Research Guides: African American Literature: Finding Articles

Scope of this Guide

This guide covers search strategies for African American Literature specifically. It will help you identify relevant databases and subject terms within that area.

If you'd like more tips on literature research in general, please see:

Literatures in English Research Guide
by Leila Walker Last Updated Oct 17, 2023 196 views this year

Library Status

During the Summer 2021 semester, the library building is not open. You can still use the library's electronic resources and contact librarians for help. See below for a way to request book chapters and print books from the library.

Here are some links you may find helpful:

Searching for Articles

Your search for articles may include both literary criticism and historical analysis. Because they can be found in different databases, they are addressed separately below.

Literature & Humanities Databases

The literature-specific databases are a good place to start. They focus on analyzing literary works and you are likely to find yourself in conversation with them.

Even if you need historical documents or analysis, it's a good idea to start with the literary criticism, because you will often find such sources cited there.

MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
The most scholarly and comprehensive database for articles and books on the modern languages, literatures, folklore, and linguistics and literary aspects of film. One of the strengths of MLA is the indexing. You can search for subject terms like: "African American experience," "Black identity" "Relationship to racial discrimination," and more.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
JSTOR covers many journals in all disciplines, and is strong in literature, including African American literature. Because JSTOR uses full-text searching only, you are generally better off with more specific searches here.
JSTOR provided expanded access during the pandemic (June 2020-June 2023). Expanded access expires on June 30, 2023. CUNY will reinstate that access beginning in January 2024.You may review the Electronic Resources Status Dashboard for updates. Questions? Email: access-support@qc-cuny.libanswers.com or Open a Ticket!
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
A smaller database than JSTOR, but they index an excellent list of journals and their full-text content is more recent.
Humanities Source This link opens in a new window
Covers the humanities broadly. I find that Humanities Source is especially useful when I am interested not only in literary analysis but also in historical research or theatre.
Gale Literature This link opens in a new window
Cross-searches several literature resources, including Literature Resource Center, which compiles excerpts of the most important literary criticism on an author or work. The essays are chosen to provide a useful overview of critical work on the literary works in question.

History and African American Studies Databases

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
The multidisciplinary approach of Academic Search Complete can be very useful -- you can find materials outside of the narrow scope of more specialized databases.
America: History & Life This link opens in a new window
An excellent database to search for academic articles about American history. Note that you can use the "Historical Period" search to limit your search to documents about a specific range of years.
Black Freedom Struggle in the United States This link opens in a new window
A selection of primary sources important to Black History from 1790 to the present. The documents are organized by time period and are very browseable.
Black Thought and Culture This link opens in a new window
Black Thought and Culture contains 1,297 sources with 1,098 authors, covering the non-fiction published works of leading African Americans. Contains full-text non-fiction works and/or citations, as well as interviews, journal articles, speeches, essays, pamphlets, letters and other fugitive material.
Ethnic Newswatch This link opens in a new window
A newspaper collection providing interdisciplinary and comprehensive coverage of the ethnic, minority and native press in America. (1959-present)
Gale Primary Sources This link opens in a new window
Combines several primary source collections from the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. Includes many types of primary sources, including newspapers, books, images, and more.
Gale Primary Sources: Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive This link opens in a new window
Primary sources documenting the international history of slavery.
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 This link opens in a new window
Digital collection of historical documents that illustrate women's history in the United States between 1600 and 2000; includes letters, speeches, essays, pamphlets, images and more.

Some Specific Journals

I generally recommend searching databases for articles, as specific journals are usually quite narrow in scope. However, it can be useful to browse through a journal to see what sorts of articles they include.

Here are some journals that are strong in African American literature.

Also see the American Literature E-Journals list.

African American Literature

Humanities Librarian

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