The resources on this guide will help you:
Investigate a topic
Find information on that topic
Explore different types of sources
Cite your sources using MLA format
Connect with a librarian for help
Browse these reference sources to find a topic. The biography sources are great for finding information about people; the other two are broad in scope and cover lots of subjects.
The Library has access to almost 70,000 streaming videos; below are just a few on Black women. See our Streaming video page for details and access information for our four collections.
4 Little Girls
A Spike Lee documentary recalling events that led to a racially motivated 1963 bombing at Birmingham's 16th Street Church in which four children perished. Included: comments from victims' relatives; political and civil-rights leaders; and other notables, such as George Wallace and Bill Cosby.
A Ballerina's Tale
Black ballerina Misty Copeland is profiled in this documentary, which explores her career, her recovery from a serious injury and the lack of diversity in the world of dance.
On the Record
On the Record presents the haunting story of former A&R executive Drew Dixon, whose career and personal life were upended by the alleged abuse she faced from her high-profile male bosses. The documentary follows Dixon as she grapples with her decision to become one of the first women of color, in the wake of #MeToo, to come forward to publicly accuse hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct.
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
Through a trove of archival material, evocative works of contemporary art, and interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Angela Davis, and Morrison herself, this film revisits her famed books and learn about the inspiration for her writing.
Twenty Feet from Stardom
Profiling backup singers who have performed for superstars such as Stevie Wonder, Sting and Bruce Springsteen.
Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
Go beyond the legend and meet the woman who repeatedly risked her life and freedom to liberate others from slavery.
Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed: The First Black Woman to Run for President
Recalling a watershed event in US politics, this Peabody Award-winning documentary takes an in-depth look at the 1972 presidential campaign of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress and the first to seek nomination for the highest office in the land.
Black Feminist
A lively and illuminating documentary that explores the double-edged sword of racial and gender oppression that Black women face in America.
Fannie Lou Hamer's America
Through public speeches, personal interviews, and powerful songs of the fearless Mississippi sharecropper-turned-human-rights-activist, Fannie Lou Hamer’s America explores and celebrates the lesser-known life of one of the Civil Rights Movement’s greatest leaders.
Ida B. Wells: A Passion For Justice
Documents the dramatic life and turbulent times of the pioneering African American journalist, activist, suffragist and anti-lynching crusader of the post-Reconstruction period.
After you have a topic, search magazine & newspaper articles to dig a little deeper and find more information.
TEXTBOOK
Black Women As Leaders by
This book examines how black women have identified challenges in major social institutions across history and demonstrated adaptive leadership in mobilizing people to tackle those challenges facing black communities.
Not on campus to find a book? Try our online collection of eBooks. This collection features over 65,000 complete titles and covers a broad range of subject areas.
The Sisters Are Alright, Second Edition by
Author Tamara Winfrey Harris reveals that while emancipation may have happened more than 150 years ago, America still won't let a sister be free from this coven of caricatures. The latest edition of this bestseller features new interviews with diverse Black women about marriage, motherhood, health, sexuality, beauty, and more.
Lighting the Fires of Freedom by
In Lighting the Fires of Freedom Janet Dewart Bell shines a light on women's all-too-often overlooked achievements in the Movement.
Becoming by
In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America--the first African American to serve in that role--she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments.
The Bluest Eye by
In Morrison's acclaimed first novel, Pecola Breedlove--an 11-year-old Black girl in an America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can devastate all others--prays for her eyes to turn blue: so that she will be beautiful, so that people will look at her, so that her world will be different.
A Black Women's History of the United States by
An empowering and intersectional history that centers the stories of African American women across 400+ years, showing how they are-and have always been-instrumental in shaping our country.
Originals! by
The story of black women in America is one of struggle and obstacles overcome. It's a story of great achievement and soaring heights. Let Originals! inspire and educate you as it shares the stories and breakthroughs of hundreds of black women in American history!!
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