Women in Tennessee History: A Bibliography
African-American Women
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Biographical Index






Black Colleges and Universities


  • Fisk University
  • Knoxville College
  • LeMoyne-Owen College
  • Meharry Medical College
  • Morristown College
  • Roger Williams University
  • Tennessee State University
  • Walden University


    Books, Articles & Theses


    Barnett, Bernice McNair. "Invisible Southern Black Women Leaders in the Civil Rights Movement: The Triple Constraints of Gender, Race, and Class." Gender & Society 7 (1993): 162-182. The author uses interviews and archival data to recognize the important roles that black women played in the movement; Septima Clark and Diane Nash are among the individuals covered.

    Bond, Beverly G. "'Every Duty Incumbent Upon Them': African-American Women in Nineteenth Century Memphis." Tennessee Historical Quarterly 59 (Winter 2000): 254-73.

    Bond, Beverly Greene. "'Till Fair Aurora Rise': African-American Women in Memphis, Tennessee, 1840-1915." Ph.D. diss., University of Memphis, 1996.

    Bragg, Emma W. Susanna McGavock Carter: The Trusted House keeper Servant and Slave of General William Giles Harding of Nashville's Belle Meade Plantation. Nashville: [The author], 1993. 20pp.

    Bucovaz, Alma R. "Minerva Johnican Looks Back": An Interview with Minerva Johnican, March 18, 1990. [Memphis, Tenn.]: Oral History Research Office, Memphis State University, 1990.

    Carter, Debra Brown. "The Local Labor Union as a Social Movement Organization: Local 282, Furniture Division-IUE, 1943-1988." Dissertation, Vanderbilt University, 1988.

    Church, Roberta, and Ronald Walter, Ed. by Charles Crawford. Nineteenth Century Memphis Families of Color, 1850-1900. Memphis: Published by the authors, 1987.

    DeCosta-Willis, Miriam. "Ida B. Wells' Diary: A Narrative of the Black Community." The West Tennessee Historical Society Papers 45 (1991): 35-47.

    ------, ed. The Memphis Diary of Ida B. Wells. Boston: Beacon Press, 1995.

    Harrison, Lowell H. "Recollections of Some Tennessee Slaves." Tennessee Historical Quarterly 33 (Summer 1974): 175-190.

    ------. Quest for Equality: The Life and Writings of Mary Eliza Church Terrell, 1863-1954. Black Women in United States History, vol. 13. Brooklyn, NY: Carlson Publishing, 1990.

    Gissendanner, Cindy Himes. "African American Women Olympians: The Impact of Race, Gender, and Class Ideologies, 1932-1968." Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport 67 (June 1996): 172-82.

    Goodstein, Anita Shafer. "A Rare Alliance: African American and White Women in the Tennessee Elections of 1919 and 1920." Journal of Southern History 64 (May 1998): 219-246.

    Jarmon, Laura C. Arbors to Bricks: A Hundred Years of African American Education in Rutherford County, 1865-1965. Murfreesboro, Tenn.: Division of Continuing Studies and Public Service, Middle Tennessee State University, 1994.

    Lamon, Lester C. Blacks in Tennessee, 1791-1970. Knoxville, TN: The University of Tennessee Press and Tennessee Historical Commission, 1981.

    Lornell, Kip. "Happy in the Service of the Lord:" African-American Sacred Vocal Harmony Quartets in Memphis. 2d ed. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1995.
    See the index for coverage of Queen C. Anderson, Lucie Campbell, and the groups Fisk Jubilee Singers, Harps of Melody. and the Willing Four Softline Singers.

    Mack, Thura. African-American Women of Tennessee History. In Shaping a State: The Legacy of Tennessee Women. Nashville: [Margaret Cuninggim Women's Center], 1995.

    Miller, Randall M. "Letters from Nashville, 1862, II. 'Dear Master'." Tennessee Historical Quarterly 33 (1974): 85-92.
    The text of two letters from a slave, Suzanna, to her master, General Harding.

    Neverdon-Morton, Cynthia. "Social Service Programs in Tennessee: Focus on Nashville." In Afro-American Women of the South and the Advancement of the Race, 1895-1925. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1989.

    Nash, Diane. "Inside the Sit-Ins and Freedom Rides: Testimony of a Southern Student." In We Shall Overcome, edited by David J. Garrow, vol.3, 955-74. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Carlson Publishing, 1989.

    Oakley, Anna Lisa Norwood. "Interpreting the Frontier Slave Experience: Slavery at Blount Mansion, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1792-1800." Master's thesis, Middle Tennessee State University, 1993.
    Includes description of the roles of five slave women.

    Perry, Elisabeth Israels. "The Very Best Influence: Josephine Holloway and Girl Scouting in Nashville's African-American Community," Tennessee Historical Quarterly 52 (Summer 1993): 73-85.

    Phillips, Paul David. "Education of Blacks in Tennessee During Reconstruction, 1865-1870." Tennessee Historical Quarterly 46 (Summer 1987): 98-109.
    Includes the text of a letter from Alice Thompkins, an 11 year old student from Gallatin, who responded to her teacher's request to thank her "northern friends for their support given to the school" (p. 105). Also, former female slaves share their recollections of attending school.

    Seward, William Preston. "Always Make an Effort: African- American Women and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Knoxville, Tennessee." Master's thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1994.

    Smith, Jessie Carney. "Colorful Women, Women of Color: African American Women and Tennessee History." Tennessee Business 6, no. 2 (1995): 13-20.

    Sterling, Dorothy. Black Foremothers: Three Lives. Old Westbury, NY: Feminist Press, 1979.
    A study of Ida B. Wells, Mary Church Terrell and Ellen Craft.

    Taylor, Megan N. "Double V on the Homefront: African American Women Volunteers in Knoxville, Tennessee During World War II." Master's thesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1995.

    Terrell, Mary Church. A Colored Woman in a White World. New York: Arno Press, 1980.

    Thompson, Mildred I. Ida B. Wells-Barnett: An Exploratory Study of an American Black Woman, 1893-1930. Black Women in the United States, vol. 15. Brooklyn, NY: Carlson Publishing, 1990. Thompson provides an overview of Wells' life and accomplishments, followed by an excellent bibliography; selected essays by Wells- Barnett are also included.

    Wade-Gayles, Gloria Jean. Pushed Back to Strength: A Black Woman's Journey Home. Boston: Beacon Press, 1993.

    Walker, Melissa. "Home Extension Work Among African American Farm Women in East Tennessee, 1920-1939." Agricultural History 70 (Summer 1996): 487-502.

    Wells-Barnett, Ida B. Selected Works of Ida B. Wells- Barnett. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991.

    Wood, Tom. "TSU's Golden Era: Tigerbelles Made Olympic History." The Tennessean (February 20, 1996).


    Films & Videos


    Alberta Hunter: My Castle's Rocking. Directed by Stuart Goldman. Color. 60 minutes, 16mm film/video. The Cinema Guild.

    Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice. Produced by William Greaves and Louise Archambault, 58 min., William Greaves Productions, 1990, videocassette.



    Manuscripts & Archives


    Specific Manuscript Collections About Tennessee Women

    Bowman, Eva Cardel Lowery. Papers, 1900- . Tennessee State University Library, Nashville.

    Church, Robert R., Family. Papers. Special Collections, University of Memphis Library.

    Church, Roberta. Papers. Memphis and Shelby County Library and Research Center.
    A brief description of this collection, as well as photographs from the collection, can be found in: Patricia La Pointe. "The Roberta Church Collection," West Tennessee Historical Society Papers 49 (1995): 243-44.

    Fabio, Sarah Webster. Papers. Special Collections, Fisk University Library, Nashville, Tennessee.

    Jubilee Singers Collection. Special Collections, Fisk University Library, Nashville, Tennessee.



    Women in Tennessee History: An Online Bibliography & Research Guide

    Ken Middleton kmiddlet@frank.mtsu.edu
    Todd Library, Middle Tennessee State University