African American Collection - de Grummond Children's Literature Collection

The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection owns more than 3000 books which depict Black Americans in stories and pictures. Of these, approximately 400 were published before 1950, 200 before 1900. These holdings have been incorporated into a database of more than 5000 records which contain titles, authors and illustrators of books by and about African-Americans.

Within this collection are several specialty categories: missionary/religious tracts like The Sorrows of Yamba (left), and Plantation Jim (below), colonial/adventure series, folktales and folk-lore.

Additionally, much effort has been made to acquire books which represent early examples of non-stereotypical stories and images of Blacks as recommended by Charlemae Hill Rollins in her

The Sorrows of Yamba, 1795

1948 edition of We Build Together. Originally part of our Memories of Childhood: Six Hundred Years of Children's Literature at the de Grummond Collection, "The Black Experience in Children's Literature" exhibit displayed examples of stereotypical images and text which Mrs. Rollins fought her entire career as a librarian to replace.

As a result of her leadership, publishers, authors and illustrators began to heed the call for books celebrating the diversity and exerience of all children regardless of race, gender or ethnicity.

For further reading in the area of African American children's literature and for recommended reading lists of books about African Americans, see our Resource Bibliography.

For more information about resources available for the study of African-American children's literature at the de Grummond Collection, please contact us.

Plantation Jim, and the Freedom Which He Obtained by Z. A. Mudge, 1869