Research and Scholarship

USF Library Collections on Black Life

Stories of racism against African Americans, ranging from narratives of the formerly enslaved to news reports about Black Lives Matter protests, are preserved in the USF Libraries archival collections that serve as the foundation for this portal. These collections are not only about the history of injustice, but also the regular daily lives of individuals, families, businesses, culture and communities during the state’s long history.

List of the Collections within the 'African American Experience in Florida' portal

Portal Topics


USF Library Digitial Exhibitions 

The Jazz in Florida Archive is an ongoing project to document and preserve Florida’s place in jazz history.

This exhibit was created to showcase a selection of music that was digitized from the USF Libraries African American Sheet Music Collection to celebrate African American History Month in 2019, and to illuminate the authors behind the music.

This web exhibition examines the history of the Civil Rights Movement in Tampa and its environs.


The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation established in 1946, whose membership consists of more than 16,000 professional women of color. Collection materials include documents and history from each of the 12 presidents of the chapter, along with additional items including membership rosters, school and community partnerships, news clippings, financial statements, meeting minutes, newsletters, photographs, scrapbooks, and speeches.