Texas

Archival Research and Special Collections in the Black West

Here are institutions and archival resources in Texas where Africana history, culture, and archival research are documented and made available for scholars, students, genealogists, and the public:

African Americans, Bullock Museum, Austin
African American Archives, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Special Collections & Archives
African American, Archives/Museums, Civil Rights, Rice University Fondren Library
African-American History – The Texas Collection, Baylor University Libraries
African American History Research Center at the Gregory School, Houston Public Library
African American Studies Archival Collections: Overview, Southern Methodist University (SMU) Libraries
African American Studies Resources, University of Houston Libraries' Special Collections
Africana Studies and Hispanic Studies Collection, Cushing Memorial Library & Archives, Texas A&M
African American Special Collections, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries
Benson Latin American Collection, The University of Texas at Austin Libraries
Buffalo Soldiers, Bullock Museum, Austin
Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, Houston
Claude and ZerNona Black Papers, 1890-2009, Trinity University Special Collections and Archives
Collections – African American Museum, Dallas
Galveston and Texas History Center
The HistoryMakers (Oral histories from Black Texans)
The Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC), University of Texas at San Antonio
Juneteenth, Galveston and Texas History Center
Juneteenth, National Archives and Records Administration
Oral History Interviews (in Civil Rights in Texas), University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries
The Oral History Program at the Southwest Collection, Texas Tech University, Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library
The Portal to Texas History, Reber Memorial Library, University of North Texas Libraries
San Antonio Black History Collection, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections
San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum Digital Archive
The Slave Societies Digital Archive
Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University
Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society Inc.
Texas Digital Archive, Texas State Library and Archives Commission
The Texas Freedom Colonies Project
Texas Institute for the Preservation of History and Culture, Prairie View A&M University
Texas Library and Archives Foundation
Texas Observes Juneteenth, Texas State Library and Archives Commission
Texas Southern University, Special Collections
Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) – Handbook of Texas database
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
UT Black Studies Archive, Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO), The University of Texas at Austin Libraries
The Witte Museum, San Antonio
Newspapers & Community Press as Archival Sources:
- Digitized African American Newspapers in Texas, Library of Congress

Tips for Archival Research

Start with online finding aids — many archives have searchable guides you can review before visiting.
Contact archivists ahead of time — they can help identify relevant collections and materials.
Explore digital collections first — some historical photos, oral histories, and exhibits may be available online.
Leverage community institutions — university archives and regional historical societies often collaborate with local historians.