SWIC Libraryjoins with the campus community in celebrating diversity!
This online display of SWIC's physical collection, features a 400-year timeline from the early 1600s to the present. Over two hundred recently acquired library materials are assembled chronologically into 40 sections as outlined to the left. Children's Literature and Young Adult novels are also showcased.
Browse a sampling of our books BELOW and in the TABS outlined to the left.
Take advantage of our Library Pick-Up Service: Watch this QUICK VIDEOon how to place a book request. Once requested, library staff will pull your item from the shelf and email you that it's ready for pick up at the library's front desk. You will need your SWIC ID to check items out of the library. The typical loan period for library items is 4 weeks. See our current library hours.
Finally, be sure to scroll down this page for a curated list of great Web Resources including Facts & Figures, History, Arts & Culture, Literature, African American Resources and Professional Organizations.
Browse and Request Books @ SWIC Library
Web Resources
Facts and Figures
African American Facts for Features – U.S. Census BureauCollections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas pertaining to holidays, anniversaries, observances or topics in the news. The data are intended to assist media in writing feature stories on these commemorations, which range from Hispanic Heritage Month to the Holiday Season.
African Americans – Pew Research CenterPew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. We do not take policy positions.
The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, Houston, TexasBuffalo Soldiers National Museum aims to highlight the stories of all Black military personnel who have fought for their country, including during the American Civil War, both World Wars, and the war in Vietnam.
California African American Museum, Los AngelesLos Angeles’ free-to-enter CAAM leads the way in championing the pivotal contribution of African Americans to the cultural landscape of California and the American West. Located in the museum oasis that is Exposition Park, this 40-year-old African-American art museum is home to thousands of important pieces, dating as far back as the 1800s. Paintings, photographs, sculptures, and installations by African-American artists and those from the African diaspora fill its airy halls.
DuSable Museum of African American History, ChicagoThe DuSable Museum of African American History is dedicated to the study and conservation of African-American history, culture, and art. It was founded in 1961 by Margaret Taylor-Burroughs, her husband Charles Burroughs, Gerard Lew, Eugene Feldman, Marian M. Hadley, and others.
National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, TennesseeThrough hundreds of artifacts, videos, and oral histories, the museum’s exhibits detail the Black American experience, from the advent of slavery through to life under Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement.
National Museum of African American History & CultureA Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was established in December 2003 and opened its permanent home in September 2016 with a ceremony led by President Barack Obama.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, OhioOhio was a well-trodden state on the path to freedom for many escaped slaves. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati celebrates and tells the stories of ordinary people who risked imprisonment, and in some cases their lives, in the name of justice. Visitors learn about heroic railroad agents and passengers like Harriet Tubman, a former slave who guided escapees to free states and Canada; Henry ‘Box’ Brown, whose journey to freedom was endured over 27 hours in a large wooden box, and John Parker, who actively sought slaves in Kentucky and aided their escape to neighboring Ohio. The museum also aims to fight the continued scourge of slavery and trafficking around the globe through education and outreach programs.
The National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, Selma, AlabamaLocated in the Historic District of Selma, Alabama at the foot of the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge, the scene of “Bloody Sunday,” the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute is the cornerstone of the contemporary struggle for voting rights and human dignity.
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kansas City, MissouriThe Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African-American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America.
Pullman Porter Museum, ChicagoOur mission is to promote, honor and celebrate the legacy of A. Philip Randolph, Pullman Porters, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and contributions made by African-Americans to America’s labor movement; with a significant focus on the African American Railroad Employee.
The Studio Museum, Harlem, New YorkFrom occupying a cramped space above a liquor store in 1968 to building a brand-new, multi-million-dollar home which is set to open in 2021, the Studio Museum’s original aim of championing Black art and culture has been a huge success. The Studio promotes the work of both up-and-coming and established artists of African descent. Every year the museum hosts an artist in residence, many of whom have gone on to forge hugely successful careers. The permanent collection boasts thousands of pieces including everything from drawings and prints to photographs and installations, all by Black American artists and members of the African diaspora.
Whitney Plantation, Wallace, LouisianaWhitney Plantation Museum is the only museum in Louisiana with an exclusive focus on the lives of enslaved people. During your visit, you will learn about the history of slavery on a southern Louisiana sugarcane plantation by visiting memorials built to honor enslaved people; as well as original slave cabins, a freedmen’s church, detached kitchen, and a 1790 owner’s house.
History - Primary Sources
African American Migration ExperiencePresents images, texts and maps that explore "thirteen defining migrations that formed and transformed African America" from 1450 to the present.
African American Women Writers of the 19th CenturyA digital collection of 52 published works by 19th-century black women writers. A part of the Digital Schomburg, this collection provides access to the thought, perspectives and creative abilities of black women as captured in books and pamphlets published prior to 1920.
African-American MosaicMaterial for the study of African American history and culture. Examines colonization, abolition, migration and the WPA (Works Progress Administration).
Africans in AmericaExamines "America's journey through slavery" with historical documents. Primary source material is linked under "Resource Bank" in each of the four parts.
Atlantic Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Americas: A Visual RecordAn image collection, with most dating from the period of slavery, that depicts the experiences of Africans who were enslaved and transported to the Americas and the lives of their descendants in the slave societies of the New World.
Behind the Veil: Documenting African American Life in the Jim Crow SouthA selection of 100 oral history interviews, with transcripts, chronicling African American life during the age of legal segregation in the American South, from the 1890s to the 1950s. Interviews are browsable by state, interviewee name, gender and occupation.
Brown vs. Board of Education ArchiveIncludes documents and photographs detailing the events surrounding the historic case of Brown v. Board of Education.
Celebrating the Collections of Historically Black Colleges and UniversitiesA compilation of primary resources from HBCU libraries and archives. It includes thousands of digital objects that represent HBCU libraries first collaborative effort to make a historic collection digitially available. Collections are contributed from member libraries of the Historically Black College and University Library Alliance.
Freedom Summer ProjectA large selection of items that document Freedom Summer, a nonviolent effort by civil rights activists to integrate Mississippi's segregated political system during 1964.
The Geography of Slavery in VirginiaPrimarily a collection of advertisements, published in Virginia during the 18th- and 19th century, for runaway and captured slaves and servants. Additional related material included.
Hip Hop ArchiveThe Hiphop Archive focuses on the knowledge, art, culture, materials, organizations, movements and institutions developed by those who support and follow Hiphop. Located at W.E.B. Dubois Institute for Afro-American Research.
Historical African American Newspapers Available OnlineProvides a list of historical African American Newspapers available online as part of digitization projects at libraries and historical societies as well as digitization projects done by Google. Browse by title, time period, or geographic area.
Jack Rabin Collection on Alabama Civil Rights and Southern ActivistsCompilation of documents, sound recordings, and visual images. Includes filmed interview of Stokely Carmichael in Montgomery; 450 photographs created by the Subversive Unit of the Investigative and Identification Division of the Alabama Department of Public Safety in the course of sit-ins, demonstrations, and marches in several Alabama cities during the early to mid-1960s; and surveillance tapes preserving speeches made at an anniversary of the Montgomery Improvements Association in 1963.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education InstituteThe King Institute presents primary and secondary source material from and about MLK. Includes speeches, sermons and photographs. Also has the full audio recording of the "I Have a Dream" speech.
North American Slave Narratives"Books and articles that document the individual and collective story of African Americans struggling for freedom and human rights in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. This collection includes all the existing autobiographical narratives of fugitive and former slaves published as broadsides, pamphlets, or books in English up to 1920."
Rosa Parks PapersThis collection documents many aspects of Parks's private life and public activism on behalf of civil rights for African Americans.
Slavery and Abolition in the US: Select PublicationsA digital collection of books and pamphlets that demonstrate the varying ideas and beliefs about slavery in the United States as expressed by Americans throughout the nineteenth century.
Slaves and the CourtsMore than 100 pamphlets and books (1772-1889) from the Library of Congress on the experiences of African and African-American slaves in the colonies and the US: an assortment of trials and cases, reports, arguments, accounts, etc.
UmbraAggregates collections of primary source material - from libraries, archives, and cultural heritage organizations - that document African American history and culture.
Who Speaks for the Negro?Digital archive of materials related to the book of the same name, published by Robert Penn Warren in 1965. Warren traveled throughout the United States in early 1964 and spoke with those involved in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. The archive consists of sound recordings of each interviewee, as well as print materials related to the project. All of the print materials appear on the website in two versions: an image of the original document which is not searchable and a re-transcribed document which is searchable.
Literature
BCALA Literary AwardsThe Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Inc. recognizes excellence in adult fiction and nonfiction by African American authors including an award for Best Poetry and a citation for Outstanding Contribution to Publishing.
Carter G. Woodson Book AwardsThe National Council for the Social Studies established the Carter G. Woodson Book Awards for the most distinguished books appropriate for young readers that depict ethnicity in the United States. First presented in 1974, this award is intended to “encourage the writing, publishing, and dissemination of outstanding social studies books for young readers that treat topics related to ethnic minorities and race relations sensitively and accurately.”
Children’s Africana Book AwardsChildren’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) are presented annually to the authors and illustrators of the best children’s and young adult books on Africa published or republished in the U.S. Africa Access and the Outreach Council of the African Studies Association (ASA) created CABA in 1991 to encourage the publication and use of accurate, balanced children’s materials about Africa.
The Coretta Scott King Book AwardsAwards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.
The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary ExcellenceHonors Louisiana’s revered storyteller, Ernest J. Gaines, and serves to inspire and recognize rising African-American fiction writers of excellence at a national level. The book award, initiated by donors of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, is now in its 14th year and has become nationally recognized in its role of enhancing visibility of emerging African-American fiction writers while also expanding the audience for this literature.
Phillis Wheatley Book AwardsPhillis Wheatley was the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Born in West Africa, she was sold into slavery at the age of seven or eight and transported to North America. She was purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston, who taught her to read and write and encouraged her poetry when they saw her talent. The Phillis Wheatley Book Award is given to books published within the last five years covering the topic of American Slavery. From the Sons & Daughters of the U.S. Middle Passage Hereditary Society,
African American Resources
African American Planning CommissionThe African American Planning Commission (AAPC) Inc., is a New York City-based nonprofit organization committed to reducing homelessness and addressing the related issues of domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, mental illness, substance abuse, shortage of affordable housing, and unemployment in the communities in which we live and serve.
Association of African American Museums(AAAM) is a non-profit organization that offers individual membership and empowers its members through advocacy, professional development, and collaboration.
Executive Leadership CouncilThe Executive Leadership Council is the preeminent member organization for the development of global black leaders. The mission is to increase the number of successful black executives — both domestically and internationally — by adding value to their development, leadership, and philanthropic endeavors throughout the life-cycle of their careers thereby strengthening their companies, organizations, and communities.
Joint Center for Political and Economic StudiesThe Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is a nonprofit public policy organization that produces innovative, high-impact ideas, research, and policy solutions that have a positive impact on people and communities of color. The Joint Center does this by building and fueling a nonpartisan network of innovative elected and appointed officials of color and scholars for whom this goal is a priority. The Joint Center uses policy roundtables, research reports, and targeted media to reach key audiences of innovative officials of color and other thought leaders.
National Action Council for Minorities in EngineeringNACME’s mission is to increase the number of successful African American, American Indian, and Latino young women and men in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
National Black Chamber of CommerceThe National Black Chamber of Commerce, incorporated in Washington, D.C. in March 1993, represents 95,000 African-American–owned businesses and provides advocacy that reaches one million African-American-owned businesses. From the original 14 chapters the NBCC has grown to over 200 chapters located in 40 states and 50 nations. It is the largest Black business association in the world. The National Black Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to economically empowering and sustaining African-American communities through entrepreneurship and capitalistic activity within the US and via interaction with the African Diaspora.
National Black Justice CoalitionNBJC is America's leading national Black LGBT civil rights organization focused on federal public policy. The mission is to end racism and homophobia. NBJC provides leadership at the intersection of national civil rights groups and LGBT organizations, advocating for the unique challenges and needs of the African American LGBT community.
National Black MBA AssociationThe National Black MBA Association is dedicated to developing partnerships that result in the creation of intellectual and economic wealth in the African-American community. The National Black MBA Association, which has more than 9,000 members and represents more than 300 corporate partners, operates around three cornerstones—education, employment and leadership. To date, NBMBAA was awarded over $5 million in scholarships to deserving youth and minority students.
National Council of Negro Women, Inc.The National Council of Negro Women is an assembly of national African-American women’s organizations and community-based sections. Founded in 1935, the NCNW’s mission is to lead, develop and advocate for women of African descent as they support their families and communities. NCNW fulfills this purpose through research, advocacy and national and community-based services and programs on issues of health, education and economic empowerment in the United States and Africa.
National Coalition of 100 Black WomenThe mission of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women is to develop leaders who will help to rebuild their communities and redirect the energies of younger African-Americans in those communities. The purpose of the Coalition is to foster principles of equal rights and opportunities, promote the awareness of Black culture, develop the potential of the membership for effective leadership and participation in civic affairs, take action on specific issues of national and international importance, and cooperate with other persons and organizations to achieve mutual goals.
National Medical AssociationThe National Medical Association promotes the collective interests of physicians and patients of African descent. The organization is a leading force for parity in medicine, the elimination of health disparities and the promotion of optimal health.
National Urban LeagueThe National Urban League is a civil-rights organization focused on the economic empowerment of underserved urban communities. The National Urban League works through 100 local affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia to provide programming, public policy research and advocacy designed to improve the lives of more than 2 million people nationwide.
United Negro College FundThe United Negro College Fund is the nation’s largest, oldest, most successful and most comprehensive minority higher-education assistance organization. The UNCF provides a range of support to keep academic programs strong and tuition affordable for 37 member historically African-American colleges and universities. As a result of this support, member institutions educate more than 50,000 students each year and have produced more than 430,000 graduates with the help of UNCF.
U.S. Black Chambers, IncThe U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) provides committed, visionary leadership and advocacy in the realization of economic empowerment. Through the creation of resources and initiatives, we support African-American Chambers of Commerce and business organizations in their work of developing and growing Black enterprises. The USBC is an association of more than 100 self-sustaining Black Chambers and small business associations nationwide and serves close to 250,000 small businesses.
100 Black Men of AmericaThe mission of 100 Black Men of America is to improve the quality of life and enhance educational and economic opportunities for all African Americans.
Professional Organizations
American Association of Blacks in EnergyThe American Association of Blacks in Energy is a national association of energy professionals founded and dedicated to ensuring the input of African Americans and other minorities into the discussions and developments of energy policies, regulations, R&D technologies and environmental issues.
Association of Black PsychologistsThe Association of Black Psychologists was established to promote and advance the profession of African Psychology,influence and affect social change and develop programs whereby psychologists of African descent can assist in solving problems of Black communities and other ethnic groups.
Association of Black SociologistsABS is a membership organization for black social science leaders committed to research, teaching, mentoring, service, and social justice.
Association of Black Women PhysiciansABWP is an organized network of black women physicians committed to the improvement of public health and health equity.
Black Data Processing AssociatesBDPA is an organization for black professionals in IT including programmers, analysts, engineers, managers, instructors, and entrepreneurs.
Black Women in Science and EngineeringBWISE is a membership-based organization for African American females who have degrees in the sciences, math, and engineering.
Blacks in TechnologyBlacks In Technology is the largest community and media organization that focuses on black women and black men in the technology industry. Through community-focused activities, events and media, Blacks In Technology (BIT) is “Stomping the Divide” by establishing a blueprint of world-class technical excellence and innovation by providing resources and guidance.
ColorCommColorComm is an essential organization for women of color in all areas of communications including Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Advertising Print Media, Broadcast, Digital and more.
Information Technology Senior Management ForumITSMF's mission is to increase the representation of black professionals at senior levels in technology, to impact organizational innovation and growth. By 2020, ITSMF will graduate 500 professionals through a series of rich, development, and career-advancing programs.
National Association of African-American in Human ResourcesThe National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR), is an inspirational and unique career development and networking organization for Black and African American human resources practitioners that provides networking, career opportunities, educational and professional development, mentorship and coaching and tools, tips and resources.
National Association of Black Accountants, Inc.The National Association of Black Accountants is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to bridging the opportunity gap for people of color in the Accounting, Finance, Consulting, Information Technology and other related business professions.
National Association of Black JournalistsThe National Association of Black Journalists was founded in 1975 and is an organization of journalists, students and media-related professionals that provides quality programs and services to and advocates on behalf of African-American journalists worldwide.
National Association of Negro MusiciansNANM is a membership organization for African-American music and musicians, performers, educators, students, administrators, and enthusiasts.
National Bar AssociationThe National Bar Association was founded in 1925 and is the nation's oldest and largest national network of predominantly African-American attorneys and judges. The NBA is organized around 23 substantive law sections, 9 divisions, 12 regions and 80 affiliate chapters throughout the United States and around the world.
National Black Nurses AssociationThe National Black Nurses Association’s mission is “To represent and provide a forum for black nurses to advocate for and implement strategies to ensure access to the highest quality of healthcare for persons of color.”
National Black Prosecutors AssociationNBPA is the only professional membership organization dedicated to the advancement of African Americans as prosecutors.
National Black Public Relations SocietyNBPRS is a membership-based organization for black professionals in the public relations, media relations, and corporate communication fields.
National Dental Hygienists’ AssociationNDHA is committed to serving minority dental hygiene practitioners of African American descent and bringing the community together for betterment.
National Economic AssociationNEA offers membership to minority professionals and graduate students in the field of economics and a wide array of related disciplines.
National Society of Black EngineersThe National Society of Black Engineers’ mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible African-American engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community. With over 30,000 members around the world, NSBE is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States.
National Society of Black PhysicistsThe mission of the National Society of Black Physicists is to promote the professional well-being of African American physicists and physics students within the international scientific community and within society at large. The organization seeks to develop and support efforts to increase opportunities for African Americans in physics and to increase their numbers and the visibility of their scientific work. The organization develops activities and programs that highlight the benefits of the scientific contributions that African American physicists provide for the international community.
Organization of Black DesignersThe Organization of Black Designers is a non-profit national professional association dedicated to promoting the visibility, education, empowerment and interaction of its membership and the understanding and value that diverse design perspectives contribute to world culture and commerce. The Organization of Black Designers is the first national organization dedicated to addressing the unique needs of African-American design professionals.
