The study of African Americans is aided immensely by inclusion of information from the United States federal government. Both the Congress and government agencies have produced a large, diverse and authoritative body of information that will assist the researcher. Most government documents are located on the 6th Floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library.

Congress

The work of Congress is reported in the Congressional Record, the Serial Set, and investigative hearings.

The Congressional Record (J11 R5) is the official record of the speeches and debates that have taken place on the floor of the House of Representatives and the Senate from 1789 to the present such as the debates on the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

A congressional hearing is the mechanism by which congressional committees gather information on topics of legislative bills and for gathering information on issues of regional and national interests. An example would be the 1994 hearings on Minority Participation and Retention in Higher Education.

The Serial Set is the compilation of reports of congressional committees and study commissions that dates back to the beginning of the United States. Example: 1872 report on the Ku Klux Conspiracy.

Executive Branch, including Census Information

Executive agencies have produced much material that would be of use to the study of the socioeconomic condition and population growth of African Americans.

The Du Bois Library has the decennial census of population from 1790 to 2000. The library also has microfilm copies of the the schedules of the 1790-1920 censuses which provide the names of individuals counted.

There are also economic censuses that track the business growth of the country and the people who own and work in those businesses. Example: a 1997 survey of Black-owned businesses, officially called 1997 economic census. Survey of minority-owned business enterprises. Black.

Much of the more recent census information is available on the Internet. A good resource to start with is Facts on the Black/African American Population (http://www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/afamhot1.html) It includes statistics, demographics, social and economic characteristics, redistricting data, profile reports, briefs, and much more. From the U.S. Census Bureau.

Students should also consult the publications of the Civil Rights Commission, the Bureau of the Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and various presidential commissions.

For assistance and further information, contact Government Documents staff (413-545-2765; or use the online form).