Angelou, M. (2004). I know why the caged bird sings. Philadelphia: Chelsea House.
An autobiography of Maya Angelou’s childhood as she discusses the hardships of growing up as an African-American in Arkansas.

Bambara, T.C. (Ed.). (2005). The black woman: An anthology. New York: Washington Square Press.
A collection of African-American women writers stories, essays, and poems.  The authors include: Alice Walker, Audre Lorde, Nikki Giovanni, Paule Marshall, Grace Lee Boggs, and Abbey Lincoln.  All authors tackle a variety of issues that affect women and society.

Brown-Guillory, E. (Ed.). (1996). Women of color: Mother-daughter relationships in 20th-century literature. Austin: University of Texas Press.
A collection of original essays by some prominent women discussing how mothers of color and their daughters are portrayed in literature.  They examine the myths and realities in the literature of these relationships.

Carby, H.V. (1987). Reconstructing womanhood: The emergence of the Afro-American woman novelist. New York: Oxford University Press.
Throughout history, the novel has reflected the political and cultural opinions of the day.  During the late eighteenth century as African-Americans were trying to make a place for themselves in a predominantly white world, the novels by the women of this time served as a place for ideas of how to make a name for yourself.

Collins, V. (1972). Black woman is liberated in her own mind. In G. Lerner (Ed.), Black women in white America (pp. 585-587). New York: Vintage Books.
Discusses the history of the black women in America and how their experiences can relate to the black women of the present.

Cooper, A. J. (1988) A voice from the South. New York: Oxford University Press.
First published in 1892, this collection of essays from nineteenth century black women writers goes criticizes men for trying to be better than the women and they call for equal education for both black men and women.

Davies, C. B. (1994). Black women, writing and identity: Migrations of the subject. New York: Routledge.
A writer’s identity covers a wide range of issues and gives a perspective on their writings.  This book examines the complexities, constraints, and contradictions in the identity of a black women writer.

Evans, M. (Ed.). (1984). Black women writers (1950-1980): A critical evaluation. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday.
In 43 essays, fifteen contemporary black women writers reflect on their work & their lives.  Some of the writers included are: Maya Angelou, Toni Cade Bambara, and Alice Walker.

Giddings, P.J. (1984). When and where I enter: The impact of black women on race and sex in America. New York: W. Murrow
Through primary sources, the influence of African-American women on social and political reforms that helped them is learned.

Gilmore, G. (1996). Gender and Jim Crow: Women and the politics of white supremacy in North Carolina, 1896-1920. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
The story of southern political history is told from the African-American women’s perspective as they held a lot of influence in their day.

Holloway, K.F.C. (1992). Moorings & metaphors: Figures of culture and gender in Black women’s literature. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Cultural tradition is often reflected in author’s writing, how African-American women writings have reflected their own cultural tradition is the subject of this book.

Hooks, B. (2000). Feminist theory: From margin to center. Boston: South End Press.
Feminism focuses on the white, middle-class women while feminism should focus on the colored, poor women.

Jones, J. (1986). Labor of love, labor of sorrow: Black women, work, and the family from slavery to the present. New York: Vintage Books.
A study of black women in the labor force from slavery to the present showing that they needed to maintain family life because it affected their work habits and choices.

Lerner, G. (Ed.). (1972). Black women in white America: A documentary history. New York: Pantheon Books.
Through letters, articles, and essays on the racial and sexual oppression of Black women written by these women we see the ways in which they have managed to survive in a white-dominated society.

Russell, S. (1990). Render me my song: African-American women writers from slavery to the present. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
A broad study of African-American women writing and critiques on these works.

The Combahee River collective statement: Black feminist organizing in the seventies and eighties. (1986). Albany, NY: Women of Color Press.
Similar to the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, a group of African-American women got together and proclaimed their individual rights.

Wade-Gayles, G. (1997). No crystal stair: Visions of race and gender in black women’s fiction. Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press.
Serving as a fresh look at the literary merit of African-American female authors’ novels, the characters of these novels show us who a black women is.

Wall, C.A. (Ed.). (1989). Changing our own words: Essays on criticism, theory, and writing by black women. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
A collection of essays that explore the way literary criticism has affected African-American women literature.