnished truth of African American history and culture. We connect stories, scholarship, art, and artifacts from the past and present to illuminate the contributions, struggles, and triumphs that have shaped our nation. We forge new and compelling avenues for audiences to experience the arc of living history. The Museum and its website have an extensive resource collection.
LEARN
1619 Project
The 1619 Project is a historiographical work that takes a critical view of traditionally revered figures and events in American history, including the Patriots in the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers, along with Abraham Lincoln and the Union during the Civil War. It was developed by Nikole Hannah-Jones, writers from The New York Times, and The New York Times Magazine. It focused on subjects of slavery and the founding of the United States. The first publication from the project was in The New York Times Magazine of August 2019.[7] The project developed an educational curriculum, supported by the Pulitzer Center, later accompanied by a broadsheet article, live events, and a podcast.
READ
The Warmth of Other Suns
National Book Critics Circle Award Winner by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Isabel Wilkerson | From 1915 to 1970, this exodus of almost six million people changed the face of America. Wilkerson compares this epic migration to the migrations of other peoples in history. She interviewed more than a thousand people, and gained access to new data and official records, to write this definitive and vividly dramatic account of how these American journeys unfolded, altering our cities, our country, and ourselves. Both a riveting microcosm and a major assessment, The Warmth of Other Suns is a bold, remarkable, and riveting work, a superb account of an “unrecognized immigration” within our own land.
NEW JERSEY
Explore more African-American history and visit historical sites of the Garden State.
The Princeton & Slavery Project
Princeton University, founded as the College of New Jersey in 1746, exemplifies the central paradox of American history. From the start, liberty and slavery were intertwined. From 2013 to 2024, the Princeton & Slavery Project investigated the University’s involvement with the institution of slavery and ongoing legacies of institutional racism. This project presents an extraordinary collection of stories and sources.
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
Located at the National Historic Register-listed Mt. Zion AME Church in Central New Jersey, the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum is dedicated to being a resolute voice, celebrating and preserving the African American story—from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade to the present day.
William Trent House
This museum tells the story of the inhabitants of this historic house and land including descriptions of how the cultures of three peoples – Indigenous, European, and African – influenced each other in colonial New Jersey. The museum presents research about the experiences of European immigrants and migrants from the American south who came to Trenton in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Sankofa Collaborative
The Sankofa Collaborative is comprised of four New Jersey organizations and its mission is to build the capacity of individuals, groups, and organizations to learn about and discuss the complex and difficult issues in the history and current experiences of African American citizens of New Jersey.
WESTFIELD
READ
African Americans in Westfield, New Jersey from 1720 (2d Ed. 2023)
Immerse yourself in the places of historical significance to African Americans in the Town of Westfield. You can walk or drive this tour, while using our book, African Americans in Westfield, New Jersey from 1720, as a guide.
LISTEN
Oral Histories
Thanks to the Westfield Memorial Library, discover the unique history of Westfield residents through this municipal treasure. For example, select Hollis O. Plinton from the list and listen to his interview in which he talks about his early days growing up and later contributing to the Black Professional Zone in Westfield. The oral histories are also transcribed.
LEARN
Westfield Memorial Library – Local History Digital Collection
From books, directories, newspapers, yearbooks, Sanborn maps, baptismal/marriage/cemetery records and more, step into the past with this Westfield, New Jersey extensive archive collection.
ORGANIZATIONS
Dive into the work of organizations dedicated to preserving and promoting African American heritage.
New Jersey Black Heritage Trail
Under the auspices of the New Jersey Historical Commission, the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail promotes “awareness and appreciation of Black history, heritage, and culture . . . [that highlights] Black heritage sites through historical markers and a trail-like path that connects the stories of Black life and resiliency.”
The King Center for Non-Violent Social Change
Established in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (“The King Center”) has been a global destination, resource center and community institution for over a quarter century. Within The King Center is the King Library and Archives, which is the largest repository of primary source materials on Dr. King and the American Civil Rights Movement.
Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire
Recognizing that in New Hampshire, Black history is a vital, yet often overlooked, thread in the fabric of its shared heritage, the Black Heritage Trial of New Hampshire seeks to educate, engage, and inspire through storytelling, programs, tours, and memorials that preserve and share the state’s Black heritage from the ports of Portsmouth where enslaved Africans arrived to the northern border where freedom seekers found refuge.
HISTORICAL RESEARCH
Discover historical research projects that uncover hidden narratives and explore digital archives that offer glimpses into the past.
LEARN
The Princeton & Slavery Project
Princeton University, founded in 1746, reflects America's dual history of liberty and slavery. Despite educating revolutionaries, its early presidents were slave owners, with slavery intertwined in campus life until at least 1822. The Princeton & Slavery Project, running from 2013 to 2024, investigates the university's ties to slavery, exploring the slave-owning practices of trustees and faculty, the impact of slave labor profits, and the influence of southern students on campus discourse. Discover the project's findings and stories.
LEARN
1619 Project
The 1619 Project, led by Nikole Hannah-Jones and writers from The New York Times and The New York Times Magazine, offers a critical examination of key figures and events in American history, challenging traditional narratives. Focusing on topics such as slavery and the nation's founding, it debuted in August 2019 in The New York Times Magazine. The project expanded to include an educational curriculum, backed by the Pulitzer Center, as well as articles, live events, and a podcast.
BOOKS
Discover thought-provoking books that delve into untold stories.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
King: A Life by Jonathan Eig
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
FILM
Discover groundbreaking films that bring pivotal moments to life.
13TH (2016) by Ava DuVernay | Scholars, activists and politicians connect the dots from slavery to mass incarceration in the U.S.
Selma (2014) by Ava DuVernay | In 1965, Selma, Alabama became the battleground in the fight to register to vote.
Glory (1989) by Edward Zwick | Riveting historical drama of the 54th Regiment, a unit of African American soldiers who fought for the North in the Civil War.
Do the Right Thing (1989) by Spike Lee | A Brooklyn neighborhood simmers with racial tension between its Black residents and the Italian American owners of a local pizzeria.
Mighty Times: The Children’s March (2004) | Short documentary highlighting the young activists involved in the 1963 Children’s Crusade in Birmingham, AL.
Malcolm X (1992) by Spike Lee | A biographical drama about the life of African American leader and activist Malcolm X.
I Am Not Your Negro (2016) | James Baldwin's analysis of racism in the U.S. & recollections of civil rights movement leaders.
12 Years a Slave (2013) by Steve McQueen - Freeborn black man is abducted in the north and sold into slavery in Louisiana. Based on a true story.
The Loving Story (2011) | The true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, who were forbidden by law to marry in the state of Virginia in the 1960s.
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