The Library of Congress Music Division is the nation's music library of record for American creativity. African American composers, songwriters, and arrangers comprise a rich part of these music collections, as well as international composers of the Black diaspora. This research guide features resources and search methods to find music by Black composers in the Library of Congress Music Division. Online resources, such as videos and digitized musical scores, are also highlighted in this guide.
Related research guides of interest include Early African-American Music: A Bibliography and Harry Thacker Burleigh: A Guide to Resources. For more information about Black creators of jazz, visit the research guides Jazz Research at the Library of Congress and Jazz Stock Arrangements: A Resource Guide.
The Music Division's scores, books, special collections, and rare materials are served in the Performing Arts Reading Room.