Primary Sources

The focus is on the political side of the freedom movement, the role of civil rights organizations in pushing for civil rights legislation, and the interaction between African Americans and the federal government in the 20th century. Coverage dates 1901-1991.

Contains the non-fiction works of more than 1000 American black leaders, including speeches, leaflets, essays, interviews and transcripts. The collection includes more 100,000 pages covering 250 years of history.

This collection comprises FBI surveillance and informant reports and correspondence from a variety of offices including, Charlotte, Birmingham, New York City, Baltimore, Atlanta, Louisville, and Knoxville; Justice Department memoranda, correspondence, and analyses; Transcriptions of wiretaps, typewriter tapes, and coded messages, and more.

Reference works that focus on the lives and events which have shaped African American and African history and culture. Access provided to more than 20,000 articles, 700 primary sources, 2500 images, and 200 maps.

Sourced from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Library, materials include surveillance reports, chronologies, witness statements and more. These materials provide insight into the Freedom Rides, the Kennedy administration and the segregated South.