AALBC Search
Balogun Ojetade
Balogun Ojetade NONE Balogun Ojetade, the Technical Director of Afrikan Martial Arts Institute, is a best-selling author renowned for his work in Afroretroism. He has written 18 novels and gamebooks,...
Burnett Kwadwo Gallman
Burnett Kwadwo Gallman NONE Burnett Kwadwo Gallman, a native of Hartsville, SC, is a medical graduate from Hahnemann Medical College. As a physician, his research aims to eliminate racial health disp...
Khalid Raheem
Khalid Raheem NONE Khalid Raheem is a community activist and author based in Pittsburgh. He has profound commitment to social justice and human development. His activism began in early 1970 when he j...
Ashley Jefferson and Dolisha Mitchell
Ashley Jefferson and Dolisha Mitchell MULTIPLE Ashley Jefferson is an accomplished early childhood educator and well-known play enthusiast who hails from Boston and currently lives near Atlanta. As ...
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt 0000000120374593 Usain Bolt, born August 21, 1986, is recognized as the fastest person ever timed. He holds world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, won six Olympic gold medals, ...
Sydney McLaughlin
Sydney McLaughlin NONE Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (born August 7, 1999) is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and world record–holding American sprinter and hurdler. In 2016, she made history at ...
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey 0000000114722280 Mariah Carey is an author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, producer, and multiple award-winning artist and songwriter. She is the best-selling female artist of all time w...
Ernest Morris
Ernest Morris 0000000071824075 EJ Morris, known as “The Urban Fiction Literary Guru,” debuted in the literary world in 2014 with his novel, Flippin Numbers. Raised on the tough streets of Pennsylvani...
Dimitry Elias Leger
Dimitry Elias Leger NONE Dimitry Elias Léger, born in Haiti, is a former editor and writer for The Source, Fortune, and MTV News, with work in The New York Times and The Washington Post. A UN adviso...
Joseph S. Spence
Joseph S. Spence NONE Dr. Joseph S. Spence Sr. is a globally recognized author, poet, educator, and military veteran. He has authored over 200 peer-reviewed articles, ten poetry books, and co-founded...
Nikkolas Smith
Nikkolas Smith NONE Nikkolas Smith, a Texan Artivist, picture book author, and Hollywood illustrator, creates influential art that sparks social justice discussions. Known for his NAACP Image Award-n...
Prince Joel Makonnen
Prince Joel Makonnen NONE “Doing well in business and doing good in society are inseparable missions” Prince Joel Makonnen, a direct descendant of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, is ...
Adam Russell Taylor
Adam Russell Taylor NONE Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, president of Sojourners, advocates for justice and peace. He has held numerous leadership roles including at the World Bank Group and World Vision U...
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...
Jenin Mohammed
Jenin Mohammed NONE Jenin Mohammed, a talented illustrator from Florida, is renowned for her humorous and captivating art. Winner of the 2020 Summer Spectacular Illustration Grand Prize, her unique s...
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith 0000000114602158 Jada Pinkett Smith is a versatile American actress, singer-songwriter, and producer notable for roles in over 20 films including the Matrix and Madagascar series. ...
Parry Brown
Parry Brown NONE Parry “Ebony Satin” Brown, Author Parry “Ebony Satin” Brown is is the national best-selling author of What Goes Around (One World), Fannin ’ the Flames (One World/Balla...
Ariella Aïsha Azoulay
Ariella Aïsha Azoulay 0000000066540035 Ariella Aïsha Azoulay is a filmmaker, curator, and professor at Brown University, where she teaches political theory through an anti-colonial lens, drawing on ...
Camryn King
Camryn King NONE Camryn King, a former lifestyle magazine senior writer and managing editor, is a world traveler who's lived in or visited 24+ countries and 42 states. She now writes suspense novels,...
Jaron Lanier
Jaron Lanier 0000000118753199 Lanier is a globally renowned technology writer known for his humanistic approach. Awarded the 2014 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, his internationally bestselling...
Randy Krehbiel
Randy Krehbiel NONE Randy Krehbiel is a seasoned reporter for the Tulsa World, covering political affairs in Oklahoma and the US since 1979. He's also authored books about Tulsa's history and its loc...
Charles Euchner
Charles Euchner NONE Euchner, a renowned author and speaker, explores the Civil Rights Revolution in his work, drawing lessons for today's world from the movement's “everyday heroism.” A Vanderbilt a...
Penny Mickelbury
Penny Mickelbury 0000000067623801 Penny Mickelbury is a celebrated playwright, journalist, and novelist, known for her work in fiction and script writing. She rose to prominence with her detective no...
Ashish J. Thakkar
Ashish J. Thakkar NONE Ashish J. Thakkar, CEO and Founder of Mara Group, is a renowned business leader with operations in 21 countries. Recognized by Forbes as one of Africa's most powerful men, he s...
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...
Robert O’Hara
Robert O’Hara 0000000055345883 Playwright and director Robert O'Hara is known for his award-winning works, including the Helen Hayes Award-winning play 'Antebellum'. He revamped 'The Wiz' for its rev...
Mikki Arlene Ealey
Mikki Arlene Ealey NONE Mikki Arlene Ealey is a mother, author, CEO, and senior court office assistant. She is dedicated to healing the world and helping others reach their potential through her writ...
Danez Smith
Danez Smith 0000000529080232 Danez Smith is an award-winning poet from St. Paul, Minnesota. Known for his works such as [insert] boy, his poetry explores themes of race, class, sexuality, faith, and ...
Kai Leakes
Kai Leakes NONE Midwestern author Kai Leakes, developed a love for books early on, later evolving into a passion for storytelling. Now residing in Chicago, she's pursuing a doctorate while writing no...
Farrah Gray
Farrah Gray 0000000108020506 Dr. Farrah Gray was named as one of the most influential Black men in America by the National Urban League’s Urban Influence Magazine. Ebony Magazine recognized ...
Gerren Liles
Gerren Liles NONE Gerren Liles, a Morgan State University graduate and poet, uses his work to promote literacy and self-empowerment among black youth. A finalist for MTV's Real World: Hawaii, his poe...
Greg Thomas
Greg Thomas 0000000055234489 Greg Thomas is an esteemed jazz writer, editor, educator, and broadcaster. With works published in numerous publications, he was the founding Editor-in-Chief of Harlem Wo...
Haki Madhubuti
Haki Madhubuti 0000000114735014 Haki R. Madhubuti, a leading figure in Black literature, is a poet, publisher, editor, and educator. With over 30 published books and 3 million copies in print, he's o...
Ali Mazrui
Ali Mazrui 0000000119710676 “One of the Top 100 Intellectuals in the World” Ali Al’amin Mazrui (1933-2014), a distinguished Kenyan academic and political writer, specialized in African and...
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...
Jose Andres and Matt Goulding
Jose Andres and Matt Goulding MULTIPLE Matt Goulding, an Emmy- and James Beard Award-winning writer, is a bestselling author and cofounder of Roads & Kingdoms. José Andrés, a Michelin-starred chef ...
Kamau Daa’ood
Kamau Daa’ood NONE Kamau Daa’ood is a Los Angeles-based performance poet, educator, and community arts activist. Known for his award-winning documentary, Life is a Saxophone, he's authored two poetry...
RuPaul
RuPaul 0000000055514093 RuPaul Andre Charles, a Tony and Emmy award-winning executive producer and host, is renowned for his contributions to the TV franchise RuPaul's Drag Race. Known for his music,...
N’Dri Thérèse Assié-Lumumba
N’Dri Thérèse Assié-Lumumba 0000000108799425 N'Dri Thérèse Assié-Lumumba is a Professor at Cornell University and President of WCCES. She directs the IAD and chairs UNESCO's SAC. A Fellow of the W...
Lana Reid
Lana Reid 0000000530613016 Lana Reid, author and relationship advocate, hosts “The Male Perspective” podcast and leads transformative workshops nationwide. Best known for her “Loving Him Better†...
Kim Chakanetsa
Kim Chakanetsa 0000000511632457 Kim Chakanetsa is an acclaimed Zimbabwean journalist with BBC World Service after stints at CNN and Associated Press. She hosts “The Conversation,” a show uniting wome...
Maurice Ashley
Maurice Ashley 0000000082047654 Maurice Ashley, the first African-American International Chess Grandmaster, is a renowned coach, commentator, author, app designer, and motivational speaker. Known for...
momowilly
momowilly NONE Monique A. Williams, also known as momowilly, is an author known for her unique writing style and deep understanding of human behavior. Influenced by her love for literature and pop cu...
Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ
Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ 0000000048742231 Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ, an acclaimed novelist, poet, and essayist, is an Assistant Professor of English at Cornell University. He was shortlisted for the Caine Prize and Pen...
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...
Chana Stiefel and Barrington Irving
Chana Stiefel and Barrington Irving MULTIPLE Captain Barrington Irving, at age twenty-three, broke records to become the youngest and first Black pilot to fly solo around the world. He grew up in Ja...
Joe Louis
Joe Louis 0000000081503179 “You can run, but you can’t hide.” Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was n professional boxer who reigned as world heavyweight cha...
Eugen Bacon, Cheryl S. Ntumy, and Stephen Embleton
Eugen Bacon, Cheryl S. Ntumy, and Stephen Embleton MULTIPLE Eugen Bacon is an African Australian author. She’s a British Fantasy and Foreword Indies Award winner, a twice World Fantasy Award finalis...
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,...
Sheree Renée Thomas
Sheree Renée Thomas 0000000019174343 Sheree R. Thomas is a multi-talented writer, editor, publisher, educator, and visual artist. She co-publishes the literary journal Anansi and founded Wanganegress...
Chris Smalls
Chris Smalls NONE Chris Smalls is the co-founder of the Amazon Labor Union and the labor activist who helped make history by leading the first successful unionization of an Amazon warehouse in the U...
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates 0000000036544350 “I’ve been wondering who might fill the intellectual void that plagued me after James Baldwin died…clearly it is Ta-Nehisi Coates.” —To...
Tony Medina
Tony Medina 0000000111019127 Tony Medina (Photo: WideVision Photography) was born in the South Bronx, raised in the Throgs Neck Housing Projects, and currently lives in the Washington, D...
Troy CLE
Troy CLE 0000000036353335 Troy Tompkins, aka Troy CLE, is a New Jersey-based fiction writer known for “The Marvelous Effect,” the first installment of The Marvelous World Saga. A Seton Hall Preparato...
Ursula Rucker
Ursula Rucker 0000000056442917 Ursula Rucker is one of the premiere spoken word recording artists in the music industry today. As a poet and performance artist, Ursula has enchanted crit...
Edward E. Baptist
Edward E. Baptist 0000000039584833 Edward E. Baptist, born 1970, is a Professor of History at Cornell University. His expertise lies in the history of 19th-century USA, particularly the South and the...
Walter Zacharius
Walter Zacharius NONE Walter Zacharius (1923-2011) was a WWII veteran and a noted philanthropist. He co-founded Kensington Publishing in 1974, expanding the romance genre and supporting diverse reade...
Yvonne Blackwood
Yvonne Blackwood NONE Yvonne Blackwood is a renowned author, speaker, and retired banker, known for her world travels and writing. She has written successful books like 'Into Africa a Personal Journe...
Shaun Randol
Shaun Randol NONE Shaun Randol, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Mantle, co-editor of Gambit: Newer African Writing. He's a Fellow at the World Policy Institute, New York, and a member of the Natio...
Karen Lord
Karen Lord 0000000074983995 Karen Lord (born 22 May 1968) is a Barbadian writer and editor and the author of Redemption in Indigo, winner of the 2011 William L. Crawford Award and the 2012 Kitschies...
Tenia Davis
Tenia Davis NONE Dr. Tenia Davis is a distinguished Human Resources Executive and Leadership Development expert whose journey began in the executive suites of world-renowned organizations including ...
Shane W. Evans
Shane W. Evans 0000000038504360 Shane Evans is a renowned illustrator, artist and designer whose work has been recognized by The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and The Orbis Pictus Award. His illustrat...
D.T. Pollard
D.T. Pollard NONE D.T. Pollard, an Essence Bestselling author from Texas, discovered his passion for writing at a young age but paused during college. After a 25-year career in technology sales, he r...
Ash Cash
Ash Cash NONE Ash Exantus, also known as Ash Cash, is a renowned banking executive, personal finance expert, and author of six books, three of which are Amazon.com bestsellers. He serves as a head of...
Carolyn Marie Rodgers
Carolyn Marie Rodgers 0000000066509791 Carolyn Marie Rodgers (1940-2010), a key figure in the Black Arts Movement and co-founder of Third World Press, was born and raised in Chicago. Known for her po...
Barry Wittenstein
Barry Wittenstein NONE Barry Wittenstein, New York-based author of popular picture books including 'Waiting for Pumpsie' and 'The Boo-Boos That Changed the World' is currently pursuing a Masters in C...
Grant Harper Reid
Grant Harper Reid NONE Dr. Grant Harper Reid, author of award-winning biography, “Rhythm For Sale,” explores the life of his grandfather, influential theatre producer Leonard Harper. An arts graduate...
Ivy Claire Pochoda
Ivy Claire Pochoda 0000000058923861 Ivy Claire, a former world-ranked squash champion turned full-time writer, holds a degree in classics. A literary novelist in a parallel life, she resides in Los A...
Alice Walker
Alice Walker 0000000114547953 “…a genius of African-American literature.” Alice Walker, born 1944 in Georgia, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for her novel, “The Color Purp...
Al-Saadiq Banks
Al-Saadiq Banks NONE Al-Saadiq Banks is a best-selling author of nine urban fiction and crime drama books. He entered the literary scene in 2002, co-founding True 2 Life Publications with his brother...
Mary Rand Hess
Mary Rand Hess 0000000071315983 Mary Rand Hess is a celebrated poet, artist, screenwriter, and New York Times bestselling author, known for co-authoring “Solo” and “Animal Ark: Celebrating Our Wild W...
Warren L. Maye
Warren L. Maye NONE Warren L. Maye is the Editor in Chief of SACONNECTS and a prolific author, having co-written books with his wife and authored others independently. He's a member of ASME, EPA, and...
Christian Robinson
Christian Robinson 0000000356790294 Christian Robinson is a San Francisco-based illustrator and animator, known for his work with Pixar Animation Studios and The Sesame Street Workshop. He has illust...
Troy Johnson
Troy Johnson 0000000530602616 “I lead the world's oldest and largest online platform dedicated to books by and about people of African descent.” Troy Demetrius Johnson, founder and President of AALBC....
Anna Horváth
Anna Horváth 0000000052688020 Anna Horváth is a Swiss-based artist known for her colorful, magical paintings filled with unique details and whimsical creatures. She aims to inspire children's creati...
Ben Okri
Ben Okri 0000000121401864 Ben Okri, an award-winning poet and novelist, was born to an Igbo mother and Urhobo father in Nigeria. He had his early education in London, furthered his studies in England...
DK
DK NONE DK is an author who creates books to inspire curiosity and discovery about our world. Covering topics from first words to the Big Bang and city adventures, their books offer expert knowledge ...
Antwan Eady
Antwan Eady NONE Antwan Eady, a dreamer turned author from Garnett, South Carolina, is a Clemson University graduate. Currently residing in Savannah, Georgia, he shares his dreams with the world thro...
Claudia Zaslavsky
Claudia Zaslavsky 000000011060616X Claudia Zaslavsky (1917-2006) was an esteemed ethno mathematician and educator. She made significant contributions to the study of mathematics in global cultures, p...
Sharon Maas
Sharon Maas 0000000073664386 Sharon Maas, born in Guyana in 1951, is a globally educated journalist-turned-novelist. Known for her adventurous spirit, she's traveled extensively around the world. Her...
Lauren Gibaldi
Lauren Gibaldi NONE Lauren Gibaldi, a public librarian based in Orlando, Florida, is a renowned author known for works like 'The Night We Said Yes', 'Autofocus', 'This Tiny Perfect World', and coedit...
Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby 0000000107880184 “Far From Finished” Born on July 12, 1937, Bill Cosby is an influential comedian, actor, and philanthropist. He and his wife, Camille, have four daughters, all ...
Shara Moon
Shara Moon NONE Shara Moon is a writer and amateur historian who enjoys exploring Black world history. She is a former college writing instructor with degrees from the University of Central Florida a...
Rufus and Jenny Triplett
Rufus and Jenny Triplett MULTIPLE Rufus and Jenny Triplett, Ebony Magazine’s Couple of the Year 2012, are a professional husband and wife team thriving in various fields together. With over 25 years ...
Jerry W. Ward
Jerry W. Ward 0000000108699053 Dr. Jerry W. Ward, Jr. is a renowned professor of English and African American World Studies at Dillard University. He spent 20 years at Tougaloo College, is a leading ...
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...
Justin C. Key
Justin C. Key NONE Justin C. Key is a practicing psychiatrist and a speculative fiction writer. He is the author of the debut novel The Hospital at the End of the World and the story collection The ...
Russell Atkins
Russell Atkins 0000000067797174 Russell Atkins, born in 1926, is a Cleveland-based musician, playwright, poet, and national figure in American avant garde poetry. He studied at renowned Cleveland ins...
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal 0000000073666496 Shaquille O’Neal is one of the world’s most successful athletes-turned-businesspeople, whose accomplishments on and off the court have translated into his highly so...
Ibram X. Kendi
Ibram X. Kendi 0000000126860699 Ibram Xolani Kendi, an assistant professor of African American History at the University of Florida, is an award-winning author and former journalist. Kendi has receiv...
China Robinson
China Robinson NONE China Robinson is a motivational speaker and author who uses her personal experiences to inspire others towards self-empowerment and overcoming obstacles. Managing her supermodel ...
Chris Abani
Chris Abani 0000000083877772 Chris Abani, born in Nigeria in 1966, is a renowned author and educator who faced imprisonment for his literary work. After escaping to the US, he published eight books o...
J. Marcellus Burke
J. Marcellus Burke NONE J. Marcellus Burke, a retired Chicago police detective and former U.S. Army combat engineer, is fluent in German and has focused his writing on Afro-Germans due to his own Ger...
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...
Hester Bass
Hester Bass NONE Hester Bass, an award-winning author, was influenced by her upbringing near Atlanta and time in Mississippi. Her diverse experiences, from singing in a rock band to appearing on game...
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 ...
Robert Hicks
Robert Hicks 000000036837233X Robert Hicks is a New York Times best-selling author, renowned for his works 'The Widow of the South' and 'A Separate Country'. Besides writing, he is a passionate prese...
Mychal Denzel Smith
Mychal Denzel Smith NONE Mychal Denzel Smith is a contributing writer at The Nation, Alfred Knobler Fellow, and author of “Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching.” His work on social issues and ...
Charles L. Blockson
Charles L. Blockson 0000000082151240 Charles L. Blockson, a renowned black studies scholar and author, amassed one of the world's largest private collections of African American history. His signific...
Dorothy Porter
Dorothy Porter 0000000109214185 Dorothy Louise Porter Wesley was a noted bibliographer and librarian at Howard University. She played a key role in the creation of the world-class Moorland-Spingarn R...