Welcome to Oxford African American Studies Center

  • The Oxford African American Studies Center provides students, scholars and librarians with more than 20,000 articles by top scholars in the field
  • Over 2,500 images, more than 700 primary sources with specially written commentaries, and nearly 200 maps have been collected to enhance this reference content 
  • Discover over 60 "Focus On" articles which feature essays, photographic essays, and a selected list of articles that will further guide the reader here.

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Eldridge Wallace Bowen II

Discover the life of Baptist minister and community activist Eldridge Wallace Bowen II and how he used his position to protect and advocate for the welfare of African American communities.

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Barron DeWare Wilkins

Read about how entrepreneur and philanthropist Barron DeWare Wilkins established a business empire of cabarets and cafes which led him to be known locally as the “King of Harlem.”

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The May update of the Oxford African American Studies Center has published 20 new entries.

Photograph of a monument, during the Black Lives Matter protests

Letter From the Editor

"The following is an excerpt from Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song, the companion book for the PBS series The Black Church, premiering in February 2021..."

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Augustus Jenkins, Jr., Winter Break

Latest Publication

The Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography is a major biographical reference work covering the lives and legacies of notable Afro-descendants from the Caribbean and Latin American, men and women from all eras and walks of life.

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News

MAY 16, 2024

What’s New: May 2024

The May update to the Oxford African American Studies Center has published 20 new entries.

JANUARY 25, 2024

What’s New: January 2024

The January update of the Oxford African American Studies Center has published 5 new entries.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

What’s New: September 2023

The September update to the Oxford African American Studies Center has published 14 new entries.