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Barack Obama
Barack Obama 0000000121331026 Barack Obama, born in Hawaii in 1961, was the 44th President of the United States. Raised in a middle-class family, he worked his way through college and became the firs...
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama 0000000114497394 Michelle Obama, first African-American First Lady, lawyer, and author, launched initiatives like Let's Move!, Joining Forces, and Reach Higher. A Harvard Law graduate,...
Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen
Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen MULTIPLE Bruce Springsteen, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and recipient of 20 Grammy Awards, is the acclaimed author of NYT bestseller “Born to Run.” Honored with an ...
Craig Malcolm Robinson
Craig Malcolm Robinson 0000000078127942 Craig Malcolm Robinson, born in 1962, is a former college basketball coach, executive, and broadcaster. He was a star player at Princeton University and later ...
Valerie Jarrett
Valerie Jarrett NONE Valerie Jarrett, a long-term senior adviser to President Obama, led several White House initiatives and held key roles in Chicago's government and business sectors. She's recogni...
Claude McKay
Claude McKay 0000000108625951 Festus Claudius McKay, a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, was born in Jamaica and authored influential works including the poem “If We Must Die” and novel “Home to ...
Dinesh Sharma
Dinesh Sharma 0000000057310182 Dinesh Sharma, a Harvard-educated cultural psychologist and acclaimed author, is a respected research professor and senior fellow at various institutes. Known for his b...
Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Earl Ofari Hutchinson 0000000073684926 Earl Ofari Hutchinson is a renowned author and political analyst specializing in race and politics in America. He's the publisher of thehutchinsonreport.net, a ...
Charisse Carney-Nunes
Charisse Carney-Nunes NONE Charisse Carney-Nunes, writer, speaker and literary advocate, is the award-winning author of the children’s books, I AM BARACK OBAMA (2009), I DREAM FOR YOU A WORLD:...
Regina Abraham
Regina Abraham NONE Regina Abraham, a Harlem-based Academic Intervention Coordinator, is an educational consultant and author of the Harlem-inspired children's book series, “The Harlem Legends.” She ...
Wanda Coleman
Wanda Coleman 0000000116780476 “I have yet to kill anyone—I have exhibited great restraint.” Wanda Coleman (1946-2013) was a renowned poet, former medical secretary, magazine editor,...
Donald Franklin Joyce
Donald Franklin Joyce NONE Donald Franklin Joyce, born Nov 4, 1938, is an esteemed academic library administrator, historian, and consultant. Holding a master's degree and a PhD, he is a member of va...
Anne Spencer
Anne Spencer 0000000458445176 Anne Bannister Spencer was a lauded American poet, civil rights activist, and librarian during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in 1882, she was the first African-American w...
Geoffrey Canada
Geoffrey Canada 0000000385378709 Geoffrey Canada, CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone, is recognized for his anti-poverty efforts, notably by President Obama. Featured on 60 Minutes and Good Morning Americ...
Wallace Thurman
Wallace Thurman 0000000080916692 Wallace Henry Thurman, born in 1902, was an influential figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Known for his realistic portrayals of lower-class black American society...
Daymond John
Daymond John 0000000048788301 Daymond John, founder of the $6 billion fashion brand FUBU, is a pioneering entrepreneur. He's a Shark on ABC's Shark Tank, a New York Times best-selling author, motivat...
Peter Kimani
Peter Kimani 000000004389720X Dr. Peter Kimani, a renowned African author and poet, has contributed to literature, journalism, and academia. Born in Kenya (1971), he began as a journalist, wrote seve...
Loren Long
Loren Long 0000000068683689 Loren Long, New York Times bestselling author of the Otis series, is known for illustrating Barack Obama's Of Thee I Sing and Matt de la Pena's Love. He recently modernize...
Rob Kenner
Rob Kenner NONE Rob Kenner is a key figure in hip hop publishing, known for his work with Vibe and his writings on cultural icons like Tupac Shakur and Barack Obama. His work has appeared in a number...
David Remnick
David Remnick 0000000110215708 David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker since 1998 and staff writer since 1992, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for books on the Soviet Empire, Muhammad Ali, B...
C.T. Vivian
C.T. Vivian 0000000114902644 Dr. C.T. Vivian was a civil rights leader, known for working with Martin Luther King Jr., and for developing VISION, an educational program that helped 700 Alabama studen...
Cody Keenan
Cody Keenan NONE Cody Keenan, former chief speechwriter for Barack Obama, is a political expert and partner at Fenway Strategies. He also teaches political speechwriting at Northwestern University. H...
Maya Soetoro-Ng
Maya Soetoro-Ng 0000000078169982 Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng, born in Jakarta, is a lecturer at the University of Hawaii and Barack Obama's sister. She recently published “Ladder to the Moon,” a picture book...
Denise Bolds
Denise Bolds NONE Denise Bolds, a Harlem-born single mother, author, and community activist, uses her platform to empower underserved women and children. Known for her book on raising black sons and ...
Karine Jean-Pierre
Karine Jean-Pierre 0000000500800507 Karine Jean-Pierre is the former White House Press Secretary and Senior Advisor to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Born in Martinique and raised in New York by Hait...
Kevin McGruder
Kevin McGruder 0000000071766805 Kevin McGruder is an Assistant Professor of History at Antioch College with interests in African American institutions, urban history, and gay and lesbian history. He ...
Carl Van Vechten
Carl Van Vechten 0000000115587789 Carl Van Vechten, the great popularizer of the Harlem Renaissance for white people. Carl Van Vechten was a renowned photographer and author, best known for his contri...
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...
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...
Arisa White
Arisa White NONE Arisa White, an acclaimed poet and assistant professor at Colby College, is known for her work that centers queer and trans narratives. She is a Cave Canem graduate, a multiple award...
Michael Gordon Bennett
Michael Gordon Bennett NONE Author, actor, and entrepreneur Michael Gordon Bennett, born in 1958, is known for his book “7-10 Split: My Journey As America’s Whitest Black Kid.” He's also the CEO of B...
Mae V. Cowdery
Mae V. Cowdery 0000000068646714 Mae V. Cowdery (1909–1948) was a gifted poet of the Harlem Renaissance whose work explored racial pride, love, and sensuality with unusual candor for her era. Born in...
Rosa Guy
Rosa Guy 0000000111564547 Rosa Guy, born in Trinidad in 1925, was an influential Harlem-based writer and activist. A co-founder of the Harlem Writer's Guild, she was also a member of the Black nation...
Tracie Howard
Tracie Howard NONE Tracie Howard, a former executive at notable companies, is an accomplished author known for her novel, 'Why Sleeping Dogs Lie'. She served on President Obama's 2008 Finance Committ...
Heather McTeer Toney
Heather McTeer Toney NONE Heather McTeer Toney, an attorney and environmentalist, was the youngest and first Black female mayor of Greenville, MS. Appointed by President Obama as the EPA's Southeast ...
Vinson Cunningham
Vinson Cunningham NONE Vinson Cunningham, a staff writer and theatre critic for The New Yorker, has contributed to several publications and taught at top universities. He is also a former Obama campa...
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 ...
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...
Gwendolyn Bennett
Gwendolyn Bennett 0000000041133249 Gwendolyn B. Bennett was an influential American artist, writer, and journalist during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in 1902, she contributed to Opportunity, publish...
Judy Tyrus and Paul Novosel
Judy Tyrus and Paul Novosel MULTIPLE Judy Tyrus, a former principal ballerina with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and Oakland Ballet, now serves as a dance industry consultant and co-founder of ChromaDi...
Edward Roy
Edward Roy 0000000108894174 Edward Roy, born in 1945, grew up in Harlem, NY, mentored by influential figures including Malcolm X. He served in the US Army’s Medical Corps during the Cold War and Viet...
Louise Meriwether
Louise Meriwether 0000000110768302 Louise Meriwether was a renowned novelist, essayist, journalist, and activist, best known for her children's biographies of significant African Americans. Born in N...
Celeste Beatty
Celeste Beatty NONE Celeste Beatty is the first Black woman to own a brewery in the United States. Celeste Beatty (born 1964), entrepreneur and beer pioneer, founded the Harlem Brewing Company in 200...
Rudolph Fisher
Rudolph Fisher 0000000081030148 Rudolph Fisher was a multifaceted talent associated with the Harlem Renaissance, known for his work as a physician, radiologist, novelist, and orator. Notably, he effe...
J.T. Smith
J.T. Smith 0000000117420835 J.T. Smith, a New Jersey-born author, developed a passion for reading and history at an early age. His interest in Black History and the Harlem Renaissance influenced his ...
Mark Obama Ndesandjo
Mark Obama Ndesandjo NONE Sure, but I didn't receive any author bio to summarize. Could you please provide it?
Cheryl Wills
Cheryl Wills NONE Cheryl Wills is an acclaimed anchor for New York 1 News, author, and public speaker. Known for her coverage of significant events like 9/11, she's also authored “Die Free: A Heroic ...
Yusef Salaam
Yusef Salaam NONE Dr. Yusef Abdus Salaam, part of the Exonerated Five, was wrongly convicted in the Central Park jogger case at 15. After years in prison, his sentence was overturned in 2002. His sto...
Sidi
Sidi NONE Sidibe Ibrahima, known as Sidi, is a multilingual entrepreneur from Ivory Coast who started as a book vendor in Harlem. Now a well-known figure in New York's African American literary scene...
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 ...
Betty J. Dopson
Betty J. Dopson NONE Betty J. Dopson is a cultural activist, administrator, and organizer with a degree in Communications Arts and Sciences. She served as the Director of Public Relations at Harlem H...
Countee Cullen
Countee Cullen 0000000081534450 Countée Porter Cullen (1903-1946) was a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, known for his poetry books “Color” and “Copper Sun.” He taught and mentored James ...
David Rivera
David Rivera 0000000119349964 David Rivera Jr., a writer inspired by contemporary black male authors, has been writing since high school. His debut book, Harlem's Dragon, received great acclaim. Draw...
Willis Nathaniel Huggins
Willis Nathaniel Huggins 0000000064958315 Willis Nathaniel Huggins, Ph.D. (1886-1940) was a renowned historian, activist, and mentor. He owned the Blyden Bookstore in Harlem and was a key member of t...
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 ...
Eartha Watts-Hicks
Eartha Watts-Hicks NONE Eartha Watts-Hicks is a prolific writer for various online publications, including Harlem World's Magazine's blog and TheUrbanBookSource.com. She has been the director of publ...
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...
Jeffrey B. Perry
Jeffrey B. Perry 0000000110567703 Dr. Jeffrey B. Perry is a renowned scholar and authority on Harlem activist Hubert Henry Harrison. He authored “Hubert Harrison: The Voice of Harlem Radicalism, 1883...
A. G. Ford
A. G. Ford NONE A.G. Ford is a renowned illustrator, credited with New York Times bestsellers 'Barack', 'Michelle', and 'Goal!'. He resides in Dallas, Texas. A. G. Ford is the illustrator of the New ...
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...
Virginia Deberry and Donna Grant
Virginia Deberry and Donna Grant MULTIPLE Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant are best friends turned successful authors, known for their enduring collaboration in African American fiction. Both started...
Michelle Cliff
Michelle Cliff 0000000110018763 Michelle Carla Cliff (1946-2016) was a renowned Jamaican-American author known for her explorations of colonialism and racism through novels, short stories, and poetry...
NoViolet Bulawayo
NoViolet Bulawayo 0000000393964134 NoViolet Bulawayo, a Zimbabwean-born author, is known for her award-winning story “Hitting Budapest.” Her works have been featured in various publications and short...
Mona Sutphen
Mona Sutphen 000000004776341X Mona K. Sutphen, a partner at Macro Advisory Partners LLP, is a former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy in the Obama administration and an ex-American diplom...
Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany
Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany MULTIPLE Sarah Delany, the last of the Delany sisters, passed away at 109. Born to a former slave, she was the first colored woman to teach home economics in w...
C. Liegh McInnis
C. Liegh McInnis NONE C. Liegh McInni, an English instructor at Jackson State University, is a former editor of Black Magnolias Literary Journal. He was invited by the NAACP to read poetry at the 200...
Roberta Edwards
Roberta Edwards NONE Roberta Edwards is a professional writer and editor based in New York City and has written dozens of books for Penguin Random House's Who HQ series, covering figures ranging fro...
Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chisholm 0000000021812965 Shirley Anita Chisholm January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1981 was the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1969 and was re-elected six times until she...
Jeff Johnson
Jeff Johnson NONE Jeff Johnson is a decorated journalist and communication specialist, now President of JIJ Communications. Co-founder and CEO of Elite Voices Speakers, he's a regular on TheRoot.com ...
Akiba Solomon
Akiba Solomon NONE Akiba Solomon, NABJ Award-winning journalist and senior editorial director of Colorlines, is known for her work on culture, race, and gender. Kenrya Rankin, an award-winning author...
George Alexander
George Alexander 0000000074080876 George Alexander is the award-nominated founder of Galex Media Group, specializing in film and video production. Formerly an editor-at-large at Black Enterprise maga...
Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson NONE Katherine Johnson was a renowned NASA mathematician instrumental in the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. Her work earned her numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal...
Eugene Robinson
Eugene Robinson 0000000106763859 Eugene Robinson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and commentator, known for his work at The Washington Post and his insightful commentary on race, politics, and soc...
Zaila Avant-Garde
Zaila Avant-Garde NONE Zaila Avant-Garde, a New York Times bestselling author and SportsKid of the Year 2021, is renowned for being the first African-American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee...
John B. King Jr.
John B. King Jr. 0000000499301320 John B. King Jr. (born January 5, 1975) served in President Barack Obama’s cabinet as the tenth U.S. Secretary of Education. Over the course of his extensive and in...
Casey Gerald
Casey Gerald NONE Casey Gerald is the author of There Will Be No Miracles Here, a memoir that was named a Best Book of 2018 by NPR and The New York Times, a finalist for the LAMBDA Literary Award, a...
Marie Brown
Marie Brown 0000000376893266 Marie Brown is the first inductee into the Publishing Hall of Fame Marie Dutton Brown, President of Marie Brown Associates, is a highly experienced literary agent with ove...
Lawrence Jackson
Lawrence Jackson 000000004075078X Lawrence Jackson, former White House Photographer for President Obama for eight years, now operates a photography business in Washington, DC, where he resides with h...
Deesha Dyer
Deesha Dyer NONE Deesha Dyer is an award-winning strategist and community organizer, known for her executive role in the Obama Administration. She's the founder and CEO of Hook & Fasten and resides i...
Baratunde Thurston
Baratunde Thurston 000000036545820X Baratunde Thurston is an Emmy-nominated host, comedian, and NYT bestselling author of 'How To Be Black'. His diverse career includes working for The Onion, The Dai...
Toni Tipton-Martin
Toni Tipton-Martin 0000000035718195 Toni Tipton-Martin is an award-winning food journalist and community activist, recognized for her efforts to promote healthier communities. She's a recipient of th...
Tiffany D. Cross
Tiffany D. Cross NONE Tiffany D. Cross is a Harvard Kennedy School fellow and on-air political analyst with a vast experience in cable news. She's a former CNN associate producer, BET Networks' DC bu...
Joshunda Sanders
Joshunda Sanders NONE Joshunda Sanders is an accomplished journalist, federal speechwriter, and educator based in the Bronx. She's worked for top US news organizations and served as Press Secretary i...
Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite MULTIPLE Maika Moulite, a Miami native and daughter of Haitian immigrants, uses her marketing and MBA degrees to help organizations tell their stories online, while ...
Jason Wilson
Jason Wilson 0000000109296299 Jason Wilson, founder and CEO of the Yunion, a non-profit youth organization, has impacted over 15,000 youth since 2003 through prevention programming and parental engag...
Marisa Renee Lee
Marisa Renee Lee NONE Marisa Renee Lee is a rabble-rouser of social healing: a former appointee in the Obama White House; managing director of My Brother’s Keeper Alliance; co-founder of the di...
Alix Delinois
Alix Delinois NONE Alix Delinois, a Harlem-based fine artist and art teacher, was born in Haiti. He has illustrated four children's books penned by award-winning authors like Walter Dean Myers, Edwid...
James Baldwin
James Baldwin 0000000121446704 “No white critic can judge my work. I’d be a fool if I depended upon that judgement.” James Arthur Baldwin (1924-1987), born in Harlem, NY, was a ren...
James Van Der Zee
James Van Der Zee 0000000066571798 James Augustus Van Der Zee (June 29, 1886 – May 15, 1983) began working as a photographer in 1915, and by the following year had opened his photography studi...
Eric Velasquez
Eric Velasquez 0000000424545187 Eric Velasquez, an Afro-Puerto Rican illustrator from Harlem, offers a unique cultural perspective in his work. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts, Velasquez has ...
Richard Bruce Nugent
Richard Bruce Nugent 0000000108136373 Richard Bruce Nugent, a notable figure in the Harlem Renaissance, was a pioneering openly gay writer and painter. Celebrated for his contributions to gay and bla...
Jeffrey C. Stewart
Jeffrey C. Stewart 0000000082117456 Dr. Jeffrey C. Stewart is a renowned professor and chair of Black Studies at UC Santa Barbara. With an academic background from UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, and Yale, he's...
Jessie Redmon Fauset
Jessie Redmon Fauset 0000000121319502 Jessie Redmon Fauset was a prominent literary editor for Crisis magazine (1919-1926) and The Brownie's Book (1920-1921). Her first novel, 'There is Confusion', w...
Claude Brown
Claude Brown 0000000116506653 Claude Brown, born 1937, was a former juvenile delinquent who turned his life around after being shot during a burglary at age 13. He attended Howard University, where h...
Patricia Mckinney
Patricia Mckinney NONE Patricia McKinney, a professional in Telecommunications with a Bachelor's degree in Photography from Ventura College. She's an avid reader of African American Literature, curre...
Gabourey Sidibe
Gabourey Sidibe 0000000120325062 Gabourey Sidibe is an award-winning actress known for roles in 'Precious', 'American Horror Story' and 'Empire'. She also made her directorial debut with 'The Tale of...
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. ...
Georgia Douglas Johnson
Georgia Douglas Johnson 0000000139704329 Georgia Douglas Johnson, born September 10, 1880, was an influential African-American poet, pioneering female playwright, and key participant in the Harlem Re...