From Booklist
This inexpensive book attempts to be all things to all people. It is a guide to African American literature, colleges and universities, and financial aid. It lists cultural organizations, places to go and things to do, professional associations, as well as videotapes.
How does it measure up? In the 65-page bibliography of fiction and nonfiction, some important writers do not appear. Most works represent the current popular literary scene, though dramatist August Wilson is not included. This is a starting place for a reader who is interested in the African American experience. The second chapter lists all black colleges and universities, with descriptive information and contact data. The Black Student's Guide to College Success [RBB N 15 93] is a more detailed treatment of this subject. Following this listing is a guide for finding money for college, both undergraduate and graduate studies. This section does not begin to compare with the data in Directory of Financial Aid for Minorities (Reference Services Press, 1993). The 34 cultural organizations listed do not include African American Greek-letter organizations, nor such groups as the Links, the Girlfriends, or 100 Black Women. "Places to Go" is a directory of African American cultural sites, arranged by state. Chapter 6 lists black professional associations. The Black Caucus of ALA is not mentioned. The listing of popular videos includes such films as Do the Right Thing, The Color Purple, and Shaft, but such documentaries as Eye on the Prize are not listed.
This work does many things but none of them in any depth. Other reference books address each facet separately and more thoroughly. But for small high-school and public libraries that don't own other more specialized tools, The African American Resource Guide may be a useful purchase.
