Reference books can be a useful starting point for your research. Even if some of these titles seem dated, you should keep that in mind, but consult them nevertheless. They just might help you find your way into a topic. Need a hand? Ask a Librarian
African American Lives
The African American National Biography
African Folklore: An Encyclopedia
Biographical Dictionary of Afro-American and African Musicians
The Black Feminist Reader
Black Women Writers at Work
Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa
Encyclopedia of African American History
Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English
Encyclopedia of Africa
Encyclopedia of African American Women Writers
Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450
New Encyclopedia of Africa
The Oxford Companion to World Exploration
The Garland Handbook of African Music
The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Thought
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World
Qualitative Methods in Africana Studies
UNESCO General History of Africa
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life