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50 Favorite African-American Authors of the 20th Century

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1,826 readers cast votes back in 2001 for their favorite African-American authors. Here we share the 50 authors who received the most votes ranked in the order of the total number of votes received.

Check out a beautiful collage of all 50 author’s photos and our list of the Top 100 Books of the 20th Century.

Help readers discover the great writers of the century by casting your vote for “Your Favorite Black Author of the 21st Century.”

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# 1 — (6.24%)
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison
# 2 — (5.42%)
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston
# 3 — (4.82%)
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
# 4 — (4.71%)
J. California Cooper
J. California Cooper
# 5 — (4.33%)
Alice Walker
Alice Walker
# 6 — (3.94%)
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes
# 7 — (3.72%)
E. Lynn Harris
E. Lynn Harris
# 8 — (3.56%)
James Baldwin
James Baldwin
# 9 — (3.23%)
Terry McMillan
Terry McMillan
# 10 — (3.18%)
Bebe Moore Campbell
Bebe Moore Campbell
# 11 — (2.74%)
Richard Wright
Richard Wright
# 12 — (2.57%)
Walter Mosley
Walter Mosley
# 13 — (2.52%)
Eric Jerome Dickey
Eric Jerome Dickey
# 14 — (2.41%)
Sheneska Jackson
Sheneska Jackson
# 15 — (2.19%)
Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler
# 16 — (2.08%)
Alex Haley
Alex Haley
# 17 — (2.03%)
Ralph Ellison
Ralph Ellison
# 18 — (1.86%)
Gloria Naylor
Gloria Naylor
# 19 — (1.53%)
Iyanla Vanzant
Iyanla Vanzant
# 20 — (1.53%)
Omar Tyree
Omar Tyree
# 21 — (1.48%)
Albert French
Albert French
# 22 — (1.42%)
Connie Briscoe
Connie Briscoe
# 23 — (1.42%)
Ernest Gaines
Ernest Gaines
# 24 — (1.42%)
Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni
# 25 — (1.31%)
Chester Himes
Chester Himes
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