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Databases /Social Sciences /Gender/Ethnic Studies

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Databases

Academic Video Online (AVON)VCU Sponsored by VIVA, the Virtual Library of Virginia (www.vivalib.org)VIVA
Thousands of streaming videos covering a wide range of disciplines. Includes documentaries, interviews, feature films, news, and more distributed by PBS, BBC, CNN, CBS, Sony, A&E, Contemporary Arts Media, Royal Shakespeare, and many others.

African American CommunitiesVCU
Text and visual materials, oral histories, and other primary sources documenting race relations across social, political, cultural, and religious arenas, with a focus on Atlanta, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and cities in North Carolina.

AlukaVCU
An international initiative to build an online library of full-text scholarly resources from and about Africa, Aluka includes archival documents, books, ecological data, periodicals, reports, maps, and oral histories.

American Indian Histories and CulturesVCU
Manuscripts, artwork, photographs, maps and print materials documenting American Indian history from American Indian and European perspectives, dating from 16th-century European settlement through the civil rights movements of the mid-20th century.

American Indian NewspapersVCU
Historical and contemporary periodicals published by Indigenous communities in the United States and Canada. Features national, local, and student publications from 1828 to the present.

Archives of Sexuality & GenderVCU
Digitized books, manuscripts, periodicals, ephemera, and other materials for the historical study of sex, sexuality, and gender from the sixteenth century to the present, covering topics from sexual norms and gender roles to health and activism.

Black Economic Empowerment: The National Negro Business LeagueVCU
Primary source documents from the National Negro Business League, established in 1900 by Booker T. Washington to promote the commercial and financial development of Black Americans.

Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th CenturyVCU
Primary source documents from the records of federal government agencies, the personal papers of African Americans, and records of civil rights organizations.

Black Historical NewspapersVCU
Full-text access to the backfiles of major African American community newspapers. Offers primary source material essential to the study of American history and African-American culture, history, politics, and the arts.

Black Liberation Army and the Program of Armed Struggle, 1970-1980VCU
Primary source documents related to the Black Liberation Army, an underground, Black nationalist-Marxist militant organization composed largely of former Black Panthers that operated from 1970 to 1981.

Black Nationalism and the Revolutionary Action Movement: The Papers of Muhammad Ahmad (Max Stanford)VCU
Letters, speeches, financial records, and other documents from Muhammad Ahmad's personal archive, augmented with FBI files and other primary sources shedding light on 1960s radicalism, politics and culture.

Black Studies Center VCU
Black Studies Center is a digital core collection of primary and secondary sources in arts, history, literature, politics, and religion that record and illuminate the Black experience, from ancient Africa through modern times.

Black Studies in VideoVCU
Documentaries, interviews, and archival footage covering African American history, politics, art and culture, family structure, gender relationships, and social and economic issues.

Black Studies Periodicals (Formerly International Index to Black Periodicals (IIBP)VCU
Abstracts, indexing, and select full text for scholarly and popular journals, newspapers, and newsletters from the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean, spanning multidisciplinary issues vital to Black Studies.

Black Thought and CultureVCU
Non-fiction writings by major American Black leaders -- teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, war veterans, entertainers, and other figures -- present an evolving and complex view of what it is to be Black in America.

Bush Presidency and Development and Debate Over Civil Rights Policy and LegislationVCU
Collection of materials on civil rights, the development of civil rights policy, and the debate over civil rights legislation during the administration of President George H.W. Bush and his tenure as vice president.

China: Culture and SocietyVCU
Digitized pamphlets from the Charles W. Wason Collection on East Asia, published between 1750 and 1929, featuring addresses and speeches, essays, journals, meeting minutes, lectures, and reports. Includes scholarly essays and other secondary sources.

Contemporary Women's IssuesVCU
Indexes global information on women. Includes journals, books, media reviews, alternative press, newsletters, government reports and data, personal narratives, and ephemeral literature from research institutes and grassroots organizations.

Correspondence from German Concentration Camps and PrisonsVCU
Letters written or received by prisoners held in German concentration camps and prisons during and just prior to World War II. Other documents include receipts for parcels, money orders and personal effects, paper currency, and realia.

Covidence (Pilot access provided until Dec 2025)
Covidence is a collaborative tool that streamlines systematic review workflows for screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. See instructions for requesting an account.

Defining GenderVCU
Diaries, letters, poetry, books, pamphlets, ephemera, and other digitized primary source material depicting gender, leisure and consumer culture in British society between the 15th and 20th centuries.

Docuseek Complete CollectionVCU Sponsored by VIVA, the Virtual Library of Virginia (www.vivalib.org)VIVA
Documentaries covering anthropology, area studies, the arts, criminal justice, education, environmental studies, global studies, health, history, political science, psychology, sciences, sociology, women's studies, and more.

Ethnic Diversity SourceVCU
Full text database covering the culture, traditions, social treatment and lived experiences of different ethnic groups in America. Includes thousands of books, biographies, primary source documents, speeches, letters, interviews, videos, and more.

Ethnic NewsWatchVCU
Full text newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, native and minority press.

Everyday Life and Women in America, c.1800-1920VCU
Rare books, pamphlets, periodicals, and broadsides addressing 19th and early 20th century political, social and gender issues, religion, race, education, employment, marriage, sexuality, home and family life, health, and pastimes.

Fannie Lou Hamer: Papers of a Civil Rights Activist, Political Activist, and WomanVCU
Correspondence, financial records, programs, photographs, newspaper articles, invitations, and other printed items relating to voting rights activist and civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer. Materials date from 1966 to 1978.

Federal Surveillance of African Americans, 1920-1984VCU
FBI files documenting the scrutiny, harassment, and prosecution to which Black Americans of all political persuasions were subjected. Investigations cover protest groups, Socialists, Communists, pacifists, and others deemed politically suspect.

Fight for Racial Justice and the Civil Rights CongressVCU
Collection comprising the Legal Case and Communist Party files of the Civil Rights Congress, a civil rights organization formed in 1946 by a merger of the International Labor Defense and the National Federation for Constitutional Liberties.

Films on Demand Master Academic CollectionVCU
Streaming films covering core academic subjects. Also includes archival films and newsreels.

Gender: Identity and Social ChangeVCU
Digitized primary source material documenting developments in gender roles and relations from the 19th century to the present.

GenderWatchVCU
Full-text publications and archives covering the impact and evolution of gender and gender roles across a broad spectrum of subject areas, taking an interdisciplinary approach to family studies, LGBTQIA+ studies, and women's studies.

Independent VoicesVCU
Magazines, journals, and newspapers of the alternative press from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including feminists, anti-war groups, African-Americans, Native Americans and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

Indigenous Peoples: North AmericaVCU
Primary-source collections from Canadian and American institutions, providing insight into the cultural, political, and social history of Native peoples. Includes manuscripts, newspapers, Bibles, dictionaries, and primers in Indigenous languages.

Integration of Alabama Schools and the U.S. Military, 1963VCU
Digitized documents from the Records of the Department of the Army covering Operation Oak Tree: the Army's plans to intervene in the event of civil disturbances related to school integration at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in May of 1963.

International Women's Movement: The Pan Pacific/Southeast Asia Women's Association, 1950-1985VCU
Records from the American section of the international Pan Pacific and Southeast Asia Women's Association (PPSEAWA), founded in 1930 to strengthen international understanding and friendship among women of Asia and the Pacific and women of the U.S.A.

Japanese-American Relocation Camp Newspapers: Perspectives on Day-to-Day LifeVCU
Collection of newspapers published in Japanese-American concentration camps from 1942 to 1945, recording the concerns and day-to-day life of the incarcerated Japanese-Americans.

Jewish Life in America, c.1654-1954VCU
Digitized manuscript collections from the American Jewish Historical Society in New York, documenting the history of American Jewish communities from the 17th through 20th centuries.

LGBT Studies in VideoVCU
Documentaries, interviews, archival footage, and select feature films exploring LGBT history, gay culture and subculture, LGBT families, civil rights, AIDS, transgender issues and other topics.

LGBT Thought and CultureVCU
Key works and documentation of LGBT political and social movements throughout the 20th century and into the present day. Includes the Pat Rocco Collection, the Jeanne Cordova Papers, the Magnus Hirschfeld Collection, and more.

LGBTQ + SourceVCU
Indexing, abstracts, and select full text for international scholarly and popular publications on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues, with historically important primary sources, including monographs, magazines, and newspapers.

Liberation Movement in Africa and African AmericaVCU
FBI surveillance files, spanning 1970 to 1985, covering the activities of the African Liberation Support Committee and All African People's Revolutionary Party. Files document Black nationalist and pan-Africanist influence on political organizing.

Liberia and the U.S.: Nation-Building in Africa, 1864-1918VCU
Correspondence and telegrams received and sent by the United States' diplomatic post in Liberia. Records cover all aspects of relations with Liberia, and interactions of American citizens with the Liberian government and people.

Meriam Report on Indian Administration and the Survey of Conditions of the Indians in the U.S.VCU
Includes the full text Meriam Report (The Problem of Indian Administration), and the 41-part report to the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs detailing the effects of Bureau of Indian Affairs policies and programs on Indigenous Americans.

Migration to New WorldsVCU
Primary sources documenting migration from Great Britain, Ireland, mainland Europe and Asia to North America and Australasia during the 19th and 20th centuries. Materials range from personal accounts to photographs and printed ephemera.

New York Times via nytimes.comVCU
Important source of reporting information, and opinion on politics, finance, health, science, culture, the arts, sports, and fashion in the U.S. and abroad. See ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times with Index for issues back to 1851.

Papers of Amiri Baraka, Poet Laureate of the Black Power MovementVCU
Poetry, organizational records, print publications, plays, speeches, correspondences, oral histories and other materials relating to Amiri Baraka and the Black Power movement, gathered by Dr. Komozi Woodard. Materials span 1913 through 1998.

Quest for Labor Equality in Household Work: National Domestic Workers Union, 1965-1979VCU
Records of the United Domestic Workers Union, founded in Atlanta in 1968 by Dorothy Bolden to help women engaged in household work. Materials include correspondence, subject files, minutes, budgets, and membership records.

Race Relations AbstractsVCU Sponsored by VIVA, the Virtual Library of Virginia (www.vivalib.org)VIVA
Summaries of academic journals, books, periodicals, and newspapers in ethnic and racial studies. Covers discrimination, immigration studies, ideology, community relations, radicalism, economics, cultural identity, and pressure groups.

Race Relations in AmericaVCU
Speeches, reports, surveys, and analyses produced by the Race Relations Department at Fisk University from 1943 to 1970. Archives highlight topics including poverty and inequality, class, housing, employment, education and government policy.

Ralph J. Bunche Oral Histories Collection on the Civil Rights MovementVCU
Interviews with leaders in the civil rights movement: scholars, educators, lawyers, church leaders, and activists in the struggle for voting rights, school desegregation, against housing discrimination, racism in hiring, poverty and police brutality.

Rastafari Ephemeral Publications from the Written Rastafari Archives ProjectVCU
Rastafari ephemerals: newsletters, magazines, newspapers, booklets, statements, letters, articles and assorted literature, written and published by a number of Rastafari Mansions, organizations, groups and individuals over the past four decades.

Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Enforcement of Federal Law in the South, 1871-1884VCU
Letters sent to the attorney general from district attorneys, marshals, judges, and citizens of former Confederate states during the Reconstruction period, documenting Reconstruction conflicts, civil rights, voting rights, and other legal subjects.

Sex & SexualityVCU
Research papers, organization records, newsletters, photographs, comics, and other archival materials documenting changing attitudes towards human sexuality, gender identities, and sexual behaviors from the 19th century to the present.

Slavery, Abolition and Social Justice, 1490-2007VCU
Digitized manuscripts, court records, pamphlets, books, paintings, maps, and images from 1490 to 2007, covering the varieties of slavery, the legacy of slavery, the social justice perspective and the continued existence of slavery today.

Southern Negro Youth Congress and the Communist Party: Papers of James and Esther Cooper JacksonVCU
Correspondence, lectures, notebooks, speeches, writings, subject files, internal documents and printed ephemera of Black communists and civil rights activists James and Esther Cooper Jackson, founders of the Southern Negro Youth Congress (1937-48).

Studies on Women and Gender AbstractsVCU
Abstracts from major international journals and books focusing on aspects of women's studies including education, employment, health, socialization, social policy, social psychology, female culture, literary criticism and historical studies.

Testaments to the HolocaustVCU
Archives of the Wiener Library, London, the first to collect evidence of the Holocaust and the anti-semitic activities of the Nazi Party. Contains eyewitness accounts, photographs, postcards, and Nazi propaganda publications, among other materials.

Travel Writing, Spectacle and World HistoryVCU
Digitized collection of American women's travel diaries, correspondences, manuscripts, photographs, postcards and ephemera ranging from 1835 to 1976, sourced from the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University.

Umbra Search African American History
Digital collection of images, videos, books, and other materials documenting African American history and culture. Sourced from archives, libraries, museums, and other U.S. repositories.

Washington PostVCU
The Washington Post covers local, national and global news, national security and politics, business, technology, arts and entertainment, health and medicine, and sports. Opinion columnists focus on politics, economics, culture, and global concerns.

Women in The National ArchivesVCU
Includes a finding aid for women's studies resources in The National Archives, UK, alongside original documents covering the campaign for women's suffrage in Britain, 1903-1928, and granting of women's suffrage in colonial territories, 1930-1962.

Women Organizing Transnationally: The Committee of Correspondence, 1952-1969VCU
Official and unofficial correspondences documenting the work of The Committee of Correspondence, a women's group oriented toward anti-communism between 1952 and 1969. Also includes official records, minutes, publications, and other materials.

Women Writers OnlineVCU
Continually-expanding full-text collection of early women's writing in English, containing full transcriptions of texts published from the 16th through the 19th centuries. Special focus on materials that are rare or inaccessible.

Women's Issues and Their Advocacy Within the White House, 1974-1977VCU
Speeches, correspondence, reports, minutes, press releases and other printed materials documenting Patricia Lindh's and Jeanne Holm's liaison with women's groups and their advocacy within the White House on issues of special interest to women.

Women's Studies ArchiveVCU
Manuscripts, newspapers, periodicals, women's literature, journals, ephemera and other primary source materials focusing on the evolution of feminism throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, covering women's political activism and women's voices.

Women's Studies InternationalVCU Sponsored by VIVA, the Virtual Library of Virginia (www.vivalib.org)VIVA
Bibliographic database for women's studies and feminist research, providing indexing and abstracts for publications in many disciplines including sociology, history, international relations, and humanities.