AALBC Search
Felicia Pearson
Felicia Pearson 0000000036169140 Felicia “Snoop“ Pearson, known for her chilling role in HBO's The Wire, has overcome significant life challenges. Born in difficult circumstances in East Baltimor...
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg 0000000120269646 Calvin Broadus, known as Snoop Dogg, is a renowned rapper from Long Beach, California. After overcoming legal struggles, he launched his career with Dr. Dre, achieving qua...
Snoop Dogg and Earl Stevens
Snoop Dogg and Earl Stevens MULTIPLE Calvin 'Snoop Dogg' Broadus and Earl 'E-40' Stevens are iconic figures in the music industry, known for their contributions to rap and hip hop. Calvin “Snoop Dogg...
Yvonne Orji
Yvonne Orji NONE Emmy-nominated actress, writer, and comedian, Yvonne Orji, is renowned internationally for her HBO comedy special and her role in HBO's Insecure. She's also a sought-after speaker wh...
Bill Duke
Bill Duke 0000000063023892 Actor, Director, and Producer Bill Duke has over 40 years of Hollywood experience, known for his roles in “Predator,” “X-Men 3,” and currently in HBO Max's “No Sudden Move....
Viola Davis
Viola Davis 0000000114894234 Viola Davis is an award-winning actress and producer recognized globally for her roles in “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Fences,” and “The Help.” Besides earning an Acad...
Mecca Jamilah Sullivan
Mecca Jamilah Sullivan NONE Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Ph.D., is an award-winning author and scholar known for her short stories and critical work on African Diaspora culture. She's held numerous reside...
muMs the schemer
muMs the schemer NONE Craig Grant, known as muMs the Schemer, is a poet and actor from the Bronx, New York. He rose to fame in the documentary SlamNation and through his role as “Poet” in HBO's Oz. H...
Aisha Hall
Aisha Hall NONE Incarcerated author Aisha Hall uses her strength and talent to influence urban fiction, despite serving a 10+ year sentence for wire fraud. With eight novels written from prison, two ...
Booker T. Mattison
Booker T. Mattison NONE Booker T. Mattison is an author and filmmaker who wrote the screenplay for and directed the film adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's classic story "The Gi...
Bernard L. Dillard
Bernard L. Dillard NONE Bernard L. Dillard, a North Carolina native, is a scholar and actor based in New York City. Known for bridging the gap between statistical theory and practice, Dillard co-auth...
Michael K. Williams
Michael K. Williams 0000000119486395 Michael Kenneth Williams (1966-2021) was an Emmy-nominated actor and producer, celebrated for his roles in The Wire and Boardwalk Empire. He passed away in his ho...
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen NONE Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen is a prolific children's author based in New Jersey. She has written both fiction and nonfiction, including titles like “Pirate Princess”, “Hampir...
Janet Mock
Janet Mock 0000000420518704 Janet Mock, a writer, TV host, and advocate, uses storytelling to combat stigma. The NYU journalism graduate and Honolulu native started at People.com, wrote for numerous ...
Leslie Jones
Leslie Jones 0000000447812524 Leslie Jones, born in 1967, is an award-nominated actress known for her work on Saturday Night Live and HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death. She's been recognized as one...
Danny Simmons
Danny Simmons 000000011447538X AALBC Mourns the Passing of Danny Simmons Daniel “Danny” Simmons is a globally recognized abstract-expressionist painter with works in prominent establishments like the ...
Jazmyn Simon and Dulé Hill
Jazmyn Simon and Dulé Hill MULTIPLE Jazmyn Simon and Dulé Hill, a married couple known for their roles in HBO’s Ballers and ABC’s The Wonder Years, coauthored a children's book, Repeat After Me, to ...
Attica Locke
Attica Locke 0000000040462489 Attica Locke, an award-winning author, has penned bestsellers like 'Black Water Rising' and 'The Cutting Season', earning nominations for renowned awards. A Northwestern...
Heru Ptah
Heru Ptah NONE Heru Ptah is a multifaceted writer, known for his work as a poet, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He's appeared on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, CNN, and has a novel published by MTV B...
Nelson George
Nelson George 0000000115805862 Nelson George, born in 1957, is a renowned columnist, critic, journalist, filmmaker, and author of 21 books, including bestseller 'The Michael Jackson Story'. A pioneer...
Tanya Wright
Tanya Wright 0000000395292597 Tanya Wright, a Bronx native, is an acclaimed actor known for roles in HBO's True Blood and Netflix's Orange Is the New Black. A Vassar graduate and former New York Time...
Tara Betts
Tara Betts NONE Tara Betts, a celebrated author and poet, is known for her educational efforts in arts programs and her work with GirlSpeak. She has been featured on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and the Blac...
Cortney Gee
Cortney Gee NONE Cortney Gee, a comedian from Cleveland, Ohio, has performed on HBO's Def Jam, BET's ComicView, and The Jamie Foxx Show. Known for touring globally and bringing laughter to audiences,...
Trey Ellis
Trey Ellis 000000011675397X Trey Ellis is a multi-talented writer, novelist, screenwriter, playwright, essayist, and Associate Professor at Columbia University. He's known for his Emmy-nominated HBO ...
Katie McCabe
Katie McCabe NONE Katie McCabe is an award-winning freelance writer featured in Washingtonian Magazine, Baltimore Magazine, and Reader’s Digest. Her piece on Vivien Thomas was adapted into a Peabody ...
Elaine Meryl Brown
Elaine Meryl Brown NONE Elaine Meryl Brown, former VP Creative Services at HBO and Creative Director at Showtime Networks, is an Emmy Award-winning writer with work featured in Essence and Women's Wo...
Elaine Brown
Elaine Brown 000000010913170X Elaine Brown, former leader of the Black Panther Party and author of several notable books, is renowned for her works like 'A Taste of Power', which was optioned by HBO....
Javon Johnson
Javon Johnson NONE Javon Johnson is an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and director of African diaspora studies. He authored 'Killing Poetry' (2017) and is a renowned spok...
Karyn Parsons
Karyn Parsons 0000000119324302 Karyn Parsons, famed for her role as Hilary Banks on NBC's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, is the founder of Sweet Blackberry, a celebrated children's animation series showcas...
Jazmyn Simon
Jazmyn Simon NONE Jazmyn Simon, an actor, activist, author, and mother, is known for her roles in HBO's 'Ballers' and Netflix's 'Raising Dion.' She co-authored 'Repeat After Me' with husband Dulé Hi...
Mike Africa Jr.
Mike Africa Jr. NONE Mike Africa Jr. is a renowned speaker and writer featured in top publications and media outlets. He starred in HBO's 40 Years a Prisoner and was part of the Audible docu-series, ...
Kevin Coval
Kevin Coval 0000000053723529 Kevin Coval, author of ALA “Book of the Year†finalist Slingshots: A Hip-Hop Poetica, is the Artistic Director of Louder Than a Bomb: The Chicago Teen Poetry Festival...
Jay Ellis
Jay Ellis 0000000042134892 Jay Ellis, a South Carolina-born actor, is known for his role in HBO's Insecure, winning an NAACP Image Award. His career started with BET’s The Game, and includes a role i...
Bob The Drag Queen
Bob The Drag Queen NONE The alter ego of non-binary comic/actor Caldwell Tidicue, “Bob The Drag Queen” describes herself as “hilarious, beautiful, talented and…humble.” Bob’s unabashed confidence wo...
Nikky Finney
Nikky Finney 0000000358800804 Nikky Finney, a South Carolina-born poet, is renowned for her first-person literary accounts of significant American historical events. She debuted with “On Wings Made o...
Ravi Howard
Ravi Howard NONE Ravi Howard is an award-winning author and television producer, known for his novel “Like Trees, Walking.” A recipient of the 2001 Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Award and the 200...
Ashley C. Ford
Ashley C. Ford NONE Ashley C. Ford is a renowned writer, host, and educator based in Indianapolis. She's hosted popular podcasts and shows like The Chronicles of Now, Lovecraft Country Radio, 112BK, ...
Michael A. Gonzales
Michael A. Gonzales NONE Harlem-born essayist and short story writer Michael A. Gonzales, co-authored the seminal hip-hop book Bring the Noise. Known as the “hip-hop Chester Himes,†his fiction a...
Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys 0000000110657805 Alicia Keys, born Alicia Augello Cook in 1981, is a renowned artist. Discover more in our 2005 interview with her. Alicia Keys was born Alicia Augello Cook born on Januar...
Goldie the Poet
Goldie the Poet NONE Goldie the Poet, a Bay-Area native and prominent alumnus of Leimert Park’s World Stage Poets, is a gifted actor and artist. With performances across the U.S. and Europe, his uniq...
Shawntae Harris and Jesseca Harris-Dupart
Shawntae Harris and Jesseca Harris-Dupart MULTIPLE Shawntae Harris, born in Chicago, Illinois, better known by her stage name “Da Brat,” is an American rap artist, profound writer, television and ra...
Fab 5 Freddy
Fab 5 Freddy 0000000114398142 Fred Brathwaite, also known as Fab 5 Freddy, is a pioneering graffiti artist who became one of the first to exhibit his paintings internationally, helping to ignite the...
Talia Whyte
Talia Whyte NONE Talia Whyte has been a freelance journalist since 1998. Prospective clients seeking story assignments, nonfiction ghostwriting, copywriting commissions, story ideas, or licensing in...
Naleighna Kai, Renee Bernard, J.L. Woodson, Joyce A Brown, D. J. McLaurin, Candy Jackson, Janice Pernell, Valarie Prince, Martha Kennerson, Susan D. Peters, Tanishia Pearson-Jones, and L. A. Lewis
Naleighna Kai, Renee Bernard, J.L. Woodson, Joyce A Brown, D. J. McLaurin, Candy Jackson, Janice Pernell, Valarie Prince, Martha Kennerson, Susan D. Peters, Tanishia Pearson-Jones, and L. A. Lewis MUL...
Iceberg Slim
Iceberg Slim 0000000107778710 Iceberg Slim, originally Robert Maupin, was a notorious pimp turned acclaimed author. Known for his icy demeanor and ruthless tactics, he controlled over 400 women durin...
Diane Patrick
Diane Patrick NONE Diane Patrick is a seasoned writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in various industries. Known for her work in publishers like Publishers Weekly and Billboard, she's a...
MarZé Scott
MarZé Scott NONE MarZé Scott, born in Nashville and raised in Michigan, is a University of Michigan graduate and former elementary teacher. Known for her early love for reading and writing, she crea...
Nafissa Thompson-Spires
Nafissa Thompson-Spires NONE Nafissa Thompson-Spires, a PhD in English from Vanderbilt University and MFA from the University of Illinois, is a renowned author. Her work featured in notable publicati...
Robert Jones, Jr.
Robert Jones, Jr. MULTIPLE Robert Jones, Jr. is a New York-born author with a BFA and MFA from Brooklyn College. He's written for The New York Times and other publications, created the social justice...
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Tyson 000000011742385X Cicely Tyson was a respected actress, lecturer, and activist with over sixty years in American theater and film. She was the first African-American woman to win an Emmy ...
Erica Kennedy
Erica Kennedy 0000000361335106 Erica Kennedy Johnson (1970-2012) was an accomplished publicist, special news correspondent, and bestselling author. She worked with top designers like Tommy Hilfiger a...
Quvenzhané Wallis
Quvenzhané Wallis 0000000401748045 Quvenzhané “Nazie” Wallis, born in 2003, is known for her role in 'Beasts of the Southern Wild', making her the youngest Oscar nominee for Best Actress. She also s...
Pamela Thomas-Graham
Pamela Thomas-Graham 0000000120062776 Pamela Thomas-Graham, a Harvard graduate, is currently the president and CEO of CNBC Television, and founder of luxury blog Dandelion Chandelier. She has extensi...
Ibi Zoboi, Tracey Baptiste, Coe Booth, Dhonielle Clayton, Brandy Colbert, Jay Coles, Lamar Giles, Leah Henderson, Justina Ireland, Varian Johnson, Kekla Magoon, Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone, Renée Watson, Rita Williams-Garcia, and others
Ibi Zoboi, Tracey Baptiste, Coe Booth, Dhonielle Clayton, Brandy Colbert, Jay Coles, Lamar Giles, Leah Henderson, Justina Ireland, Varian Johnson, Kekla Magoon, Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone, Renée Watso...
Tracy Sherrod
Tracy Sherrod NONE Tracy Sherrod, editorial director of HarperCollins' Amistad, has worked with award-winning authors and published numerous bestsellers. She has held editorial positions at Simon and...
Terry McMillan
Terry McMillan 000000011827688X Terry McMillan, born in 1951, is a celebrated author and screenwriter known for her novels, four of which have been adapted into films. She fell in love with books as ...
jessica Care moore
jessica Care moore 0000000043767122 jessica Care moore is an internationally renowned poet/ publisher/ activist/ rock star/ playwright and actor. She is a five-time Showtime at the Apollo winn...
Valjeanne Jeffers
Valjeanne Jeffers NONE Valjeanne Jeffers, a graduate of Spelman College and North Carolina Central University, is a member of the Carolina African American Writer’s Collective. She is a published poe...
Sean Pittman
Sean Pittman NONE Sean Pittman is a Radio Talk Show Host, Television Talk Show Host, Political Analyst and Media Consultant, and Attorney Sean Pittman is an attorney and political advisor passionate ...
Omarion
Omarion 0000000101022998 Omarion Ishmael Grandberry, former B2K lead singer and successful solo artist, is now known as the “King of Unbothered.” A Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and actor, he's...
Kel Mitchell
Kel Mitchell 0000000120210820 Kel Mitchell, born August 25, 1978, is a renowned actor, producer, and comedian known for his roles in Nickelodeon's All That and the film Good Burger. He began his acti...
Kim Taylor
Kim Taylor 0000000111137246 Kim Taylor is a speech language pathologist, Department Supervisor, expert quilter, and author. Her quilts, reflecting African American life, have been exhibited widely, i...
Jasmine Guy
Jasmine Guy 0000000114437228 Jasmine Guy knew Afeni Shakur for nearly a decade, having met her via Afeni's son, Tupac. A multitalented performer, Guy began her career as a dancer for the Alvin Ailey...
Kam Williams
Kam Williams NONE Lloyd “Kam” Williams was a renowned film and book critic, contributing to AALBC.com and numerous other publications. A member of several critics associations, he was known for his a...
Delores Thornton
Delores Thornton NONE Indianapolis author Delores Thornton, celebrated for her novels “Ida Mae” and its sequel, is a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild and the African-American Online ...
Lynda Johnson
Lynda Johnson NONE Lynda Johnson, co-founder of Go On Girl! Book Club, supported authors from the African diaspora and helped fund scholarships. She also founded Kidstylesource.com, a leading website...
Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons 0000000115647139 Russell Simmons is a multifaceted entrepreneur, author, and producer, widely known as the Chair and CEO of Rush Communications and co-founder of Def Jam Recordings. H...
Kai Soremekun
Kai Soremekun NONE Actor, writer, and filmmaker Kai Soremekun is a lover of storytelling and a believer in everyday magic. Given her decades long career in Hollywood, this makes perfect sense. Her a...
Justin Ellis
Justin Ellis NONE Justin Ellis is a writer and journalist whose first nonfiction book is The Cruelty of Nice Folks. He is a projects editor for Defector, an employee-owned media company, where he...
Dwayne Alexander Smith
Dwayne Alexander Smith NONE Born in Harlem, Dwayne Alexander Smith is a professional screenwriter who shifted from electrical engineering to film-making. Inspired by Star Wars, he began with an award...
Damon Wayans
Damon Wayans 000000005928060X Damon Wayans, a NY Times bestselling author and award-winning actor from a renowned Hollywood family, is known for his roles in 'In Living Color' and 'My Wife and Kids'....
Issa Rae
Issa Rae 0000000493620849 Issa Rae, born in 1985, is a talented humorist and YouTube sensation with more than 25 million views. Recognized on Forbes' “30 Under 30” list twice, she has created success...
Eriq La Salle
Eriq La Salle 0000000078409843 Eriq La Salle, an actor, director, writer, and producer, is known for his role as Dr. Peter Benton on NBC's ER, earning him multiple award nominations and wins. With a ...
Matthew A. Cherry
Matthew A. Cherry 0000000500418922 Former NFL wide receiver, Matthew A. Cherry, transitioned into filmmaking after his retirement in 2007. He's known for directing over 20 music videos, his feature f...
Kashana Cauley
Kashana Cauley NONE Kashana Cauley is the author of The Payback and The Survivalists, which was named a best book of 2023 by the BBC, Today, Vogue, and more. Cauley is also a television writer, havi...
Sonya Renee Taylor
Sonya Renee Taylor 0000000503825515 Sonya Renee Taylor is the founder of 'The Body Is Not an Apology', a company promoting self-love and body empowerment. She's been featured on numerous media outlet...
Phoebe Robinson
Phoebe Robinson NONE Phoebe Robinson is a stand-up comedian, best-selling author, and actress. She's the co-creator of 2 Dope Queens, host of podcast Sooo Many White Guys, and author of You Can't Tou...
Michaela Coel
Michaela Coel 0000000434604582 Michaela Coel, a Ghanaian-British actress, screenwriter, director, and producer, is renowned for her BAFTA-winning roles in “Chewing Gum” and “I May Destroy You.” She m...
Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar
Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar MULTIPLE Amber Ruffin, first black woman to write for a late-night talk show, hosts The Amber Ruffin Show and writes for Late Night with Seth Meyers. Her sister, Lacey La...
Mark Harmon
Mark Harmon 0000000081038238 Mark Harmon, renowned for his role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS, is now entering the publishing world with “Ghosts of Honolulu.” The Emmy-nominated actor and producer ha...
Lauren Ling Brown
Lauren Ling Brown NONE Lauren Ling Brown is an author and editor based in Los Angeles, California. Brown identifies as multiracial, with African American and Asian heritage. She has spoken about how ...
Sandra Guzmán
Sandra Guzmán 0000000034407045 Sandra Guzmen is an award-winning writer, editor, and documentary filmmaker. She is an Afro-Indigenous daughter of the Caribbean born in Boriken, known popularly by its...
Jeff Pearlman
Jeff Pearlman 0000000034425446 Jeff Pearlman is the New York Times bestselling author of ten books. His subjects include NFL legends Walter Payton (Sweetness), Brett Favre (Gunslinger), and Bo Jacks...
Steven W. Thrasher
Steven W. Thrasher NONE Steven W. Thrasher, PhD holds the inaugural Daniel H. Renberg Chair at Northwestern University’s Medill School, the first journalism professorship in the world created to foc...
Jon Key
Jon Key NONE Jonathan Key is an artist, designer, and writer originally from Seale, Alabama. After receiving his BFA from RISD, Jon began his design career at Grey Advertising in NYC before moving o...
Stacy Gueraseva
Stacy Gueraseva NONE Born in Moscow, Stacy Gueraseva immigrated to NYC in 1981, growing up in the Bronx amidst diverse cultures and music. She became editor-in-chief of Oneworld magazine at 24, after...
Rosamond S. King
Rosamond S. King 0000000045056762 Rosamond S. King is an award-winning author, performer, and Associate Professor at Brooklyn College. Known for her scholarly work on literature, sexuality, and perfo...
Omar Tyree
Omar Tyree 0000000063866005 Omar Tyree, a.k.a. The Urban Griot is a New York Times best-selling author, journalist, lecturer, poet, screenwriter, songwriter, playwright, host, blogger, publishing con...
Mark Doty, Martin Espada, Joy Harjo, Marilyn Nelson, Ishmael Reed, Sonia Sanchez, Yusef Komunyakaa, Afaa Michael Weaver, and Rita Dove
Mark Doty, Martin Espada, Joy Harjo, Marilyn Nelson, Ishmael Reed, Sonia Sanchez, Yusef Komunyakaa, Afaa Michael Weaver, and Rita Dove MULTIPLE Prominent authors Mark Doty, Martin Espada, Joy Harjo, ...
Naleighna Kai, Pat G’Orge Walker, Lisa Watson, Martha Kennerson, Michelle D. Rayford, Janice Pernell, J. L. Campbell, Kisha Green, and Terri Ann Johnson
Naleighna Kai, Pat G’Orge Walker, Lisa Watson, Martha Kennerson, Michelle D. Rayford, Janice Pernell, J. L. Campbell, Kisha Green, and Terri Ann Johnson MULTIPLE "Naleighna Kai, Pat G’Orge Walker, Li...
Thumper
Thumper 000000011496815X Thumper Unveiled? Not Quite Yet by Leah Mullen For as long as I’ve been writing about the publishing industry, interviewing authors, editors, publicity people and o...
Cinque Brown
Cinque Brown NONE Cinque Brown, a Harlem native, is a full-time philosopher with a passion for questioning life. He's an avid learner with a focus on science and technology, and enjoys social comment...
Ronda Racha Penrice
Ronda Racha Penrice NONE Ronda Racha Penrice, an expert in African American history and culture, studied at Columbia University and NYU, focusing on African American literature. She contributed to Th...
Marcia Wilson
Marcia Wilson NONE Marcia E. Wilson, a British-born photographer, has extensively documented poets, writers, and literary events of the African Diaspora since 1995. Her work, featured in major print ...
Shannon Holmes, Wahida Clark, Victor L. Martin, Sa'id Salaam, Reds Johnson, Hood Chronicles, Joe Awsum, and Vance Phillips
Shannon Holmes, Wahida Clark, Victor L. Martin, Sa'id Salaam, Reds Johnson, Hood Chronicles, Joe Awsum, and Vance Phillips MULTIPLE "Shannon Holmes, Wahida Clark, Victor L. Martin, Sa'id Salaam, Reds...
Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance with Hilary Beard
Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance with Hilary Beard MULTIPLE Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance are renowned actors with numerous accolades. Both have had significant roles in TV and film, contr...
Brenda M. Greene
Brenda M. Greene 000000008095850X Dr. Brenda M. Greene is a respected professor, writer, and scholar, leading the Center for Black Literature and the National Black Writers Conference. She has contri...
Dudley Randall
Dudley Randall 0000000114554651 Dudley Randall (1914-2000), a prominent Detroit poet and publisher, began his career at 13 with his first publication. He founded Broadside Press in 1965, promoting Af...
S.L. Jennings, Naleighna Kai, J.D. Mason, Shakir Rashaan, London St. Charles, Sierra Kay, Karen D. Bradley, Anita L. Roseboro, and MarZé Scott
S.L. Jennings, Naleighna Kai, J.D. Mason, Shakir Rashaan, London St. Charles, Sierra Kay, Karen D. Bradley, Anita L. Roseboro, and MarZé Scott MULTIPLE "S.L. Jennings, Naleighna Kai, J.D. Mason, Shak...
Olympia Scott
Olympia Scott NONE Olympia Scott, a Brooklyn native and English major at Medgar Evers College, is a creative writer and intern at AALBC. She contributes useful content and aims to help other writers ...