Black Women in America – Bibliography

Black Women in America – Part 43

 We have come to the end of our journey through the lives of remarkable Black Women in America. We have told the stories of nearly 100 amazing black women and if I had not limited the number to Black Female Firsts, we could go on for many years. I hope that you have been enlightened and inspired by the many accounts that appear on this website.

On this website you will find the stories of African American women throughout the history of the United States from the late 18^th century to the present including – educators, writers, artists, scientists, inventors, medical personnel, athletes, entertainers, political leaders and activists, achievers of special awards, pilots and astronauts, missionaries, religious leaders, business leaders, and many more. At the end of this post I am sharing with you with a bibliography containing sources that I used in my research so that you can get some books for further reading.

Conclusion

It has been my privilege and honor to recount the stories of so many amazing black American women. I hope that you have enjoyed the stories. I hope that you will share them with others who may still be prejudiced for whatever reason against the female gender and/or any minorities including African Americans.

The following quotes are representative of the sentiments and goals of the over 100 Black Female Firsts on this website. These are wise words for everyone.

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
Harriet Tubman

 Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough.
Mary McLeod Bethune

Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.

Madam C.J. Walker

I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.
Rosa Parks

I did my best, and God did the rest.
Hattie McDaniel

Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.
Dr. Mae Jemison

As I have demonstrated by putting each category of stories in a somewhat historical order, African American women have lived through many changes in the United States from slavery to civil rights. We have seen things gradually change for black Americans – it is illegal now to deny opportunities based on race – but we have a long way to go to change more than just the civil laws.

I believe that one of the main problems is a problem of perception – I mean that deep down on a subliminal level there is the idea that men can always do it better than women and whites can do it better than blacks. You only have to look at the living conditions, hiring practices, and educational opportunities in some parts of the country to see this attitude played out.

Courageous black women have taken the high road – they have followed their callings to live for God and others. Their stories lift the image of black women. That is why I have told them. No one, reading these stories, can continue to say that black females don’t measure up. The problem is with the one who would still maintain racial and gender inferiority.

My prayer is that all people may one day be together in work, play, worship, and community as one humanity under God.

Black Women in America – Bibliography

 Biographies and Autobiographies

Andrews, William L. Sisters of the Spirit: Three Black Women’s Autobiographies of the Nineteenth Century.Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. 1986.

Banks, Nina, Editor. Democracy, Race, & Justice: The Speeches and Writings of Sadie T.M. Alexander. New Haven: Yale University Press. 2021.

Bundles, A’Lelia. On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker. New York, NY: Pocket Books. 2001.

Carr, Simonetta. Phillis Wheatley. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books. 2020.

Foote, Julia A.J. A Brand Plucked From the Fire: An Autobiographical Sketch. Cleveland, OH: W. F. Schneider. 1879.

Giddings, Paula J. IDA: A Sword Among Lions. New York, NY: Amistad, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. 2008.

Ilibagiza, Immaculee. Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House. 2014.

Quigley, Joan. Just Another Southern Town: Mary Church Terrell and the Struggle for Racial Justice in the Nation’s Capital. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2016.

Richardson, Marilyn, Editor. Maria W. Stewart, America’s First Black Woman Political Writer. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. 1987.

Smith, Amanda. An Autobiography. The Story of the Lord’s Dealings With Mrs. Amanda Smith. Chicago, IL: Meyer & Brother, Publisher. 1893.

Truth, Sojourner. Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Bondswoman of Olden Time, With a History of Her Labors and Correspondence Drawn from Her “Book of Life”. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 1991.
Walker-McWilliams, Marcia. Reverend Addie Wyatt: Faith and the Fight for Labor, Gender, and Racial Equality. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press. 2016.

Wells, Ida B. The Light of Truth: Writings of an Anti-Lynching Crusader. New York, NY: Penguin Books. 2014.

Anthologies

Daniel, Sadie Iola. Women Builders. Washington D.C.: Associated Publishers. 1970.

Hudson, Cheryl Willis. Brave. Black. First.:50+ African American Women Who Changed the World. New York, NY: Penguin Random House, LLC. 2020.

Plowden, Martha Ward. Famous Firsts of Black Women. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Company. 1993.

…………….This next set of volumes is invaluable for its variety of biographies. The hundreds of stories are essays, not complete biographies, but documentation is included so you can get more information on each African American woman. They are great reference books and give you a picture of many notable black women in American.

Smith, Jessie Carney, Editor. Notable Black American Women: Book I. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Inc., 1992.

Book I contains essays on 500 notable black American women born between 1730 and 1958. You can find information on many of the posts I did, for example Harriet Tubman, Angelina Grimke, Mary McLeod Bethune and many more.

Smith, Jessie Carney, Editor. Notable Black American Women: Book II. Detroit, MI: Gale Research. 1996.

Book II contains hundreds of more stories of black women in American including Sarah Jane Woodson Early, Julia A.J. Foote, Addie L. Wyatt and many more whose stories I posted. A helpful feature is the “Occupation Index” at the beginning of the book.

Smith, Jessie Carney, Editor. Notable Black American women: Book III. Detroit, MI: Gale Research. 2002.

Book III includes many personal statements along with the biographical information about the women included. These three volumes will give you a wonderful survey of black women in America. If you are a student or otherwise doing research, these books need to be in your library.

 

 There were scores of websites that I visited. Please look in the footnotes of the postings for many suggestions. Otherwise just explore the World Wide Web. There are getting to be more well-deserved biographies of African American woman all the time.

 

 God bless you and happy reading!!!