Black Drama contains the full text of 1,200 plays written from the mid-1800s to the present by more than 100 playwrights from North America, English-speaking Africa, the Caribbean, and other African diaspora countries. Many of the works are rare, hard to find, or out of print. Each play is extensively and deeply indexed, allowing both keyword and multi-fielded searching.
The plays are accompanied by reference materials, significant ancillary information, a rich performance database, and images. The plays deal with the social and political ills stemming from colonialism, slavery, and apartheid; the struggle for independence; African history; and neo-colonialism.