AALBC Search
Ronald Fair
Ronald Fair 0000000116782340 Chicago-born African-American author, Ronald L. Fair, inspired by Richard Wright, carved his own literary path. Born in 1932, Fair served in the U.S. Navy before becoming...
B. Smith
B. Smith 0000000045066151 Barbara Elaine Smith (1949-2020) was a former fashion model and the first African-American woman on Mademoiselle’s cover. She also starred in TV commercials and served as a ...
Leire Salaberria
Leire Salaberria 0000000360451551 Leire Salaberria, born in Spain in 1983, is a Fine Arts graduate who specializes in Children's Illustration. She's exhibited her work globally and has been featured ...
Zuksiwa Wanner
Zuksiwa Wanner NONE Zukiswa Wanner, born to South African and Zimbabwean parents in Zambia, is a celebrated author known for award-nominated novels like “Men of the South.” As an essayist, she focuse...
Jonathan Escoffery
Jonathan Escoffery 0000000513239675 Jonathan Escoffery is an award-winning author, recognized with the 2020 Plimpton Prize for Fiction, a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, and th...
Aleshea Harris
Aleshea Harris NONE Aleshea Harris, an award-winning playwright known for her epic western revenge play “Is God Is,” and her critically acclaimed work “What to Send Up When It Goes Down.” She's a rec...
W. Caleb McDaniel
W. Caleb McDaniel 0000000375916227 W. Caleb McDaniel is a History Associate Professor at Rice University and magister of Duncan College. His 2019 book, Sweet Taste of Liberty, won the 2020 Pulitzer P...
Olivia Duchess
Olivia Duchess NONE Olivia Duchess is an illustrator and creator of picture books. She was shortlisted for the 2020 World Illustration Award and received honorable mention for the FAB Prize 2017-2020...
Max Rodriguez
Max Rodriguez NONE Max Rodriguez is the founder and publisher of QBR/The Black Book Review, one of the nation’s premier publications dedicated to books by and about people of African descent. ...
Deesha Philyaw
Deesha Philyaw 0000000401543576 Deesha Philyaw, co-author of Co-Parenting 101, is known for her notable work on race, parenting, gender, and culture. Her writing has been featured in renowned publica...
Amy Watkins
Amy Watkins NONE Amy Watkins, an award-winning author and physician, is known for her fictional works addressing social issues. A former Navy physician, she now practices family medicine in Virginia....
t’ai freedom ford
t’ai freedom ford NONE t’ai freedom ford is a NYC high school English teacher, Cave Canem Fellow, and award-winning poet. She has been published in numerous reviews and anthologies, and is an editor ...
Naomi V. Dunsen-White
Naomi V. Dunsen-White NONE Naomi V. Dunsen-White is a children’s book author and editor focused on promoting diversity and representation in children's literature. She utilizes her background as a fo...
Anika Malone
Anika Malone NONE Anika Malone, author of the acclaimed “10 Minutes Past Too Late”, is celebrated as a fresh voice in contemporary fiction. She has participated in notable book events across the Unit...
Candice Iloh
Candice Iloh NONE Candice Iloh, a Nigerian-American author & dancer in Philadelphia, is a Howard University alumna & 2019 Kimbilio fellow. She holds an M.F.A. from Lesley University. Her novel, Every...
Jerald Walker
Jerald Walker NONE Jerald Walker is a distinguished author known for his memoirs and essays, with recognitions like the 2011 PEN New England Award for Nonfiction and honors from the National Book Awa...
Esther Phillips
Esther Phillips 0000000073657506 Esther Phillips, founder of The Bim Literary Festival & Book Fair and editor of Bim magazine, is a highly decorated poet with an MFA in Creative Writing. She's won pr...
Wade Hudson
Wade Hudson 0000000067647969 Why I Publish Children’s Books Wade Hudson, born in 1946, is an author, journalist, and civil rights activist. Known for his children's books promoting positive Afri...
John Murillo
John Murillo NONE John Murillo is a renowned poet and professor known for his works “Up Jump the Boogie” and “Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry.” He's won numerous awards including two Larry Neal Writers ...
Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
Honoree Fanonne Jeffers 0000000021030293 Honoree Fanonne Jeffers is a renowned poet known for her work on culture, religion, history, and family. With five books to her name, including the acclaimed ...
Kirbyjon H. Caldwell
Kirbyjon H. Caldwell NONE Kirbyjon H. Caldwell is a former bond broker and MBA holder from Wharton School of Business who turned to religion, growing a 25-member congregation into an 18,000 member me...
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman NONE Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D., is the Executive Director at the Hurston Wright Foundation, former Director at Montgomery Community Media, and a successful playwright who...
Kakwasi Somadhi
Kakwasi Somadhi NONE Kakwasi Somadhi Kakwasi is a seasoned writer and educator with an MFA in creative writing from Goddard College. She made her debut with the novel “Coming Forth by Day.” Besides t...
Evette Dionne
Evette Dionne NONE Evette Dionne, a black feminist writer and editor-in-chief of Bitch Media, is renowned for her work on race, gender, and culture in top publications. A former educator, her acclaim...
Tommye Blount
Tommye Blount 0000000497978952 Tommye Blount is a Cave Canem alumnus and acclaimed author of 'What Are We Not For' and 'Fantasia for the Man in Blue', which was recognized by the National Book Awards...
Patricia A. Bridewell
Patricia A. Bridewell NONE Patricia A. Bridewell is an award-winning author, nurse practitioner, and educator who began her writing career in 2005. She has published four novels and contributed to se...
Dani McClain
Dani McClain NONE Dani McClain is a writer specializing in race and reproductive health. She contributes to The Nation and Type Media Center, and her work has featured in numerous outlets. She has pr...
Alyssa Reynoso-Morris
Alyssa Reynoso-Morris NONE Alyssa Reynoso-Morris is a queer Afro-Latinx/e writer, mother, and community organizer from The Bronx. She currently resides in Philadelphia and has been recognized with mu...
Sheila Williams
Sheila Williams 0000000498379628 Sheila Williams, an Ohio-born author and University of Louisville graduate, has published five books, including the popular 'Dancing on the Edge of the Roof'. She con...
Angela Shanté
Angela Shanté NONE Angela was a Finalist for a 2024 National Book Award Angela Shanté is an award-winning children's book author, co-founder of Sunday Dinner Publishing, and DEI advocate in publishing...
Curdella Forbes
Curdella Forbes 0000000043570880 Curdella Forbes, a Jamaican-born author and Howard University professor based in Maryland, is the celebrated writer of 'A Tall History of Sugar', winning the 2020 Hur...
Ron A. Austin
Ron A. Austin NONE Ron A. Austin, an MFA holder from U. of Missouri-St. Louis, is a 2016 Arts Commission Fellow and acclaimed author of 'Avery Colt Is a Snake, a Thief, a Liar', a Nilsen Prize-winnin...
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant 0000000045677868 Kobe Bryant, born August 23, 1978, was a celebrated athlete and accomplished author. In his 20-year NBA career with the Lakers, he won numerous accolades. Post retirement...
Natasha S. Alford
Natasha S. Alford NONE Natasha S. Alford is a celebrated journalist and digital host known for her impactful reporting on politics, culture, and social issues. She's a Harvard graduate and an Emmy aw...
Taylor Byas
Taylor Byas NONE Dr. Taylor Byas, Ph.D. is a Black poet and essayist. Originally from Chicago, she moved to Alabama for six years, where she received both her Bachelor’s degree in English and her Ma...
Wanda Thomas
Wanda Thomas 0000000074200639 Wanda L. Thomas, a New York-born author and CEO of a Medical Transcribing business, holds a BA in Biology and Pre-Medical Studies. She founded JCW Enterprises, a childre...
Nathan Huggins
Nathan Huggins 0000000110473299 Nathan Irvin Huggins (1927-1989) was a renowned historian, author, and educator specializing in African-American studies. He served as the W. E. B. Du Bois Professor a...
C.J. Watson
C.J. Watson NONE Former NBA star, C.J. Watson, penned a children's book in 2020, “C.J.'s Big Dream”, inspiring kids to work hard for their dreams. The book, potentially a series, follows a young boy ...
Pat Cummings
Pat Cummings 0000000067231736 Pat Cummings is an award-winning author and illustrator, known for creating over 30 children's books. She's worked on TV shows like Gullah Gullah Island and Cover to Cov...
Dinah Johnson
Dinah Johnson NONE Dinah Johnson is a renowned author in children's literature, particularly in African American storytelling. Her books, which include titles like Hair Dance! and Sitting Pretty, cel...
Halima Taha
Halima Taha NONE Halima Taha is a renowned advocate for African and African-American art, known for her educational initiatives and influential writings. Her contributions have spearheaded recognitio...
Gil Robertson
Gil Robertson NONE Gil L. Robertson IV is a renowned authority on African-American pop culture. A journalist, author, lecturer, and media consultant, he provides platforms for social change through h...
Sharna Jackson
Sharna Jackson NONE Sharna Jackson, an award-winning author known for her middle-grade series High Rise Mystery and Tate Kids Activity books. Recognized as a Rising Star in 2013, she won the Watersto...
Ted Joans
Ted Joans 0000000081560413 “Jazz is my religion.” Theodore “Ted” Joans was an acclaimed jazz poet, surrealist, trumpeter, and painter, known for his avant-garde work and criticism of compe...
Idza Luhumyo
Idza Luhumyo NONE Idza Luhumyo, born in 1993, is a rising star in African literature, known for her award-winning works. She earned the Margaret Busby New Daughters of Africa Award in 2020 and the Sh...
Quintard Taylor
Quintard Taylor 0000000114391610 AALBC Truly Mourns the Lost of Quintard Taylor Quintard Taylor, a Professor of American History, specializes in African American history with over three decades of exp...
Kiran H. J. Dellimore
Kiran H. J. Dellimore NONE Kiran Dellimore, a scientist, inventor, and author based in Utrecht, has authored three books on diverse topics. A keen runner, squash player, and rock climber, he is curre...
John Steptoe
John Steptoe 0000000083178664 John Lewis Steptoe (1950-1989) was a renowned children's book author and illustrator from Brooklyn, NY. Known for his rich illustrations depicting the African American e...
Oludamini Ogunnaike
Oludamini Ogunnaike 0000000040827310 Oludamini Ogunnaike, PhD, is the Associate Professor of African Religious Thought and Democracy at the University of Virginia. His research examines the philosop...
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Andrea Davis Pinkney 0000000083413599 Andrea Davis Pinkney is a bestselling author of children and young adult books, awarded multiple honors such as Coretta Scott King Awards and NAACP Image Award n...
Lisa Washington
Lisa Washington NONE Lisa Washington is a bestselling Christian Fiction author, honored with the 2020 Author Elite Award and the 2018 African-American Literary Show Award. A U.S. Navy veteran and alu...
Linda A. Duggins
Linda A. Duggins NONE Linda A. Duggins is the Director of Multicultural Publicity at Hachette Book Group and Co-founder of the Harlem Book Fair. She's a board member of several literacy organizations...
Juana Martinez-Neal
Juana Martinez-Neal 0000000115462636 Juana Martinez-Neal, award-winning author-illustrator, received the 2019 Caldecott Honor and 2020 Robert F. Sibert Medal. She was also awarded the 2018 Pura Belpr...
Nina Crews
Nina Crews 0000000063939702 Nina Crews is a Brooklyn-based children's book author and illustrator, known for her unique photographic collage style. She's been recognized by numerous organizations for...
Tonya Bolden
Tonya Bolden 0000000116508683 Tonya Bolden, a Princeton and Columbia University graduate, is an award-winning author/editor of over 40 books, including children's nonfiction and historical novels. He...
Terrence L. Johnson
Terrence L. Johnson NONE Terrence L. Johnson is the Charles G. Adams Professor of African American Religious Studies, Professor of African and African American Studies (FAS), Director of Religion and...
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. MULTIPLE Dr. Henry “Skip” Louis Gates Jr., a distinguished Harvard professor, is widely recognized for his contribution to African and African American research. As editor in c...
Alicia D. Williams
Alicia D. Williams 0000000493459573 Alicia D. Williams is a beloved teacher, oral storyteller, and award-nominated author. Known for her lively spirit, she blends drama and storytelling in her teachi...
Tiffany Rose
Tiffany Rose NONE Tiffany Rose, a teacher and author/illustrator, is known for her book 'M is for Melanin'. Passionate about creating art and stories that reflect underrepresented children, she also ...
Ladan Osman
Ladan Osman NONE Somali-born poet and essayist, Ladan Osman, is renowned for her award-winning works including “The Kitchen-Dweller’s Testimony” and “Exiles of Eden.” She's also contributed to the Se...
Mbozi Haimbe
Mbozi Haimbe NONE Mbozi Haimbe, a Zambian author, writes African-inspired fiction. Her work has been published by Granta, Catapult, and Catalyst Press. She's a panelist, guest speaker, scriptwriter, ...
Richard B. Moore
Richard B. Moore 0000000082432341 Moore was an early advocate for the use of “African American” as opposed to “Negro” or “Black.” Richard Benjamin Moore was an infl...
Desmond Meade
Desmond Meade NONE Desmond Meade, president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, is a renowned advocate for voting rights. A former homeless retur...
Nelda LaTeef
Nelda LaTeef 000000008348432X Nelda LaTeef is an award-winning author and illustrator, known for acclaimed children's books like Animal Village and The Talking Baobab Tree. Her work has received nume...
Toyomi Igus
Toyomi Igus NONE Toyomi Igus, a celebrated author and communications strategist, has had a varied career in publishing, corporate, and marketing communications. Known for her work in academic book pu...
Boubacar Boris Diop
Boubacar Boris Diop 0000000121417292 Boubacar Boris Diop is a renowned Senegalese novelist and screenwriter. His acclaimed work, Murambi, The Book of Bones, made it to Africa's 100 Best Books of the ...
Kirsti Jewel
Kirsti Jewel NONE Kirsti Jewel, a former Bay Area school leader, is the current Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at a Manhattan school. A 2020 Kweli Fellow, she writes nonfiction centered...
Nick Brooks
Nick Brooks NONE Nick Brooks, an award-winning filmmaker and author from Washington, DC, is known for his short film 'Hoop Dreamin''. A 2020 USC graduate, he won the George Lucas Scholar Award and wa...
Keisha Lance Bottoms
Keisha Lance Bottoms NONE Keisha Lance Bottoms is the former Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, and currently serves as a political commentator for CNN. During her tenure as mayor from 2018 to 2022, Bott...
Valerie Bolling and Kailei Pew
Valerie Bolling and Kailei Pew MULTIPLE Valerie Bolling, an award-winning author and educator, is committed to creating diverse literature for children. Kailei Pew, author of children's books like Ki...
Tiya Miles
Tiya Miles 0000000114701869 Tiya Alicia Miles is a historian and professor at the University of Michigan. Specializing in African American and Native American histories, she's the author of award-win...
Courtney Faye Taylor
Courtney Faye Taylor NONE Courtney Faye Taylor is a celebrated writer and visual artist, known for winning the Discovery/Boston Review Poetry Prize and the Academy of American Poets Prize. Her work i...
Alice Dunbar-Nelson
Alice Dunbar-Nelson 0000000081179540 Check out Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson (1875-1935) was an acclaimed American journalist, political act...
Sion Dayson
Sion Dayson NONE Sion Dayson, an American writer and EFL teacher, has lived in New York, North Carolina, Paris, and now Valencia. Her work, including her debut novel 'As a River', has been published ...
Ursula M. Burns
Ursula M. Burns 0000000445332455 Ursula M. Burns is a pioneering American businesswoman, the first black woman to become a Fortune 500 CEO at Xerox, where she served from 2009-2016. She was also Chai...
Yasmin Angoe
Yasmin Angoe NONE Yasmin Angoe is a first-generation Ghanaian American writer and editor from Northern Virginia. An experienced teacher and instructional coach, Yasmin also freelances as a developmen...
Brahm Revel
Brahm Revel NONE Brahm Revel, an American artist and writer, is renowned for his comic series 'Guerillas' and work with Marvel, Boom!, and IDW. He contributed to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Unive...
Supriya Kelkar
Supriya Kelkar 0000000498588577 Supriya Kelkar grew up in the Midwest, where she learned Hindi as a child by watching three Hindi movies a week. Winner of the New Visions Award for her middle grade ...
Tamkara Adun
Tamkara Adun NONE Tamkara Adun is a Nigerian author, researcher, and historian specializing in indigenous African history. She founded ỌdúnìfẹÌ, a platform for teaching African history and lan...
Randall Kenan
Randall Kenan 0000000108991919 Randall Kenan (1963-2020) was a notable author and professor born in Brooklyn and raised in North Carolina. He has taught at numerous esteemed universities and is known...
John Lewis
John Lewis 0000000114586629 Born to sharecroppers, John Robert Lewis became a key figure in the US Civil Rights Movement. As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and a speaker at...
Jack Olsen
Jack Olsen 0000000080864730 Jack Olsen is a celebrated author of 33 books available in 15 countries and 11 languages. As a former Time bureau chief, he contributed to various high-profile publication...
Jean “Binta” Breeze
Jean “Binta” Breeze 0000000025335932 Jean “Binta” Breeze (1956–2021) was a renowned Jamaican poet who published eight books and performed globally. She first gained recognition in 1985 at the Inter...
Addie Boswell
Addie Boswell NONE Addie Boswell, a Portland-based author and muralist, is known for her award-winning book, The Rain Stomper. Her works include Go, Bikes, Go!, Go, Planes, Go!, The Snow Dancer, and ...
Torman Jahi
Torman Jahi NONE Torman Jahi, for the last 27 years, has been known as an international hip-hop artist, born and raised in East Cleveland, Ohio, and calling Oakland home for the last 25 years. Jahi,...
Charles S. Finch III
Charles S. Finch III NONE AALBC Mourns the passing of Dr. Finch January 17, 2026 Dr. Charles S. Finch III is a renowned African-American physician, author, and cultural historian. Known for his health...
Noah Davis
Noah Davis 0000000403317062 Noah Davis, a Pennsylvania native, is a renowned author specializing in poems and prose about the Allegheny Front. His work has featured in numerous publications and his f...
Eloise Greenfield
Eloise Greenfield 000000006319793X Eloise Greenfield, renowned for her rhythmic style, positively portrayed the black experience in her award-winning children's literature. With works like The Friend...
Laura Nsafou
Laura Nsafou 000000046109520X Laura Nsafou, alias Mrs Roots, is an Afrofeminist blogger and author known for her literature reviews and articles on Afrofeminism in France. As the founder of Afrolab a...
James Kaplan
James Kaplan 0000000114392023 James Kaplan, a Guggenheim Fellow, is a prolific writer whose work has been featured in top magazines like The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. He's penned novels such as 'Pe...
Tameka Fryer Brown
Tameka Fryer Brown NONE Tameka Fryer Brown, a Charlotte-based author, is known for her award-winning children's books. Her debut, “Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day,” sold over 100,000 copies. Her sec...
Rhonda Roumani
Rhonda Roumani NONE Rhonda Roumani is a Syrian-American journalist who has written about Islam, the Arab world, and Muslim American issues for more than two decades. She is also the author of nonfic...
Lauren DeStefano
Lauren DeStefano 0000000080644615 Lauren DeStefano is an author specializing in young adult and middle grade novels. She published her first picture book, The Unicorn Came To Dinner, in August 2020. ...
Tony Hillery
Tony Hillery NONE Tony Hillery, founder and executive director of Harlem Grown, began his journey in 2011, transforming a vacant lot in Harlem into a thriving urban farm. He is based in New York and ...
Bryan Christopher Moss
Bryan Christopher Moss NONE Bryan Christopher Moss, a Columbus-born artist, works professionally on storyboards, comics, and runs a T-shirt company, Strange Things. His clients include Cirque du Sole...
David Margolick
David Margolick 000000011572515X David Margolick is a seasoned editor with roles at Vanity Fair, Newsweek, and Portfolio. Known for his 15-year tenure as a legal affairs correspondent for the New Yor...
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 ...
Ronin Ro
Ronin Ro 0000000035931519 Ronin Ro, a New York City-based author, began his career writing for Dance Music Report and The Source, eventually contributing to renowned publications like Rolling Stone a...
Shannon Sanders
Shannon Sanders NONE Shannon Sanders is a Washington, DC-based author. Her fiction has been featured in various publications and won the 2020 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers....
Bianca Xunise
Bianca Xunise NONE Bianca Xunise is a cartoonist based out of Chicago, Illinois. Their work primarily focuses on the plight, joy, and daily struggles of misfits within the Black community. Bianca Xun...