Below are key reference books that provide a general overview of a topic or help identify synonyms, related terms, or basic data. These sources often include references and lists of further readings.
Juba to Jive : The Dictionary of African-American Slang by 
African-American Writers: A Dictionary by 
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Multiethnic American Literature by 
Black Literature Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Most Significant Works of Black Authors over the Past 200 Years. by 
Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance by 
Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History : The Black Experience in the Americas by 
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present : From the Age of Segregation to the Twenty-first Century by 
Encyclopedia of African American Religions by 
