Subject Guide
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The Other Side of Middletown
The Eagle Band, ca. 1900. Image source: Digital Media Repository, Other Side of Middletown Photographs Collection, https://dmr.bsu.edu/digital/collection/othermiddle/id/5
Ball State University Archives & Special Collections
Ball State University Libraries Archives & Special Collections provides a wealth of primary source material related to African American history in Muncie and Delaware County. Much of this material has been digitized and made available via the Digital Media Repository. Check out the following:
- The Other Side of Middletown: Consisting of over 150 digital images, this collection illustrates the history of the life and achievements of African Americans in Muncie and Delaware County through photographs donated by members of the community.
- Middletown Digital Oral Histories: Includes interviews in the Black Middletown Oral History Project (1981): Black Muncie Oral History Project (1971); and Other Side of Middletown Oral Histories (2003)
- BSU African American Alumni Oral Histories: Oral History interviews with African Americans who attended or worked at Ball State between 1950 and 2017.
- BSU African American Student Organization Records: Provides online access to publications by African American student organizations and official university publications, 1968-2014.
- Allen Williams BSU Black Alumni Collection: Scrapbooks, photographs, and videos donated by Allen Williams, class of 1973 and president of the BSU Alumni Council in 1998. This collection spans the 1960s to the 2000s.
- Edwin A. Gibson Architectural Records: Papers, drawings, and photographs related to Edwin Gibson, the first African American architect registered in Indiana.
African American Studies Resources in Archives and Special Collections: A guide to locating pertinent resources in the Archives & Special Collections.
Non-Ball State University Library, Archival and Organization Resources
Below are useful links for online collections, interest groups, and other information on the web.
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The African-American Migration ExperienceIn Motion: The African-American Migration Experience presents more than 16,500 pages of texts, 8,300 illustrations, and more than 60 maps. The Web site is organized around thirteen defining migrations that have formed and transformed African America and the nation.
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African American Archaeology, History, and CulturesDescribes archaeological and interdisciplinary studies of African diasporas, with news, current research, information and links to other web resources.
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African American MosaicProvides information on colonization, abolition, migrations after the Civil War, and material from the Works Progress Administration and the Federal Writers Project of the New Deal.
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African American OdysseyThis virtual exhibit by the Library of Congress provides resources that encompass topics such as slavery and civil rights.
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African American Writers of the Ninteenth CenturyProvides full text essays, fiction, journals, poetry, and autobiographical narratives of African American women writers.
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BlackPast.orgBlackPast.org, an online reference center makes available a wealth of materials on African American history in one central location on the Internet.
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The King CenterThis website provides extensive information on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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The Library of Congress: African American History MonthOnline exhibit from the Library of Congress.
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National Civil Rights MuseumWebsite for the National Civil Rights Museum. Includes information about exhibits and collections.
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New York Public Library Schomburg Center for Research in Black CultureNational research library devoted to documenting the history and experiences of peoples of African descent all over the world.
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Slave VoyagesThis digital memorial raises questions about the largest slave trades in history and offers access to the documentation available to answer them.
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Smithsonian.com: Black History Heritage MonthOnline Exhibit from the Smithsonian.
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African American Odyssey: The Civil Rights EraAn online exhibition housed by the Library of Congress showcasing books, government documents, manuscripts, maps, plays, films, and recordings pertaining to Black history.
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Greensboro Sit-InProvides an overview of the non-violent protests and its impact for civil rights.