Welcome to the Baltimore County Public Library.

Baltimore County's cultural heritage includes a wealth of contributions from the African American community.  This page has been compiled by BCPL librarians and links to resources for and about this heritage.

	Arts & Culture Books & Literature Civil Rights, Past and Present	Famous African Americans History

Please note:  A library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library is needed to use these online resources

Arts & Culture

• African American Department
  at the Central Library of Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, Maryland.
  Has books, photographs, church histories, calendars, political campaign literature, pamphlets, event programs, magazines, newspapers, and other printed items about African Americans, their history and culture with major focus on Maryland and the Baltimore area.
   

• African American Heritage Festival
  Three day festival held in downtown Baltimore
   

• African American Museums
  by BlackPast.org
  Lists museums throughout the nation.
   

• African-American Sheet Music, 1850-1920
  by The Library of Congress and Brown University
  Search this collection by title, subject or name for digital sheet music, primarily vocal music printed or published in the United States.
   

• African Americans in Pro Football
  by Pro Football Hall of Fame
  Describes the firsts in professional football as early as 1902.
   

• African Americans in the Sports Arena
  by B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library, Long Island University
  Highlights the African American role in boxing, horse racing, cycling, track and field, basketball, baseball, and football.
   

• African Americans in the Visual Arts
  by B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library, Long Island University
  Presents European, African, and American influences on early and recent African American sculptors, painters, photographers, illustrators, and more. Includes brief biographies of several artists.
   

• Afrocentric Voices in Classical Music
  by the Classical Music Web Ring
  Presents major events and accomplishments by African American vocal musicians. Brief biographies of vocalists and composers, such as Marian Anderson, Paul Robeson, Leontyne Price, and others.
   

• Archives of African American Music and Culture
  at Indiana University
  Links to sites on popular, religious, classical and popular music, including blues, gospel to R and B, contemporary hip hop, and more.
   

• ArtCyclopedia: African-American Artists
  Ranges from Joshua Johnson to current artists found in museums, image archives, and other online resources. Includes sample images of their works with limited biographical information.
   

• Baltimore Guide: Cultural Sites
  provided by Soul of America
   

• Baltimore's African American Heritage and Attractions Guide
  by Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association
  Celebrate Baltimore's black heritage.
   

• Black Theatre Companies
  by Bridges Web Services
  Professional and nonprofit theatre companies and organizations that present works from primarily an Afrocentric point of view. Includes Northeast listings.
   

• BlackBridalGuide.com
  Covers traditions and customs as well as tips on planning the wedding.
   

• Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center
  at Morgan State University, Baltimore Maryland
  State of the art performing arts facility with concert halls and an art museum
   

• Harlem Renaissance
  by African American Department of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, Maryland
  "In the 1920s, Harlem was home to some of the best black writers, artists, actors and musicians." Briefly discusses the art, literature, music, and theatre and major participants in the Harlem scene.
   

• International Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Museum
  Brief history of anthem, spiritual and gospel music with video biographies of several vocalists and groups
   

• Juneteenth and Emancipation Day Celebrations
  by Joyce Reese McCollum of the University of South Florida Africana Heritage Project
   

• Juneteenth.com
  The history of the "oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery"
   

• Maryland's African-American Heritage Guide [PDF]
  from Maryland Office of Tourism Development
  Introduce yourself to the Maryland African American experience. Here you'll find museums and other destinations across the state.
   

• Negrospirituals.com
  Devoted to traditional spirituals, and some information on early Gospel songs. Includes lyrics.
   

• Official Kwanzaa Web Site
  History, the seven principles, symbols, greetings, and more
   

• Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture
  Three galleries of Maryland’s black heritage. Located in Baltimore.
   

• Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
  of the New York Public Library
  Collects, preserves and provides access to resources documenting the experiences of peoples of African descent throughout the world.
   

• Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards
  Exhibits of Baltimore's recent sports history and its "rich Negro League history"
   

Books & Literature

• BCPL Hot Titles: African American Fiction and Non-Fiction
  Newly ordered or just received by Baltimore County Public Library. Select the title you want and place your request. Book Ahead fees apply. For a printer-friendly version [PDF] of the Hot Titles lists.
   

• BCPL Reading List: African American Kids Books
  Selected by the librarians at the Baltimore County Public Library, this list of books for young readers covers the gamut of picture books and primary school titles on topics of interest about the African American community.
   

• African American Literature Book Club
  Features a bestseller list, book reviews, resources for writers, discussion groups, literary crossword puzzle and poetry readings.
   

• BCALA Literary Award Winners
  awarded by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association
  These annual awards recognize excellence in adult fiction and nonfiction by African American authors, including the work of a first novelist, and a citation for outstanding contribution to publishing. The latest Literary Award winners.
   

• Black Detective: African American Mystery Fiction
  by Springfield City Library, Springfield, Massachusetts
  Lists several authors of mysteries and their main character.
   

• Book-Remarks.com
  Promotes books written by or about African Americans. Has information on upcoming book fairs and literary events nationwide.
   

• Brief Guide to the Harlem Renaissance
  by Poets.org and The Academy of American Poets
  Offers biographies and essays on the poets and poetry of the Harlem Renaissance.
   

• Classic African American Novels and Popular Contemporary African American Novels [PDF]
  compiled by the Arts and Humanities Center, Newark Public Library
  An annotated booklist created in 2002.
   

• Coretta Scott King Book Award
  an annual award of the American Library Association
  Honors African American authors and illustrators for outstanding contributions to literature for children and young adult literature.
   

• Got To Be Read: Discover Good Books by African American Authors Using the Web
  by African American Department of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, Maryland
  If you are looking for novels, reviews, specific types of books by African American authors, or want to find online and face-to-face book discussion groups, discussion boards, and social networing sites that focus on books by African American authors, this guide will help you find something to read.
   

• Harlem Renaissance
  by African American Department of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, Maryland
  "In the 1920s, Harlem was home to some of the best black writers, artists, actors and musicians."  The literature and theatre created by this movement represents an impressive body of work. Has information on several writers, playwrights and more.
   

• Literature and Life: The Givens Collection
  of the University of Minnesota
  Explains briefly the major eras in African American literature beginning with the slave narratives through the 20th century.
   

• Literature Resource Center
  provided by Baltimore County Public Library
  Find full text critical analysis and biographies of novelists, poets and essayists from authoritative literary sources. Search by author, title, time period and literary themes. Available on public computers in our libraries or from home with a valid library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library.
   

• Online Guide to African American Books
  by African American Books
  Links to authors on the web, reading guides, online books, and more
   

• Perspectives in American Literature
  from California State University Stanislaus
  From colonial to modern times, find biographies and discussions of social and political influences on literature by African Americans. Focus is on major contributors to black literature and on the Harlem Renaissance.
   

• QBR: The Black Book Review
  Reviews and recommendations for adult and children's fiction and nonfiction and a literary events calendar.
   

• R.A.W.Sistaz Reviewers
  Online and national organization specializing in reviewing and promoting African-American literature
   

• Street Fiction
  from Street Fiction.org
  Urban fiction interviews, news and reviews
   

Civil Rights, Past & Present

• Alabama Moments in American History: Civil Rights Movement
  by Alabama Department of Archives and History
  Arranged by decades, provides history of events that impacted civil rights in Alabama and the nation like the Montgomery Bus Boycott, bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, the Selma-to-Montgomery March, and more.
   

• Baltimore '68: Riots and Rebirth
  from University of Baltimore
  Offers information, oral histories and photographs of the April 1968 civil unrest following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Junior.
   

• Baltimore County Human Relations Commission
  Investigates discrimination complaints in the areas of employment, housing, education, public accommodations, and financing within Baltimore County and responds to hate bias incidents.  The Commission does not have jurisdiction over county government, the county board of education, or the community colleges.
   

• Baltimore County Office of Fair Practices and Community Affairs
  Addresses the concerns of Baltimore County employees who believe that they have been discriminated against on the basis of age, color, creed, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion or sex.
   

• Baltimore Riots 1968
  from BaltimoreSun.com
  Includes audio recollections and video footage of the riots, photos, and interactive maps of fires, looting and other disturbances during the riots.
   

• Brown versus Board of Education
  by The National Archives
  Offers background information and documents, brief biographies of the key figures, and a timeline of events leading to the decision.
   

• Brown versus Board of Education National Historical Site
  by National Park Service
  The United States Supreme Court had on its docket cases from Kansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, South Carolina, and Virginia, all of which challenged the constitutionality of racial segregation in public schools. The Court consolidated these five cases under one name, Oliver Brown et al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka. Here is basic information as well as link to an online handbook [PDF] with more detailed information.
   

• Civil Rights: United States Supreme Court Decisions
  by FindLaw
  Major Supreme Court decisions involving civil rights and discrimination starting with the Dred Scott decision
   

• Civil Rights Movement Veterans
  Covers "the Freedom Movement as it existed in the South" by the participants including photos, documents and full text of oral histories, statements, interviews, and narratives by Movement veterans.
   

• Congress of Racial Equality
  One of the "Big Four" civil rights groups. CORE was there for the protests against "Jim Crow" laws of the 40's, through the "Sit-ins" of the 50's, the "Freedom Rides" of the 60's, to the current demand for human rights. View, listen and read about historical events and key people as seen from the perspective of CORE.
   

• King Online Encyclopedia
  Search for civil rights movement figures, events, organizations, and ideas written from Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior’s perspective.
   

• Maryland Commission on Human Relations
  "Ensures equal opportunity to all through the enforcement of Maryland's laws against discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations and provides educational and outreach services related to the provisions of these laws...."
   

• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
  Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination." The NAACP has a long civil rights history and is built on the courage of individuals.
   

• Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
  by Public Broadcasting Service
  Historical resources on the era of segregation, violence, and disfranchisement of African Americans
   

• Southern Christian Leadership Conference
  Inter-faith, advocacy organization committed to non-violent action to achieve social, economic, and political justice. It began under the Presidency of Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior with the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
   

• Voices of Civil Rights
  a joint project of AARP, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and the Library of Congress
  Personal stories and oral histories of the Civil Rights Movement.

Famous African Americans

• African American Astronauts
  from NASA.Quest
  Includes former and current astronauts.
   

• African American Inventors
  by Enchanted Learning.com
  Profiles of famous inventors and their inventions
   

• African American Inventors
  by Scholastic, Inc.
  Top ten inventors. Geared towards grades 3 to 4.
   

• Black History Month Biographies
  by Gale Cengage Learning
  Profiles of some of the most significant people
   

• Black Inventor Online Museum
  presented by Adscape International
  Scientists, educators and slaves developed the tools and processes that helped to shape the modern agricultural, industrial and technological landscape.
   

• Black Inventors A to Z
  by About.com
   

• Black Scientists and Inventors
  by Fact Monster from Information Please
  Biographies of men and women who have contributed to the advancement of science
   

• Blacks in Mathematics
  by the Mathematics Department the State University of New York at Buffalo
  Biographies of black mathematicians
   

• Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences
  Information on both men and women who made contributions to science and engineering
   

• Famous African American Women

  from the ipl2 Consortium
   

• History Makers
  Interviews of both well known and unsung African American heroes and history makers in the fields of education, music, law, medicine, entertainment, business, and more
   

• Jazz Biographies
  from PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service and the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz
  Contains almost 100 African-American biographies. Some include audio of music and interviews.
   

• Notable African Americans
  by Fact Monster of Information Please
  Brief biographical information. Searchable A to Z list or by area of achievement
   

• Online Encyclopedia of Significant People and Places in African American History
  by BlackPast.org
  A starting point for descriptions of individuals, places and events which have contributed to the shaping of African American history

History

• Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
  Encouraging scholarly studies in academic, local, and family history of African Americans. Local chapter information available.
   

• African American Marylanders
  by African American Department of Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore Maryland
  Listing of prominent Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Century African Americans with ties to Maryland.
   

• The African American Mosaic
  by The Library of Congress
  A "guide for the study of black history and culture". Covers American Colonization Society and the "back to Africa" movement, Abolition movement and famous abolitionists, migrations to the North and West, and the WPA program that documented black culture.
   

• African American Odyssey
  by The Library of Congress
  From slavery through the civil rights era, documents the courage and determination of blacks, who faced adverse circumstances and immense odds. The exhibit includes the work of abolitionists in the first half of the nineteenth century and a wealth of primary sources.
   

• African Americans in Maryland - Firsts and Facts
  by African American Department of Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, Maryland
  Famous firsts by Marylanders
   

• Africans in America
  by WGBH Educational Foundation
  Traces the history of slavery in the United States from the the 16th century to the end of the American Civil War in 1865. After selecting the time period of interest, click on the Narrative link. The Resource Bank gives additional information.
   

• Baltimore County Office of Planning Maps and Research Links: African American History
  Links to maps and several publications including:
   

• African American History Research Links [PDF]
  cites newspaper and other sources referring to local African Americans, local events and buildings associated with local African Americans.
   

• Mapping a Paradox: The African American Cultural Landscape in Antebellum Baltimore County Maryland by Kimberly Abe [PDF]
  details pre-Civil War Baltimore County, and includes documentation on the remaining slavery-related structures and sites.
   

• Beneath the Underground: The Flight to Freedom and Communities in Antebellum Maryland
  by the Maryland State Archives
  "This story of slave flight, and how the geography, laws, and communities of Maryland as a slave state aided or hindered escape." This site contains interactive maps, stories of flight, and links to other projects focused on antebellum Maryland and the flight to freedom in Maryland. Includes an overview of Baltimore County's involvement with the runaway slave.
   

• BlackPast.org
  Doorway to information on people, places, institutions, events, timelines covering African American history. Includes full text primary documents, audio, video, photos, and major speeches of black activists and leaders from the 18th Century to the present.
   

• Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives
  provided by The Library of Congress.
  Contains first person accounts of slavery and black and white photographs of former slaves collected from the Federal Writer's Project, 1936 to 1938.
   

• Baltimore Metropolitan Area Chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers
  History and membership membership information
   

• Buffalo Soldiers and Indian Wars
  History of the Buffalo soldiers including photos
   

• Events in African American History, 1600 to present
  offered by Gale Cengage Learning
  Select the decade and find the major events that occurred.
   

• From Frederick to Thurgood: Black Baltimore in Transition 1870 to 1920
  presented by the Maryland State Archives, Maryland Historical Trust, Baltimore Heritage Research Collaborative
  Discusses Baltimore City's historic black communities, the people and institutions which influenced the heritage of the city. NOTE: In most instances the user name and password of aaco; aaco# will work on links requiring registration.
   

• Guide to Black History
  from Encyclopaedia Britannica
  Examines the African American story through the centuries. Includes primary source documents, images, timeline, brief biographies, and other topics.
   

• Historical Text Archive
  Find full text articles, essays and documents, e-books and links on African American history.
   

• Local History Page
  Provided by Baltimore County Public Library
  Includes Baltimore County, Maryland, United States, world and women’s history. Find local historical societies, historic sites, Baltimore County community histories, and local historic photos.
   

• History of African Americans in the Civil War
  by the National Park Service.
  A brief overview of African Americans serving in the Union Army and the battles they fought.
   

• History Research Databases
  provided by Baltimore County Public Library
  Find full text online reference books, encyclopedias, non-fiction books, magazines on historical topics, historical documents. Also biographies of historical figures; historical photos and maps, articles from historical newspapers and a local historical photograph database. Available on public computers in our libraries or from home with a valid library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library.
   

• Images of African Americans from the 19th Century
  from Digital Schomburg Collection of New York Public Library
  Images of black history and culture from the 1800s
   

• Images of African American Slavery and Freedom
  from the Library of Congress
   

• In Motion: The African American Migration Experience
  from the New York Public Library's Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture.
  Interprets African American movement from one place to another from the 1450s to the present day and the impact on black history and culture. Includes images and maps.
   

• Integration of the Armed Forces
  July 26, 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the integration of the armed forces
   

• Legacy of Slavery in Maryland
  by Maryland State Archives
  Information on lynchings in Maryland during the Jim Crow era 1860s to 1930, stories of escaped slaves, and other research on slavery in Maryland.
   

• Lest We Forget: The Triumph Over Slavery
  created by The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library
  An overview of the enslavement of Africans, the transatlantic slave trade, struggle against slavery, slave labor, family life, and more.
   

• Local Museums and Historical Sites
  presented by Baltimore County Public Library
  African American museums and historic sites in and around Maryland.
   

• Negro League Baseball Players Association
  Honors the significant contribution of Negro Leagues players to baseball.  Find information on teams, players, ballparks, and more.
   

• Negro Leagues Legacy
  offered by Major League Baseball
  Interviews and testimonies from Negro League players as well as video clips. Numerous articles on the Leagues, team histories, player profiles, and photographs.
   

• Newspaper Research Databases
  provided by Baltimore County Public Library
  Search for full text articles and obituaries in several current and historic newspapers, including the Baltimore Sun and the Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper: 1893 - 1988. All are available on public computers in our libraries and some from home with a valid library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library.
   

• North by South: Charleston to Harlem
  by Kenyon College
  Covers the migration of African Americans from the South to the North. Click on images throughout site to get to essays on music, art, health, education and death in African American Southern and Northern culture.
   

• Online Encyclopedia of Significant People and Places in African American History
  by BlackPast.org
  A starting point for descriptions of individuals, places and events which have contributed to black history
   

• Pathways to Freedom: Maryland and the Underground Railroad
  by Maryland Public Television.
  Explores the history and actual path that slaves followed to freedom. Includes some primary source documents, photographs, interactive journey and timeline, audio and video recordings along with teacher and parent resources.
   

• Slavery and the Making of America
  by Educational Broadcasting Corporation
  History of American slavery from its beginning to the post-Civil War Reconstruction period. Presents personal narratives, images and other materials highlighting the lives of slaves, their living conditions, and more.
   

• Slavery at Hampton
  Information about the Ridgely slaves in the context of the National Park Service historic site located in Towson, Maryland.
   

• Today in Black History
  by BlackFacts.com
  Daily calendar of historical events. Searchable by date or keywords.
   

• Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database
  sponsored by Emory University
  Look for particular voyages in this database of documented slaving expeditions. Find estimates on the numbers of slaves and interactive pages on the many routes of the slave trade.
   

• Underground Railroad
  presented by the National Geographic Society
  This interactive site takes you aboard the Underground Railroad on a journey to freedom.
   

• Underground Railroad: Escape from Slavery
  by Scholastic, Inc.
  Follow what it meant to be a slave along the Underground Railroad in this interactive site.
   

• Voices from the Days of Slavery
  by The Library of Congress
  Read transcripts or listen to recorded interviews of former slaves born between 1823 and the early 1860s. They discuss how they felt about slavery, slaveholders, their treatment, their families, and freedom.