Kathleen Thompson worked on all three of the following references works about black women in American. She was the unofficial house writer for Carlson Publishing when the first edition of Black Women in America was prepared and wrote about sixty of the entries in the encyclopedia. She was editor-in-chief of the Facts on File Encyclopedia of Black Women, which was edited by Darlene Clark Hine. Thompson’s role was supervising the production of new entries and providing overviews of subject areas. For the second edition of Black Women in America, also edited by Hine, she served on the Board of Senior Editors.

Black Women in America
An Historical Encyclopedia
Carlson Publishing, 1994

Darlene Clark Hine, Elsa Barkley Brown, Rosalyn Terborg-Penn

Winner of the Dartmouth Medal for Outstanding Reference Publication of 1994, the first edition of Black Women in America broke ground – pulling together for the first time all of the research in this vast but underrepresented field to provide one of the strongest building blocks of Black Women’s Studies. Hailed by Eric Foner of Columbia University (for a Lingua Franca survey) as “one of those publishing events which changes the way we look at a field,” it simultaneously filled a void in the literature and sparked new research and concepts regarding African American women in history.

This extraordinary reference was the work of hundreds of historians of black history, most of them members of the Association of Black Women Historians. They worked under the three editors–Hine, Barkley Brown, and Terborg-Penn–for several years before the publisher, Ralph Carlson, called Kathleen Thompson in to do “mop up.” She wrote many entries for which the historians did not have time, including those on contemporary figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg.

“A remarkable achievement. The Encyclopedia is a germinal contribution to American history, African American history, and Women’s history. It is an indispensable reference tool for students and scholars alike.”
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

“An essential book, one that will be of enduring value to students, researchers, and anyone interested in a fuller, richer understanding of American history.”
The Washington Post

“Breathes life into the unsung heroines and tireless workers whose contributions have often been omitted or overlooked in the chronicles of American history.”
New York Times Book Review

Encyclopedia of Black Women
Facts on File, 1997

Darlene Clark Hine, editor; Kathleen Thompson, editor-in-chief

When Ralph Carlson was approached about adapting the two-volume Black Women in America into a multi-volume set for young people, he needed someone with experience writing and editing juvenile material. He and Darlene Clark Hine chose Kathleen Thompsonto re-organize biographical entries, choose and supervise writers of new entries, and shape introductions based on topical entries from the original work. The result was a very accessible reference for young adults.

This book spans three centuries and profiles more than 1,000 African- American women and the institutions that influenced them. The inspirational biographies capture the personal accounts of women who overcame adversity and changed history. Students will learn about the perseverance, courage, and ‘personal will’ that these women had in common, each with one shared goal: improvement through change.

“[T]his richly personal and readable resource gives the lay audience at which it is clearly aimed a 400-year perspective on the achievement of black women in America, providing inspiration and insight to people of varying backgrounds and ages.”
Library Journal

Black Women in America
Oxford University Press, 2005

Darlene Clark Hine, editor
Board of Senior Editors: Wanda A. Hendriks, Wilma King, Jacqueline A. McLeod, Daina Ramey Berry, Rosalyn Terborg-Penn, Kathleen Thompson, Deborah Gray White

Since the first edition was published, a new generation of American black women has flourished, demanding this landmark reference be brought up to date. Women such as Venus and Serena Williams, Condoleezza Rice, Carol Mosley-Braun, Ruth Simmons, and Ann Fudge have become household names for their remarkable contributions to sports, politics, academia, and business. In three magnificent volumes, Black Women in America, Second Edition celebrates the remarkable achievements of black women throughout history, highlights their ongoing contributions in America today, and covers the new research the first edition helped to generate.

“This landmark reference work is an essential purchase.”
Booklist, Starred Review

“Fascinating glimpses into black women’s economic, social, and political contributions…. Impressive.”
School Library Journal, Starred Review