Africana Studies (African American and African Studies)

The names of ethnic groups, states both modern and ancient, and places in Africa have complex histories. Names and terms with multiple meanings can be an issue when selecting what keywords to use when searching. This makes understanding what terminology to use for your topic key. 

The encyclopedias and database linked below will help you look up ethnic groups and understand what keywords to search. This will allow you learn more about the people you are researching as well as alternative names used to describe that group. Remember some names for ethnic groups are names the group uses for themselves while other terms are assigned to them by other groups of people. Using a variety of terms when researching ethnic groups is key to finding information about a group. 

The names of some African countries and/or states have changed over time while others have names that are the same or similar to the names of other countries/states in Africa. Others have names that are the same as ancient or medieval African states that were in another part of the continent and have an entirely different history and ethnic makeup. These differences can cause confusion and may require you to search under multiple names to find the history and current affairs of a single African country/state. Some names that can cause confusion are:

• The Republic of Ghana is named after an ancient empire that was not located within the confines of that modern state, but was found within the boundaries of another contemporary African state, Mauritania. The peoples of ancient and modern Ghana are not ethnically related and share no history of consequence.
• Modern Benin was originally named Dahomey at the time of its independence in 1960, but its name was changed to its present form in 1975. The ancient state of Benin was located in what is now Nigeria and has no relation to the modern state.
• The ancient state of Kongo was located in Central Africa. Today, there are two African countries called Congo (spelled differently from the ancient state). These are the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) and the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville). At independence, Congo-Kinshasa was officially known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but its name was changed to Zaire in the 1970s, and back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 1990s.
• Guinea is a name that Europeans used for west Africa in past centuries. At present, there is a west African country named Guinea, as well as another in that same region named Guinea Bissau. There is also a central African country named Equatorial Guinea. 

Hyphen or no hyphen?

When researching African-American Studies, it's important to remember that your search results will vary depending on how and when you use the term "African-American".  Because it is a hyphenated name, your search results using that name may vary greatly depending on whether you add or delete the hyphen.

Example

• A search for African-American in the Library's catalog will produce fewer results than one for African American (note the absence of the hyphen). The reason for the difference is that in the first instance the words African and American are being searched for together and in a specific order (African-American), while in the second instance those words are being searched for separately, in any order (in which case you might find a book like the "Africans to Spanish America").

Alternative Terms

It's also important to remember that the name "African-American" has only been widely used in the United States since the early 1990's. In the late 1960's, 70's and 80's, "black" was more frequently used, and in the 40's, 50's and early 60's "Negro" was used. If you're searching for books or articles written about African-Americans that were published prior to 1990 (and there are many, by excellent authors such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Richard Wright, etc.) the names "Black" and "Negro" may be used frequently, if not exclusively. That being said, it is also important to point out that books and articles written about Africans and African-Americans (though seldom by Africans and African-Americans) that were published before 1960 are somewhat more likely to contain historical inaccuracies and cultural biases.  Therefore, be cautious in using such resources unless you know or can find out about the scholarly reputation of the author.