Geographical Research about African Americans: A Survey of Journals, 1911–1995

Abstract

This paper surveys research about African Americans in six geography journals between 1911 and 1995. 176 journal articles about African Americans were identified. A chronological analysis of a subset of these articles shows that it was not until the 1960s that African Americans were studied to any appreciable degree by geographers. Since that time, geographers have continued this research, but unevenly; annual output varies widely. Popular topics have included considerations of spatial distributions, social problems, political participation, the development of black residence areas, and historical and cultural studies of African Americans. Recent research in this area has problematized the concept of "race" and investigated the mutual constitution of racial identity and place.