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...
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...
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...
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. ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Michelle Meadows
Michelle Meadows NONE Michelle Meadows is a celebrated children's author of 10 books, best known for her debut, 'The Way The Storm Stops'. Her heartwarming stories, often read aloud, help children na...
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...
Tom Feelings
Tom Feelings 0000000063291627 Tom Feelings was a Brooklyn-born author, illustrator, and activist who portrayed the African-American experience through his work. He had a distinguished career, winning...
Fenton Johnson
Fenton Johnson 0000000038623095 Fenton Johnson (1888-1958) was an African American poet, essayist, and editor who significantly contributed to the Harlem Renaissance. His work, including his well-kno...
Sylvia L. Walker
Sylvia L. Walker NONE Sylvia L. Walker, a Pasadena-born artist, is renowned for her children's fashion illustrations and book illustrations. She has worked with major clients like Simplicity, McCalls...
Nonku Kunene Adumetey
Nonku Kunene Adumetey NONE Nonkululeko “Nonku” Kunene Adumetey is a devoted wife, mother, and children's author. Born in eSwatini, educated in Canada and the US, she's passionate about inspiring chil...
Ezra Jack Keats
Ezra Jack Keats 0000000370477827 Ezra Jack Keats (1916-1983) was a pioneering children's book author and illustrator known for introducing multiculturalism into mainstream American literature. Despit...
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 ...
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...
Desaray Mnyandu
Desaray Mnyandu NONE Desaray Mnyandu is a Turkey-born author and co-founder of Zulunomics, dedicated to integrating Zulu language into tech platforms. Passionate about world cultures, her children's ...
Sarah E. Farro
Sarah E. Farro NONE Sarah E. Farro, a black author born in 1859, wrote 'True Love: A Story of English Domestic Life' in 1891, making her the second known African-American woman novelist of the 19th c...
E. Franklin Frazier
E. Franklin Frazier 0000000110444690 Edward F. Frazier (1894-1962) was a renowned American sociologist and author. His influential work, “The Negro Family in the United States,” won the 1940 Anisfiel...
Randy Weston
Randy Weston 0000000081037964 Randy Weston, born April 6, 1926, was a renowned jazz musician whose career spanned over six decades. Known for his unique fusion of African rhythms and jazz improvisati...
National Museum of African American History and Culture
National Museum of African American History and Culture MULTIPLE The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), established by Congress in 2003, is devoted to documenting Afric...
Megan Frazer Blakemore
Megan Frazer Blakemore NONE Megan Frazer Blakemore is a notable children's and young adults' author, known for her middle grade novels like “The Firefly Code” and “The Water Castle,” the latter being...
Kelly Starling Lyons
Kelly Starling Lyons NONE Kelly Starling Lyons is a children's book author from Pittsburgh. Inspired by her mother's storytelling and her grandparents' creativity, she started writing at a young age....
E. B. Lewis
E. B. Lewis 0000000367331472 E.B. Lewis, an award-winning illustrator, has worked on over 70 children's books. Inspired by his uncles, he developed his artistic skills from a young age and later spec...
Cheryl Willis Hudson and Wade Hudson
Cheryl Willis Hudson and Wade Hudson MULTIPLE Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, parents based in Northern NJ, founded Just Us Books in 1988 to address a lack of quality Black-interest children's ...
Sterling Brown
Sterling Brown 0000000467837526 Sterling A. Brown (1901-1989) was a renowned African American professor, poet, and literary critic. Born and educated in prestigious institutions, he devoted 40 years ...
Kellie Jones
Kellie Jones 0000000076890717 Kellie Jones is an Associate Professor at Columbia University specializing in African American and African Diaspora artists, Latinx and Latin American Artists, and conte...
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 ...
Everett Hoagland
Everett Hoagland NONE Everett Hoagland, a Philadelphia-born poet, professor, and activist, is renowned for his contributions to African American literature. A significant literary figure, he has nume...
Victoria Scott-Miller
Victoria Scott-Miller NONE Victoria Scott-Miller is an acclaimed entrepreneur, author, and owner of North Carolina's first black-owned children's bookstore. She's notable for creating 'The Museum Liv...
Beauty Bragg
Beauty Bragg 0000000125620829 Beauty Bragg is a Professor of African American Literature at Georgia College with a BA from USC and a MA and Ph.D from UT Austin. She authored a book exploring black wo...
Billy Johnson
Billy Johnson NONE Billy Johnson is an African American writer originally from Staten Island, New York. A graduate of Curtis High School, he went on to attend Triton College in River Forest, Illinoi...
Keith Gilyard
Keith Gilyard 0000000084094091 Raymond Keith Gilyard is a renowned American professor and writer specializing in rhetoric, composition, literacy studies, sociolinguistics, and African American litera...
Natasha Moulton-Levy
Natasha Moulton-Levy NONE Natasha Moulton-Levy, a mother and problem-solver, instills a global perspective in her children, helping them become successful global citizens. An alumna of the College of...
Tony Rose
Tony Rose 000000005879297X AALBC Mourns the Passing of Tony Rose Tony Rose (October 11, 1950 – May 27, 2025) was the Publisher and CEO of Amber Communications Group, Inc. the nation’s large...
Gwendolyn Hooks
Gwendolyn Hooks NONE Gwendolyn Hooks is a children's book author inspired by pets, friendship, and family. Born in Georgia, she's lived in several places including Italy. She initially pursued a care...
Cheryl Willis Hudson
Cheryl Willis Hudson 0000000037209335 Cheryl Willis Hudson, editorial director of Just Us Books, focuses on publishing Black interest books for children. Co-founder of the company in 1988, she's a re...
Ivor W. Hartmann
Ivor W. Hartmann NONE Ivor W. Hartmann is a Zimbabwean writer, editor, and publisher, known for editing the groundbreaking anthology AfroSF: Science Fiction by African Writers. His work has promoted ...
Patrick A. Howell
Patrick A. Howell NONE Patrick A. Howell is an accomplished banker, author, and co-founder of the news collective, Diatribe, and the Global International African Arts Movement. Known for his work in ...
Paul Von Blum
Paul Von Blum NONE Paul Von Blum is a Senior Lecturer at UCLA with a rich history in African American Studies and Communication Studies. Since 1968, he has taught at UC Berkeley and UCLA. An esteemed...
Jupiter Hammon
Jupiter Hammon 000000038947276X Jupiter Hammon (1711-1806), a born slave, became the first African-American writer to be published in the US in 1761. Encouraged to learn reading and writing, he serve...
Judy Allen Dodson
Judy Allen Dodson NONE Judy Allen Dodson is an award-winning librarian, archivist, and children's author dedicated to teaching Black History through stories of unsung heroes. She serves as a regional...
L. E. Rainey
L. E. Rainey NONE L.E. Rainey, a first-time children's book author and experienced grandmother, penned 'Sad Sam, Glad Sam' using her knack for storytelling developed from years of reading bedtime sto...
Clyde R. Taylor
Clyde R. Taylor NONE Clyde Russell Taylor was a vital figure in African American studies, known for his influential work in film and cultural criticism. He focused on the portrayal of Black people in...
John Hope Franklin
John Hope Franklin 0000000114547638 John Hope Franklin (January 2, 1915 – March 25, 2009) was an educator and historian. Franklin lived through America’s most defining twentieth-century transf...
Walter White
Walter White 0000000081462565 “I am a Negro. My skin is white, my eyes are blue, my hair is blond. The traits of my race are nowhere visible upon me.” Explore A.J. Baime's 2022 autobiograp...
Beverly Jenkins
Beverly Jenkins 000000011691928X Beverly Jenkins, a USA TODAY bestselling author, is renowned for her African-American historical romance fiction, mainly set in the 19th century. With over thirty nov...
Skyler Houston
Skyler Houston NONE Skyler “Skye” Houston is a Mississippi-born, Georgia-raised author with a Master's in Organizational Leadership. Her love for children and writing inspired her to pen “I Want to b...
Kathy Whitehead
Kathy Whitehead NONE Kathy Whitehead, a former elementary teacher, now writes children's literature inspired by her love for history. Her work includes a picture book biography about African-American...
Lisa D. Brathwaite
Lisa D. Brathwaite NONE Lisa D. Brathwaite is a creative self-expression enthusiast and author of children's book, “Miles of Style.” She holds a degree in Community Studies from the University of Mar...
Irene Smalls
Irene Smalls NONE Irene Smalls, a Harlem native and Cornell University graduate, is a renowned children's author, inspired by her personal experiences and heritage. Her diverse career spans modelling...
Maulana Karenga
Maulana Karenga 0000000116973657 Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana Studies and influential figure in the Black Power movement, created the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa. A graduate of UC...
Bettye Collier-Thomas
Bettye Collier-Thomas 0000000122788183 Dr. Bettye Collier-Thomas is professor of American history at Temple University. Her scholarship includes American social and cultural history, African American...
Tonya Duncan Ellis
Tonya Duncan Ellis NONE Tonya Duncan Ellis, acclaimed author of the Sophie Washington children's book series, combines her love for writing and travel in her books. Her award-winning series, aimed at...
Bettye Chitman Haysbert
Bettye Chitman Haysbert NONE Dr. Bettye Chitman Haysbert, a veteran in school reform, has championed the cause of improving education for African American students. A former SF Unified School Distric...
Renée Watson
Renée Watson 0000000060818307 Renée Watson, acclaimed author of young adult and children's literature, uses art to help youth deal with trauma and discuss social issues. Known for her book “This Side...
Cathy Finch White
Cathy Finch White NONE Cathy Finch White, a former medical professional turned author, advocates for child education through reading. She has written four award-winning books, including “Anna Learn's...
Rachel Renée Russell
Rachel Renée Russell 0000000116442848 “Black writers should not be typecast into having only black characters.”—Shonda Rhimes Rachel Renee Russell, attorney and bestselling author of...
Melvin Patrick Ely
Melvin Patrick Ely 0000000030403653 Melvin Patrick Ely is an acclaimed author and historian specializing in African American and Southern history. His prize-winning book, 'Israel on the Appomattox', ...
Molefi Kete Asante
Molefi Kete Asante 0000000108973825 Dr. Molefi Kete Asante is Professor and Chair, Department of African American Studies at Temple University. Considered by his peers to be one of the most distingu...
Joe L. Dudley, Sr.
Joe L. Dudley, Sr. MULTIPLE Dr. Joe Louis Dudley, Sr. was a pioneering entrepreneur and founder of Dudley Products Inc., a major Black haircare brand. With his business acumen, he filled a market gap...
Karen Lynn Williams
Karen Lynn Williams 0000000063701972 Karen Lynn Williams, born in 1952, is a renowned author of over a dozen children's books, including the acclaimed 'GALIMOTO'. She's also a former Peace Corps volu...
Tomi Adeyemi
Tomi Adeyemi 0000000464681757 Tomi Adeyemi, a Nigerian-American author and creative writing coach, is known for her debut West African YA Fantasy novel “Children of Blood and Bone.” A Harvard graduat...
Marcus Dewan Williams
Marcus Dewan Williams NONE Marcus Dewan Williams, more than just the owner of Nubian Books bookstore, is an active advocate for African and African-American culture and education. As a publisher and ...
Very Puzzled
Very Puzzled NONE Very Puzzled creates educational jigsaw puzzles that celebrate diversity and promote understanding of different cultures. Their mission is to provide children with a fun way to expl...
Marta Moreno-Vega
Marta Moreno-Vega 0000000032859822 Dr. Marta Moreno-Vega, born in 1952, is a renowned scholar and advocate for cultural equity. She holds degrees from New York University and Temple University. She f...
African American Literature Book Club
African American Literature Book Club 0000000509856750 The African American Literature Book Club transforms notable forum discussions into articles for increased visibility. The first conversion, “On...
Barbara Brandon
Barbara Brandon 0000000031564723 Barbara Brandon is the first nationally syndicated African-American female cartoonist. Barbara Brandon-Croft, creator of the comic strip 'Where I’m Coming From', is ce...
Saharra K. Sandhu
Saharra K. Sandhu NONE Saharra K. Sandhu is a scientist-turned-romance writer, known for weaving South American and Caribbean folklore into her novels. Her debut, “Daughter Of The Missing”, is a Whea...
Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander 0000000114909360 Elizabeth Alexander, a renowned poet, essayist, playwright, and teacher, has authored multiple books, including 'American Sublime', a Pulitzer finalist. A scholar...
Pat Cleveland
Pat Cleveland NONE Patricia Cleveland, born on June 23, 1950, is a pioneer in the fashion industry as one of the first prominent Black runway and print models. Discovered by Vogue assistant fashion e...