Black Biographical Dictionaries, 1790-1950

"This is certainly a collection that will make my job - and the job of anyone who wants to track down vital biographical information - much, much easier."
William French, Scholar and Rare Book Dealer

The largest biographical compilation ever gathered to document the lives of black Americans, the 300 titles reproduced on microfiche amount to a collective history of the men and women who have strived for and achieved personal triumph in the face of racial and gender prejudice.

Written and edited in most cases by blacks, the works reproduced include biographical sketches of individuals from all walks of life - national activists, state and local figures, prominent women, lawyers, artists, musicians, church and missionary society leaders and many more. This remarkable collection offers real insight into black America from the accomplishments, against the odds, of thousands of previously unknown black women to the history of local black elites and their interactions with white America.

297 titles on 1,068 microfiche with printed handlist