Title Highlight: Encyclopedia of African American Society

Encyclopedia of African American Society

2 volumes: Illustrations, List of Entries, Reader’s Guide
African Americans in Halls of Fame (vol. 2)
Colleges and Universities with Majors in African American Studies (vol. 2)
Selected African American Heritage Sites (vol. 2)
Index (at the end of vol. 2)

This two volume set is a good starting point for finding information on African American people, places, issues and culture. The essays found in this book are short and the author does not recommend using them as a source for term papers, but it is a good place to find initial information and suggestions for further research. In this set one can find the answers to such questions as “Who was the first African American awarded a Ph.D”, “When was the Congressional Black Caucus founded”, “Are there conservative African Americans and what do they believe?” The Reader’s Guide is especially useful for finding the encyclopedia entries on various topics, for example: History and Heritage, Literature, Movements and Events, and Entertainment are all topics with lists of articles relating to that subject. The listing of African Americans in Halls of Fame contains not only the usual sports and entertainment lists, but also those listed in the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame, the National Museum of Dance Hall of Fame and the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Another list which has regional interest is the Selected African American Heritage Sites list which mentions 3 places in Illinois that are important in African American history, all located in Chicago; the Eighth Regiment Armory, Ida B. Wells-Barnett House, and the Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Homesite. The encyclopedia contains articles on each of these places and as well as all of the people found in the lists.