The seminal reference that shattered the silence about black women in America -- now fully updated and revised

"A remarkable contribution to American history, African American history, and Women"s history. It is an indispensable reference tool for students and scholars alike." --Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (praise for the first edition)


Winner of the Dartmouth Medal for Outstanding Reference Publication of 1994, the first edition of Black Women in America broke ground -- pulling together for the first time all of the research in this vast but underrepresented field to provide one of the strongest building blocks of Black Women's Studies.  Hailed by Eric Foner of Columbia University (for a Lingua Franca survey) as "one of those publishing events which changes the way we look at a field," it simultaneously filled a void in the literature and sparked new research and concepts regarding African-American women in history.

Since the first edition was published, a new generation of American black women has flourished, demanding this landmark reference be updated. Women such as Venus and Serena Williams, Condoleezza Rice, Carol Mosley-Braun, Ruth Simmons, and Ann Fudge have become household names for their remarkable contributions to sports, politics, academia, and business.  In three magnificent volumes, Black Women in America, Second Edition celebrates the remarkable achievements of black women throughout history, highlights their ongoing contributions in America today, and covers the new research the first edition helped to generate.

Praise for the First Edition:
""breathes life into the unsung heroines and tireless workers whose contributions have often been omitted or overlooked in the chronicles of American history."
-" The New York Times Book Review

"Superb". A treasure trove of information." "-Ebony

"An essential book, one that will be of enduring value to students, researchers, and anyone interested in a fuller, richer understanding of American history.""-The Washington Post

"Thanks to Black Women in America there will never be another generation of Americans, black or white, who will grow up in ignorance of the role Black women have played throughout history to make their lot and America"s better." "-Charlayne Hunter-Gault