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Just as Sheikh Amadu Bamba, the Senegalese Sufi saint, can be considered the most prolific writer of Africa, Asante must surely be considered the most prolific author and editor in black studies. He and Mazama, both of Temple University, have put together a 250-entry encyclopedia of what they consider the black studies canon. Anyone familiar with Mazama or Asante will recognize the Afrocentric orientation of their text. Afrocentricity is not an anti-European or anti-Caucasian view of the world but a way for Africans and people descended from Africans the world over to view the world from their own vantage point. The encyclopedia's contributors are a who's who of the black studies field today.

The book has an explanatory preface and excellent introduction that summarizes black studies for those unfamiliar with the field. Most of the articles provide a short bibliography of further reading for those seeking more in-depth knowledge. One appendix contains an extensive bibliography that also covers black studies programs at American universities and a list of major black studies journals. A thorough index will easily lead the reader to any topic located within the text. The list of contributors rounds out a solidly put-together title.

For students seeking a good grounding in Afrocentricity, this is an excellent place to start. Articles cover many of the basics of the field, from concepts and theories (Diaspora, Black nationalism), to selected books important in laying out Afrocentric ideas (Black Athena, Mis-Education of the Negro), to a short article on Diopian historiography. One of the most concise and understandable explanations of Ebonics can be found in this text. Those who confuse African American studies with black studies may find some glaring omissions. There are no entries on Martin Luther King or Malcolm X (although numerous reference to both can be traced through the index). However, there are a two-page article on Marie Laveau and a page and a half on the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

This is a required text for large public libraries and all academic libraries. It provides a thorough understanding of and easy reference into a growing, dynamic field of study. Steve Stratton
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Review

"The book has an explanatory preface and excellent introduction that summarizes black studies for those unfamiliar with the field.  Most of the articles provide a short bibliography of further reading for those seeking more in-depth knowledge. ...This is a required text for large public libraries and all academic libraries.  It provides a thorough understanding of and easy reference into a growing, dynamic field of study." (Stephen Stratton BOOKLIST )

"Asante and the group originally centered at Temple University are credited with formalizing the discipline of Black Studies in the United States and make up most of the authors of this volume." (Anthony J. Adam Multicultural Review )

"Black studies has long needed this work to deflect and answer questions from critics and supporters. The editors set out to establish a baseline for understanding the field, to try in a work admittedly in progress to define the most commonly used ideas and concepts. . . . This work can be particularly helpful to scholars in tangentially related fields, helping them to know how black studies specialists define certain terms and concepts." (C. Williams CHOICE )

Asante offers students and educators an alternative perspective to the Eurocentric approach of the traditional college curriculum. Instead of interpreting social, political, historical and religious phenomena through the lenses of Western eyes, Afrocentricity seeks to identify the African place in such events. Emphasizing symbols, motifs, rituals and signs, this theory celebrates African cultural elements in all areas of life. . . . this formulation of the central ideas of an important group of scholars will be a valuable addition to many academic collections. (John R.M. Lawrence, Reference Librarian )