AP African American Studies Resource Archive | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Metal of a shirtless man wearing shorts and holding a spear. His let wrist has a chain that has been broken.

Commonalities and Differences in Maroon Communities

with Ana Lucia Araujo

Understand how maroon communities emerged and sustained themselves across the African diaspora.

Video

Map of Pernambuco, Brazil, with ships off the coast and an inset depiction of Black men wearing white pants in a field.

The Palmares Quilombo

with Ana Lucia Araujo

Learn more about one of the most significant maroon communities in the Americas.

Video

A wooden crucifix sculpture with three crosses stacked vertically, each with a Christlike crucified figure

Christianity and the Kingdom of Kongo

with John K. Thornton

Take a deep dive into Nzinga a Nkuwu (João), Nzinga Mbemba (Afonso), and the Kingdom of Kongo's move to Catholicism.

Video

A black-and-white photograph of James Brown, a Black man wearing a white shirt, sunglasses, a metal bracelet, and wristwatch waving as fans wave pieces of paper and look on in the distance.

The Origins and Elements of Hip-Hop

with Jeff Chang

Learn more about the genres, composers, and performers who developed the building blocks for what would become hip-hop.

Video

Photograph of a multi-buttoned drum machine and sampler. The machine consists of a black plastic box with a small screen in the upper left corner, multiple key pads, and a vertical design of black musical notes along the left, center and right of the box.

The Evolution of Hip-Hop and Breakdancing

with Jeff Chang

Explore the development of turntables, sampling, and breakdancing as key elements of hip-hop artistry and culture.

Video

Three boys playing atop the roof of a blue car, in front of an apartment building with graffiti written on the ground floor.

The Influence of the 1960s and 1970s on Hip-Hop

with Jeff Chang

Explore the importance of place and community on the development and growth of hip-hop in its earliest days.

Video

A white angel with brown hair and a white robe and holding a staff in his left hand speaking to a white woman, her right arm outstretched, and her left hand turning the page of a book. A dove is surrounded by a halo above them. Below both of them is a textile created in Kongo.

Textiles in the Kingdom of Kongo

with John K. Thornton

Learn more about the development of textiles in Kongo.

Video

Map of Africa noting the major rivers.

Africa's Major Rivers

by Exploring Africa, Michigan State University

View some of the key geography of the African continent.

Thematic Map

A typed notice on American Red Cross letterhead

“Statement of Policy Regarding Negro Blood Donors”

1942

View an impact of Jim Crow segregation on medical care during World War II.

Primary Source

A map of West Africa with the Mali Empire outlined in red.

Ghana, Mali, and Songhay: The Empires of West Africa

by Chouki El Hamel

Take a deep dive into the history of these three Sudanic empires.

Essay

A stereoscope card of a field of sisal fibers with a house in the background leading to a Mexican pyramid.

Diverse Roles of Africans in Early American Colonization

by Matthew Restall

Explore the ways free and enslaved Africans influenced Latin America in the sixteenth century.

Essay

Six older Black men wearing dark suits sitting on steps in two rows of three.

The WPA Slave Narratives

by Robert C. Williams

Develop an understanding of the nuances behind recording narratives of formerly enslaved people during the Great Depression.

Essay