Hints!
Searching for a Title
Using quotations around keywords comprised of multiple words ensures that the database searches it as a term rather than looking for the words separately.
If looking for a work of art, a piece of literature, or a performance, put the title in quotations to keep it together.
Limiting to Certain Years
In the ProQuest Database, use the Publication Date feature to limit your search by certain years. Select "Custom Date Range" and then input the years that you are looking for. This will help find primary articles on your artifact.
Newspaper Articles
- ProQuest Historical NewspapersThis database offers full-text and full-image of five leading newspapers, The Atlanta Constitution (1868-1942), Christian Science Monitor (1908-1996), New York Times (1851-2006), Wall Street Journal (1889-1992), and the Washington Post (1877-1993). Access is provided to digital reproductions of every page from every available issue in downloadable PDF files.
- Georgia Historic Newspapers ArchiveSince 2007, the DLG has partnered with universities, archives, public libraries, historical societies, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions to digitize historical newspapers from around the state.
The archive is free and open for public use.
Part of the Database Offerings in GALILEO, Georgia’s Virtual Library
The following are links to historically black newspapers that are owned by the library and available online. Clicking the link will allow you to browse the newspaper or search within it.
Please take note of the years that are available for each newspaper. Some may not go back far enough for you to find an article in your year range to be considered a primary source.
- Chicago DefenderFull-Text Coverage from 1999-2019
"The Chicago Defender is multi-media content provider of news, information and events that cover the interests of the urban African American community with culturally relevant content not regularly serviced by mainstream media." (https://chicagodefender.com/about-us/) - New Pittsburgh CourierFull-Text Coverage from 1991 - Present
"New Pittsburgh Courier continues to serve as a trusted vehicle for Black expression, publishing an award-winning edition every Wednesday." (https://newpittsburghcourier.com/the-history-of-the-new-pittsburgh-courier/) - New York Amsterdam NewsFull-Text Coverage 1993 - Present
"The New York Amsterdam News was started more than a century ago, with a $10 investment. It has gone on to become one of the most important Black newspapers in the country and today remains one of the most influential Black-owned and -operated media businesses in the nation, if not the world." (https://amsterdamnews.com/about/) - Philadelphia TribuneFull-Text Coverage 1991 - Present
"Today, The Philadelphia Tribune is Greater Philadelphia’s daily audited newspaper whose mission is 'to provide timely and compelling news that is informative and relevant to the African-American experience.'" (https://www.phillytrib.com/site/about.html) - Oakland PostFull-Text Coverage 1968 - 1981
This paper has been covering news in the Black communities of Northern California for over 50 years.
How to Search in a Specific Newspaper
When you open one of the specific newspaper links above, you will be directed to the main screen for the paper in which you can search by using the center search bar, or you can browse the volumes and issues available underneath.
When you search within the newspaper, your search on the results page will look a little different because it is including information to tell the database to ONLY search within that specific newspaper. In the example below, the search has AND PUBLID(46776) added to the end of the search. If you change your search, and still want to search within the newspaper (in this case, the Chicago Defender), only change the search that is BEFORE the AND. If you remove the PUBID section, you will search in all of ProQuest.
Magazine Articles
- Readers' Guide RetrospectiveAn index to popular magazines, 1890-1982. Topics include news accounts; biographies; social trends; novels, plays, art, film, television, and music; and popular culture and fashion.
- Ebony"EBONY is the flagship magazine of Johnson Publishing. Founded in 1945 by John H. Johnson, it still maintains the highest global circulation of any African American-focused magazine."
Google Books holdings of Ebony Magazine.
Issues from November 1959 - December 2008. - Jet"The weekly source of African American political and entertainment news."
Google Books holdings of Jet Magazine.
Issues from November 1951 - October 2008.
Google Books - Searching a Magazine
When you open the links above to EBONY and Jet, they will take you to a certain issue of the magazine. The search feature only searches through the selected issue by default. To search through the entire magazine, make sure that you select the "Search all issues" box that appears under the search bar.
If you are looking to search a specific time frame, after hitting search, you can limit the period to a custom time range by selecting "Any Time" at the top and then "Custom Time Range".
