african american studies essay topics

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Best 120 African American Essay Topics For A Brilliant Academic Paper

Crafting an essay on any topic from scratch is surely challenging. The situation is becoming even worse when it comes to creating papers on African American topics since this area is considered to be one of the most controversial for dozens of years. Fortunately, having a list of African American history research paper topics at hand will surely make your job much easier. Moreover, we’ve collected some basic hints on how to craft a paper on this type of topic in a fast and effective way.

Top Prompts On How To Compose An Astonishing Paper

Many learners are often feeling totally lost with an incredible number of requirements for their academic papers. However, keeping in mind these simple tips will help you create a well-structured essay at railway speed.

• Take a look at the professor’s instructions beforehand. There might be lots of African American concepts, ideas, and research topics available for your convenience.
• Choose African American research paper ideas and topics wisely. It is necessary to pick up an area you already have an idea about.
• Follow the traditional essay structure. Although you might choose a mind-blowing topic, it is still important to meet the basic requirements for the structure of your essay.
• Get only relevant information. Pick up data from only reliable sources. For example, textbooks on history or biographies.
• Put your knowledge into practice. There are tons of African American studies research topics you can choose from. However, it is better to cover the topic that is closely related to the area of your studies.
• Always check your paper for plagiarism. Even in case you are 100% sure to have a unique custom research paper , don’t forget to check its originality.

Excellent African American Essay Topics You Can Use Right Now

There is nothing new that African American history, culture, and traditions are among the most common topics for a whopping number of various academic assignments. Our experts split the themes for your convenience, so feel free to pick up the field you need and grab a topic easily.

African-American Education: The Historical Overview

When choosing African American history research paper topics, the first field you can begin with is the history of education. The development of African-American schooling, the rights of learners, as well as the conflicts between black and white students, are among the most popular topics described in college essays.

• Social Justice for African American Kids that Are Looking For Education
• All-white Colleges and Schools: Easy Ways To Eliminate The Gap
• Black Schooling: The Evolution of Rights of Learners Throughout the United States
• Historically Black Universities and Colleges
• Race and Social Mobility In The U.S.
• The Problem Of Racism At Schools in The 20th Century
• The Way African American People Got An Access To Education
• The Evolution Of African American Education During The Era Of Slavery
• The Changes In Schooling In The 19th Century
• The Challenges Of Black Learning In the Past Century
• The Way To Anti-Slavery Society and Free Rights For Education
• The Challenges Of African-free Schools
• The First Black Students In The History of The United States
• Social and Legal Restrictions On Receiving Education In The Past
• The Problem Of Academic Racism In The Country’s History
• Race and Freedom To Travel
• The Educational Problems Of African American Students
• The Conflict Between Black And White Students In The 20th Century

African Americans In Different Regions

There is nothing new that different states have various laws and rights offered to African Americans. African American research paper topics on the slavery issues in different states, black vote, and street life of black in various cities are often chosen by students for creating essays.

• African American Movement For An Access To Education in Texas
• The Detroit Rioters of 1943
• African American Movement For An Access To Education in Manhattan
• Education Reform In Chicago in 60th
• African American Movement For An Access To Education in Kansas
• The Problems Of Black Detroit
• The Problems Of Slavery In Florida
• African American Movement For An Access To Education in Mississippi
• An Education Of African Americans In New Orleans
• African American Movement For An Access To Education in North Carolina
• The Rise Of Black Leadership In Chicago
• The Black Urban Life In New York
• An Access Of African Americans to Florida’s Beaches
• The Problems Of Black Vote in Kansas
• The Development Of African American Rights
• African American Life At Bronx At The Beginning Of The 20th century
• African American and Jewish Struggles in New York City
• Black American Street Life In New York
• African American Movement For An Access To Education in Different States

African American History Research Topics On Slavery In The U.S.

The era of slavery is considered to be one of the toughest periods in the history of African Americans. Land ownership, the rights of slaves, women and child slavery, and trade relations are among the most discussable topics to write about.

• Slave Revolts In American History
• The Results Of The Most Successful Slave Revolt
• The Lives Of African Americans During The Slavery Period
• The Rights Of African Americans During The Slavery Period
• The Problem Of Children Slavery
• Taboos For African Americans During The Slavery Period
• The Education During The Era Of Black Slavery
• The Rights Of Women During The Period Of Slavery
• Economics of Slavery
• The Trade Relations During The Slavery Times
• The Role Of African Slavery In The History Of The U.S.
• The Period Of Slavery In South Carolina
• The Land Ownership During Slavery Period
• Freeing Slaves Movements
• The Slavery Laws
• The Problem Of Women Slavery
• Caribbean Slavery
• Slave Markets
• American Colonies
• The History Of Slavery
• Equal Rights Movements In The U.S.
• The Explanation Of Slavery

African American Research Topics: The Race Relations

The relations between the people of different races and nationalities have been a subject for discussions for years. Not only these topics cover the relationships between black and white but it might be also a good idea to describe the facts about African Americans and Jewish, or African Americans and Latinos.

• Latino and New York Black Relations
• Black America: The Past and The Future
• The Conflict Of Black and White In The Modern Society
• The Difference Between The Black and White Cultures
• The Impact Of African Americans and Latins On American Culture And Traditions
• The Issues Between Black, White, and Latin Students At Modern Schools and Colleges
• The Pros and Cons Of Multiracial Marriages
• The Rights Of Black And White In Different Country’s States
• The Racism Problem and Its Impact On Employment
• Bullying And Racism At Schools
• Making Friends With People Of Other Race
• Ways To Stop An Employment Discrimination
• Black-Jewish Relations
• Black Leadership
• Does Race Still Matter?
• The Black and White People In Politics
• The Conflict Of Generations Among African Americans
• The Problem Of Environmental Racism
• The Rights Of Black People
• Racial Liberalism

African American Studies Research Topics: The Culture

The culture and traditions of African Americans are incredibly diverse. African American women in culture, pop music, theater, sports, cinema, and screenwriting are not the only topics you can describe in your essay.

• Black Popular Music
• Popular African American Painters
• The Most Popular African American Singers
• African American Pop Culture
• Famous Black American Actors
• Famous Black American Actresses
• World Known African American Musicians
• Famous Black American Painters
• World Famous Black American Creators
• Black American Screenwriters
• Famous African American Theater Actors
• The Problems Of African American Theater
• World Famous Black Sportsmen
• African American Women In Sports
• Famous Black Baseball Players
• Famous Black American Football Players
• World Known African American Basketball Players
• Famous Black Swimmers
• The World Of Running: Top Black Runners
• African American Traveling
• The Jazz Age: Black Musicians
• Legends Of African Americans

Civil Rights Movement Topics

Civil War is one of the most well-known events in the history of Black Americans. The life of African American soldiers, the rights of black people before and after the war, as well as the struggles of common people are among the most burning questions discussed by historians.

• African Americans And Latino Civil Rights Movement
• African American Soldiers During The Civil War
• Civil Disobedience
• Civil Rights And Constitution
• Struggles Of The African Americans After The Civil War
• Civil Rights Act
• The Problems Of Black People After The Civil War
• The Results Of The Civil War For African Americans
• The Main Reasons For The Civil War

Important Historical Persons African Americans

There are thousands of remarkable persons, world leaders, and famous sportsmen among African Americans. These are talented African American actors, singers, musicians, theater players, and other creative people you can write about.

• Frederick Douglass
• Henrietta Lacks
• Ida B. Wells
• Martin Luther King
• Sojourner Truth
• Zora Neale Hurston
• George Floyd

How To Create Papers On African American Studies

Creating any type of academic paper requires doing advanced research, pointing out the most important facts, and come up with the results of the analysis combined with your own thoughts. The key to creating a superior essay on African American studies is to keep loyal to all the races.

Many students find it extremely difficult to bring all their findings to a perfect shape. Moreover, lots of learners require some assistance in content structuring and essay revision. In case you need writing a essay paper that meets all the requirements of the professor, you’ve come to the right place. Our experts can create a top academic paper for you from scratch and provide you with a polished and 100% original essay before the deadline.

REFERENCES:

• Books on African American studies  
• African American historical figures 
• Civil Movement Timeline 
• African American Explorers 
• Biography African Americans 
• Causes of the Civil War 
• Slavery in America: top facts

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276 African American Essay Topics

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• Single African American Mothers’ Relationships With Sons
• “The Politics of Theorizing African American Families” by Shirley Hill
• Contrasts the Chinese American Culture With the African American Culture
• Homelessness and Racial Disparities of African Americans
• African American Students’ Perceptions of Higher Education Barriers
• Stroke Awareness in African American Women
• Health Disparities Among African Americans in the US
• African American Families in Poverty Even though the United States declares the equality of white and black people quite often, the socio-economic situation of African Americans still need changes for the better.
• Health Outcomes of African Americans With Hypertension This paper looks at various issues regarding hypertension and how best health care providers can deal with hypertension as a menace to society.
• Health Status and Promotion Among African Americans This paper not only looks into the current health status of African Americans, but also assesses issues of health promotion and health disparities as they relate to this group.
• Historical Trauma in Native Americans and African Americans Comparing and contrasting the historical trauma of Native Americans and African Americans provides an opportunity to see similarities in their life experiences.
• African American Children Suffering From Anxiety and Depression Depression and anxiety are common among African American children and adolescents, and they face significant barriers to receiving care and treatment.
• HIV Treatment Compliance and Social Support Among African American Women HIV is one of the major public health threats. Researchers find that among all the groups of the American population, African-Americans are affected by HIV the most.
• Treatment Compliance Among African American Women With HIV This study looks into how African American women relate to HIV in terms of treatment and the social support offered to those living with HIV.
• Injustices Faced by African American People Since Slavery The paper states that African Americans experienced a great deal of racial discrimination, which diminished their confidence among whites.
• Descriptive Research of Internal Discrimination Among African Americans In this study, the survey method is chosen as the best alternative as it provides an opportunity to evaluate a diverse and significantly large population sample.
• Racelessness and the Success of African Americans According to Mason, the theory of racelessness is founded on two alternative philosophical positions on race: eliminativism and skepticism.
• African American Women & Higher Education – Literature Review The annotated bibliography’s purpose is to analyze the unique experiences of African American women’s racial abuse and microaggressions in different workplaces.
• Harlem Renaissance: African American Identity Harlem in New York became the center of the cultural recovery for African Americans after the Great Migration of Blacks to the Northern states of the country, including New York.
• African American Expressive Culture The belonging to the American and African culture at the same time made me more inclinable and amiable towards other cultures.
• Higher Education for African American Women – Research Paper Critical Race Theory is theoretical perspective that support the research because it is effective to explain why African American women can face certain difficulties in higher education.
• African American vs. Other People of Color Experience The United States population is characterized as diverse and heterogeneous due to its inclusion of nations from various ethnic and racial backgrounds.
• The African American Entrepreneurship Development Program The African American Entrepreneurship Development Program must include a comprehensive evaluation process to ensure its success.
• The March for Equality: African American Struggle for Civil Rights The walk on Selma that occurred in Alabama in March 1965 was a critical Black History event for the United States as it directly impacted the achievement of equal rights.
• African American History Up to 1865 Until 1865, people of African origin were enslaved in the United States, particularly in the southern jurisdictions; this period is known as African-American history.
• African Americans in the USA: Transformation 1941-1980 There is a claim that from 1941 to 1980, fundamental changes took place in American society, which contributed to a change in the position of African Americans.
• The Great Migration and World War I’s Impact on African Americans The Great Migration and World War I have been a time of significant change for African Americans, not just tricky times.
• Racism Against African Americans and Its Effects Racism has significantly affected African-Americans’ social status due to negative perceptions and biases held concerning them.
• The History of African American Slavery The fact that African Americans were taken captive and brought to America as enslaved gave them an unfair start in the country.
• African American and Samoan Cultures The paper discusses African American and Samoan cultures. They are characterized by the presence of their traditions, worldviews, religions, and attitudes.
• Poverty and Homelessness Among African Americans Even though the U.S. is wealthy and prosperous by global measures, poverty has persisted in the area, with Blacks accounting for a larger share.
• The Experience of African Americans It is essential to examine the African American experience during the colonial period, the Revolutionary Era, the New Nation of Sectionalism, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.
• The Christian African American Community’s Care Issues The African American population is very diversified and presents several ethical and policy issues related to care coordination.
• The Influence of the African American Civil Rights Movement on Other Groups The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s began the struggle for freedom and equality, whose ideas remain relevant in today’s America.
• African American Civil Rights Movement The growth of the anti-racist and pacifist movements in the United States was reflected in the sentiments of African American fighters for Civil Rights.
• How Racelessness Can Lead to the Success of African Americans The paper will discuss how rampant racism was preventing U.S. society in the 1960s from progressing forward as a nation.
• The African American Community African Americans form a unique population in the wider American community. They exhibit unique cultural and religious attributes or practices that define who they are.
• African Americans’ Life in 1900 Led by industrialization and related to its migration, many race problems appeared in during 1900 period especially for African Americans.
• African American Cultural Group’s Attributes The paper explores the nature and attributes of African American culture. It examines the types of oppression and privileges the community has encountered.
• The Emancipation in the Political and Economic Status of African Americans The emancipation proclamation led to the freeing of African Americans and gave them the right to participate in the political and election processes.
• How Colorism Has Affected African Americans in Today’s Society Skin tone stratification continually shapes African Americans’ life experiences. Colorism affects all critical elements in the lives of black people.
• African American Studies: Black Lives Matter “Black lives matter” is not merely a slogan; it is a protest against the dehumanizing conditions American society perpetuates against its black populace.
• Negative Racial Stereotypes of African American The death of African American George Floyd after being detained by the police provoked protests and riots not only across America but also beyond its borders.
• African Americans: Racial and Class Exclusion Racial and class exclusion is a failure of integration of proper structural changes rather than the culture of poverty among African Americans.
• Incarceration Mass Act Among African American Males Mass incarceration of male African Americans is a common scenario in the US. The likelihood of black American men being arrested is higher than any other group.
• Healthcare Disparity in the African American Community The paper analyzes health care disparity focusing on recently published medical journals with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the African American community.
• The History of Relationships Between Police and African Americans The paper describes the necessity to spread the knowledge of racism’s history and discuss it to ensure the next generations’ tolerance.
• African American Slavery in Case of Harriet Jacobs This paper reviews life for Harriet Jacobs and other slaves, how African Americans were treated, and how Harriet Jacobs and other slaves coped with the bondage.
• History of African American Slavery Before the introduction of the slave trade, Africans who lived in West Africa had diverse and rich histories of their culture.
• “Space Is the Place”: Reflecting the African American Culture in Cinematography This paper reviews the film “Space is the Place” and reflects on its spreading equality idea. It concerns the influence on the perception of the Afro-American culture.
• African American Civil Rights Movements: Lessons Learned The African American civil rights movements played a significant role in the push for changes and new legislation, they emerged a society that has humanity towards individuals.
• African Americans’ Impact on the Civil War This paper examines the influence of African Americans on the course and outcomes of the Civil War in the United States of America.
• Analysis of Three Poems Written by African Americans Literary works created by African American writers during the era of angry social complaints against racial profiling share many similarities in terms of structure and themes.
• The Civil Rights Movement: Impact on the African American Citizens By building the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans managed to change not only the legal standards but also the social perspective, gaining the recognition that they deserved.
• Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the African American Communities This paper analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the economic aspect of the African American communities. A female and two males were interviewed.
• The Gilded Age and Modern Oppression of African Americans The continuing killings of African Americans by the police show that there is still a problem with the fair treatment of black people in the country.
• Aesthetics in African and African American Art To connect to their ancestral land and their blackness, many African American artists incorporated stylistic elements of visual arts from African art in their works.
• African Americans Struggle to Achieve Equality in America African Americans’ struggle to achieve equality underscores the foundation of democracy and equality in America, and this essay will encompass the path to equality since 1865.
• African American Musical Styles and Its Influence on the American Culture This paper seeks to discuss how the African American musical styles influenced American society’s social and cultural developments.
• Southern and African American Literature’s Characteristics There are the traditional and family-oriented Southern themes, with emphasis on concrete imagery, grotesque humor, and the Southern gothic.
• Changing the American Dream of Immigrants and African Americans The position of African Americans and other immigrants was not the same throughout US history, denoting that they had different dreams during various periods.
• African American Culture and Identity in Visual Arts During the colonial period, African American art was marginalized, facing a lot of controversies; however, present today, the Africa American culture is popular distinct culture.
• Domestic Violence in the African American Community Black women have suffered domestic violence mostly because of gender, race, and poverty, the poor economic conditions have fueled domestic violence in families and fighting.
• The Civil War and the Status of African Americans The paper discusses the outcomes of the Civil War that considerably changed the status of African Americans in American society.
• Zora Neale Hurston and African American In 1917s, the great migration of the black community from the South part of the U.S. caused over 1.5 million African Americans to move in just 25 years.
• African American Soldiers and the Civil War African American soldiers played an essential role in the American Civil War. The white Northerners accepted emancipation and allowed African Americans to participate in the war.
• What Effect Did the World War II Wartime Experience Have on African Americans? World War II was the battle of all races: white, Asian, and Black people. This essay will discover whether they were treated differently during and after the initial strife.
• African American Experience During the Harlem Renaissance The essay discusses the life of African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance and examines how the poems reflect that experience.
• Overview of African Americans’ Genetic Diseases African Americans are more likely to suffer from certain diseases than white Americans, according to numerous studies.
• Police Brutality on African Americans Police brutality against African Americans has been on the rise even after several constitutional and legal reforms made by the country to control it.
• African American Genomes Largest Study The study allows historians to look more closely at the conditions of the slave trade and establish new facts, using DNA analysis techniques to help in investigating.
• Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois Fighting Discrimination Against African Americans Washington prioritized education as the vehicle for African American people to gain independence, whereas Du Bois emphasized the significance of political involvement.
• African American Women With HIV in the United States This paper aims to determine factors that can influence treatment compliance among African American women and provide support during the treatment process.
• African Americans: Participation in the Civil War According to the research paper, African Americans were doing their utmost in order to prevent slavery during the Civil War.
• Sampling for African American HIV Women Study This paper is aimed at defining the appropriate sampling strategy and sample size for the study concerning the relationship between HIV treatment compliance and social support.
• Aspects of African American Culture The paper states that African Americans historically have expressed themselves through art, shaping the American cultural landscape.
• African American Women Struggle: Phenomenological Approach This research takes a qualitative interpretative phenomenology approach to study the barriers that African-American women face when obtaining higher education.
• Civil Rights Struggle of African Americans This paper aims to analyze three primary sources to reveal in detail the various aspects of the struggle for African Americans’ rights.
• Advocacy Campaign for Hypertension in African American Population The paper argues health risks can be eliminated with the help of thoroughly designed and successfully implemented health advocacy campaigns.
• Healthcare System for Native and African Americans This paper discusses historical events contributing to mistrust of the health care system and steps to reduce health disparities among Native Americans and African Americans.
• Police Brutality Against African Americans in America The purpose of this article is to describe the different approaches to researching the problem of police brutality against African Americans.
• Problem of Malaria in the African American Community This paper examines how Community-Based Participatory Research will be used to address the problem of malaria in the African American community.
• African American Cultural Group’s Health Beliefs The African American community is the second-largest minority ethnic community in the US. Many African Americans are increasingly becoming aware of modern healthcare options.
• HIV Treatment in the African American Women The research is important for finding out the connections between social support and HIV treatment in the African American women population, which is the most affected.
• Health Status of the African Americans The current paper seeks to focus on the health status of African Americans group and decipher whether disparity prevails.
• African American Cultural Group’s Health Analysis African Americans have increased levels of consciousness about the importance of medical care. However, their levels of literacy for health affairs vary with each generation.
• Religion and Its Role Among African Americans Religion has become a shared platform where African Americans could support their fellows and contribute to their communities.
• African American Women and Cancer The existing disparities regarding healthcare services provision in the United States is a critical issue related to such phenomena as racial and gender discrimination.
• Police Brutality Against African Americans and Media Portrayal Police brutality toward the African-American population of the United States is an issue that has received nationwide publicity in recent years.
• Police Violence Against African Americans in the USA The statistic shows that the violence from law enforcement officials causes thousands of deaths of black men in the USA.
• Cultural Identity Formation of Black Americans and African Americans The relations between two cultures that possibly share certain standard features (be it language or parts of history) may seduce one to view them as the same.
• The Literature of African American Diaspora In the second half and at the end of the 20th century, African American literature revisited some topics that are classic in the African American literary tradition.
• Wellness Education Program for African Americans A new wellness education program for African Americans will cover the educational needs of the latter concerning healthy prevention practices and management of diabetes.
• The Need for Curriculum Change Among African American Students The purpose of the study was to determine if schools’ racial composition had a significant impact on the achievement of students in elementary, middle, and high schools.
• The African American Nurse: Discrimination Case From the Elderly Patients Elderly patients who have discriminatory tendencies simply do not respect or trust doctors or nurses who are from a minority.
• African American Females’ Experiences in Community Colleges Although African American women receive many opportunities to get a degree, there are still some barriers that can be faced by women of color on their path to higher education.
• African Americans in the Revolutionary War Slavery and its factors such as the lack of basic human and civil rights, severe living conditions resulted in many African Americans joining the Revolutionary War.
• Mathematics Performance Among African Americans in Los Angeles This essay will act as an advocacy piece for African American students who have registered varying performances in mathematics within the Los Angeles School Department.
• Social Sciences: African American Stereotypes Dating back to the colonial years of settlement, stereotypes have been part of America, especially after inheriting slavery.
• Retention Rates & Modalities Rate of African American Children Aged 4–9 Students’ learning patterns and the stages of information processing, which students go through, must be observed closely from the very start of the child’s academic life.
• African American Population in the United States Socioeconomics of the African American population demonstrate that Black American middle class has long since established in the United States.
• The Making of African American: American Historiography The change in the number of African Americans in USA was even felt in church congregations. In New York, immigrants composed well over a third of the whole black population.
• African American Women and Stroke Education The investigations prove that when it comes to stroke education, African American women are the little-informed category.
• Retention Rate for African American Women Aged 40-50 in Obtaining Higher Education Recent reports have shown, that the retention rates among African American students aged 40–50 remain comparatively low despite the latest changes in standards for job applicants.
• The African American Art Expression Nowadays the existence of art is independent and democratic throughout the world unlike America’s 20th century battles for African Americans’ art implementation the way they saw it.
• United States History and African American Movements This essay is about the rise of the different movements that fought for African American emancipation, the government’s reaction and action towards them
• Wilson and Hughes’ Portrayal of African Americans The twentieth century was the era of the African-American cultural movements and numerous, besides, successful attempts of African- Americans to present themselves.
• Africa’s Role for African Americans in Literature Africa means the consciousness of having a particular way of doing things. This is because the African culture has so many events which are carried out seasonally.
• Jim Crow Laws for African American Jim Crow laws of separate but equal facilities and services for the whites and black Americans were not ideal. African American continued to suffer from inequality.
• African American Leadership: Articles Review It is very evident from the articles described above that African American leaders had a lot of challenges in the earlier days.
• History of African Americans in Florida African Americans are people who are either citizens or residents of the United States of America whose ancestors came from one of the black populations inhabit African continent.
• African Americans in Films Acquiring equal status in white society gave African Americans a possibility to take part in its social life; this resulted in their self-realizations through literature, music, etc.
• African Americans and the Quest for Civil Rights The Law proclaimed equal rights for all, African Americans are not slaves any more, and they have the same rights as Native Americans, but still the problem remains.
• Major Problems in African American History by T. Holt The resistance to slavery seem to have been evolved from the culture and the way the communities interpreted the incidents happening around them.
• Single African American Mothers and Their Relationship With Adolescent Sons The study focused on investigating the experience of single African American mothers of their relationship with their adolescent sons.
• HIV Management in African American Residents of Houston, TX Due to the drop in health literacy levels among vulnerable groups, along with restricted access to the necessary healthcare resources, the levels of HIV have risen among the specified demographic.
• Data Mining Techniques for African American Childhood Obesity Factors One of the major healthcare problems that manifest significant racial disparities is obesity. In the US, research suggests that African American children have increased risks of developing the issue.
• Lung Cancer Early Screening in African Americans New communication policies should be incorporated into the healthcare system in the US to enhance annual CT screening for high-risk patients exposed to smoke and chemical poisons.
• Factors Influencing Breast Cancer Screening in Low-Income African Americans in Tennessee This article focuses on understanding the factors that are associated with the decision and obstacles to breast cancer screening in African-American women living in Tennessee.
• African American Women Education: Barriers Population Faces The present phenomenological study involving African American women aims to explore the barriers that the population faces when seeking higher education
• Single African American Mothers’ Experiences of Relationships With Their Sons During the review of the literature, different factors were identified, which may have a direct influence on the relationship between single African American mothers and their adolescent sons.
• Health Promotion Among African Americans The present paper offers the analysis of health problems faced by African Americans and suggests health promotion approaches to reduce the risks.
• Teaching Sessions for African American Children With Asthma Issue The problem is that African-American children are likely to have this disease twice more compared to other races. These children are at risk regardless of social status and family income.
• African American Students’ Civil Rights History The Civil Rights movement in the United States has a long history. Starting in the 1950s, this social impetus for change implied taking direct action.
• African American Stereotype Threat The present paper reveals the reasons for and outcomes of the stereotype threat and emphasizes the prospective advantages of such a kind of influence.
• Harlem Renaissance and African American Society The research paper will answer the question of the influence of the Harlem Renaissance on the progress of African American society in terms of religion and family.
• African American Revolutionary Era The revolutionary period that took place in the eighteenth century is among the most eventful eras in United States history.
• Single African American Parents: Literature Review Parenting among single African American women poses serious challenges. This paper reviews existing literature to understand what other scholars have found out in this field.
• African American Female College Students’ Barriers The literature reviewed discussed the barriers and success strategies for African American women to obtain higher education.
• Single African American Mothers: Research Methods This project narrows down the focus of the study to single African American females’ experience of being mothers to their adolescent sons.
• African American Studies: Political Socialization The dual process of political socialization can be defined as the acquisition of political views from a combined overview of self and others.
• African American Women’s Education and Barriers This qualitative research study will examine cultural, economic, spiritual, and social barriers that African American women face in obtaining higher education.
• African American, African and Haitian Heritage Culture African American and African cultural group is represented by individuals who live in Africa or in the African Diaspora in the USA. Haitian Heritage’s socio-cultural group includes people from Haiti.
• Are African Americans More Harassed by Police? The paper explores the hypothesis that members of the African American community are more likely to be harassed by the police than members of other ethnic groups.
• African American Cultural Group and Heritage This paper contains presentation about African Americans as cultural group and African American Heritage as socio-cultural group using scientific literature, Internet resources, and other sources.
• African American Minority in the School Workplace This paper discusses the issue of the minority in the workplace, using an interview with an African American male, the employee teacher in a secondary school.
• Education Issues for African American Women This work presents the literature review of a discussion on the barriers and success strategies for African American women to obtain higher education.
• Higher Education for African American Women This study is aimed at investigating whether African American women experience certain barriers while obtaining their higher education.
• Biases Against Female African American Researchers Qualitative studies are often regarded as biased. This paper includes a brief analysis of the possible prejudice being an African American female researcher.
• African American Women in Higher Education In the field of higher education in the United States, activities of public administrators are directed toward improving the availability of higher education for African Americans.
• Asthma Care Education in African American Children In African American children, will proper education on asthma management compared to no education help reduce the disruption of daily lives over a one-year period?
• The Religion of African Americans during the 20th Century The theme of religion enables an appreciation of historical backgrounds of a people. The African-American society is seen to affirm to the concept of subordination, which encourages their slavery.
• Diabetes in African American Patients This research project addresses the implications of diabetes for African American patients and reviews the possible ways of treating it.
• Single African American Mothers’ Experiences With Sons Parenting adolescents is a challenging task in the modern American society. The problem is compounded when one is forced to raise such teenagers as a single mother.
• African Americans and Racial Profiling in the USA This paper highlights the problems of white privilege and racial profiling and emphasizes that both of these phenomena are common in contemporary America.
• African American Women in Science
• Health Issues Affecting Latinos and African Americans
• Supporting African American Women in Pursuing Higher Education
• African Americans in the United States’ History
• Schizophrenia Features Among African American Men
• Breaking Barriers Program: African American Women
• Different Roles in African American Literature
• Asthma Factors Among African Americans in California
• The Historical Background of African Americans
• Police’s Brutality Towards African American Males
• Diabetes Interventions for Aging African Americans
• African American Equality in Tolson’s and Morrison’s Novels
• Racism Against African Americans as a Social Construct
• Racial Profiling of African American Drivers
• How African Americans Change the Sport?
• Black Women and Stroke Awareness: Critique of Beal’s 2014 Study
• African American Family Dynamics: John’s Story
• The Declining Number of African Americans in Baseball
• Stroke Education: Analyzing African American Women’s Perspectives
• African American Health: Current Status & Promotion Strategies
• Improving Education for African American Women: Breaking Barriers Program
• Diet Educational Intervention for African Americans
• Improving the African Americans Health in the USA
• Descendants of Slaves: African Americans
• Health Issues Affecting African Americans and Hispanics
• Presentation of African Americans in Education Programs
• American Laws and Cultural Equality: Progress and Challenges
• Role of Higher Education for African American Women: A Mixed-Methods Analysis
• Prostate Cancer in African Americans: A Public Health Initiative
• Portrayal of African Americans in the Movies
• Obesity in African Americans: Prevention and Therapy
• African Americans and Politics in the Media
• African American Politics and Their Representation in the Media
• Overcoming Barriers for African American Women in Higher Education
• African Americans Living in the United States Virgin Islands: Health Insights
• African-American Slaves in 1776: Economy and War
• African American Racial Discrimination: Historical and Modern Perspectives
• “Oppression and Identity in Chesnutt’s “”The Wife of His Youth”””
• African American Women: Domestic Violence and Integrity
• African American: History and the Present
• American Society and the Impact of the African American Family
• African American Contributions During the Civil War
• General Characteristics Afro-American Religion and Its Origins
• African American Leaders Post Reconstruction
• Overview of African American Artists During the Great Depression
• African American Colonial Lifestyle Overview
• Analysis of African American Music and Its Impact on American Culture
• Causes of Migration of African Americans and Foreign Immigration
• African American Paintings During the Harlem Renaissance
• African American Integration and Independence
• Overview of Stereotypes of African American Youth
• African American Males and Disparity in the Justice System
• General Information on the African American Civil Rights Movement
• African American and Racial Generalization
• African American Males and Secondary Education
• Abraham Lincoln and the Use of African American Troops
• African American Men and the United States Prison System
• Analysis of African American Cultural Beliefs
• African American Literature and Spirituality
• African American Athletes and Their Role in Foreign and Domestic Policy
• The Role of African American Leaders in the Civil Rights Movement and Their Impact on Social Change
• Analyzing the Portrayal of African Americans in the Media: Addressing Stereotypes and Promoting Positive Representation
• Criminal Justice System and Racial Disparities: Analyzing the Overrepresentation of African Americans in Prisons
• The Impact of the Black Lives Matter Movement on Raising Awareness of Police Brutality and Racial Injustice
• Future of Racial Equity and Inclusivity in American Society: Strategies for Progress and Unity
• Representation of African American History and Figures in School Curricula
• Contributions of African Americans to the Fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
• African American Churches and Promotion of Social Justice and Community Empowerment
• Influence of African American Athletes in Breaking Racial Barriers and Promoting Social Change in Sports
• Systemic Racism on the Socioeconomic Status of African Americans in Contemporary Society
• How Did African Americans Help the Abolitionist Movement Gain Strength?
• Who Was the First African American to Publish a Book?
• How Did Black Churches Influence African Americans?
• Who Was the First African American President of the Naacp?
• Did Any African American Men Sign the Declaration of Independence?
• What Is the Origin of the African American People?
• How Did the Compromise of 1877 Affect African Americans?
• What Is Realism in African American Literature?
• What Started the African American Civil Rights Movement?
• What Was One Lasting Effect of World War Ii on African Americans?
• How Did African American Influence Jazz?
• How Did Marcus Garvey Encourage African American Pride?
• Why Did the Continental Army Start Recruiting Free African Americans?
• Why Was It Unusual That African Americans Supported FDR?
• How Did Westward Expansion Affect African American Life?
• How Many African Americans Owned Slaves Before the Civil War?
• Who Was the First African American Nobel Peace Prize Winner?
• How Did Emancipation Affect the Structure of the African American Family?
• What Is the Great Migration North by African Americans?
• What Contributed to the Expansion of Civil Rights for African Americans After World War Ii?
• What Makes African American Culture Unique?
• What Did the African Americans Contribute to Society?
• How Has African American Culture Influenced Music?
• What Were the Best Economic Opportunities for African American Entrepreneurs During the Segregation Era?
• Which Amendment Guaranteed Voting Rights to African Americans?
• When Did African American Religious Beliefs Become Americanized?
• What Is Traditional African American Food?
• What Is the Prevalence of African American Males in the Military?
• Who Was the First African American to Appear on a U.S. Postage Stamp?
• Which Ivy League College Was the First to Employ an African American as President?

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StudyCorgi . 2021. "276 African American Essay Topics." December 21, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/african-american-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on African American were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on June 20, 2024 .

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104 African American History Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

African American history is rich and diverse, encompassing countless stories of struggle, resilience, and triumph. Exploring this history through essays allows us to delve into the experiences, contributions, and achievements of African Americans throughout the centuries. If you are looking for inspiration for your next African American history essay, here are 104 topic ideas and examples to get you started.

• The Underground Railroad: Its impact on the liberation of enslaved African Americans.
• Harriet Tubman: Her life, activism, and role in the Underground Railroad.
• The Civil Rights Movement: Key events, leaders, and accomplishments.
• The Montgomery Bus Boycott: Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat and its effects on the Civil Rights Movement.
• Martin Luther King Jr.: His leadership and impact on the fight for racial equality.
• The Emancipation Proclamation: Analyzing its significance and limitations.
• The Harlem Renaissance: Exploring the cultural, artistic, and intellectual movement in the 1920s.
• African American soldiers in World War II: Their contributions and challenges.
• The role of African American women in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The Black Panther Party: Its ideology, activism, and legacy.
• The Tuskegee Airmen: African American pilots in World War II.
• The Reconstruction Era: Its successes, failures, and impact on African Americans.
• The Black Lives Matter movement: Its origins, goals, and impact on contemporary activism.
• The role of African American musicians in shaping American music.
• The Harlem Globetrotters: Their impact on basketball and racial integration.
• The life and legacy of Malcolm X.
• The Brown v. Board of Education case: Its significance and impact on desegregation.
• The Great Migration: Analyzing the factors that led African Americans to move north.
• African American athletes breaking barriers in professional sports.
• The Black Power movement: Its ideology, leaders, and impact.
• The role of African American churches in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The role of African American writers in promoting social change.
• The impact of slavery on African American families and relationships.
• The Harlem Renaissance poets: Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Claude McKay.
• The Jim Crow laws: Examining their origins, implementation, and consequences.
• Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B. Du Bois: Their differing philosophies on racial upliftment.
• The role of African American educators in promoting equal access to education.
• The rise of African American entrepreneurship and its impact on communities.
• The Buffalo Soldiers: African American soldiers in the American West.
• The role of African American newspapers in promoting social change.
• The impact of African American inventors on technological advancements.
• The origins and legacy of Juneteenth.
• The Black Arts Movement: Its influence on literature, music, and visual arts.
• The role of African Americans in the Space Race.
• The impact of African American athletes in the Olympics.
• The Harlem Renaissance playwrights: Lorraine Hansberry, August Wilson, and Amiri Baraka.
• The role of African American nurses in the Civil War.
• The African American experience during the Great Depression.
• The role of African American women in the suffrage movement.
• The impact of African American visual artists on the art world.
• The Black Codes: Examining their purpose and effects.
• African American contributions to the field of science and medicine.
• The role of African American musicians in the evolution of jazz.
• The Black Lives Matter movement: Comparisons with the Civil Rights Movement.
• The impact of African American athletes in professional football.
• The role of African American churches in providing social services.
• The African American experience during the Vietnam War.
• The impact of African American fashion and style on popular culture.
• The role of African American educators in promoting African American history in schools.
• The Harlem Renaissance visual artists: Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, and Augusta Savage.
• The role of African American women in the Black Panther Party.
• The impact of African American athletes in professional basketball.
• The African American experience during the Cold War.
• The impact of African American filmmakers on the film industry.
• The role of African American lawyers in advancing civil rights.
• The African American experience during the Korean War.
• The impact of African American athletes in professional baseball.
• The role of African American politicians in shaping public policy.
• The African American experience during the Gulf War.
• The impact of African American comedians on entertainment and social commentary.
• The role of African American activists in the fight against apartheid in South Africa.
• The African American experience during the War on Drugs.
• The impact of African American authors on literature and storytelling.
• The role of African American journalists in promoting social justice.
• The African American experience during the War on Terror.
• The impact of African American chefs on the culinary world.
• The role of African American musicians in the evolution of hip-hop.
• The African American experience during the Black Power movement.
• The impact of African American entrepreneurs on business and economic growth.
• The role of African American athletes in the Paralympic Games.
• The African American experience during the AIDS epidemic.
• The impact of African American dancers on the world of dance.
• The role of African American scientists in advancing technological innovation.
• The African American experience during the Civil Rights movement in Northern Ireland.
• The impact of African American designers on the fashion industry.
• The role of African American musicians in the evolution of gospel music.
• The African American experience during the Arab Spring.
• The impact of African American architects on the built environment.
• The role of African American educators in promoting STEM education.
• The African American experience during the Occupy Wall Street movement.
• The impact of African American playwrights on theater and performance.
• The role of African American activists in the fight against climate change.
• The African American experience during the rise of social media.
• The impact of African American poets on literature and spoken word.
• The role of African American journalists in covering global conflicts.
• The African American experience during the rise of cryptocurrency.
• The impact of African American filmmakers on documentary storytelling.
• The role of African American musicians in the evolution of reggae music.
• The African American experience during the rise of artificial intelligence.
• The impact of African American artists on contemporary art movements.
• The role of African American educators in promoting environmental sustainability.
• The African American experience during the rise of virtual reality.
• The impact of African American photographers on visual storytelling.
• The role of African American musicians in the evolution of funk music.
• The African American experience during the rise of genetic engineering.
• The impact of African American dancers on ballet and classical dance.
• The role of African American activists in promoting LGBTQ+ rights.
• The African American experience during the rise of renewable energy.
• The impact of African American fashion designers on sustainable fashion.
• The role of African American musicians in the evolution of rock music.
• The African American experience during the rise of space exploration.
• The impact of African American writers on speculative fiction.
• The role of African American activists in promoting disability rights.
• The African American experience during the rise of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

These 104 African American history essay topic ideas and examples provide a broad range of subjects to explore. Remember to choose a topic that interests you and allows you to delve into the complexity, diversity, and significance of African American history. Happy writing!

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272 African Americans Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best african americans topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on african americans, 📌 most interesting african americans topics to write about, 💡 simple & easy african americans essay titles, ⭐ interesting topics to write about african americans, ✍️ african americans essay topics for college, ❓ questions about african americans.

• African American Family in the “Soul Food” Movie The family in the movie, called Joseph’s family, consists of Big Mama, the head of the family, who has three daughters: Terri, Bird and Maxine.
• African-American Cultural Group and the Provision of Services to African Americans Since the days of slavery, African Americans have maintained strong social ties in order to retain the sense of community and belonging.
• Culturagram of African Americans Living in Jackson The culture presented in Graph 1 provides an assessment of the main elements of beliefs and customs prevalent in this community that can affect the view of the health-related initiatives.
• African American Studies The studies ought to apply distinctive and appropriate analytical techniques that assist in studying of specific circumstances that captures and accounts for experiences of all the major societies of the African Diaspora especially outside the […]
• The Origin of African American Vernacular English It is the product of a mixture of English vocabulary with African pronunciation and, in part, grammar, which emerged in what, is now the United States with the beginning of the intensive importation of enslaved […]
• Racist Presentation of African Americans in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” Due to the excessive focus on the role of white Americans in the liberation of African American slaves, the novel introduces a rather racist concept of an African American person.
• African American Family Cultural Background They have a unique culture that is characterized by a unique parenting style, structure of the family, the role of gender in the family, and their views on marriage.
• The Politics of Theorizing African American Families The main questions asked by the author in the work are the role of slavery and racial oppression to influence the aspects of the African American family’s progress in the sociological perspective; the effects of […]
• African American Vernacular English Study Therefore, the African American variety of English language refers not only to grammar and vocabulary attributes that make the differences, but also to social and cultural dimension they form in society.
• Scott Joplin vs. Louis Armstrong: Integration of African American Culture In terms of both melody and rhythm, Armstrong’s composition is far more dynamic than Joplin’s, and the instrumentation of the former is a trumpeter, whereas the latter used piano.
• African Americans: A Journey Towards Freedom All of the slaves desired to have freedom, but the means of attaining that was still unknown. His intention was to kill all the slave owners in Charleston and free the slaves.
• African Americans Stereotypes in Editorial Cartoons In the past, media critics have alleged that African Americans are prejudiced and underrepresented in the media industry. In the research questions, the article below analyses how African Americans are depicted in editorial cartoons and […]
• African American Soldier in American Revolution It was revealed that the blacks were behind the American’s liberation from the British colonial rule, and this was witnessed with Ned Hector’s brevity to salvage his army at the battle of Brandywine.
• African Americans: The Legacy of Slavery in the U.S. This paper is about the slavery and the struggles that the slaves underwent and the revolution that took place in a bid to have the slaves freed and pronounced as equal American citizens.
• Emotion in African American vs. Chinese Culture The study “Cultural Values and the Perception of Emotion in African Americans and Chinese Americans” by S. Overall, this research adds to people’s understanding of the cultural variations and affinities in the experience of emotion […]
• Marcus Garvey’s African American Life Depiction The essays of Marcus Garvey followed Hughes’s definition, and he created an accurate picture of the lives of Afro-Americans by illustrating problems, racial pressure faced by these people daily, and possible improvements.
• The Post-Civil War Era in the Lives of African Americans In the post-Civil War era, African Americans faced significant barriers to homeownership, as they were often denied access to mortgages and other forms of financing.
• Depression and Anxiety Among African Americans Finally, it should be insightful to understand the attitudes of friends and family members, so 5 additional interviews will be conducted with Black and White persons not having the identified mental conditions. The selected mental […]
• Makeup for African American Women and Its Cultural Perspective In assuring innovation in the makeup of African American women, designers must aim to comprehend the significance and comprehension of the African art culture.
• The Juneteenth for African Americans Upon his arrival, Granger informed the enslaved African Americans of their freedom and the ending of the Civil War. Therefore, following the continuous killings and segregation of black people, Juneteenth remains relevant when African Americans […]
• The Role of Language in African American Sociocultural Context I chose the topic to be the role of language in the African-American sociocultural context. In this research, I intend to solve the question of which role is played by the use of language in […]
• African American History Timeline (1619 – 1865) As the expansion of the textile factories led irresistibly to a rise in the market for servitude Africans, there was a possibility of a slave insurrection, such as the one that prevailed in Haiti in […]
• African American Male Principals in High-Performing Title I Schools The purpose of the study was based on the following prevailing research questions: In qualitative research and data gathering, the goal with sample size is to reach a moderate degree of data saturation.
• McPherson and Shelby on African American Identity It is not to address the issue of their social identity but to fight assertively for democracy and overcome racial discrimination.
• African Americans: History and Modernity Most African Americans are descendants of enslaved people brought from Africa, and the research focuses on the connection between the current state of African Americans concerning their history.
• Technology to Fight Postpartum Depression in African American Women I would like to introduce the app “Peanut” the social network designed to help and unite women exclusively, as a technology aimed at fighting postpartum depression in African American Women.
• African American Problems Through Speeches For example, as early as in the title of the speech, Obama’s A Perfect Union makes reference to the established nation by the Founding Fathers and the definition of ‘perfect.’ As such, Obama posits that […]
• Social Determinants of Health and Depression Among African American Adults The article “Social Determinants of Health and Depression among African American Adults: A Scoping Review of Current Research” examines the current research on the relationship between social determinants of health and depression among African American […]
• Principles in M. L. King’s Quest for African American Freedom The concept of a nonviolent approach to the struggles for African American freedom was a key strategy in King’s quest for the liberation of his communities from racial and social oppressions.
• Intercultural Participant Observation of the African American Community The study involves a visit to a local religious organization to observe the behavior of the African-American people and their interaction in the setting.
• Clinical Case of Asthma in African American Boy By combining the use of corticosteroids and exercises into the treatment plan, as well as educating the patient and his parents about the prevention and management of asthma attacks, a healthcare practitioner will be able […]
• Health Education for Female African Americans With Diabetes In order to address and inform the public about the challenges, nurses are required to intervene by educating the population on the issues to enhance their understanding of the risks associated with the conditions they […]
• The Impact of DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) on African American According to the American Heart Association, hypertension is one of the leading health issues contributing to cardiovascular disease that is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.
• The Lack of African American Women in the US Federal Government Therefore, considering the inability to conduct face-to-face questionnaires because of the virus, this is the best way to obtain African American Women’s interviews.
• Activists’ Role in African Americans’ Struggle for Equality The civil rights movement became one of the most notable phenomena in the history of the United States because it forever changed the political, legal, and social landscape of the country.
• African American Soldiers in the Civil War The intensity of the War led to the collisions that led to the enslavement of many black soldiers until President Lincoln had to pass a General Order 233, which barred any threat that would lead […]
• The Issue of African American Women Who Die During Labor These studies have led to the need for the collaboration of the Georgia Department of Public Health and the Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee.
• Nutrition in Relation to Heart Diseases in African Americans While the causes of such an occurrence are varied, dietary and nutrition-based difficulties are one of the factors that can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases among African Americans.
• History and True Meaning of African American Slave Music The ancestors of African Americans were forcibly separated from their homes and brought to the United States to work on the plantations of the Old South.
• Unemployment Disparity Affecting African Americans Systemic racism in the U.S.is the primary cause of the unemployment gap. Compared to white Americans, African Americans have a relatively low rate of education in the U.S.
• Postpartum Depression in African American Women As far as African American women are concerned, the issue becomes even more complex due to several reasons: the stigma associated with the mental health of African American women and the mental health complications that […]
• The African American Struggle to Sustain Wealth The following essay focuses on the reasons why it is challenging for the Black community in the United States to accumulate wealth and move upwards on the economic ladder.
• Strategies to Detect Early Hypertension in African American Population of Darby Township Community The 2010 Census data for the community demonstrates that the African-American population of Darby constitutes almost 40% of its total population, and it is the group that is targeted by the current study.
• Discrimination Against African American Nurses The skills and techniques adopted for engaging with the person were active listenings to demonstrate the interest in improving the situation as well as cultural competence, which I relied on in the process of interviewing […]
• The Series of Injustices Spanned the History of African Americans A series of failures for Americans began with the emergence of slavery in the USA. However, it is impossible to talk about the complete eradication of racism in the country.
• Overrepresentation of African Americans in Crime Statistics This is directly related to the topic of choice as it may serve as an explanation for the overrepresentation of African Americans in crime.
• Major Depressive Disorder in African Americans This information demonstrates that Ghalan’s condition is moderate because he has some episodes without the adverse symptoms, but it is challenging to mention that these signs are entirely manageable. A specific measurement instrument can be […]
• Vulnerable Population: Community Engagement of African Americans Key characteristics of African Americans include higher levels of poverty, greater risk for poor health status, limited access to health services, and higher rates of morbidity, mortality, and infant death rate. Certain health practices exacerbate […]
• Struggles of Freed African American People One of the most deserving discussions of topics related to the history of the struggle of the African American people for their dignity, identity and human rights is not even their protest actions or the […]
• Representation of African American Women in Federal Government The barriers that women of color experience in achieving elective office are many, with Black women and individuals of color are underrepresented in the federal government.
• Criminological Theories Explaining Overrepresentation of African Americans in Crime Statistics It can be argued that one of the most prominent applications of the labeling theory is racial profiling, which also accounts for the oversaturation of African Americans in crime and criminal justice system.
• Culture of Being an African American Representative As a member of the African American and the LGBTQ community, I have responsibilities in front of my peers. Moreover, it is significant for cultures to adapt to the context and reality of a country.
• Substance Abuse in African American Women In particular, there is a lack of investigations devoted to the substance abuse of African American women. To sum up, there are various premises and outcomes for African American women involved in substance abuse.
• Kinship in the African American Context Therefore, the Black Lives Matter community is an important system that supports the idea of cultural kinship and unity. In this regard, the difference in the idea of family and kinship for white and black […]
• Nashville Sit-Ins Demonstrations of African Americans Some whites assisted the people of color in engaging in the marketplace and street activities to break segregation walls, leading to a tragic and triumphant story. However, the behavior of southern states in the early […]
• The African American Women Leadership in Higher Education Though all non-white individuals are underrepresented, African American women take up the smallest number of staff and administration positions in the foundation.
• Frederick Douglass: The Positions of African Americans Due to the passion and hard work of this person, slavery was subsequently abolished in the whole territory of the United States.
• African American Women’s Barriers to Higher Education The importance of the feminist theory for this research, and the Black feminist theory in particular, is in the fact that this framework explains why African American women can face certain challenges and barriers while […]
• African American Women With HIV: HIV Treatment Compliance The sampling strategy that will be used in the study is simple random sampling. This strategy will be appropriate because it is likely that the sample will be representative of the general population, for any […]
• The Discrimination of African Americans The racial issue remained the main problem of American society, and the Supreme Court legally secured the right of states to segregate.
• Police Relations With African American Citizens The problem of police brutality and unfair treatment of people is often raised in the media and provokes protests among citizens.
• African American, African, Haitian Group and Heritage This presentation focuses on the African and African American cultural groups. It also addresses the African American and Haitian heritages.
• African American Heritage and Culture After the abolishment of slave trade, and the subsequent abolishment of segregation laws, African Americans attained full citizenship in America.
• The African Americans’ Reluctance to Get Vaccinated This combination was made possible by using the Mixed Methods Research or MMR, which has features of both qualitative and quantitative methods and implies the interpenetration of these methods and the analysis of relationships between […]
• African Americans and COVID-19 COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019. It has spread all over the world and has literally caused a shutdown on the economy.
• Environmental Injustice Among African Americans To address issues of environmental injustice, I will create a media object, a zine that highlights the racial inequalities experienced by people of color.
• Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment and African Americans Hesitancy to Receive COVID-19 Vaccines Laurencin states that discrimination of the minority African-Americans in the health sector contributes to the high spread of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the United States black population.
• Mental Health and Struggles of African American Women This paper seeks to explore the origins of the strong black woman stereotype and its cultural portrayal and discuss the tolls of mental health and struggles that affect highly marginalized African American women in the […]
• Diversity Among African Americans in Florida Perhaps, the most important step toward the satisfaction of diverse populations’ requirements is the creation of the Florida diversity council. The Florida diversity council does a great job of protecting the interests of African Americans.
• How Violent Was the Slavery? Ask African American Women The book significantly impacted American literature due to the writer’s roots and the problems of slavery addressed in a detailed manner.
• Life History Interview: Discrimination as an African American Brown maintains a decisive outlook on things and events, and she seemed to have a high memory of both positive and negative experiences in her life.
• The Impact of Intervention Adherence on DUI Recidivism The research question posed by the authors is clear; it is based on the sufficient literature review that describes the current problems in DUI recidivism prevention.
• The Problem of Diabetes Among African Americans Taking into consideration the results of the research and the information found in the articles, the problem of diabetes among African Americans has to be identified and discussed at different levels.
• Challenges Faced by Queer African American Community Therefore, when addressing the challenges faced by African Americans, society should also consider the struggles of LGBTQ people in the Black community. In this context, the role of artists, singers, and other public individuals is […]
• Helping African American Children Self-Manage Asthma The purpose of this critique is to analyze the weaknesses of the study. The title of the report Helping African American Children Self-Manage Asthma: The Importance of Self-Efficacy adequately identified the population of interest, namely […]
• The Hypertensive African American Patients: Blood Pressure Management The purpose of the study is tacitly indicated in the abstract and the introduction part of the study; the purpose of the research is to extract and distinguish the treatment expectations among hypertensive patients of […]
• End Stage Renal Disease Prevalence in African American The End Stage Renal Disease involves failure of kidney’s ability to filter waste and fluids from the blood in the body.
• Hypertension in African Americans The research was will be carried out in African American population to find out what might be the real cause of hypertension among elderly people and how it can be prevented. The sample to be […]
• Cardiology: Hypertension in African Americans In this article, Klymko et al.investigated the association of cognitive impairments with hypertension-related self-care, cognitive function, and blood pressure among the African-American older population.
• African American Women and Their Struggles With Beauty, Body Image and Hair Trying to adopt the standards of another society will be harmful since many will try to change their ways of living in order to fit in the new standards of beauty.
• Breast Cancer Survivorship: Are African American Women Considered? The finding of the analysis is that the issue of cancer survivorship is exclusive, developing, and at the same time it depends on what individuals perceive to be cancer diagnosis as well as personal experiences […]
• High Blood Pressure Among African American Children Aged 13 to 18 The article “Real-Time Electronic Medical Record Alerts Increase High Blood Pressure Recognition in Children” explores the problem of hypertension in children.
• African American Cultural Analysis in Healthcare The selected culture for this assignment is the African American culture that is also referred to as the black culture. According to African American culture, family is the basic unit of the structure and hierarchy […]
• Smoking and Lung Cancer Among African Americans Primarily, the research paper provides insight on the significance of the issue to the African Americans and the community health nurses.
• Managing Hypertension in African Americans Then, the class will be given out electronic and mechanical tonometers and taught how to use them and asked to practice of each other and then on themselves.
• Health Promotion on Hypertension Amongst African Americans For instance, in this case where health promotion is aimed to inform people on the importance of managing their blood pressure, the messages that support these people may encourage the African Americans to seek medical […]
• Quality of Life in African Americans With the End-Stage Renal Disease In order to improve quality of life for African American with ESRD condition, health care providers should “prioritize and implement guidelines based on the attributed evidence”.
• Asthma in the African American Community The paper will also highlight the effects that the treatment options used by African Americans have on the prevalence of the disease.
• Overweight and Obesity Among African Americans One of the functions of the lymphatic system is to be the body’s “sewer system”, drawing toxins from the cells and dumping them into the blood.
• African American Politicians During the Conservative Era The struggle of these people yielded significant results for the advancement of African Americans and laid the foundation for further expansion of the rights of black people.
• African Americans Civil Rights Gains The 1930s and the 1940s in the U.S.were characterized by continuing discrimination of African Americans in the majority of the spheres of life in the country.
• Fighting for the Rights in African American Studies The importance of intersectionality in fighting for the rights of vulnerable groups is undeniable, and it needs to be incorporated into the process of liberation to ensure that no one is left behind.
• Assimilated African Americans: Modern Racist Items The wardrobe item with a controversial style was a black balaclava sweater with red fringing in the form of large lips on the collar and an opening for the mouth in the middle.
• The American South in African American Authors’ Works The complex nature of the relationships between African American authors and the American South as the heart of the U.S.traditions and simultaneously the source of the racist ideology that led to the discriminatory attitudes and […]
• Health Reform Influences the Poor, Immigrants, and African Americans The physician explained that it was necessary to draw more attention to the health of African Americans to protect whites from the disease.
• “The Color Purple”: Oppression and Pain of an African American Woman Adapted from Alice Walker’s novel by the same name, the movie delves into the life of a girl who was sexually abused by her father before being sold off to an irresponsible and cruel husband.
• African Americans and Development of Pidgin English The African American English possesses features of native, African languages and the American language introduced during the colonial era and handed down through generations as part of a common cultural heritage.
• Was Stowe a Racist in Her Presentation of African Americans in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”? Among the literature discussing of slavery as one of the blights on the history of the U.S., Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” takes an important yet controversial place.
• The African American History: The Historical Weight of 1776 A number of us, who arrived unexpectedly, became indentured to Virginia masters through a bidding process that was to some extent similar to later slave auctions that would become all in all widespread in the […]
• African American Stereotypes: History and Sources Over time I have always held the view that white Americans are superior to the blacks in terms of intelligence and strength.
• Gwendolyn Brooks, an African American Poet Thus, the author always sought to forewarn the youngsters of the negative results of their thoughtless actions and tried to motivate them to gain education and become successful in life.
• African Americans in the Spanish-American War After America witnessed the sinking of the Maine, it became clear that they had to engage in war with the Spaniards. The Spanish American war was crucial to African Americans in a number of ways.
• The African American Literature African American literature during this turbulent period in the lives of African Americans was heavily influenced by the rise in radicalism, enlightenment and the advent of industrialization.
• The Distribution of African American Workers From 1900-1960 There was huge discrepancies of occupation of black Americans and the natives in distribution of work as it is has been discussed by which is summarized herein below on the distribution of African American workers […]
• Culture and Disease: Tuberculosis and African Americans In this paper we will discuss in details about tuberculosis and why the African Americans have been thinking of the disease and how different treatment options, cultural beliefs and values have been impacting on the […]
• Norms, and Characteristics of African American and Hispanic Living in Florida The two minority groups selected for my research are African American people and Hispanic groups with whom I am familiar from my locality.
• Identity in African American Literature The blindfolds enable the boys to hide the truth of their identity from themselves during the fight, but their identities are further warped into acceptance of white domination and black suppression as they scramble for […]
• Creation and Consequence Situation of African Americans Our forefathers found their way into the United States as slaves, who had been captured and shipped to work in the various expansive farmlands, such as cotton farms, in the northern and southern regions of […]
• Lynching History of African Americans: An Absurd Illegal Justice System in the 19th Century Another attempt to explain the origin of lynch law is that of regulators and moderators. According to Rhodes, this theory is not applicable because the name of the law and order maintenance unit was aregulators’ […]
• The Impact of Incarceration in the African American Family This race to incarceration is the perfect example of the racism effect in the US systems as more of the African Americans are detained.
• African Americans and Hispanics in New Jersey In fact, “African-American history starts in the 1500s with the first Africans coming from Mexico and the Caribbean to the Spanish territories of Florida, Texas, and other parts of the South”.
• Mohammed Ali Clay and African Americans In addition, Ali Mohammed was a very courageous boxer, who through his courage defeated many opponents and the application of other boxing skills made him a great fighter in the world making him the heavyweight […]
• Infant Deaths Rates in Predominantly African Americans The study aims to answer the following research questions: Is there a relationship between maternal education levels and infant mortality rates among the black community?
• Impact of Philosophies of African American Authors The philosophical heritage of the US from the side of African American authors is significant to evaluate on the prospects of freedom, religion, education, and social importance of Black population for the United States.
• Humanistic Tradition. Women and African Americans’ Fight The goals which African Americans and women in post-WWII America pursued were similar because both of them wanted independence and equality with the former wishing to get free from slavery and oppression and the latter […]
• Harlem Renaissance and African American Culture The Harlem Reissuance grew after the abolition of slavery and later culminated into a greater force with the consequences brought about by WWI and the change in the cultural and social structure in the American […]
• 2008 U.S. Election History Review: The First African American Elected President The election of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States was a historic event in the life of the American republic.
• Sources of Stress Among African American Students This study may support the earlier report that has highlighted the role of cigarette and alcohol in association with stress. In another study researchers have described the role of racial identity and the consequences of […]
• Vietnam War Perceptions of African American Leaders Externally, the country was embroiled in an unpopular war in Vietnam and internally, rejection of the ‘establishment’ typified by the ‘Counter-culture movement’ and the Black Civil rights movement was gaining momentum.
• African Americans Struggle Against Slavery The following paragraphs will explain in detail the two articles on slavery and the African American’s struggle to break away from the heavy and long bonds of slavery. The website tells me that Dredd Scott […]
• African American Umpires in the Negro Leagues The roles of the minor leaguers are to develop and to prepare the young players to participant in big leagues and to ensure that they carry out local businesses successful.
• Whiteness Privilege: African American Socioeconomic Gap In addition to the increased access to services and the ability to climb the ladder of success, the removal of restrictions served to assure that African Americans can live in the more “desirable” neighborhoods.
• Two Movements in African American Abolitionist movement which began between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War was a great mobilization of efforts of black people to abolish the slavery both in the United States and in other countries that […]
• African American Males in Higher Education The programs seem to affect these blacks as they lack the right to complain concerning the education they get and thus they end up performing any job in the country that is of low ranks.
• Cardiovascular Disease in African American Women: Reasons In order to understand the reason for heart disease being a health disparity amongst African American women, it is essential to focus on the behaviors within this population that may be affecting their health directly.
• African American History: The Struggle for Freedom The history of the Jacksons Rainbow coalition shows the rise of the support of the African American politicians in the Democratic party.
• African Americans’ Representation in Today’s Media Trailer trash depictions of their lifestyle and outlook in life were often seen as the reality of these people by the viewers, thus affecting the image of the race across the board.
• African Americans’ Participation Rates in Clinical Trials This should include ‘to investigate the following hypothesis or to answer the following research question’. With the same then specified as bullet points.
• African American Religious Communities in the US The importance of humanity in United States was highly promoted by these African American communities, through their services to their fellow Christians.
• African American Greek Sororities in Colleges The National Pan-Hellenic Council is a national organization that comprises nine African American Greek sororities and fraternities. The members of this organization are usually referred to as the ‘Divine 9’ and include: Alpha Kappa Alpha […]
• African American History in the 20th Century The NAACP was radical since it fought many legal battles and fought against ideologies of some of the most prominent African American leaders like those of the late Booker Washington and the government.
• African American History After Reconstruction The bureau also helped champion African Americans’ rights by pushing for the 14th and 15th amendments of the constitution that would give African Americans voting rights.
• The Impact of Poverty in African American Communities At the time of the Great Migration, many of the northern African American communities contended with the context of poverty and the reality of residential segregation as the ghetto slowly began to form, and Black […]
• African American Literature Digest Continued The principal theses of the article are easy to enumerate; these are the origin of the African American literature, the stages of its development, its most famous writers and their impact on the literature and […]
• HIV Testing Among African American Women The expected long-term measurable goal of the initiative is the reduction of HIV incidence among the members of the target group.
• African American Adolescent Patient’s Condition In the case under analysis, the issue of the generalized anxiety disorder is explored. Last year, X’s mother had to apply for the second job due to financial constraints, which led to a drop in […]
• Prostate Cancer Among African American Men in New York An article “Study of the Relationship Between Black Men, Culture and Prostate Cancer Beliefs” written by Machirori, Patch, and Metcalfe and published in Cogent Medicine explores the ideas that Black men have about prostate cancer.
• King Jr. and Malcolm X in African American History Malcolm was able to sell his ideas to the African Americans in various meetings in the streets of Harlem and in major universities across the United States.
• Hypertension Control Among African Americans A randomized control trial and the presence of a control group with traditional blood pressure monitoring were established as the inclusion criteria for the initial search.
• African Americans’ Oppression and Stereotypes Moreover, the paper will provide insight into the role of social workers in the process of handling these challenges and determine the benefits of this experience for the further professional activities.
• Criminal Injustice Towards African Americans Most of the jails in the country are a common habitation of the black community as they for a huge percentage of the total who are behind the bars.
• African Americans in Du Bois’ vs. Washington’s Views The author emphasizes the humanity, passion, and strength of the African American citizen despite the challenges experienced by the race in the country.
• Robert R. Moton’s Role in African American History In conclusion, this article has helped to get a better understanding of the topic and what events took place at that time.
• Jim Crow Laws for African Americans in the South Monroe remembered the time when a famous black musician was unable to sleep in one of the hotels in downtown Alabama because colored people were not allowed to avail of the said accommodation.
• African American Woman: Health Issues’ Case History of Present Illness: As for the history of the present condition, the patient claims that she has never had similar symptoms.
• The African American Woman’ Identity The paper will bring out the meaning of interlocking nature of oppression in relation to African American identity and how racial identity intersect with other aspects of identity such as gender and sexuality.
• Peripheral Vascular Disease in African American Women Peripheral vascular disease refers to any “disease or disorder of the circulatory system that takes blood to the brain and heart”. A majority of the African American women that suffer from peripheral vascular disease do […]
• How Does Obesity Affect African American Youth? The effect of obesity in African American children from the age of 5 to 18 years. What are the indirect effects of obesity on African American children?
• Harlem Renaissance: African American Art The use of OBSCURA cameras was one of the strategies that advanced the works of art that several artists of the time executed.
• History of Higher Education for African Americans Even if I had the opportunity to participate in higher education, I could not have managed to take advantage of it since it was expensive, and I would have nothing to eat after school.
• Heart Disease in African Americans: Intervention According to the tests carried out among the target denizens of the population, 78% of the African Americans were in the risk area due to their unhealthy lifestyles, particularly improper dieting.
• African Americans in Langston Hughes’s Poems The tone and spirit of the poems display the author’s frustration with the fate of African Americans. In addition, because the poem is the brightest example of Harlem period, the presence of musical elements contributes […]
• Disproportionate Incarceration of African American Men Owing to the long period of incarceration and the crackdown on drug traffickers, the criminal justice system has the highest rate of incarceration in the world.
• African Americans in the American Revolution Both the slave masters and the British colonizers sought the help of the African Americans during the American Revolution. The revolutionary nature of the American Revolution did not resonate with both the free and enslaved […]
• The Image of African Americans in Media Ethnography was chosen as a research method, whereas the analysis of the existing studies of the representation of African Americans in modern and traditional media was used as the means of retrieving the data.
• African American Soldiers During Vietnam War In the 1960s and 70s, African Americans battled racial discrimination at home in the United States but also faced similar if not the same tension as a member of the Armed Forces while fighting in […]
• African American History and Its Importance in Modern Days Without a clear understanding of this part of history, slavery would not have evolved to the current citizenship, freedom and human rights that we enjoy in our constitution.
• The Role of African American Women in the Civil Right Movement The role of women in the Civil Rights Movement started to change in the 1960s. Women in the Civil Rights Movement: Trailblazers and Torchbearers.
• Decreasing Health Disparities Among African Americans There is a need to eliminate this mistrust that is in existence in this country as a way of providing ethics in the healthcare sector.
• African American Women Writers
• Participation in Clinical Trials by African Americans
• African Americans Problems in the Education Sector
• Boston Monuments: Respecting African Americans
• Literacy Instruction for African American Students
• Miles Davis Contribution to African American Music
• African American Culture: Psychological Processes
• African Americans as ‘Outsiders or ‘Others’ in Society
• History of African Americans
• African American Literature and Parody
• African American Political History
• African American Theater
• Racial Injustices and the Cost of Civil War: The African American Perspective
• The African American Family
• African Americans-Prejudice and Discrimination
• Pharmaceutical Drug Addiction Among African American Male Adolescents
• Environmental Justice Issues Affecting African Americans: Water Pollution
• Population Health Assessment: The African Americans in Brooklyn
• The Role of African American Churches
• Importance of the Church to African Americans
• Black Expression: African American Music
• HIV/AIDS Among African Americans
• Economic and Social Inequalities in the United States Between Whites, Asian Americans, Hispanics and African Americans
• Domestic Violence in the African American Community
• African Americans’ Ambitions: “Fences” by August Wilson
• African American Culture: A History of Slavery
• African Americans’ Struggle Against Segregation and Isolation
• Effects of Alcohol on African American Teens
• The African American Rights Movement Success
• The Journey of African American Rights Movements
• African American Women and the Struggle for Racial Equality
• The Historical Progression of African Americans During 1865-2011
• Courting Practices Between African Americans and Caucasian Americans
• Latinos and African Americans: Friends or Foes?
• African American Ethnic Group
• How the Movie Crash Presents the African Americans
• Black Codes, Jim Crow, and Segregation Impact on African Americans in the US
• The African American Civil Rights Movement
• African Americans: Race and Ethnicity Identification
• Perspectives in African American History and Culture
• African American Literary Analysis Review
• African Americans in America’s Prison Systems
• How Did African Americans Respond to Emancipation?
• What Percentage of African Americans Have Native Ancestry?
• How Many African American Soldiers Fought in the Revolutionary War?
• What Disease Occurs Most Commonly in African Americans?
• How Did African American Vernacular English Develop?
• What Are the Main Goals of African American Literature?
• What Was the First Form of African American Music?
• What Religion Is Most Common Among African Americans?
• Who Was the First African American Female Billionaire?
• What Were Two Positive Things That Changed for African Americans During Reconstruction?
• Why Is There a Lack of African American Teachers?
• What Was Life Like for African Americans During the American Revolution?
• Are African American Students Less Likely to Graduate?
• Who Is the Most Famous African American Singer?
• What Is the Greatest Achievement in African American History?
• Who Is the Most Influential African American?
• What Are the Health Care Beliefs of African American Culture?
• Who Is the Most Successful African American?
• What Event Had the Greatest Impact on African American History?
• What Is the Significance of the Black Church in the African American Community?
• What Is Considered African American Food?
• What Are Some African American Achievements?
• Who Are Important African Americans in History?
• Who Invented African American Studies?
• What Is the Culture of African American Families?
• Who Was the First African American Millionaire?
• What Are the Major Movements of African American History?
• What Are the Biggest Issues of African Americans?
• What Are Some African American Culture Traditions?
• What Are Some of the Most Pressing Issues Facing African Americans?
• Harlem Renaissance Essay Titles
• Jim Crow Laws Questions
• Hip Hop Essay Topics
• Malcolm X Questions
• Martin Luther King Titles
• Segregation Research Topics
• Racial Profiling Essay Topics
• Slavery Ideas
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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African American Studies: Foundations and Key Concepts

This non-exhaustive list of readings in African American Studies highlights the vibrant history of the discipline and introduces the field.

In the 1960s, student activists across the United States participated in sit-ins, strikes, rallies, and protests with the goal of having colleges and universities establish institutional support for the study of the lives, history, and culture of black people. This movement, both inspired by and an offshoot of the Civil Rights Movement, resulted in an increased number of syllabi including work that addressed the particular concerns of African Americans and the first department of black studies, which was inaugurated at San Francisco State University in 1968.

African American Studies examines the experience of people of African descent in the United States and the Black diaspora, both throughout history and in the present. Unbound by but indebted to critical methodologies from disciplines like English, history, sociology, law, and political science, African American Studies centers black people. It examines social, legal, and economic structures, and also our fundamental understandings of concepts like space, place, the human, belonging, and community.

This non-exhaustive list of readings in African American Studies highlights the vibrant history of the discipline, introduces readers to central questions in the field, and showcases its bright future.

Philip D. Morgan, “ Origins of American Slavery .” OAH Magazine of History , 2005

A concise but thorough overview of how American slavery fits into larger historical processes of the subjugation of black people, Philip Morgan’s description of slavery as an international institution looks at the institution’s centrality in shaping global trends throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. By placing American slavery in a global context, Morgan explains how the expanding scale of capitalism and a long-standing perception of black inferiority converged to produce an instantiation of slavery that stands out as peculiarly heinous.

Hortense Spillers, “ Mama’s Baby, Papa’s Maybe: An American Grammar Book .” Diacritics , 1987

Hortense Spillers argues that discourses around blackness and gender during slavery continue to determine the ways in which black bodies are read in the United States. By focusing on black women, Spillers contends that we get it wrong when we only view slavery through the experience of enslaved people who identified as male. The machinations of enslavement as an institution fundamentally relied on fully disarticulating black women from the categories of “woman” and “human.”

Spillers goes on to argue that critiques of black community that make a lack of black fathers in black communities a talking point ignore the ways in which structures of power (particularly the law) well beyond the control of African Americans destabilized the conceptions of gender and the frames of genealogy upon which those critiques depend.

Stephen Best, “ Neither Lost nor Found: Slavery and the Visual Archive .” Representations , 2011

Ostensibly a review essay of articles that appear in a special issue of Representations on “New World Slavery and the Matter of the Visual,” Stephen Best argues that black people have often been understood as objects rather than subjects. Best cites a case in which a photograph of two young black boys from the nineteenth century was advertised as rare at an estate sale. It was later discovered that copies of the photograph could be found at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and on eBay. Best addresses the paradox of the archival turn in studies of slavery: How can we claim to know that which cannot be known? That is, whether evidence can be found in the archive or not?

Anthony B. Pinn, “ Black Bodies in Pain and Ecstasy: Terror, Subjectivity, and the Nature of Black Religion .” Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions , 2003

Anthony Pinn argues that black religion, a capacious term that he purposefully deploys to reference a range of religious and spiritual practices beyond Christianity, plays a key role in African Americans’ struggle for what he calls complex subjectivity, a mode of being defined by ambiguity and multidimensionality. If dominant society defined black people by their corporeality during slavery, Pinn argues that black religion, which is an experience mediated by and through the black body, constitutes an important site of resistance against oppression. It contains an aesthetic, both in performance and style, that must be more prominently considered by the field of black religious studies.

Harvey Young, “ The Black Body as Souvenir in American Lynching .” Theatre Journal , 2005

Lynching, a phenomenon of extra-juridical violence used as a tool of social control, continues to be a lesser acknowledged practice in American history. Harvey Young analyzes what it meant for white participants in lynching spectacles to either steal or purchase the body parts of those who had been unjustly hanged, burned, castrated, and otherwise victimized and killed in public. Young asks what it means for white people to treat black bodies as souvenirs, fetish object, and remains.

Michael A. Gomez, “ Of Du Bois and Diaspora: The Challenge of African American Studies .” Journal of Black Studies , 2004

In a special issue of Journal of Black Studies celebrating 30 years of African American studies, Michael Gomez focuses on “double consciousness,” W. E. B. Du Bois’ term for the experience of African Americans who must simultaneously identify with blackness and Americanness. The nation signified in the latter term oppresses people based on the former term. Gomez makes a case for black intellectuals in the field of African American studies to more thoughtfully engage a larger diasporic approach with their work. Because the study of black people in America is a diasporic project about dispersal, loss, and community building, Gomez’s call for African American studies to take the diasporic turn seriously continues to influence the field.

Sarah Haley, “ Like I Was a Man: Chain Gangs, Gender, and the Domestic Carceral Sphere in Jim Crow Georgia .” Signs , 2013

Sarah Haley argues that the prison industrial complex has been an important site in which racialized conceptions of gender have been consolidated. Focusing on a comprehensive and historic prison reform act passed in Georgia in 1908 that forced imprisoned black women onto chain gangs and introduced a system of parole that compelled black women released from prison to become domestic servants in white homes, Haley argues that these reforms illustrate how black women were stripped of their gender. Incarcerated black women were obligated to perform both domestic labor that was gendered as female and hard physical labor that was gendered as male, but also, as a result of this un-gendering, they were legislated out of the category of the human.

Daryl Michael Scott, “ How Black Nationalism Became Sui Generis .” Fire!!! , 2012

Daryl Michael Scott’s exploration of the vicissitudes of black nationalism that developed over the course of the early and mid-twentieth century negotiates a tension between black nationalism and other forms of nationalism. While “nationalism” on its own may be problematic, “black nationalism” has described everything from black separatism and sovereignty to an imperium in imperio in which black people could self-determine without founding a new nation to a generic notion of racial solidarity among black people in a Pan-African context. The idea continues to have critical purchase in academia.

Scott meticulously traces the genealogy of the term, from the work of the Communist Party USA in the 1920’s to the rhetoric of black artists and activists in the aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement. He ultimately argues that too many actually disparate ideologies about how to achieve racial uplift have been flattened out and occluded by a rather sweeping use of “black nationalism” to describe divergent ideologies.

Combahee River Collective, “ A Black Feminist Statement .” Off Our Backs (1979)

Written in the mid-1970s by a group of black feminists under a name that pays homage to the first successful slave revolt led by a black woman, this statement marks an important precursor to Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw’s work on intersectionality in the succeeding decades. The Combahee River Collective argues against any program for social justice that does not account for how structures of oppression are “interlocking,” affecting people of various identity categories differently. Though this intersectional approach to understanding oppression may seem commonplace now, the Combahee River Collective’s race-conscious and socialist model of feminism marks an epochal shift in thought about what we now call “identity politics.” Reprinted in the Women’s Studies Quarterly .

Cheryl Harris, “ Whiteness as Property .” Harvard Law Review , 1993

Cheryl Harris explores the extent to which whiteness became a form of property that had to be protected by juridical and legislative means. As she argues, whiteness became valuable when white people could not be reduced to property under slavery. Given this, it is not only the cultural legacy of enslavement that has kept black people oppressed in the United States, but also a legal system that has continued to treat whiteness as the norm. That system actively excludes people of color from the purview of equal rights and protections while also affording economic benefits exclusively or disproportionately to white Americans.

The article ends by addressing how affirmative action would challenge the property interest in whiteness, but only if it actively operates as a corrective to structural injustices by redistributing power and resources to those that have been historically denied access in the United States.

Heather Ann Thompson, “ Why Mass Incarceration Matters: Rethinking Crisis, Decline, and Transformation in Postwar American History .” The Journal of American History, 2010

As we continue to live in an age of mass incarceration, Thompson’s article reminds us of the lasting legacy of what the writer Michelle Alexander has provocatively called “The New Jim Crow.” Thompson argues that the exploding incarceration rates that we see in the late twentieth century correlate strongly with African Americans’ continued struggles for equal citizenship after the passages of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Thompson’s meticulous research reveals that, over the course of the postwar period, urban spaces became increasingly criminalized. Local laws and law enforcement officials targeted communities of color and increased criminal sentences for various infractions.

Alexander G. Weheliye, “ After Man .” American Literary History , 2008

African American studies has long been charged with being too parochial in scope, attending solely to the concerns of one minority group in the United States. Weheliye contends that black studies contributes to an understanding of the category of the human by filling in the gaps of a category that did not consider blackness as a constitutive part of its makeup and imagining other ways of being human.

Daphne Brooks, “ ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’: Black Female Soul Singing and the Politics of Surrogation in the Age of Catastrophe .” Meridians , 2008

As if anticipating the bevy of scholarly and popular responses to Beyoncé Knowles’s Southern aesthetic in her 2016 visual album, Lemonade , Daphne Brooks argues that the work of Beyoncé (and Mary J. Blige) in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina should be read as a convergence of a long-standing set of sociopolitical concerns made that much more visible by the devastating storm. By analyzing Mary J. Blige’s duet with U2 at the Shelter from the Storm telethon, an event meant to raise money for survivors of the hurricane, as a way of opening up space to talk about the political dimensions of desire in Beyoncé’s second solo album, B-Day , Brooks shows how black women’s vocal and visual performances continue to constitute an important site of black resistance.

Dwight McBride, “ Can the Queen Speak?: Racial Essentialism, Sexuality, and the Problem of Authority .” Callaloo , 1998

Dwight McBride’s critique of racial essentialist discourse in the work of African American intellectuals argues that African American Studies must more urgently attend to the experience of black queer people if it is going to continue to theorize around concepts like “blackness” or “black community.” Rather than simply call for more inclusion, McBride argues that black gays and lesbians must be represented in ways that accurately portray them and their concerns. This must be done by considering the work of black queer writers and activists like James Baldwin and Essex Hemphill on its own terms.

Jennifer Nash, “ Practicing Love: Black Feminism, Love-Politics and Post-Intersectionality .” Meridians , 2011

Love-politics, which Jennifer Nash theorizes as a facet of black feminist politics that makes use of love as an affective mode of relationality that exceeds identity categories and identity politics, uses shared affinity rather than shared oppression to construct deep coalitions. Turning to love, Nash argues, allows for a turning away from the state when seeking redress for oppression and discrimination. Preferring the radical utopianism of imaginary new worlds to the politics of visibility that is a cornerstone of intersectional politics, black feminist love-politics helpfully imagines a political terrain in which the public sphere can be effectively changed.

Walter R. Allen, Channel McLewis, Chantal Jones, and Daniel Harris, “ From Bakke to Fisher: African American Students in U.S. Higher Education over Forty Years ” RSF: The Russel Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences , 2018

Considering 40 years of quantitative data on college enrollments and degree completion rates among African American students in the context of critical race theory, Walter R. Allen, Channel McLewis, Chantal Jones, and Daniel Harris explain how the inherent anti-blackness in the United States’ system of higher education continues to hamper socioeconomic achievement for African Americans. Though the rates of college enrollment for African Americans have modestly increased since the mid-1970s, these scholars argue that the continued underrepresentation of black students in selective colleges, coupled with black students’ relative over-enrollment in community and for-profit colleges, negatively impact African Americans’ generational accrual of wealth.

Evie Shockley, “ Going Overboard: African American Poetic Innovation and the Middle Passage .” Contemporary Literature, 2011

Noticing a marked increase in the number of historical poems that have been written in the twenty-first century, Evie Shockley argues that the influx of poetry about slavery reveals a continued engagement in black writing with the relationship between language and subjectivity. Focusing on poetic treatments of the Middle Passage, Shockley addresses how contemporary poets like Douglas Kearney ( The Black Automaton ) and M. NourbeSe Philip ( Zong! ) reckon with the historical gaps and violent breaks in space and time that the transatlantic slave trade forced upon captured Africans. Shockley makes use of postmodern rhetorical strategies like polyvocality, linguistic fragmentation, and narrative implacability to undermine our understanding of how stories, even those lost to the archive, can be told.

Frank Wilderson, “ Social Death and Narrative Aporia in 12 Years a Slave .” Black Camera , 2015

Frank Wilderson takes up 12 Years a Slave (both the slave narrative written by Solomon Northrup, published in 1853, and the recent movie adaptation directed by Steve McQueen) to argue that telling the stories of enslaved people in particular—and black people in general—constitutes both a logical impasse, one characterized by their status as non-human humans, and a fundamental critique of our normative understandings of narrative. Wilderson takes on theories of narratology that claim that the non-human typically becomes human in narrative by way of characterization. Wilderson argues that the figure of the enslaved person—a figure that lives under the threat of gratuitous violence, constant shame, and unguaranteed kinship—operates outside of this realm of narrative.

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Ultimate Guide to the AP African American Studies Exam

What’s covered:, what does the ap african american studies exam cover, ap african american studies course content, how long is the ap african american studies exam what is the format, best ways to study for the ap african american studies exam, how ap classes impact your college chances.

AP African American Studies is a pilot course that is simultaneously being offered and being developed. Unlike many other AP courses, AP African American Studies is profoundly interdisciplinary. Students delve into literature, politics, geography, and even science with the ultimate goal of understanding the varied, impressive, and intense experiences of African Americans.

Because this is a new exam that covers a wide range of content, you may be experiencing some anxiety about not knowing what to expect. We are here to walk you through what to expect on exam day and to give you guidance on how to prepare for the AP African American Studies exam. Read on!

Overview of the AP African American Studies Pilot

The projected timeline for introducing the AP African American Studies exam is as follows:

• 2022-23: First pilot at 60 schools across the country.
• 2023-24: Pilot expands to hundreds of additional high schools.
• Spring 2024: Pilot students take the first AP African American Studies Exams.
• 2024-25: All schools can begin offering AP African American Studies.
• Spring 2025: AP African American Studies Exams available to all students.

The AP African American Studies exam measures student mastery of specific skills relevant to understanding African American history and experiences. Specifically, the exam tests the following skills:

• Applying disciplinary knowledge
• Source analysis
• Argumentation

Applying disciplinary knowledge involves being able to effectively explain developments, patterns, and processes, and how they work in history. Source analysis involves being able to identify and analyze a source’s claims, evidence, and reasoning, as well as its perspective, purpose, context, and audience. Argumentation involves using effective and relevant evidence to identify, infer, and support a claim.

The AP African American Studies course consists of four units, covering African American experiences from diaspora to the present. Below is a look at how the units break down and what percentage of the exam score each constitutes. Further details about these units and the sources students will study in each of them can be found in the AP African American Studies course overview .

The AP African American Studies exam is one of the shorter AP exams. Students sit for the exam for two hours and 30 minutes.

Students’ grades are a result of their performance on three sections:

• 60 multiple choice questions
• 4 free response questions
• 1 project or written argument (completed before sitting for the exam, but turned in with the exam)

**The written argument should be 1200-1500 words and students should be given at least 15 instructional hours to complete it.

Multiple Choice Section

On the AP African American Studies exam, the 60 multiple-choice questions are divided into sets of three or four questions that respond to a stimulus. Stimuli are elements like historical primary sources, literary sources, maps and charts, or images of art and architecture.

Up to half of the stimulus materials on the exam will have been seen by students as they work through the required course content. Additionally, four or five of the various sets of questions will ask students to respond to paired stimuli (like two images or a text and an image).

Free Response Section

The free response section consists of four questions. Students are expected to spend 20 minutes on each question. The first free response question asks students about a text-based source, the second free response question asks students about a non-text-based source, and the third and fourth free response questions each ask students to explore a broader thematic topic.

Project or Written Argument

The project or written argument is a unique element of this new exam. Throughout the course—and before the exam—students are expected to select a research topic, conduct research using primary and secondary sources, then develop an evidence-based written argument about their topic. These written arguments are expected to be 1200-1500 words and to engage at least four scholarly sources. Some example topics provided by the College Board include:

• The role of religion in African American resistance to enslavement
• The impact of the G.I. Bill
• The legacy of redlining
• Movements led by Black women: Combahee River Collective and beyond
• The Harlem Renaissance: major works, figures, influences
• Black families in the 20th century
• Medical ethics: The Tuskegee Study; Henrietta Lacks
• Gay life and expression in Black communities

Step 1: Assess Your Skills

Taking a formative assessment or diagnostic assessment is a good way to begin your exam preparation process. If you know where you are, you can find out where you need to go. Formative assessments provide insight into areas of strength and areas for improvement that then will guide your studying process.

While no practice exams for the AP African American Studies exam are available just yet, come Winter/Spring 2024, the College Board should be posting examples.

Step 2: Study the Material

When you take your formative assessment, some areas needing improvement will surely emerge. These may be content related—such as not fully understanding the events of the Civil Rights Movement or being confused about the order of events during the Nadir. On the other hand, especially for this exam, these might be form related. For example, you might be outstanding at analyzing historical primary sources, but perhaps understanding the arguments of images and propaganda causes you trouble.

Once you identify the areas you struggle with, paying attention to both content trends and format trends, then you’ll know where to start your studying.

Make use of all the resources you have available to you as you study. These could include commercial study guides or materials other AP African American Studies teachers have posted for free online.

Step 3: Practice Multiple Choice Questions

The great news about the multiple choice questions on this exam is that you have access to many of the stimuli that you will be asked about. The College Board guarantees that up to half of the sets of multiple questions will be asking about stimuli that are included in the required course materials.

This means that it is of the utmost importance that you study the required course materials and understand the arguments, context, purpose, and audience of every graph, image, and text that comes up throughout the course.

To prepare for the sets of questions about unfamiliar stimuli, find your own external stimuli that relate to the course content and develop questions about them. When taking a test like the AP African American Studies exam—a test interested in how you think—developing your own practice questions can be just as helpful as answering those presented to you.

Step 4: Practice Free Response Questions

The most important thing in the free response section is clearly and effectively communicating your argument in a way that is digestible to an AP reader. Because of this, as you practice free response questions, it’s important to let others read your answers.

Ask your friends, family, classmates, and teachers where you could be more clear or where you need to expand on your thinking. Too many students lose points in the free response section due to ineffective or insufficient communication. When you practice free response questions, you should not focus simply on identifying an image’s purpose correctly or a text’s argument correctly, but should focus also on communicating how you made that identification.

Step 5: Take Another Practice Test

Taking another practice test will show you how far you’ve come since you began studying. Comparing your two practice tests will reveal patterns, which should tell you where to focus your energy as you continue studying.

Step 6: Exam Day Specifics

If you’re taking the AP course associated with this exam, your teacher will walk you through how to register. If you’re self-studying, check out our blog post How to Self-Register for AP Exams .

For information about what to bring to the exam, see our post What Should I Bring to My AP Exam (And What Should I Definitely Leave at Home)?

AP scores are not required when applying for college, and even if you submit them, the impact on your application is small. That said, the number of AP courses you take and the grades you get in them can have a big impact on your chances of acceptance, as colleges care a lot about your academic rigor.

CollegeVine makes it easy to understand the impact of your AP classes with our free Admissions Calculator . We’ll let you know how your coursework stacks up compared to accepted students at your dream schools, plus give you tips to improve your profile.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Black History Essay Topics

• Writing Essays
• Writing Research Papers
• English Grammar
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

Black history is full of fascinating stories, rich culture, great art, and courageous acts that were undertaken within unthinkable circumstances. While Civil Rights events are the most common themes in our studies, we should resist equating Black history only with Civil Rights-era history. This list contains 50 prompts that might lead you into some interesting and little-known information about Black American history.

Note: Your first challenge in studying some of the topics below is finding resources. When conducting an internet search, be sure to place quotation marks around your search term (try different variations) to narrow your results.

• Black American newspapers
• Black Inventors
• Black soldiers in the American Revolution
• Black soldiers in the Civil War
• Buffalo Soldiers
• Buying time
• Camp Logan Riots
• Clennon Washington King, Jr.
• Coffey School of Aeronautics
• Crispus Attucks
• Domestic labor strikes in the South
• Finding lost family members after emancipation
• First African Baptist Church
• Formerly enslaved business owners
• Freedom's Journal
• Gospel music
• Gullah heritage
• Harlem Hellfighters
• Harlem Renaissance
• Harriet Tubman
• Historically Black Colleges
• History of rock-and-roll
• Jumping the broom
• Manumission papers
• Maroon villages in the eighteenth century
• Motown Records
• Multi-cultural pirate ships
• Narratives by Enslaved People
• Otelia Cromwell
• Ownership of property by enslaved people
• Purchasing freedom
• Ralph Waldo Tyler
• Register of Free Persons of Color
• Secret schools in antebellum America
• Sherman's March followers
• Susie King Taylor
• The Amistad
• The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
• The Communist Party (involvement)
• The Great Migration
• The Haitian Revolution
• Tuskegee Airmen
• Underground Railroad
• Urban enslavement (related to buying time)
• Wilberforce College, Ohio
• 67 Causal Essay Topics to Consider
• Topical Organization Essay
• 100 Persuasive Essay Topics
• 501 Topic Suggestions for Writing Essays and Speeches
• Cause and Effect Essay Topics
• Personal Essay Topics
• Ecology Essay Ideas
• List of Topics for How-to Essays
• How to Write a Narrative Essay or Speech (With Topic Ideas)
• 50 Argumentative Essay Topics
• Essay Writing Contests for Students
• Structure of a Descriptive Essay
• Tips for Writing a "What I Did on Vacation" Essay
• Practice in Supporting a Topic Sentence with Specific Details
• Writing a Descriptive Essay
• What Is Expository Writing?

African American Studies

• African American Studies Overview

Topics in African American Studies

History & culture, civil war and slavery, civil rights, organizations.

• Find Articles at Lavery Library

Reference Librarian

The boxes below bring together numerous websites that provide information about specific topics in African American Studies. 

Topics include:

• Civil War & Slavery
• African American Leaders
• African American Organizations

Library Collections (outside Fisher)

• African-American Odyssey Freely accessible and searchable collections of documents and ephemera related to African Americans in the United States from the 17th century to present. Created and maintained by the Library of Congress.
• Black American Feminisms A multi-disciplinary bibliography of Black American Feminist thought across many academic fields.
• Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture From the website: The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, one of The New York Public Library’s renowned research libraries, is a world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.

News and Media Organizations

• The 1619 Project From the website: The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. For full access to the New York Times, follow these instructions.
• Africans In America PBS overview of African American history includes excerpts from primary sources.

Collections Curated by Organizations

• African American Mosaic A Library of Congress Resource Guide for the Study of Black History & Culture.
• African Diaspora Music Project From the About page: To create a repository for the concert works (those intended for the concert stage; aka classical works) of composers of the African Diaspora. (The African Diaspora in this context is defined as those composers throughout the world descended from people of West and Central Africa).
• Black Past This site includes an online encyclopedia of hundreds of famous and lesser-known figures in African America, full-text primary documents and major speeches of black activists and leaders from the 18th Century to the present.
• Facing History and Ourselves By studying the historical development of race in US history, the Holocaust and other examples of genocide, students make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives. Excellent resources for teachers and student teachers.
• Tangled Roots This project produced by the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition is a collection of primary documents from the 17th century to the present "about the shared history of African Americans and Irish Americans." Also see the Center's archive of more than 200 digitized items dealing with African American history.

Colleges and Universities

• Documenting Slave Voyages From the website: Led by Emory, a massive digital memorial shines new light on one of the most harrowing chapters of human history.
• The Geography of Slavery in Virginia "The Geography of Slavery in Virginia is a digital collection of advertisements for runaway and captured slaves and servants in 18th- and 19th-century Virginia newspapers."
• Making of America: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies From the website: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies, part of Cornell Universities Making of America collection
• North American Slave Narratives A collection of "approximately two hundred texts, including all known narratives of fugitive and former slaves published in broadsides, pamphlets, or book form in English up to 1920 and many of the biographies of fugitive and former slaves published in English before 1920."
• The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies From the website: Official records of the Union and Confederate armies, part of Cornell Universities Making of America collection

Library of Congress

• Atlantic Slave Trade and Slave Life in America: A Visual Record Hundreds of images depicting slavery and the slave trade, includes maps, illustrations and photographs.
• Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project 1936-1938 A Library of Congress collection of more than 2,300 first person accounts of slavery plus 500 photographs. Some audio narratives are included as well.

State and Local Histories

• African Americans and the End of Slavery in Massachusetts This Massachusetts Historical Society exhibit features 117 documents including letters, warrants, bills of sale and antislavery material.
• Images of the Antislavery Movement in Massachusetts A Massachusetts Historical Society collection of 840 visual materials from the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society that illustrate the role of Massachusetts in the national debate over slavery. Included are photographs, paintings, sculptures, engravings, artifacts, banners, and broadsides that were central to the debate and the formation of the antislavery movement.

Curated Collections

• Slavery Images From the website: A visual record of the African Slave Trade and slave life in the early African Diaspora.
• SlaveVoyages From the website: This digital memorial raises questions about the largest slave trades in history and offers access to the documentation available to answer them.
• Valley of the Shadow A digital archive of primary sources that document the lives of people in Augusta County, Virginia, and Franklin County, Pennsylvania, during the era of the American Civil War. Here you may explore thousands of original documents that allow you to see what life was like during the Civil War for the men and women of Augusta and Franklin.

Museums and Digital Collections

• Civil Rights Digital Library From the website: The Civil Rights Digital Library Initiative represents one of the most ambitious and comprehensive efforts to date to deliver educational content on the Civil Rights Movement via the Web. more... less... Documents the struggle for racial equality in the 1950s and 1960s through a digital video archive of historical news film, extensive links to related digital collections, and secondary Web-based learning resources such as contextual stories, encyclopedia articles, lesson plans, and activities.
• The Civil Rights Movement History Channel website includes chronologies, film clips, photos.
• Freedom Now Collection of documents and photographs illustrating the history of the Mississippi Freedom Movement. The site is a collaborative project of Brown University and Tougaloo College.
• Historical Publications of the United States Civil Rights Commission U.S. Commission on Civil Rights - Historical Publications.
• Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia Museum at Ferris State University provides images of racist objects, images and cartoons along with essays.
• Who Speaks for the Negro? From the website: materials related to the book of the same name published by Robert Penn Warren in 1965. The original materials are held at the University of Kentucky and Yale University Libraries.

Oral Histories

• Oral Histories of the American South - Civil Rights Collection of oral histories from a number of Southern oral history programs.
• Oral History of the March on Washington Available from the Smithsonian Magazine, from the website: Americans who marched on Washington 50 years ago under a blazing sun recall the day they were part of a turning point in history.
• "Born in the Wake of Freedom:" John Mitchell, Jr., and the Richmond Planet The history of the oldest African American newspaper and it's most famous editor. An exhibit created by the Virginia Newspaper Project.
• The Frederick Douglass Papers The first release of this Library of Congress collection contains over 2000 items and "contains the writings of Douglass and such contemporaries in the abolitionist and early women's rights movements as Henry Ward Beecher, Ida B. Wells, Gerrit Smith, Horace Greeley, and others."
• Malcolm X: A Research Site This web page is designed to be a resource for scholarship in Black Studies and the political development of activists in the Black Liberation Movement.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Project Project sponsored by Stanford University and the MLK Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Includes a brief, selected documents, and a searchable database of transcriptions of MLK papers and secondary works.
• UCLA African Studies Center (Marcus Garvey UNIA Papers Project) Web site accompanying the publication of Garvey's papers, includes sample documents, narrative and some photographs.
• W.E.B. Dubois Papers at University of Massachusetts Amherst University of Massachusetts Amherst provides a biography, exhibits, photographs and selected books and articles by W.E.B. Du Bois.
• The Association for the Study of African American Life and History The mission of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) is to promote, research, preserve, interpret and disseminate information about Black life, history and culture to the global community.
• Association of Black Women Historians From the website: The ABWH constitution outlines four organizational goals: to establish a network among the membership; to promote Black women in the profession; to disseminate information about opportunities in the field; and to make suggestions concerning research topics and repositories.
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.
• National Association of African American Studies Information and support for research related to the African and African American, Hispanic, Latino(a) and Chicano(a), Native American and Asian experiences.
• National Council for Black Studies From the website: The National Council for Black Studies (NCBS) was established in 1975, when African American scholars came together to formalize the study of the African World experience, as well as expand and strengthen academic units and community programs devoted to this endeavor.
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• Next: Find Articles at Lavery Library >>
• Last Updated: Sep 11, 2024 4:27 PM
• URL: https://libguides.sjf.edu/afam

About AP African American Studies

About the course .

AP African American Studies is an interdisciplinary course that examines the diversity of African American experiences through direct encounters with rich and varied sources. Students explore key topics that extend from early African kingdoms to the ongoing challenges and achievements of the contemporary moment.

AP African American Studies Course Framework 

The course framework in the AP African American Studies Course and Exam Description (CED) (.pdf) is organized by four thematic units that follow a chronological flow across the course. Throughout each unit, students build interdisciplinary analytical skills through deep encounters with a wide range of texts and sources.

• Unit 1: Origins of the African Diaspora (~900 BCE–16th century) 
• Unit 2: Freedom, Enslavement, and Resistance (16th century–1865) 
• Unit 3: The Practice of Freedom (1865–1940s) 
• Unit 4: Movements and Debates (1940s–2000s) 

Course Skills 

What Will Students Experience in AP African American Studies? 

Given the interdisciplinary character of AP African American Studies, students in the course will develop skills across multiple fields, with an emphasis on developing historical, literary, visual, and data analysis skills. Students will encounter primary sources on a daily basis; here are some examples. Students will:  

• Review and discuss artifacts from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. 
• Study and analyze African artworks held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, gaining a deeper understanding of African culture and society. 
• Review sketches of the Amistad trial from Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. 
• Read and discuss the writings of Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Maya Angelou. 
• Read original newspaper and magazine articles from the antebellum period, including debates in the pages of Freedom’s Journal . 
• Read and analyze the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. 
• Read excerpts from Carter G. Woodson’s The Mis-Education of the Negro . 
• Read Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Nonviolence and Racial Justice” from 1957, gaining a deeper understanding of the Civil Rights Movement. 
• Analyze artworks such as Negro es Bello II (Black is Beautiful II) by Elizabeth Catlett and I Go To Prepare A Place For You by Bisa Butler.

How We Developed AP African American Studies 

Every AP course is designed—and regularly updated—to include current data, evidence, and findings in each discipline. AP courses are designed to include the content and skills most frequently taught in introductory college courses, so that students who demonstrate mastery on the AP Exam can be placed into upper-division college courses with a strong foundation for success. Accordingly, the AP Program engages college faculty and high school educators to evaluate the research, recommend scope and sequence, review and approve the exam questions, and score the exams.   

For the AP African American Studies course, the AP Program completed a rigorous research and design phase in 2021, examining over 100 college syllabi from a national sampling of courses from African American Studies programs, with representation across public and private institutions, including a wide range of historically Black colleges and universities and all eight Ivy League institutions. Nearly 300 college faculty offered feedback on course learning outcomes, content topics, and skills. Next, an advisory panel and writing team of nationally recognized college faculty and experienced teachers informed the design of the course framework and exam components. Then subject matter experts in the AP Program assembled an inaugural course development committee, including 16 college faculty and high school teachers representing the fields of history, literature, education, political science, music, art history, and sociology. The development committee was charged with: 

• developing the assessment and instructional resources 
• defining the professional learning content for teachers 
• responding to student and teacher feedback gathered through 2 years of piloting the course 

Additionally, the AP Program continues to build close partnerships with hundreds of stakeholders in the African American community, including civil rights leaders, community advocates, and academic and cultural institutions, at the local and national levels. These partnerships are strengthened by ongoing collaboration with educators, college faculty, students, academic and cultural institutions, and community advocates. 

Credit and Placement 

The AP Program has engaged faculty from hundreds of colleges and universities to ensure that AP African American Studies reflects the academic rigor of introductory college courses in the field. Qualifying exam scores in AP African American Studies may earn credit or placement in required or elective courses at a diverse range of colleges and universities. The course is designed to be the equivalent of an introductory college or university course in African American Studies and related courses, including Africana Studies, African Diaspora Studies, and Black Studies.

Colleges and Universities

More than 350 colleges and universities nationally have initially signed on to provide college credit, advanced placement, or both to students who have satisfactory performance on the AP African American Studies Exam. Early credit support for the pilot course has surpassed expectations, and it’s our strong expectation that many more colleges will finalize and publish their credit policies as academic catalogs get posted later this summer.

Supporting Teachers 

Course framework .

The AP African American Studies course framework in the CED includes primary text, visual, and data sources for each topic that help teachers introduce students to the diverse contributions, experiences, and perspectives of African American communities. The AP Program has secured copyright permission for AP teachers and students to use each of these sources, so added costs will not be a barrier for schools interested in providing this AP subject.  

Professional Development 

Teachers can participate in a range of professional learning programs for AP African American Studies, such as AP Summer Institutes (APSI), AP Workshops, and AP Mentoring. Visit Professional Learning Opportunities for more information.

The Smithsonian Institution and Advanced Placement 

In collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution, the AP Program has developed the AP African American Studies: Teaching with Objects Smithsonian Learning Lab, an interactive site that offers students and teachers access to a digital collection of Smithsonian resources listed in the course framework. The Learning Lab includes a host of objects, artworks, photographs, texts, and other primary sources organized by unit and topic. These curated resources create opportunities for deep analysis, exploration, and discussion. 

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History 

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History offers an in-depth collection of videos, timelines, primary sources, and sample essays to help guide your journey through AP African American Studies. 

AP African American Studies Online Community 

The AP African American Studies Online Community will be a space for AP teachers and coordinators to connect with colleagues, participate in lively discussions with experts, and share classroom-ready materials. The community will also offer optional email updates to help make the most of your AP African American Studies classroom.

AP African American Studies Course and Exam Description

This is the core document for the course.

AP African American Studies: Teaching with Objects Smithsonian Learning Lab

This interactive site offers students and teachers access to a digital collection of Smithsonian resources listed in the course framework.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Explore a wide range of additional resources to support your AP African American Studies course.

Explore AP African American Studies

African American Literature Research Paper Topics

This article provides a comprehensive guide to African American literature research paper topics , highlighting the depth and richness of this vibrant literary tradition. From historical narratives of slavery and the Harlem Renaissance to modern themes and the future of Black literature, the piece offers a structured approach for students seeking research directions. In addition to topic suggestions, it offers insights into selecting the perfect topic, crafting a compelling research paper, and the invaluable services provided by iResearchNet. Whether a novice or an expert, this article serves as a definitive resource for delving into the heart of African American literary discourse.

100 African American Literature Research Paper Topics

African American literature, with its rich tapestry of experiences, histories, cultural shifts, and iconic personalities, provides fertile ground for research. As students and scholars navigate this field, the potential for discovering nuanced arguments and insights is boundless. Here is a comprehensive list divided into ten categories, each boasting ten intriguing African American literature research paper topics that could shape your next research paper:

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1. Historical Contexts:

• The Evolution of African American Literature from the 18th to the 21st Century.
• Literature of the Slavery Era: Voices of the Enslaved.
• The Harlem Renaissance: A Golden Age of Black Artistry.
• African American Literature during the Civil Rights Movement.
• Black Arts Movement: Literature as a Form of Protest.
• Depictions of Jim Crow Laws in African American Fiction.
• The Great Migration and its Influence on Black Writers.
• The Impact of the Reconstruction Era on African American Narratives.
• Literature of the Black Power Movement.
• WWII and the Portrayal of African American Soldiers in Literature.

2. Iconic Writers and their Works:

• The Universal Themes in Langston Hughes’ Poetry.
• Zora Neale Hurston’s Ethnographic Approach in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”.
• The Dual Consciousness in W.E.B. Du Bois’ Literary Works.
• Maya Angelou: Literature as a Tool for Healing and Empowerment.
• The Metaphorical Landscape of Toni Morrison’s “Beloved”.
• Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man”: An Exploration of Identity and Culture.
• James Baldwin’s Commentary on Race and Sexuality.
• Richard Wright’s Realistic Portrayal of Black Life.
• The Influence of African Culture in the Works of Chinua Achebe.
• August Wilson’s Ten-Play Series: A Chronicle of the Black Experience in America.

3. Genres and Styles:

• African American Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction.
• Jazz and Blues Influences in African American Poetry.
• The Rise of African American Autobiographical Literature.
• Black Drama and Theater: From the Page to the Stage.
• African American Romance Novels: Love in a Complex Social Setting.
• The Importance of Folktales and Myths in African American Short Stories.
• The Evolution of the African American Novel.
• Black Detective Fiction: Exploring Crime in the Inner City.
• The Role of Spirituality in African American Literary Fiction.
• African American Children’s Literature: Shaping Young Minds.

4. Themes and Motifs:

• The Quest for Identity in African American Literature.
• Love, Pain, and Resilience: Common Themes in Black Literature.
• The Role of Religion and Spirituality in African American Narratives.
• The Motif of the Tragic Mulatto in African American Literature.
• The Role of Nature in African American Poetry.
• The Intersection of Race and Gender in Black Women’s Literature.
• The Concept of ‘Home’ and ‘Exile’ in African American Literature.
• Literature’s Depiction of Black Masculinity and Femininity.
• Economic Inequality in African American Fiction.
• The African American Family Dynamic in Literature.

5. Modern and Contemporary Works:

• Hip Hop Culture and its Influence on Modern Black Literature.
• Contemporary African American Literature in the Digital Age.
• The Role of Literature in the Black Lives Matter Movement.
• LGBTQ+ Representation in Modern African American Literature.
• The Influence of African American Literature on Modern Pop Culture.
• Black Literature in the Post-Obama Era.
• African American Literature’s Response to Police Brutality.
• The Influence of Social Media on African American Poetry.
• African American Literature in the Age of Globalization.
• The Future Trajectories of African American Literature.

6. Comparative Literature:

• African vs. African American Literature: Themes and Differences.
• African American Literature in relation to Latin American Literary Movements.
• The Shared Themes of Oppression in Black and Indigenous Literatures.
• Comparative Analysis of Black Literature from Different Continents.
• African American and Asian American Literature: Intersections of Race and Identity.
• Parallels between African American Literature and South African Apartheid Literature.
• The Influence of British Literature on African American Writers.
• Themes of Resistance: African American and Palestinian Literatures.
• African American Literature and the Caribbean Literary Tradition.
• Shared Struggles: African American and Irish Literature.

7. Adaptations and Influence:

• The Impact of African American Literature on Hollywood.
• Stage Adaptations of Iconic African American Literary Works.
• The Influence of Black Literature on Music, especially Hip Hop and R&B.
• How African American Literature Shaped Modern Fashion Trends.
• African American Literature’s Influence on Visual Arts.
• The Role of African American Literature in Academic Curricula.
• The Adaptation of African American Novels into Graphic Novels and Comics.
• Television Series Inspired by African American Literary Classics.
• The Global Impact of African American Literature.
• African American Literature in Multimedia: From Video Games to Virtual Reality.

8. Critical Theories and African American Literature:

• Postcolonial Readings of African American Texts.
• Feminist Approaches to Black Women’s Literature.
• Queer Theory and African American Literary Criticism.
• Marxist Interpretations of African American Literature.
• Applying Psychoanalytic Theory to Black Literary Works.
• Deconstructing Race: Structuralism and African American Texts.
• African American Literature through the Lens of Critical Race Theory.
• The Eco-critical Reading of African American Nature Poetry.
• Posthumanism and African American Science Fiction.
• African American Literature and the Postmodernist Approach.

9. Literature and Activism:

• Literature as a Tool for Social Change in the Civil Rights Era.
• The Black Arts Movement: Artistry and Activism Hand in Hand.
• Writers as Activists: The Dual Roles of Iconic African American Authors.
• The Role of Journals and Magazines in Promoting Black Literary Activism.
• African American Literature and Environmental Activism.
• Black Literature’s Response to the Prison Industrial Complex.
• African American Literature’s Role in Feminist Movements.
• Literature’s Response to Racial Health Disparities.
• African American Literature and Economic Justice Activism.
• The Influence of Black Literary Societies in Advocating for Equality.

10. Pedagogical Approaches:

• Teaching African American Literature in High School: Benefits and Challenges.
• Incorporating Black Literature into a Diverse College Curriculum.
• The Role of African American Literature in Promoting Critical Thinking.
• Strategies for Making African American Texts Relatable to Non-Black Students.
• The Importance of Context when Teaching Historical African American Texts.
• Interactive Methods for Teaching African American Poetry.
• Utilizing Multimedia Tools in Teaching Contemporary Black Literature.
• Addressing Controversial Topics in African American Literature in the Classroom.
• The Role of African American Literature in Promoting Empathy and Cultural Awareness.
• Evaluative Techniques for Assessing Understanding of African American Literary Themes.

This list, while comprehensive, is but a starting point. The expansive nature of African American literature ensures that scholars and students alike can find a topic that resonates deeply with their interests and academic pursuits. Whether you’re delving into historical narratives, analyzing literary techniques, or examining the socio-cultural impacts of certain works, African American literature offers a profound journey of discovery.

African American Literature

And the range of research paper topics it offers.

African American literature, rooted deeply in the history and experiences of a people who faced extreme adversity, has evolved into a potent voice of resilience, creativity, and resistance. This vast literary field mirrors the collective struggle for identity, civil rights, and cultural acknowledgment, echoing centuries of pain, hopes, dreams, and triumphs.

The genesis of African American literature lies in the evocative spirituals, work songs, and oral traditions passed through generations. These were more than just rhythmic tunes or recounted tales; they were resonant chronicles of anguish, desire for freedom, and an indomitable spirit. The oral traditions of storytelling, tracing back to African roots, relayed stories of ancestors, imparted wisdom, and offered hope in times of despair. With the transition from the African continent to the Americas due to the brutalities of the transatlantic slave trade, these stories underwent a metamorphosis, reflecting the new harrowing realities of life in chains.

As the nation approached and then moved past the Emancipation Proclamation, written narratives began to emerge. Autobiographies and firsthand accounts of life under the yoke of slavery became a literary weapon. Works such as Frederick Douglass’s “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” and Harriet Jacobs’ “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” provided chilling glimpses into the inhumanity of slavery. These narratives, while highlighting the horrors, also emphasized the resilience and determination of those who resisted and survived.

The dawn of the 20th century saw the emergence of the Harlem Renaissance, a glorious epoch where African American culture, especially literature, blossomed in full splendor. This was not merely a literary movement; it was a cultural reawakening. Writers like Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Claude McKay began exploring themes of racial pride, urbanization, and the nuances of the Black experience in America. Their writings, be it poetry, novels, or essays, encapsulated a newfound cultural confidence and an unapologetic embrace of Black heritage.

The subsequent decades, especially the tumultuous 1960s and the Civil Rights era, bore witness to literature that was heavily activist in tone. Authors like James Baldwin, with his incisive commentary on race and sexuality, and Toni Morrison, with her profound explorations of Black identity and trauma, set the literary world alight. Maya Angelou’s autobiographical works celebrated Black womanhood’s multifaceted nature, while Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” laid bare the intricacies of racial invisibility and identity.

Contemporary African American literature continues to evolve, breaking new ground and venturing into previously uncharted territories. Octavia Butler’s foray into science fiction challenges racial and gender norms, while Colson Whitehead’s speculative narratives provide alternative historical perspectives with profound insights.

Given this vast and layered literary canvas, the spectrum of African American literature research paper topics is boundless. Scholars and students can journey through historical epochs, understanding the societal shifts and their implications on literary themes. They can dissect the works of iconic figures, charting their evolution and impact. Themes like migration, urbanization, love, trauma, and racial identity recur across eras, offering opportunities for comparative studies. Moreover, the adaptability of African American literature in various media forms, from the silver screen to haunting melodies, presents a multidisciplinary approach for research.

In essence, African American literature stands as a monumental testament to a people’s journey from chains to freedom, from invisibility to acknowledgment. It offers a plethora of avenues for academic exploration, ensuring that every research endeavor within its realm is a deep dive into cultural, historical, and literary richness.

How to Choose African American Literature Research Paper Topics

Choosing the right research topic is akin to embarking on a literary journey. When you’re venturing into the vast realm of African American literature, the sheer depth and diversity of potential subjects can be both inspiring and overwhelming. How do you zero in on a topic that not only captivates your interest but also offers scope for extensive research and fresh insights? Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate this important decision-making process.

• Understand the Purpose: Before anything else, clarify the objective of your research paper. Is it to critically analyze a specific work or author? Perhaps you’re aiming to explore broader themes or trends across decades or genres. Having a clear understanding of your research goal will significantly narrow down your topic options.
• Dive into Preliminary Reading: Engage with primary texts, anthologies, and critical essays to familiarize yourself with the landscape of African American literature. This initial exploration will introduce you to recurring themes, influential authors, historical contexts, and evolving narratives.
• Identify Your Passion: What moves you? Is it the raw emotion in Maya Angelou’s poetry, the speculative realms created by Octavia Butler, or the historical intricacies in the works of Colson Whitehead? A topic that you’re genuinely passionate about will make the research process more engaging and rewarding.
• Consult Secondary Sources: Academic journals, critiques, and theses offer critical discussions on various African American literature research paper topics. These can inspire new perspectives or help refine your chosen subject.
• Check for Feasibility: A topic might be intriguing, but it’s essential to ensure there’s enough information available for in-depth research. Check libraries, online databases, and literary journals to see if your chosen topic has substantial resources and references.
• Seek Diversity: African American literature is enriched by a multiplicity of voices – from urban tales to rural narratives, from historical accounts to futuristic visions. Consider exploring lesser-known authors or texts to bring fresh perspectives to your research.
• Consider Interdisciplinary Approaches: African American literature often intersects with fields like history, sociology, music, and politics. An interdisciplinary approach can yield richer insights and set your paper apart.
• Engage in Discussions: Conversations with peers, professors, or literary enthusiasts can spark new ideas or refine existing ones. They might introduce angles you hadn’t considered or highlight potential pitfalls in your chosen topic.
• Stay Updated: The world of African American literature is dynamic. New critiques, interpretations, and discussions emerge regularly. Stay updated with the latest literary journals and forums to ensure your research is contemporary and relevant.
• Revisit and Refine: Once you’ve chosen a topic, revisit it after a period of contemplation. Refining and narrowing it down further can lead to a more focused and impactful research paper.

The rich tapestry of literature offers a myriad of African American literature research paper topics for exploration. While the abundance of choices can be daunting, a systematic approach to topic selection can ensure that your research is not only academically rigorous but also personally fulfilling. Always remember that the journey of delving deep into literature, understanding nuances, and unearthing new perspectives is as rewarding as the final paper itself. Let your passion for the subject guide you, and you’re sure to embark on a memorable academic adventure.

How to Write an African American Literature Research Paper

Embarking on a research paper about African American literature is not just an academic endeavor, but a deep dive into a world of struggle, triumph, resilience, and unparalleled creative expression. This vast realm of literature is imbued with historical significance and offers profound insights into the Black experience in America. As you begin your scholarly journey, here are ten pivotal tips to guide you in crafting a compelling and insightful research paper.

• Lay a Strong Foundation: Start with an illuminating introduction. A powerful opening, whether it’s a relevant quote from a notable African American author or a provocative question related to your topic, will engage your readers instantly. Following this, provide a brief backdrop of the historical or societal context relevant to your subject before zeroing in on your thesis statement.
• Prioritize Organization: An organized structure is pivotal. Depending on the breadth of your topic, categorize your paper either chronologically, thematically, or based on specific authors and works. Incorporate clear subheadings to enhance readability.
• Root Your Claims in Evidence: Every assertion or claim you make should be substantiated with concrete evidence, whether from primary texts, scholarly articles, or critical essays. Ensure all quotations and references are appropriately cited.
• Embrace Multiple Angles: Present a comprehensive view of your topic by integrating various literary criticisms or perspectives. This showcases not only the depth of your research but also your holistic understanding of the subject.
• Maintain Cohesiveness: Seamless transitions between sections and ideas are crucial. This ensures your paper reads fluidly, guiding your reader effortlessly from one point to the next.
• Engage in Deep Analysis: Surface readings won’t suffice. Dive deep into the layers of the text, examining elements like symbolism, historical context, or character development. Understand the sociopolitical influences on the works you’re studying, be it the Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Movement, or other significant epochs.
• Conclude with Purpose: Your conclusion should not merely be a recap. While revisiting your main arguments is essential, also aim to provide a broader perspective, hinting at the broader implications of your research or suggesting potential avenues for further exploration.
• Attention to Detail: Once your draft is complete, scrutinize it for clarity, logical flow, and coherence. Ensure that there are no grammatical or syntactical errors marring your work.
• Consistent Citation: Depending on the prescribed format – APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, or Harvard – ensure that every source, be it primary or secondary, is consistently and correctly cited. This lends credibility to your paper.
• Seek Feedback: Before final submission, consider having your paper reviewed by peers, mentors, or educators. Fresh eyes can offer invaluable insights, catching oversights you might have missed.

In conclusion, delving into African American literature for research is both an honor and responsibility. The richness of this literary tradition offers a unique lens into the Black experience, a testament to centuries of resilience, creativity, and cultural evolution. As you put pen to paper, remember that you’re not just crafting an academic document but contributing to a dialogue that spans generations. With passion, diligence, and adherence to these guidelines, your research paper will undoubtedly stand as a commendable addition to this ongoing conversation.

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African American literature stands as a testament to centuries of resilience, brilliance, and a ceaseless quest for justice. The voices that reverberate through these texts tell tales of struggles and triumphs, offering profound insights into the African American experience. But to decipher and delve deep into these narratives requires dedication, an eye for detail, and an understanding of the socio-historical context.

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262+ African American Essay Topics for Thought-Provoking Writing

Aug 26, 2024 | 0 comments

Aug 26, 2024 | Topics | 0 comments

Exploring African American essay topics offers a profound opportunity to delve into the rich tapestry of history, culture, and identity that shapes the African American experience. These topics evoke a spectrum of emotions, encouraging writers to engage deeply with themes of resilience, struggle, and triumph. 

By examining various aspects of African American life, essays can provide valuable information that challenges stereotypes and broadens understanding.

The interplay of race and ethnicity, as reflected in the United States Census, serves as a critical backdrop for these discussions, revealing the complexities of identity formation and representation. Through thoughtful exploration of these subjects, writers can stimulate the mind and inspire dialogue, fostering a greater appreciation for the diverse narratives that contribute to the African American legacy.

Whether addressing historical events, cultural contributions, or contemporary issues, the examination of these topics remains essential in promoting awareness and social justice. 

Table of Contents

How to Choose African American Essay Topics

Selecting compelling African American essay topics requires careful consideration and research. Here’s a guide to help you choose meaningful subjects that explore the rich tapestry of African American history, culture, and experiences.

• Explore historical contexts: Begin by delving into the history of African Americans, from the Atlantic slave trade to contemporary issues. Consider pivotal moments like the Civil Rights Movement or the contributions of African American soldiers in various conflicts. Understanding this historical backdrop provides a solid foundation for your topic selection.
• Examine cultural influences: African American culture has profoundly shaped American society. Investigate topics related to literature, music, art, or traditions. For example, you might explore how African-American literature has evolved over time or how it reflects the changing experiences of Black people in America.
• Consider identity and social dynamics: The concept of identity is crucial in African American studies. Look into topics that address how race and ethnicity are categorized in the United States census and how these classifications impact individuals and communities. Explore the complexities of racial identity and its influence on societal interactions.
• Analyze contemporary issues: Examine current challenges and triumphs among African Americans. This could include topics related to education, such as the experiences of African American students in various educational settings, or socioeconomic issues affecting Black communities.
• Focus on individual experiences: Personal narratives can provide powerful insights. Consider exploring the life stories of influential figures like Harriet Jacobs or modern African American leaders. These individual accounts can illuminate broader themes in African American history and culture.
• Investigate psychological and emotional aspects: The psychological impact of historical and ongoing experiences is a rich area for exploration. Consider topics that delve into the emotional landscape of African American experiences, such as the psychological effects of discrimination or the role of resilience in African American communities.
• Explore natural and environmental connections: Consider topics that link African American experiences with nature and the environment. This could include historical connections to land, contemporary environmental justice issues, or cultural practices related to the natural world.
• Examine diverse perspectives: Remember that the African American experience is not monolithic. Look for topics that highlight the diversity within Black communities, considering factors such as region, socioeconomic status, and individual backgrounds.
• Connect past and present: Choose topics that draw connections between historical events and contemporary issues. For example, you might explore how the legacy of the Atlantic slave trade continues to influence modern African American communities.
• Consider interdisciplinary approaches: African American studies intersect with numerous fields. Consider topics that combine different disciplines, such as the intersection of race and health care, or the role of African Americans in scientific advancements.
• Reflect on cultural contributions: Explore topics that highlight the significant contributions of African Americans to various fields, from literature and arts to sciences and politics.
• Address misconceptions: Consider topics that challenge common misconceptions about African American history, culture, or experiences. This can lead to informative and thought-provoking essays.

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🏆 Best African American Essay Topics

1. Harlem Renaissance’s impact on African-American culture 2. Emancipation Proclamation and its effects on slavery 3. Spirituals as expressions of African-American experience 4. Civil rights movement’s influence on democracy 5. African art’s role in shaping Black identity 6. Reconstruction era challenges for freed slaves 7. Atlantic slave trade’s long-term consequences 8. African-American literature’s evolution post-1960s 9. Racial discrimination in healthcare access 10. Black women’s contributions to academic publishing 11. Poverty’s impact on African-American communities 12. Tapestry of African-American traditions in modern society

🎓 Interesting African American Research Paper Topics

• Atlantic slave trade’s long-term effects on black identity
• African American culture’s influence on global music trends
• Black people’s representation in U.S. politics post-1960s
• Disease prevention strategies in African American communities
• Experts of African descent in international diplomacy
• Goal-setting and achievement patterns among black professionals
• The mind-body connection in African American health practices
• Nation of Islam’s role in African American empowerment
• Proofreading and editing contributions of black literary figures
• Risk factors for cardiovascular disease in African Americans
• Slavery in the United States: economic impact and legacy
• “The Ballot or the Bullet” speech: historical context and relevance
• Understanding code-switching in African American communication
• African American women’s leadership in community organizations
• Learning styles and educational approaches for black students

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📌 Most Interesting African Americans Topics to Write About

1. Social determinants of health in Black populations 2. Emergence of African-American professors in academia 3. Infant mortality rates among Black communities 4. Parenting strategies in African-American families 5. Discrimination based on skin tone within Black culture 6. African-Americans’ perception of law enforcement 7. Exploration of African roots in contemporary Black art 8. Gender roles in African-American households 9. Black people’s representation in U.S. Census data 10. Major depressive disorder prevalence in Black populations 11. African-American spirituality and religious practices 12. Racial bias in preventive healthcare services

Best African American Research Paper Topics

1. Harriet Jacobs’ narrative and slave experience 2. African-American soldiers’ roles in the American Civil War 3. Black leaders’ influence on civil and political rights 4. Harlem’s significance in African-American history 5. Anti-racism movements in United States universities 6. African-Americans’ contributions to American literature 7. Black women’s role in shaping community identity 8. Critical thinking skills development in Black students 9. Landscape of African-American-owned businesses 10. Trade relationships between African and Black Americans 11. Mind-body connection in African-American health practices 12. Oppression’s impact on Black cultural expression

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African American Research Paper Topics for College

1. African-American children’s educational experiences 2. Black people’s representation in media and entertainment 3. Social exclusion’s effects on Black mental health 4. African-American literature’s themes and motifs 5. Black communities’ approaches to preventive healthcare 6. Racism’s impact on African-American professional growth 7. African art influences in contemporary Black culture 8. Black women’s leadership in civil rights movements 9. African-American families’ generational wealth disparities 10. Slavery’s lingering effects on Black socioeconomic status 11. African-Americans’ contributions to scientific advancements 12. Black youth’s civic engagement and political participation

✍️ African Americans Essay Topics for College

1. Reconstruction era policies’ impact on Black communities 2. African-American literature’s role in social change 3. Black women’s experiences in higher education 4. Civil rights movement’s influence on Black voter turnout 5. African-American entrepreneurship in the digital age 6. Racial discrimination in the criminal justice system 7. Black families’ strategies for preserving cultural heritage 8. African-Americans’ contributions to music and arts 9. Health disparities among Black LGBTQ+ individuals 10. African-American athletes’ activism and social impact 11. Black-owned media outlets’ role in community empowerment 12. African-American students’ experiences in STEM fields

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Simple African American Research Paper Topics

1. Famous African-American inventors and their creations 2. Black history month’s significance in schools 3. African-American hairstyles and cultural identity 4. Soul food’s origins and cultural importance 5. Notable African-American authors and their works 6. Black churches’ role in community organization 7. African-American fashion trends through decades 8. Famous Black athletes and their societal impact 9. African-American music genres and their evolution 10. Black-owned businesses in local communities 11. African-American holidays and celebrations 12. Black representation in children’s literature

Controversial African American Research Paper Topics

1. Affirmative action policies in higher education 2. Reparations for descendants of enslaved Africans 3. Police brutality against Black individuals 4. Racial profiling in law enforcement practices 5. Gentrification’s impact on Black neighborhoods 6. Colorism within African-American communities 7. The Black Lives Matter movement’s societal impact 8. Racial wealth gap and economic inequalities 9. School-to-prison pipeline affecting Black youth 10. Cultural appropriation of African-American traditions 11. Representation of Black characters in video games 12. Intersectionality of race and gender discrimination

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African American Research Paper Topics for Middle School

1. Underground Railroad’s role in helping escaped slaves 2. Notable African-American scientists and inventors 3. Black athletes who broke racial barriers in sports 4. African-American contributions to space exploration 5. Famous Black musicians and their impact on culture 6. African-American folklore and storytelling traditions 7. Black leaders in the Civil Rights Movement 8. African influences on American cuisine 9. Notable African-American artists and their works 10. Black pioneers in various professions 11. African-American holidays and their significance 12. Black superheroes in comics and popular culture

African American Research Paper Topics for High School

1. Jim Crow laws and their impact on Black communities 2. African-American poetry and its themes 3. Black Panthers’ Role in the Civil Rights Movement 4. African-American entrepreneurship through history 5. Hip-hop culture’s influence on Black youth 6. Black women’s contributions to the suffrage movement 7. African-American participation in U.S. military conflicts 8. Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ importance 9. Environmental racism in Black neighborhoods 10. African-American LGBTQ+ figures in history 11. Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre 12. African-American contributions to medical advancements

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African American Literature Research Paper Topics

1. Toni Morrison’s exploration of Black identity 2. Langston Hughes’ poetry and the Harlem Renaissance 3. Slave narratives as historical and literary documents 4. Zora Neale Hurston’s portrayal of Black Southern life 5. James Baldwin’s essays on race and sexuality 6. African-American science fiction and Afrofuturism 7. Maya Angelou’s autobiographical works and themes 8. Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” and social invisibility 9. Contemporary African-American playwrights and themes 10. Black feminist literature and its key figures 11. The Great Migration’s influence on Black literature 12. African-American children’s literature and representation

📝 African American Research Papers Examples

1. W.E.B. Du Bois’ concept of double consciousness 2. Malcolm X’s influence on Black nationalism 3. Booker T. Washington’s educational philosophy 4. Sojourner Truth’s activism for Black women’s rights 5. Frederick Douglass’ abolitionist efforts and writings 6. Ida B. Wells’ investigative journalism on lynching 7. Martin Luther King Jr.’s nonviolent resistance strategy 8. Thurgood Marshall’s legal battles for civil rights 9. Barack Obama’s presidency and its historical significance 10. Fannie Lou Hamer’s voting rights activism 11. Shirley Chisholm’s groundbreaking political career 12. Carter G. Woodson’s establishment of Black History Month

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👍 Good African American Research Topics & Essay Examples

1. Jazz music’s role in African-American cultural expression 2. Black-owned newspapers’ influence on community activism 3. African-American vernacular English and code-switching 4. Black Twitter’s impact on digital cultural discourse 5. African-American beauty standards and body image 6. Black consumer spending power and economic influence 7. African-American participation in labor unions 8. Black-owned banks and financial institutions’ history 9. African-American contributions to culinary arts 10. Black representation in Hollywood and film industry 11. African-American social clubs and organizations 12. Black rodeo culture and cowboy traditions

📌 Easy African American Essay Titles

1. Famous African-American painters and their works 2. Black History Month school activities and projects 3. African-American children’s book authors 4. Popular African-American hairstyles and their meanings 5. Famous Black athletes in Olympic history 6. African-American inventors and their inventions 7. Black superheroes in comic books and movies 8. African-American dance styles and their origins 9. Famous Black musicians across different genres 10. African-American fashion designers and their influence 11. Black-owned restaurants in your local area 12. African-American TV shows and their cultural impact

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❓ African American Research Questions

1. How has redlining affected Black homeownership rates? 2. What role do Black churches play in political mobilization? 3. How does code-switching impact Black professionals? 4. What are the effects of mass incarceration on Black families? 5. How has social media influenced Black activism? 6. What are the unique mental health challenges facing Black youth? 7. How do Black-owned businesses impact local economies? 8. What strategies can reduce health disparities in Black communities? 9. How does hair discrimination affect Black individuals in workplaces? 10. What is the impact of Black representation in STEM fields? 11. How do Black LGBTQ+ individuals navigate multiple identities? 12. What role does oral tradition play in preserving Black history?

📚 Great African American Argumentative Essay Topics

1. Effectiveness of affirmative action in higher education 2. Impact of voter ID laws on Black voter turnout 3. Pros and cons of Black-only spaces in universities 4. Debate on removing Confederate monuments 5. Effectiveness of diversity training in reducing workplace bias 6. Arguments for and against reparations for slavery 7. Pros and cons of school choice in Black communities 8. Debate on the use of the N-word in popular culture 9. Effectiveness of body cameras in reducing police brutality 10. Arguments for and against Black-focused curriculum in schools 11. Debate on the role of respectability politics in Black progress 12. Pros and cons of race-based college admissions policies

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African American History Research Topics On Slavery In The U.S.

1. Resistance strategies of enslaved Africans 2. Impact of the cotton gin on slavery’s expansion 3. Role of religion in slave communities 4. Slave codes and their enforcement in different states 5. Underground Railroad’s routes and key figures 6. Slave rebellions and their consequences 7. Slavery’s influence on the American economy 8. Treatment of enslaved women and children 9. Free Black communities in antebellum America 10. Slavery’s impact on African cultural retention 11. Compromise of 1850 and its effect on slavery 12. Gradual emancipation laws in Northern states

🌶️ Hot African American Ideas to Write About

1. The Black Lives Matter movement’s global impact 2. Racial bias in artificial intelligence and algorithms 3. Black representation in video game development 4. Afrofuturism in literature, art, and music 5. Black entrepreneurship in the cannabis industry 6. Mental health stigma in African-American communities 7. Black Influencers’ impact on social media marketing 8. Environmental justice in Black neighborhoods 9. Black women’s leadership in tech startups 10. African-American participation in extreme sports 11. Black representation in virtual and augmented reality 12. Intersection of Black and LGBTQ+ rights movements

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👍 Good Essay Topics on African Americans

1. Impact of the 1960s civil rights movement on black identity 2. African-American literature’s role in shaping cultural understanding 3. Healthcare disparities among African American communities 4. Harriet Jacobs’ narrative and its influence on slave literature 5. Social exclusion’s effects on African American mental health 6. Black women’s contributions to STEM fields 7. Poverty cycles in urban African American neighborhoods 8. African American soldiers’ experiences in major U.S. conflicts 9. Emotional intelligence development in African American youth 10. Knowledge preservation through oral traditions in black culture 11. Nature’s role in African American spiritual practices 12. Oppression’s impact on African American family structures 13. Race and ethnicity census categorization challenges 14. African American students’ experiences in higher education 15. Life of African Americans in rural vs. urban settings

Social Justice Topics for African American Women

1. Black women’s reproductive rights and healthcare access 2. Intersectionality of race and gender in workplace discrimination 3. African American women’s roles in civil rights movements 4. Emotional labor of black women in professional settings 5. Poverty’s impact on single-mother households in black communities 6. Social exclusion experiences of African American LGBTQ+ women 7. Black women’s representation in STEM fields and academia 8. Health care disparities affecting African American women 9. Natural hair discrimination in schools and workplaces 10. Oppression’s effect on black women’s mental health 11. African American women’s literary contributions post-1960s 12. Black women’s voting patterns and political engagement 13. Risk factors for maternal mortality among African American women 14. Understanding black women’s experiences with law enforcement 15. African American women’s leadership in grassroots organizations

Read Also: Communication Essay Topics

Civil Rights Movement Topics

1. 1960s lunch counter sit-ins: strategies and outcomes 2. African American culture’s evolution during the Civil Rights era 3. African American people’s economic status before and after the movement 4. Emotional toll of nonviolent resistance on activists 5. Goals and achievements of the Montgomery Bus Boycott 6. Harriet Jacobs’ influence on early civil rights discourse 7. Identity formation among young civil rights participants 8. Knowledge dissemination through freedom schools 9. Life of African Americans in newly desegregated spaces 10. Nation’s response to televised civil rights confrontations 11. Oppression tactics used against movement leaders 12. Race and ethnicity census changes influenced by the movement 13. Slavery in the United States: historical context for civil rights 14. Understanding generational divides within movement leadership 15. African American women’s behind-the-scenes roles in organizing

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African American Studies *

• Reference & Background Sources
• Books & Book Reviews

Core African American Studies Article Databases

Multidisciplinary databases, african american studies journals, find out if usc has a specific journal.

• Oral Histories
• Newspapers & Magazines
• Citing Sources
• What's New & Keeping Current

Start with these databases:

Multidisciplinary databases are extremely useful for finding articles published in interdisciplinary journals or in journals outiside of the discipline of American history that may still be relevant to your research topic.

In addition to containing journal articles, many of these database also provide citations for (or full-text access to) books, book chapters, dissertations, and conference proceedings, which allows you to cast a wider net in your effort to find sources .

Large Multidisciplinary Databases:

• Google Scholar This link opens in a new window Filtered Google Search finding scholarly journal articles, books, citations, and case law.
• Web of Science This link opens in a new window Interdisciplinary collection of journal articles, conference proceedings, and books. Collection of seven online database: Conference Proceedings Citation Index, Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Index Chemicus, Current Chemical Reactions, and Book Citation Index. Coverage is 1900-present.

Other Multidisciplinary (Point of view) Databases:

• African American Review Official publication of the Division on Black American Literature and Culture of the Modern Language Association.
• Black American Literature Forum Early publication of MLA's Black American Literature and Culture division, 1983-1991
• Black Renaissance = Renaissance Noir Put out by the Africana Studies Program and the Institute of African American Affairs at New York University
• Black Scholar (Online) Founded in 1969, this is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal devoted to the exploration of cultural, political, social, and economic issues affecting black Americans and other peoples of African descent across the world
• Black Women, Gender, & Families The primary mission of Black Women, Gender & Families is to analyze, develop, and further Black Women's Studies paradigms. It centers the study of Black women and gender within the critical discourses of history, the social sciences, and the humanities.
• Callaloo Original works by and critical studies of black writers worldwide
• CLA journal Published since 1957 by the College Language Association - an association formed by historically black colleges and universities in 1937. It is a peer reviewed journal that features book reviews and articles in the areas of language, literature, linguistics and pedagogy.
• Ethnic and Racial Studies (Online) An interdisciplinary academic forum for the presentation of research and theoretical analysis, drawing on sociology, social policy, anthropology, political science, economics, international relations, history and social psychology
• Journal of African American history (Online) Founded by Carter Woodson in 1916 as the Journal of Negro History. Since then, this journal has become one of the leading scholarly sources on African American life and history
• Journal of Blacks in Higher Education (Online) Importance of higher education in the lives of Black Americans
• Journal of Black Studies Scholarship on the Black experience
• The Journal of Negro Education Study of Blacks and education
• Journal of Negro History (Online) 1916-2001 Issues since 2002 under the title "Journal of African American History." Founded by Carter Woodson, this journal has become one of the leading scholarly sources of African American life and history.
• The Langston Hughes Review The official publication of the Langston Hughes Society
• Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men A multidisciplinary research journal whose articles focus on issues related to aspects of Black men's experiences, including such topics as gender, masculinities, and race/ethnicity.
• The Review of Black Political Economy Published in affiliation with the National Economic Association, this journal examines the economic status of African American and Third World peoples and analyzes policies designed to either reduce economic inequality or to advance economic opportunities.
• Transition Multidisciplinary journal providing essays and book reviews and essays on a wide range of topics in African American Studies
• Western Journal of Black Studies Covers a wide range of disciplines that focus mainly on the experience of African Americans in the United States of America. Publishes articles that contribute new knowledge and understanding to the field of Black/African American Studies and the African diaspora.

If you are looking for a specific journal, select Journals on the Libraries homepage:

If you have the exact title of the journal, search for the title and on the Results page, select " Sort by: Title ":

If we have online access to this publication you'll see one or more results, with the dates available and the name of the database or publisher linking you to the journal. If we have the journal in print or on microfilm you will see location information under the " Availability " section of the item record.

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• Last Updated: Aug 7, 2024 12:44 PM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/africanamericanstudies

African-American Studies Paper Topics

There is an endless variety of African-American studies paper topics to choose from. You may be struggling because there are too many options or because you are unfamiliar with the subject area. Whatever the case, we can help .

African-American studies intersects with every possible subject area. Political science, STEM fields, philosophy, business, art and architecture, and literature, are just some of the interdisciplinary areas of study available for student writers to explore.

Interesting Research Paper Topics

When trying to choose interesting research paper topics, it is useful to look at your own areas of interest or areas where you are not very informed. Which of these directions you choose will depend on your own style and interests.

Here are just some of the paper topics that might be of interest to you:

• Abolitionists
• Affirmative Action: Myths and Realities
• African American English
• African American Literature
• African American Popular Culture
• African Americans and Health Care
• African Americans and The Freedom Of Assembly
• African Diaspora
• African Studies
• Africana Studies
• Afro-Latino Studies
• Anti-Racist Politics and Philosophies
• Atlantic Slave Trade
• Beauty Industries and Black Women
• Black Americans and Political Systems
• Black Americans and The U.S. Film Industry
• Black Americans During The Industrial Age
• Black Communities and The Culture Of Surveillance
• Black Femininities and Black Masculinities
• Black Feminism
• Black Nationalism
• Black Theater
• Black Womanism
• Black Women and Sport
• Black Women and The History Of Reproductive Choice
• Caribbean Slavery
• Civil Disobedience
• Civil Rights Act
• Civil Rights Movement
• Class and Race
• Code Switching
• Congress Of Racial Equality
• Contemporary Racial Identity
• Contemporary Research On Racism
• Contemporary Segregation In American Schools
• Desegregation
• Empowerment Pedagogies
• Environmental Racism
• Ethnic Studies
• Frederick Douglass
• Freedom Rides
• Gospel, Spirituals, Blues, and Rap: African American Music
• Hard Work and Natural Talent: Race and Sport
• Henrietta Lacks
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• How Pointing Out Racism Became “Worse” Than Being Racist
• Ida B. Wells
• Indentured Servitude and Slavery
• Justice and The Law: The Legal Constructs Of Slavery, Jim Crow, and Mass Incarceration
• Last Hired, First Fired: Race, Sex, and Employment
• Lynching: Reality and Metaphor
• Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X
• Mass Incarceration
• Maternal Health, Stress, and The “Menace” Of Black Motherhood
• Medical Racism
• Minorities In A Majority Culture
• Mixed Race Identities: Challenges Within and Without
• Origins Of Race
• Pan-African Studies
• Pan-Africanism
• Phyllis Wheatley
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In Black Communities
• Psychological Effects Of Racist Of Oppression
• Race and Class
• Race and Ethnicity
• Race and Freedom Of Speech
• Race and Freedom To Travel
• Race and Identity
• Race and Science Fiction: Literature and Visual Media
• Race and Social Mobility In The U.S.
• Race In Public Policy In America
• Race In The Commons: Race and Impromptu Social Interaction
• Race Theory
• Race, Sex, and Class In America
• Racism, Bigotry, Bias, Stereotypes, and Prejudice: Individuals and Systems Of Oppression
• Racist Ideologies From Colonial Europe To The Present
• Reconstruction
• Religion In Black America
• Riots and Resistance
• Slave Market Regions
• Slavery In Latin America and Black Migration
• Social Justice
• Sociology Of Oppression
• Sojourner Truth
• Southern Christian Leadership Conference (Sclc)
• Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (Sncc)
• Students For A Democratic Society (Sds)
• The 13Th, 14Th, and 15Th Amendments
• The African American Upper Classes In America
• The Black Power Movement
• The Harlem Renaissance
• The National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People (Naacp)
• The National Black Feminist Organization (Nbfo)
• Transatlantic Slave Trade
• Triangular Trade Route
• Voting Rights Movement
• W.E.B Du Bois
• Writings By Radical Women Of Color
• Zora Neale Hurston

There are many other topics available to an interested writer. Biographies of famous individuals, hidden histories in scientific and technological fields, and much more are waiting to be written. Whether examining how communities can be destroyed through urban planning, the highway planning commissions in Detroit, or revitalized by the same, New York City’s recovery, you can find a host of interesting topics about the activities within various African-American communities and the processes that shaped those communities.

See more great research paper topics by discipline.

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African american studies: theses and dissertations.

• Theses and Dissertations
• Audio & Video
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Bibliography of theses and dissertations on African American topics completed at Berkeley.

• African American Theses and Dissertations 1907-2001. This bibliography lists 600 theses and dissertations on African American topics completed at the University of California, Berkeley. The earliest thesis, by Emmet Gerald Alexander, State Education of the Negro in the South, was completed in 1907 in the Department of Education, while the most recent date from the calendar year 2001. The African experience in the Americas is the connecting thread which links these works completed in thirty three disciplines over the past eight decades. This experience is construed in its widest sense; included therefore are studies of Blacks in the Caribbean and in Central and Latin America as well as in North America. Theses not indubitably on this subject as revealed by their titles have been examined; we have retained only titles either entirely or substantially devoted to this subject. The collection is on microfilm in News/Micro Microfilm 2030.E. The originals have been moved to NRLF.

Find Dissertations

Find Dissertations by searching Dissertations and Theses (Dissertation Abstracts) Full Text , which includes full-text of most dissertations since 1997. It indexes over 1.5 million dissertations completed in North American (including UC) and European universities from 1861 to the present. Listings after 1980 include abstracts, and some feature 24-page excerpts. 

If the dissertation is not available in the database, check UC Library Search . Dissertations completed at other UC campuses prior to 1996 or outside the UC system must be obtained through Interlibrary Loan .

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• Next: Data >>
• Last Updated: Sep 23, 2024 3:44 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/subject-guide/African-American

HIS 400 - Law and Everyday Life in the Nineteenth-Century United States

• Starting Points

The problem in a nutshell

What kinds of questions do historians ask, ways of writing history, is your topic feasible, librarian for history and african american studies.

• Finding out what other historians think
• Finding primary sources
• Footnotes made easy This link opens in a new window
• Getting help

You need a topic

• that you care about;
• that addresses a historical question;
• for which you can identify primary sources that are accessible to you; and
• that's the right size for a 30-page paper due on January 6.

To start with, what questions have other historians asked about your general topic? If you are writing about something that already has been addressed by other historians, it can be very useful to survey that literature and ask yourself which approaches are interesting to you.

And remember: history is about change over time. Simply describing the events of the past isn't very interesting, unless there is disagreement about what actually happened.

In your junior seminar, you'll be introduced to many different ways of writing history. Some approaches have a long history of their own, like biography and the history of nations. Others are new, like transnational history or the study of race and gender in history. History has established subdisciplines, with their own ways of thinking about particular questions. So think about what you are interested in:

• Political history; the history of nations, empires, provinces, colonies, city-states, etc.; the history of relations between nations; transnational history; history of government and administration; the history of power
• Economic history; trade, finance, taxation
• Social history; the history of particular social groups (workers, the poor, peasants); history of gender, race, minority and marginal groups; relations between social groups
• Intellectual history; the history of ideas, education
• Military history; the history of arms and conflict
• Maritime history; the history of trade, commerce and conflict on the seas
• Imperial history; the history of nations conquering others and extending their cultures and economies through force and trade
• History of religion; the history of religious beliefs, practice, and the structures of organized religion
• Cultural history; the history of elite culture and of popular culture; material culture and consumption; art in historical context
• Environmental history; the history of the built environment (cities); the history of the natural environment
• Biography (the history of an individual); prosopography
• Historiography (the history of the writing of history)

Do not choose a topic for which there is no secondary literature and no primary sources that are accessible to you. Some questions to ask yourself, your advisor, and me:

• Have other historians found your topic worthwhile? It's better not to choose a topic on which there is no scholarly secondary literature whatsoever. (Possibly what you have is a good Ph.D. dissertation topic, but more likely it is not feasible for some other reason.)
• Are the sources for your topic written in a language you can read?
• Are the sources for your topic published, or unpublished? Are they available in print, on microfilm, or online?
• Are the sources for your topic available at Princeton? If not, can you borrow them (through Borrow Direct or Interlibrary Loan) from another library?
• Are the sources for your topic available somewhere else nearby? Can you travel (on a Friday, or over fall break) to another library or archive, or do you have other commitments that would make that impossible?
• Bottom line: choose a topic that is both small enough to be manageable and substantial enough to interest you and your readers
• << Previous: Starting Points
• Next: Finding out what other historians think >>
• Last Updated: Sep 26, 2024 3:49 PM
• URL: https://libguides.princeton.edu/HIS400-LawAndEverydayLifeInTheNineteenth-CenturyUnitedStates

Publications

Shamara wyllie alhassan.

Black Women and da ’Rona Community, Consciousness, and Ethics of Care

Walter allen.

High Education in a Global Society

African American Education

Bryonn bain.

Rebel Speak

The Ugly Side of Beautiful

Adam bradley.

The Poetry of Pop

The Anthology of Rap

Discourse of African Studies

Fighting for Us

Tananarive due.

The Reformatory: A Novel

Freedom in the Family

Lorrie frasure.

Racial and Ethnic Politics in American Suburbs

Yogita goyal.

The Cambridge Companion to Contemporary African American Literature

Runaway Genres

Kelly lytle hernández.

Bad Mexicans

City of Inmates

Tyrone c. howard.

Why Race and Culture Matter in Schools

Expanding College Access for Urban Youth

Darnell hunt.

Black Los Angeles

Channeling Blackness

Marcus anthony hunter.

Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of A Nation

Chocolate Cities The Black Map of American Life

Terence keel.

Divine Variations

Cheryl l. keyes.

Rap Music and Street Consciousness

An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States

City of Dispossessions

Uri mcmillan.

Embodied Avatars

Alesia montgomery.

Greening the Black Urban Regime

Safiya umoja noble.

Algorithms of Oppression

Brenda steveson.

What Sorrows Labour in My Parent’s Breast?

The Contested Murder of Latasha Harlins

Caroline streeter.

Tragic No More: Mixed Race Women and the Nexus of Sex and Celebrity

Patricia turner.

Trash Talk: Anti-Obama Lore and Race in the Twenty-First Century

Crafted Lives: Stories and Studies of African American Quilters

Jonli tunstall.

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African American Studies

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