The papers of Cyrus Colter (writer and educator; member of the faculty of Northwestern University's Department of African-American Studies) spans the years 1935 to 1995. It consists of biographical material, correspondence, speeches, and publications. The bulk of the collection consists of drafts of Colter's publications, especially his two last novels, A Chocolate Soldier and City of Lights.

Leon Richard Forrest served as chairman of Northwestern University's African American Studies department from 1985 to 1994, and also held a professorship in the English department. The Leon Forrest Papers consist of 8 boxes spanning the years 1954 to 1998. The bulk of the papers consist of manuscripts and proofs of his novels.