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Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston 0000000109083197 “One of the greatest writers of our time.”—Toni Morrison Zora Neale Hurston is considered one of the titans of twentieth-century African American ...
Zora Neale Hurston and Deborah G. Plant
Zora Neale Hurston and Deborah G. Plant MULTIPLE Zora Neale Hurston and Deborah G. Plant are renowned authors, with Hurston known for her significant contributions to African American literature and ...
Zora Neale Hurston and M. Genevieve West
Zora Neale Hurston and M. Genevieve West MULTIPLE "Zora Neale Hurston and M. Genevieve West are acclaimed authors renowned for their contributions to literature, with Hurston known for her work durin...
Zora Neale Hurston and Adapted by Ibram X. Kendi
Zora Neale Hurston and Adapted by Ibram X. Kendi MULTIPLE Zora Neale Hurston and Ibram X. Kendi are influential authors, with Hurston known for her significant contributions to African-American liter...
Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston
Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston MULTIPLE Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston are prominent figures in American literature, renowned for their contributions to the Harlem Renaissance and Afr...
Richard Wright, Lorraine Hansberry, Nikki Giovanni, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and Gwendolyn Brooks
Richard Wright, Lorraine Hansberry, Nikki Giovanni, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and Gwendolyn Brooks MULTIPLE Prominent authors including Richard Wright, Lorraine Hansberry, Nikki Giovanni, ...
Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and W.E.B. Du Bois
Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and W.E.B. Du Bois MULTIPLE Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and W.E.B. Du Bois are renowned figures in literature and civil rights, known for their influentia...
Zora Neale Hurston, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., M. Genevieve West
Zora Neale Hurston, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., M. Genevieve West MULTIPLE Zora Neale Hurston, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and M. Genevieve West are influential authors whose work spans literature, critical s...
Valerie Boyd
Valerie Boyd 000000011658992X Valerie Boyd was a notable American author, journalist, and educator, celebrated for her contributions to African American literature. She's best known for her acclaimed...
Neale Sourna
Neale Sourna NONE Neale Sourna is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and game story narrative writer based in Cleveland, Ohio. She has a diverse background, including business banking, wealth man...
M. Genevieve West
M. Genevieve West NONE M. Genevieve West is an English Professor at Texas Woman’s University, renowned for her scholarly work on Zora Neale Hurston. She has contributed to esteemed academic journals ...
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...
Lucy Hurston
Lucy Hurston NONE Lucy Anne Hurston is a Sociology Professor at Manchester Community College, Connecticut, and the niece of renowned 20th century writer, Zora Neale Hurston. Lucy Anne Hurston, niece ...
James Baldwin, Gwendolyn Brooks, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker, Richard Wright, Frank Yerby, and Others
James Baldwin, Gwendolyn Brooks, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker, Richard Wright, Frank Yerby, and Others MULTIPLE
Deborah G. Plant
Deborah G. Plant 0000000055229006 Deborah G. Plant is a respected scholar and critic, specializing in African American literature and Africana Studies, particularly the works of Zora Neale Hurston. P...
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...
David Anthony Durham
David Anthony Durham 0000000114789864 David Anthony Durham, born in 1969, is an award-winning author known for novels like Gabriel’s Story and Pride of Carthage. A recipient of the 1992 Zora Neale Hu...
Eleanora E. Tate
Eleanora E. Tate 0000000067159869 Eleanora E. Tate is an acclaimed author and educator known for her stories celebrating community life. Her first novel, Just an Overnight Guest, was adapted into a T...
Clyde W. Ford
Clyde W. Ford 0000000109297208 Clyde W. Ford, NYC-born author of 13 fiction and non-fiction works, is also a psychotherapist, mythologist, and public speaker. He's received numerous accolades includi...
Ersula Knox Odom
Ersula Knox Odom NONE Ersula Knox Odom is a renowned legacy writer and author with over 100 published articles and two biographies. She's also a motivational speaker, prize-winning lyricist, and port...
Monda Raquel Webb
Monda Raquel Webb NONE Born in 1968, Monda Raquel Webb is an avid reader and writer who was influenced by notable authors like Zora Neale Hurston and James Baldwin. Raised in multiple states, she gra...
Zakes Mda
Zakes Mda 0000000109273150 Zakes Mda is a South African novelist, playwright, and painter, currently a professor at Ohio University. He has won major literary awards in South Africa and the USA, incl...
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...
Ishmael Reed
Ishmael Reed 0000000121258332 “A great writer.” —James Baldwin Ishmael Reed, born 1933, is a prominent black American writer known for his engaging novels, poetry, plays, and es...
Jervette R. Ward
Jervette R. Ward NONE Dr. Jervette R. Ward is an English Associate Professor at Mississippi State University, editor, former journalist, and public relations professional. She specializes in American...
Robert G. O’Meally
Robert G. O’Meally 0000000108901063 Robert G. O'Meally is a distinguished scholar and the Zora Neale Hurston Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. He is also the fou...
Shamara Ray
Shamara Ray NONE Shamara Ray, a passionate writer and book lover, honed her skills at Syracuse University. Her writing dream took shape while commuting to Manhattan, where she created corporate educa...
T.R. Simon
T.R. Simon NONE T.R. Simon is an acclaimed author renowned for “Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground” and co-author of award-winning “Zora and Me” with Victoria Bond. Also co-authored “Oskar and the Eight ...
Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay 000000035624500X Ava DuVernay is an award-winning writer, producer, and director in independent film. She founded DVA Media + Marketing and the African-American Film Festival Releasing M...
Malaika Adero
Malaika Adero 0000000384232281 Malaika Adero runs a literary agency, Adero's Literary Tribe, where she works with publishers and individual clients. She is the author of several books including “Up S...
Namina Forna
Namina Forna NONE Namina Forna, with an MFA from USC School of Cinematic Arts and a BA from Spelman College, is a screenwriter in LA known for crafting stories with strong female leads. Her debut nov...
Vashti Harrison
Vashti Harrison 0000000476987403 Vashti Harrison, born in 1988, is a Virginia-based author, illustrator, and filmmaker with a passion for storytelling. She has degrees in Media Studies, Studio Art, F...
Mona Ombogo
Mona Ombogo 0000000062004139 Kenyan author and scriptwriter, Mona Ombogo, is known for her award-winning films and novels. With a global education and exposure to diverse cultures, her work addresses...
Dorothy West
Dorothy West 0000000117719538 Dorothy West (1907-1998) was an active participant in the Harlem Renaissance and the last surviving member. Known for her short stories, she debuted with her novel 'The ...
Melanie S. Hatter
Melanie S. Hatter NONE Melanie S. Hatter, award-winning author of “Malawi’s Sisters” and “The Color of My Soul”, also penned the short fiction collection “Let No One Weep for Me.” She's actively enga...
Venise Berry
Venise Berry NONE Venise Berry, an associate professor at the University of Iowa, is a highly accomplished author, researcher, and media professional. She has penned best-selling novels and co-author...
Lolita Files
Lolita Files 0000000067722180 Lolita Files, an accomplished African-American author, screenwriter, and producer, is known for her bestselling novels like 'Scenes from a Sistah' and 'Child of God'. Wi...
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...
Wil Haygood
Wil Haygood 0000000384391645 Wil Haygood, a Guggenheim fellow and cultural historian, is renowned for his iconic biographies and work for the Washington Post. His notable books include the New York T...
Pat G’Orge Walker
Pat G’Orge Walker NONE Pat G’Orge-Walker, an Essence and National bestselling author and comedian, is known for her humorous observations of church life. A prolific author of 10 books, she's often be...
Victoria Kennedy
Victoria Kennedy NONE Victoria Kennedy, author of 'Where Love Goes' and debut novel 'Sometimes Love', contributes to the Literary Café Magazine and is the founder of Zora’s Den, a group for Black wo...
April Reynolds
April Reynolds NONE April Reynolds, award-winning author of 'Knee-Deep in Wonder', is a distinguished faculty at Sarah Lawrence College. She has also taught at NYU and the 92nd Street Y. April Reynol...
Alain Locke
Alain Locke 0000000108789294 Celebrate the Centennial of Survey Graphic on March 23, 2025, at 6 PM ET. Register Here Born in 1886, Alain LeRoy Locke was an influential educator, writer, and phil...
C. Alexandra Allen
C. Alexandra Allen NONE C. Alexandra Allen was born in Mount Vernon, New York and raised in the borough of Queens, New York. In 1992, she began her studies at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georg...
Kuwana Haulsey
Kuwana Haulsey NONE Kuwana Haulsey is an award-nominated author, educator, and actress. Born in NYC, she graduated magna cum laude from Rutgers University in journalism. Haulsey has led seminars at P...
Princess Joy L. Perry
Princess Joy L. Perry NONE Princess Joy L. Perry is the recipient of a Virginia Commission for the Arts Fellowship and a winner of the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Award. Her short stories have...
Donna Hill
Donna Hill NONE Donna Hill a Pioneer of the African American Romance Genre Donna Hill, began her career in 1987 writing short stories for True Confessions magazine. Since that time she has more than ...
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...
Rochelle Alers
Rochelle Alers 0000000057307055 Rochelle Alers has been hailed by readers and booksellers alike as one of today’s most prolific African American authors of romance and women’s fiction. With more ...
Marvis Johnson
Marvis Johnson NONE Marvis Johnson is a multi-talented entrepreneur, artist manager, director, and author with formal training in Film and Television Arts. Known for his work in the New York City fil...
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina NONE Michael Dequina is a prolific film critic, contributing to numerous platforms including Rottentomatoes.com, Film Threat, and his own site, TheMovieReport.com. He's been reviewing...
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...
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...
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...
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 0000000081090255 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor in 1947, is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time. A 7-foot-2 Hall of Famer, he dominat...
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...
Shirlee Taylor Haizlip
Shirlee Taylor Haizlip 0000000045262996 Shirlee Taylor Haizlip, a Connecticut-born author and former CBS affiliate manager, has made significant contributions to academia, television, and film preser...
Kasi Lemmons
Kasi Lemmons 0000000118746394 Karen “Kasi” Lemmons is a celebrated actress, writer, and director, known for roles in films like “Silence of the Lambs”, and for directing the highest-grossing independ...
Shannon Holmes
Shannon Holmes NONE Shannon Holmes, a Bronx native, turned his life around while serving a prison sentence by penning his first novel. Achieving success with his debut, “B-more Careful,” he secured a...
Julia Hare
Julia Hare NONE Dr. Julia Hare (1939-2019) was a renowned motivational speaker and influential figure in black communities both in America and abroad. Known for her powerful speeches about black lead...
Biyi Bandele
Biyi Bandele 0000000120964833 Biyi Bandele-Thomas (1967-2022) was a renowned Nigerian novelist, playwright, director, and photographer. He was celebrated as one of Africa's top 50 artists. Bandele's ...
Thomas Long
Thomas Long 0000000376122955 Thomas Long, a self-published poet from Baltimore, transitioned to urban fiction, reflecting his experiences growing up in the inner city. His debut novel, Dayvon’s Story...
Damien Echols and Lorri Davis
Damien Echols and Lorri Davis MULTIPLE Bestselling author and visual artist Damien Echols, known for his wrongful death row sentence and magick practice, has penned six books, including two with his ...
Julian Mayfield
Julian Mayfield 0000000114504355 Julian Mayfield (1928-1984) was a renowned writer, civil rights activist, and cultural icon. His works explored themes of race and identity, significantly impacting t...
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...
Alaina E. Roberts
Alaina E. Roberts NONE Alaina E. Roberts, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh, specializing in Black and Native American history. She holds a Doctorate from In...
Bobby Price
Bobby Price NONE Dr. Bobby Price, a certified plant-based nutritionist and exercise physiologist, focuses on holistic healing through diet, herbal medicine, and lifestyle changes. He has extensive cl...
Douglas S. Reed
Douglas S. Reed NONE Douglas S. Reed wins the 2020 BookLife Fiction Prize Douglas S. Reed, a Brooklyn-based screenwriter/novelist, has vast experience in the motion picture industry, including working...
Tariq Nasheed
Tariq Nasheed 0000000035827594 Tariq Nasheed, also known as Tariq Elite, King Flex, and K-Flex, is a renowned author, film producer, and director. He's known for his advice books on dating and the ho...
Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck 0000000081402175 Raoul Peck is a renowned filmmaker known for narrative films and documentaries like Lumumba and I Am Not Your Negro. A jury member at Cannes and Berlinale, he chairs the b...
Susan Robeson
Susan Robeson 0000000084570270 Susan Robeson is a longtime documentary film and television producer. Her award-winning work has appeared on PBS, NBC and ABC affiliates, and Channel 4 in the UK, and h...
Armond White
Armond White 0000000031792179 Armond Allen White, born in 1953, is a renowned film and music critic. He served as the arts editor for The City Sun and later wrote for New York Press. He was the edito...
Nkem DenChukwu
Nkem DenChukwu NONE Nkem DenChukwu, a multitalented artist with a background in Computer Networking and Health Services Administration, is passionate about filmmaking, writing, and cooking. She has p...
Greg Garrett
Greg Garrett 0000000046223577 Greg Garrett is a recognized voice on religion and culture in America, with work featured across major media outlets. He is the co-founder of the Long Long Way Film Fest...
N’Tyse
N’Tyse NONE N'Tyse, a wife, mother, and Dallas native, is a multitalented novelist, screenwriter, and film producer. With a background in banking and a degree from Arizona State University, she is ce...
L’Oreal Thompson Payton
L’Oreal Thompson Payton NONE L’Oreal Thompson Payton is an award-winning journalist, author, and wellness advocate whose work lives at the intersection of mental health, identity, and culture, with ...
Melvin Tolson
Melvin Tolson NONE Melvin B. Tolson Sr. (1898-1966) was a Modernist poet, educator, and politician from Missouri, known for his work on the African American experience and the Harlem Renaissance. His...
Peter Kalu
Peter Kalu NONE Peter Kalu is an award-winning poet, fiction writer, and playwright from the UK. He began his writing career at Manchester's Moss Side Write black writers workshop and has produced ei...
Angie Thomas
Angie Thomas 0000000486125057 Angie Thomas, a Mississippi-based author, gained fame with her debut novel 'The Hate U Give'. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, the novel was a #1 New York Ti...
Osha Gray Davidson
Osha Gray Davidson 000000008280060X Osha Gray Davidson is a versatile author, writer, photographer, and podcaster known for his prolific contributions to renewable energy and environmental journalism...
David Barclay Moore
David Barclay Moore NONE Missouri-born David Barclay Moore is a Brooklyn-based writer, filmmaker, and photographer. Known for his debut young adult novel 'The Stars Beneath Our Feet' and his award-wi...
Zeba Blay
Zeba Blay NONE Zeba Blay is a film and culture critic with a career spanning nearly a decade. She has contributed to various publications like The New York Times and was a Senior Culture Writer at Hu...
Aminatta Forna
Aminatta Forna 0000000123211415 Aminatta Forna, born in Glasgow and raised in Sierra Leone and the UK, is an acclaimed author with works including The Devil that Danced on the Water, Ancestor Stones,...
Dana Johnson
Dana Johnson 0000000034257024 Dana Johnson, an acclaimed author and English professor at the University of Southern California, is known for her award-winning short fiction and novels. Her work has b...
Danielle Henderson
Danielle Henderson 0000000380386988 Danielle Henderson is a TV writer known for works like Maniac and Dare Me, and a former editor for Rookie. She co-hosts the film podcast I Saw What You Did, and au...
LaDarrion Williams
LaDarrion Williams NONE LaDarrion Williams is a LA-based playwright and author, leading a new era of Black fantasy through his works. He is a resident playwright at The Black Creators Collective and ...
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...
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...
Asali Solomon
Asali Solomon NONE Asali Solomon, a West Philadelphia native, is a celebrated author and academic with a PhD in English and an MFA in Fiction. Known for her book, “Get Down”, her work has been featur...
Brit Bennett
Brit Bennett 0000000463582175 Brit Bennett, a celebrated author from Southern California, is a Stanford graduate with an MFA from University of Michigan. She's a recipient of the Hopwood Award and th...
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 ...
Portia Cosby
Portia Cosby NONE Portia A. Cosby is a renowned novelist, screenwriter, and poet from Indianapolis, known for her relatable storytelling. With a background in kinesiology and film, she blends her ski...
Rosalyn McMillan
Rosalyn McMillan NONE Rosalyn McMillan (1953-2017) was a prolific author from Michigan who penned six popular novels. She lived in Memphis, Tennessee with her husband and enjoyed knitting and fishing...
Doris Payne
Doris Payne 0000000109107224 Doris Payne, born in Slab Fork, West Virginia, is the youngest of six and daughter of a coal miner. She is renowned for her six-decade career as an international jewel th...
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...
Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu
Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu NONE Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, born in 1977, is a Zimbabwean writer, filmmaker, and academic with a PhD from Stanford. She has published research on Saartjie Baartman and made the ...
Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges 000000003120025X Ruby Bridges, born 1954, is a civil rights activist known for being the first black student to integrate an all-white school in New Orleans at age six. Her journey spark...
My Haley
My Haley NONE Myran “My” Haley, a PhD graduate from The Ohio State University, is a renowned writer who collaborated with her late husband, author Alex Haley, on projects including the book and minis...
Glodean Champion
Glodean Champion NONE Glodean Champion is a multifaceted artist, educator, and coach based in Monterey, CA. She is a published author, whose work explores themes of sexuality, gender, and African Ame...
Ousmane Sembène
Ousmane Sembène 0000000120171534 “Father of African Film” Ousmane Sembène (1923-2007) was a renowned Senegalese director, producer, and writer. Often recognized as the “father of African ...