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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 ...
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:...
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 ...
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...
K’wan
K’wan 0000000417519140 K'wan Foye, born to a poet and painter, faced numerous rejections before his debut novel, Gangsta, was published in 2002. His subsequent novels caught the attention of St. Mart...
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...
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...
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...
Valjeanne Jeffers
Valjeanne Jeffers NONE Valjeanne Jeffers, a graduate of Spelman College and North Carolina Central University, is a member of the Carolina African American Writer’s Collective. She is a published poe...
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,...
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...
Kyra D. Gaunt
Kyra D. Gaunt 0000000061596283 Kyra D. Gaunt is a college professor, jazz vocalist, author, and songwriter specializing in race, gender, and African American music. With a career in education startin...
Peggy Brooks-Bertram
Peggy Brooks-Bertram NONE Dr. Peggy Brooks-Bertram is a scholar and author based in Buffalo, New York. Known for her research on Drusilla Dunjee Houston, she received recognition for publishing Houst...
Kevin M. Weeks
Kevin M. Weeks NONE Kevin M. Weeks is an acclaimed self-published Urban Fiction author known for his debut, The Street Life Series. Honored as the Best New Urban Author of 2007, his fresh approach te...
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...
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...
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...
Ifa Bayeza
Ifa Bayeza NONE Ifa Bayeza is an acclaimed playwright, producer, and theater artist. Known for works like “Amistad Voices” and “The Ballad of Emmett Till,” she's won the 2008 Edgar Award and 2007 Eug...
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 ...
Natasha Trethewey
Natasha Trethewey 0000000084159051 Trethewey was U.S. Poet Laureate, 2012-2014 Natasha Trethewey, an American poet and winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for her collection “Native Guard,” was inspired...
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...
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...
Lionel C. Bascom
Lionel C. Bascom NONE Lionel C. Bascom is a professor at Western Connecticut State University with a robust career in journalism, including stints at Free Press, United Press International, Money Mag...
Flores Forbes
Flores Forbes NONE Flores Alexander Forbes, a former Black Panther Party member and convict, turned his experiences into criminal justice-related work at Columbia University and two memoirs. His book...
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 ...
George Hutchinson
George Hutchinson NONE George Hutchinson is the 2007 Chairman of the English Department and Booth Tarkington Professor of Literary Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington. George Hutchinson is [20...
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...
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa L. Williams 000000011462842X Vanessa Lynn Williams, born March 18, 1963, is a multi-talented actor, singer, fashion designer and author. She made history as the first African-American Miss Am...
Cameron McWhirter
Cameron McWhirter 0000000093539777 Cameron McWhirter is a renowned Wall Street Journal reporter based in Atlanta, Georgia. He received the prestigious Nieman Foundation Fellowship for Journalism at...
Zee Edgell
Zee Edgell 000000005844502X Belizean author Zee Edgell, educated in London and the West Indies, is known for her debut novel, “Beka Lamb.” A former journalist and founding editor of The Reporter, she...
Wayne Dawkins
Wayne Dawkins NONE Wayne Dawkins, a historian for the National Association of Black Journalists, has authored two books and 37 encyclopedia entries on journalism, sports, and culture. He also produce...
Thomas A. Stockett
Thomas A. Stockett NONE Thomas A. Stockett was a renowned illustrator and political cartoonist at the Afro-American newspaper for over 50 years, creating impactful art pieces like his 1960 cartoon on...
Lisa Jones Johnson
Lisa Jones Johnson NONE Lisa Jones Johnson is a Harvard-educated attorney, author, and CEO of NextGen Media Group. She launched a global social media platform and authored the award-nominated novel, ...
W. Ralph Eubanks
W. Ralph Eubanks 0000000078505050 W. Ralph Eubanks is a renowned author known for his memoirs about the American South. He formerly edited the Virginia Quarterly Review and directed publishing at the...
Jean Besson
Jean Besson 0000000108983118 Jean Beason is a renowned researcher and author specializing in cultural history, kinship, gender, and ethnicity among other areas. She published a book on creolization a...
Asa G. Hilliard III
Asa G. Hilliard III 0000000067598829 Asa Grant Hilliard III, also known as Nana Baffour Amankwatia II, was a renowned professor of educational psychology specializing in ancient African history. He s...
Valerie Graves
Valerie Graves 0000000120182073 Valerie Graves, a renowned creative director and author, is recognized for her work with Fortune 500 companies and her groundbreaking role as one of the first black co...
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...
John Freeman
John Freeman 0000000067029909 John Freeman is an award-winning writer, book critic, and former president of the National Book Critics Circle. Known for his work in The New Yorker, The New York Times,...
Pamela M. Tuck and Joel Tuck
Pamela M. Tuck and Joel Tuck MULTIPLE Pamela and Joel Tuck are a writing duo specializing in children's literature. Pamela, a Greenville native, began her career with poetry, expanding into short sto...
Lisa Sheppard Stewart
Lisa Sheppard Stewart NONE Lisa Sheppard Stewart is a New Jersey-based, award-winning writer and designer, known for her culturally-inspired books. She promotes creative expression through relevant t...
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...
Colette Bancroft
Colette Bancroft NONE Colette Bancroft is the book editor for the Tampa Bay Times since 2007, directs the annual Festival of Reading, and served on the National Book Critics Circle board. She holds E...
Katori Hall
Katori Hall 0000000071268953 Katori Hall, a renowned playwright from Memphis, is best known for her Olivier Award-winning play, The Mountaintop. Other works include Hurt Village, Hoodoo Love, and The...
Desmond Tutu and Dalai Lama
Desmond Tutu and Dalai Lama MULTIPLE The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is a Buddhist monk and spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and its people. Born 1935 in Tibet, he won the Nobel Peace Prize i...
Kwame Dawes
Kwame Dawes 0000000073665848 Ghana-born Kwame Dawes, a poet significantly influenced by Jamaican rhythms and reggae music, is the author of numerous poetry collections, novels, and non-fiction works....
Mel Hopkins
Mel Hopkins NONE Mel Hopkins is an experienced multimedia journalist with a 10-year career in social and consumer news, and a skilled writer/editor with a focus on marketing communications. A former ...
Miasha
Miasha NONE Miasha, a best-selling author, known for her extravagant release parties and philanthropic work, has rapidly gained recognition in the book industry. With five novels, she has been hailed...
Brenda Marie Osbey
Brenda Marie Osbey 000000002513556X Brenda Marie Osbey, born in 1957, is a distinguished poet from New Orleans who served as Louisiana's Poet Laureate from 2005-2007. She specializes in Afro-Francoph...
Tiffany L. Warren
Tiffany L. Warren NONE Tiffany L. Warren is a bestselling author, playwright, and songwriter. She's written over 15 novels, including two YA series under the pen name Nikki Carter. Alongside her husb...
aja monet
aja monet 0000000370068724 aja monet is a surrealist blues poet, storyteller, and organizer born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She won the legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe Grand Slam poetry award title i...
Nell Irvin Painter
Nell Irvin Painter 0000000081655121 Nell Irvin Painter is a renowned historian, known for her works on 19th-century Southern US history. She has held prestigious positions like the President of the S...