The fonds consists of books and other materials about Black people in history and contemporary society which Roy States collected from his teenage years to the end of his life. The materials are primarily English-language works produced during his lifetime, and the majority of them are from Canada or the United States. The physically largest series within the collection (Series B, Monographs) consists of 679 published volumes, most of them books and a smaller number of them booklets. These volumes are all catalogued individually, with a common sublocation of "Roy States Collection" within Rare Books and Special Collections. The remaining series contain a diversity of published, ephemeral, and unpublished materials, including various items by or about Roy States himself. Series A is a group of biographical materials and other items which relate directly to States. Series C consists of booklets and brochures. Series D consists of complete issues of newspapers, and Series E consists of complete issues of serials other than newspapers. Series F contains an assortment of newspaper and magazine clippings, as well as reprinted or photocopied extracts from books, journals and other works. Series G contains materials relating to conferences and meetings, chiefly involving groups and organizations advocating for civil rights; the materials include programs, agendas, minutes and reports, as well as the text of various speeches presented at these events. Series H consists primarily of graphic materials which have been mounted in cardboard-and-plastic display sleeves or in glass-fronted wooden frames. Series I is a group of miscellaneous materials such as studies, reports, typescripts, bibliographies and leaflets.

This series consists of diverse materials about Black history and culture, mostly in Canada, chiefly created in the 1970s. Some of the documents are informational or advocacy materials regarding Black-majority countries and communities outside Canada. There are numerous files related to both the Black National Coalition of Canada and Festac '77. There are also some materials about other ethnic minority communities. These materials are in variety of formats including studies, reports, typescripts, historical document reproductions, informational index cards, and concert advertisements and play programs. In some cases, the items lack context, such as a clear indication of their author or of the purpose for which they were created.

This series consists of materials which pertain to conferences and meetings. It includes programs, agendas, announcements, and guides; the full texts or the summaries of speeches, addresses and presentations; handouts and related materials; minutes of meetings; and reports and articles about meetings. Many of the items are single documents; some are envelopes containing an assortment of materials relating to a particular conference or meeting or event.

This series consists of original and photocopied clippings from newspapers and magazines, as well as other types of original or photocopied extracts from publications (such as article reprints and offprints). Also included are two volumes (one photo album and one scrapbook) whose contents consist primarily of clippings and photocopies.

This series consists of complete (or largely complete) issues of serial publications in formats other than newspapers, such as journals, magazines and newsletters. The series includes both Canadian and non-Canadian publications. Clippings from newspapers are distributed among several of the series, but a large proportion of them are in Series F.

This series consists of complete (or largely complete) issues of newspapers. About two-thirds of the series consists of Canadian newspapers; the remaining third consists of non-Canadian newspapers, most of these being from the United States. Clippings from newspapers are distributed among several of the series, but a large proportion of them are in Series F.

The booklets and brochures in the Roy States Collection are distributed among several of its series, but in most cases the booklets are part of either Series B or Series C. This distribution reflects the two initial stages of the arrangement of the collection after it was donated to Rare Books and Special Collections. In the first stage, most of the booklets and brochures were uncatalogued. A few were boxed together as miscellaneous materials, but many were placed in individual envelopes or folders, were given individual identification codes, and were listed in the printed finding aid for the collection. In the second stage, some of the booklets with identification codes were catalogued individually; these items are now part of Series B. Most of the remaining booklets, as well as the majority of the brochure-type materials, form Series C.

This series is the physically largest component of the Roy States collection. It consists of 679 publications, most of them books and booklets, collected by Roy States. There is also one microform item. All of these publications are individually catalogued in OCLC, and they can be identified from their shelving location, which is the Roy States Collection in Rare Books and Special Collections.

This series is a group of materials relating specifically to the life of Roy States.