Encyclopedia of Black studies /

Black studies has long needed this work to deflect and answer questions from critics and supporters. The editors set out to establish a baseline for understanding the field, to try in a work admittedly in progress to define the most commonly used ideas and concepts. For example, how do practitioners currently use the term "Afrocentricity"? This work can be particularly helpful to scholars in tangentially related fields, helping them to know how black studies specialists define certain terms and concepts. In such a relatively new field of study there are potential conflicts of interest; e.g., the entry for Kwanzaa is written by Maulana Karenga, who claims responsibility for its emergence. Interesting entries include that for the history of Journal of Negro History and its role in black studies. For most academic libraries this work provides a starting point for research on topics that could at first baffle undergraduates (e.g., defining "Melanin Theory"). Black studies' inclusion of so many adjoining disciplines requires that this work continue to evolve. The brief bibliographies with each entry lead to further research and help explain each contributor's focus. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Academic and large public libraries. C. Williams CUNY Hunter College

Just as Sheikh Amadu Bamba, the Senegalese Sufi saint, can be considered the most prolific writer of Africa, Asante must surely be considered the most prolific author and editor in black studies. He and Mazama, both of Temple University, have put together a 250-entry encyclopedia of what they consider the black studies canon. Anyone familiar with Mazama or Asante will recognize the Afrocentric orientation of their text. Afrocentricity is not an anti-European or anti-Caucasian view of the world but a way for Africans and people descended from Africans the world over to view the world from their own vantage point. The encyclopedia's contributors are a who's who of the black studies field today. The book has an explanatory preface and excellent introduction that summarizes black studies for those unfamiliar with the field. Most of the articles provide a short bibliography of further reading for those seeking more in-depth knowledge. One appendix contains an extensive bibliography that also covers black studies programs at American universities and a list of major black studies journals. A thorough index will easily lead the reader to any topic located within the text. The list of contributors rounds out a solidly put-together title. For students seeking a good grounding in Afrocentricity, this is an excellent place to start. Articles cover many of the basics of the field, from concepts and theories ( Diaspora,0 Black nationalism0 ), to selected books important in laying out Afrocentric ideas ( Black Athena,0 Mis-Education of the Negro0 ), to a short article on Diopian historiography.0 One of the most concise and understandable explanations of Ebonics can be found in this text. Those who confuse African American studies with black studies may find some glaring omissions. There are no entries on Martin Luther King or Malcom X (although numerous reference to both can be traced through the index). However, there are a two-page article on Marie Laveau and a page and a half on the Fisk Jubilee Singers. This is a required text for large public libraries and all academic libraries. It provides a thorough understanding of and easy reference into a growing, dynamic field of study. --Steve Stratton Copyright 2005 Booklist

One-stop shopping on black studies: this alphabetically arranged source, edited by Temple University professors Asante and Mazama, covers everything from civil rights to political issues to reparations. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.