AALBC Search
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...
Monique Couvson
Monique Couvson NONE Monique Couvson, Ed.D. is a scholar and author with over 20 years of experience in education, civil rights, and social justice. She's known for her work on improving conditions f...
Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka 0000000446460520 Amiri Baraka, also known as LeRoi Jones, was a prolific 20th-century African American writer, poet, and Obie-winning playwright. Known for works such as “Blues People” a...
Mark Anthony Neal
Mark Anthony Neal 0000000114756800 Mark Anthony Neal, a distinguished professor at Duke University, is the founding director of the Center for Arts, Digital Culture, and Entrepreneurship. He co-direc...
Henry Ossian Flipper
Henry Ossian Flipper 0000000082406530 Henry Ossian Flipper (1856-1940) was a formerly enslaved American, celebrated as the first African American graduate from the US Military Academy at West Point i...
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 0000000476477577 Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, hailing from Spring Valley, NY, is a SUNY Albany graduate with an MFA from Syracuse University. His work, celebrated in numerous pu...
Shane White
Shane White 0000000453091911 “…my main research interests are in African American history and in the history of New York City.” Shane White, a distinguished Professor of History at ...
Robert Deane Pharr
Robert Deane Pharr 0000000063320993 “…I would let white people look at the black man as he lives when the white man is not looking or listening.” Robert Deane Pharr, born 1916, was ...
Shafika Burke
Shafika Burke NONE Shafika Burke, a 4th year English major at Medgar Evers College, was raised in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Originally interested in accounting, her passion shifted to literatur...
Kiran H. J. Dellimore
Kiran H. J. Dellimore NONE Kiran Dellimore, a scientist, inventor, and author based in Utrecht, has authored three books on diverse topics. A keen runner, squash player, and rock climber, he is curre...
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...
H. J. Harris
H. J. Harris NONE Dr. Herbert Harris, a retired attorney and Columbia University graduate, is a renowned author known for his books on success principles and the music industry. His work, translated ...
Matt Forté
Matt Forté NONE Matthew Garrett Forté, born in 1985, is a retired NFL player best known as a running back for the Chicago Bears. He was recognized for his versatility, amassing over 9,000 rushing an...
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...
Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington 0000000114628411 Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was a pivotal African American educator, author, and advisor to presidents. Born into slavery, he rose to become a key leader fo...
Robert F. Williams
Robert F. Williams 0000000354196689 Robert Franklin Williams (February 26, 1925 – October 15, 1996) was an influential civil rights leader, author, and advocate of armed self-defense in the fa...
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...
Victor H. Green
Victor H. Green 0000000361280061 Victor Hugo Green was a postal worker and travel writer from Harlem, New York. Best known for creating “The Green Book,” a travel guide for African Americans navigati...
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...
Benson George Cooke
Benson George Cooke NONE Benson George Cooke, Ed.D., is a Distinguished Professor of Counseling and Psychology and Director of the Graduate Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program in the Division ...
George S. Schuyler
George S. Schuyler 0000000114970428 George Samuel Schuyler was a prolific journalist and cultural critic, known for his controversial shift from liberal views to conservative ones throughout the 20th...
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', ...
Bobby Seale
Bobby Seale 0000000108724909 Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, is a key figure in the civil rights and Black Power movements. He helped establish the party's ideology and Ten-Point ...
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...
Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad 0000000083721495 Elijah Muhammad, born Elijah Poole, was an influential African-American religious leader who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975. He was a mento...
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...
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...
Michelle S. Hartzog
Michelle S. Hartzog NONE Michelle S. Hartzog, a Black woman, is a firm believer in family bond. Her book, 'The Beauty of Being a Black Woman', tackles issues and stereotypes that often hinder family ...
Kazembe
Kazembe NONE Lasana Kazembe is a renowned poet, essayist, and lecturer, recognized for his performances at literary venues across Chicago. Garnering accolades such as the 1st Place Winner of the Gwen...
Marilyn Allman Maye, Harold S. Buchanan, Jannette O. Domingo, Joyce Frisby Baynes, Marilyn Holifield, Myra E. Rose, Bridget Van Gronigen Warren, and Aundrea White Kelley
Marilyn Allman Maye, Harold S. Buchanan, Jannette O. Domingo, Joyce Frisby Baynes, Marilyn Holifield, Myra E. Rose, Bridget Van Gronigen Warren, and Aundrea White Kelley MULTIPLE This group includes ...
William C. Rhoden
William C. Rhoden NONE Author Rhoden delves into institutionalized racism in sports in his book, “Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete.” He traces African ...
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...
Carol Mackey
Carol Mackey NONE Carol M. Mackey, former editor-in-chief of award-winning Black Expressions Book Club, is recognized as one of the 50 most powerful African Americans in publishing. With a career inc...
James Earl Hardy
James Earl Hardy 0000000042416478 James Earl Hardy is the author of the bestselling B-Boy Blues series, including B-Boy Blues, which has been praised as the first gay hip hop love story and is celeb...
William Gardner Smith
William Gardner Smith 0000000063221434 Influential writer and journalist William Gardner Smith (1927–1974) used his work to highlight racial inequality in America. His novels, such as The Stone Fac...
St. Clair Drake and Horace R. Cayton
St. Clair Drake and Horace R. Cayton MULTIPLE John Gibbs St. Clair Drake (1911-1990) was a pioneering African-American sociologist and anthropologist, known for documenting 1960s social turmoil, esta...
Barbara A. Holmes
Barbara A. Holmes 0000000040028738 Barbara A. Holmes, president emerita of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, is a former professor and VP of academic affairs at Memphis Theological Semi...
Daniel Black
Daniel Black NONE Daniel Omotosho Black, a Kansas City native, is an accomplished scholar and author. Raised in Arkansas, he studied English at Clark College under a full scholarship, later attending...
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...
Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Valerie Smith, William L. Andrews, Frances Foster, Brent Hayes Edwards, Deborah E. McDowell, Hortense J. Spillers, Kimberly W. Benston, Farah Jasmine Griffin, and Jesse McCarthy
Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Valerie Smith, William L. Andrews, Frances Foster, Brent Hayes Edwards, Deborah E. McDowell, Hortense J. Spillers, Kimberly W. Benston, Farah Jasmine Griffin, and Jesse McCarth...
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...
Tina McElroy Ansa
Tina McElroy Ansa 0000000116428851 Tina McElroy Ansa (November 18, 1949 – September 10, 2024) stories and essays have appeared in several anthologies. She lived with her husband, Joneé ...
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...
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...
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 ...
Susie King Taylor
Susie King Taylor 0000000084839030 Susan Taylor Baker King, born into slavery in 1848, overcame adversity to become a teacher, nurse, and author. Despite education restrictions, she attended secret s...
Eileen Southern
Eileen Southern 0000000108921347 Dr. Eileen Southern, born in 1920, was the first black female tenured professor at Harvard. Renowned for her seminal works on Black music, including “The Music of Bla...
Sam Anderson
Sam Anderson 0000000119000682 Dr. Sam Anderson, a veteran activist and educator, is a renowned mathematics professor and Senior Editor of NOBO. A founding member of the Network of Black Organizers an...
Eric Payne
Eric Payne NONE Eric Payne, a versatile writer and poet, started his journey in literature at age 7. He graduated from Cornell and Binghamton Universities and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternit...
Jonell Joshua
Jonell Joshua NONE Jonell Joshua found her calling for art at a young age—precisely 2nd grade—after she found her mother’s art portfolio in the bedroom of her childhood home. Hoping to emulate her m...
Tanisha C. Ford
Tanisha C. Ford 0000000394524085 Tanisha C. Ford, a renowned writer, researcher, and cultural critic, specializes in Black style/fashion history and social movements. Recognized as one of The Root's ...
William A. Darity Jr., A. Kirsten Mullen, and Lucas Hubbard
William A. Darity Jr., A. Kirsten Mullen, and Lucas Hubbard MULTIPLE William A. Darity Jr. is a professor and director at Duke University, specializing in Public Policy, African and African American ...
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...
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...
Wade Nobles
Wade Nobles 0000000082420463 Dr. Wade W. Nobles is a professor emeritus at San Francisco State University and founder of the Institute for the Advanced Study of Black Family, Life and Culture, Inc. A...
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...
Huey P. Newton
Huey P. Newton 000000010924806X Huey P. Newton, born February 17, 1942, was a key figure in the US civil rights and Black Power movements. A co-founder of the Black Panther Party, he championed self-...
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...
Faith Scriven
Faith Scriven NONE 7-year-old Faith Scriven, a straight-A student from Creek View Elementary, Alpharetta, Georgia, is a published author and business owner who enjoys rope jumping, hula hooping, and ...
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...
J. A. Rogers
J. A. Rogers NONE Joel Augustus Rogers was a self-taught Jamaican author, journalist, and historian who greatly contributed to African and African American history. His work challenged racial ideas, ...
Runoko Rashidi
Runoko Rashidi 0000000067534868 “Africans came to America before, during, and after enslavement. Don’t start our history at the end; start it at the beginning.” Dr. Runoko Rashidi wa...
Herb Boyd
Herb Boyd 0000000110710186 Herb Boyd Receives Social Justice Award Herb Boyd, born in 1938, is an award-winning author and journalist. He's written over 20 books and numerous articles, with notable wo...
Ed Bullins
Ed Bullins 0000000108602549 Ed Bullins (1935-2021) was a renowned figure in American theater, significantly contributing to African American drama during the Black Arts Movement. A playwright, poet, ...
Clarence Lusane
Clarence Lusane 0000000109374330 Dr. Clarence Lusane, a respected scholar and activist, specializes in human rights, global race relations, U.S. politics, and international relations. Born in Detroit...
Jimmie Allen
Jimmie Allen 0000000465260495 Jimmie Allen is a multi-platinum American recording artist and the first Black artist to achieve two consecutive #1 hits on country radio and win the ACM New Male Artist...
Alvin Poussaint
Alvin Poussaint NONE Alvin F. Poussaint, a renowned scholar, psychiatrist, and consultant, is known for his work with Bill Cosby on The Cosby Show and A Different World. He's a Harvard Medical School...
Rick Wallace
Rick Wallace NONE Rick Wallace, Ph.D., Psy.D., is a renowned author of 20 books and numerous scholarly articles, primarily focusing on issues affecting the black community. He's also an influential p...
Saint Solomon
Saint Solomon NONE Saint Solomon, born Randy Brown in Brooklyn, was raised between city and suburb, shaping his understanding of African-American life. After a stint in prison, he turned to writing, ...
Robyn C. Spencer
Robyn C. Spencer 0000000117365645 Robyn C. Spencer is a historian and Associate Professor at Lehman College, CUNY. She specializes in post-WWII social protest, urban and working-class radicalism, and...
Angela S. Medearis
Angela S. Medearis NONE Angela Shelf Medearis combines a general love for children‘s literature with a particular attention to the reading needs of young African Americans. “I write the kinds ...
RAWSISTAZ
RAWSISTAZ NONE The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers were a group of 13 women, including founder Tee C. Royal, who promoted books by and about African Americans. These avid readers, reviewers and members of the Re...
Kidada E. Williams
Kidada E. Williams NONE Kidada E. Williams is a distinguished historian and author, known for her detailed exploration of African American history, specifically during the Reconstruction era. Her wor...
Kingsley H. Smith
Kingsley H. Smith NONE Kingsley H. Smith is a seasoned radio broadcaster with experience in top US markets like NYC, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. An accomplished program director and announcer, ...
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...
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...
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...
Julian English
Julian English NONE Born prematurely with brain damage, Julian English defied odds by learning differently. His mother, Natasha Moulton-Levy, used travel to educate him, enabling Julian to understand...
Nikole Hannah-Jones
Nikole Hannah-Jones 0000000454752515 Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The New York Times, is known for her work on racial injustice and the 1619 Project. A MacArthur Genius Gr...
jkm Mbdw
jkm Mbdw NONE jkm Mbdw is not a professional writer, and he does not want to be. History of Creation: The Announcement is his first book, and there may not be a second. He has a master’s degree, ...
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...
Martin R. Delany
Martin R. Delany 0000000080985970 Martin Delany (1812-1885) was a pioneering African American abolitionist and the first African American Field Officer in the U.S Army. Post-Reconstruction, he promot...
Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor
Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor NONE Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor is a Washington DC-based cultural communications specialist and author. She founded the National Black Cultural Information Trust, using...
Tom Burrell
Tom Burrell 0000000078076508 Thomas J. Burrell, a pioneer in marketing communications, revolutionized the portrayal of African Americans in TV advertising. He acknowledged their purchasing power, cha...
Solomon Plaatje
Solomon Plaatje 000000010911853X Solomon 'Sol' Plaatje (1876-1932) was a pioneering South African intellectual, journalist, and writer, known for being the first General Secretary of the South Africa...
Ivan Van Sertima
Ivan Van Sertima 0000000063040713 Born in Guyana, Dr. Ivan Van Sertima was a literary critic, linguist, anthropologist, and writer who won the Clarence L. Holte Prize for his work, They Came Before C...
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...
Marquita M. Gammage
Marquita M. Gammage NONE Marquita M. Gammage is a Full Professor and Chair of the Africana Studies Department at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She earned her PhD in African America...
Winthrop D. Jordan
Winthrop D. Jordan 0000000108632318 Winthrop Donaldson Jordan was a distinguished historian recognized for exploring slavery, race, and American history. His pioneering research into the roots and pe...
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...
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....
Nia Damali
Nia Damali NONE Nia Damali, owner of Medu Bookstore and a prominent figure in the Black Book Ecosystem, is dedicated to promoting literacy and knowledge within the Black community. Editor of historic...
George Jackson
George Jackson 0000000140482524 George Jackson, born September 23, 1941, was a key figure in the Black Power movement and a member of the Black Panther Party. He gained prominence through his activis...
George C. Fraser and Emma Fraser-Pendleton
George C. Fraser and Emma Fraser-Pendleton MULTIPLE George C. Fraser, CEO of FraserNet, is a leading authority on economic development and networking for African Americans. His sister, Dr. Emma Frase...
Ric Murphy
Ric Murphy NONE Ric Murphy, an award-winning author and historian from Boston, specializes in genealogical research and African American history. With a family lineage dating back to early colonial A...
Glennette Tilley Turner
Glennette Tilley Turner NONE Glennette Tilley Turner has also written collections of biographies of notable African Americans for adults and serves as an advisor to the National Park Service, where s...
Calvin C. Hernton
Calvin C. Hernton 0000000082664863 Calvin Coolidge Hernton, a pivotal figure in the Black Arts Movement, was a renowned poet, novelist, and social critic known for his exploration of race and sexuali...
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...
Patricia Jabbeh Wesley
Patricia Jabbeh Wesley 0000000046027939 Wesley Receives the 2023 Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Award Dr. Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, a Penn State Altoona professor of English, creative writing and Afri...
Tara T. Green
Tara T. Green NONE Tara T. Green is an African American Studies professor with over 20 years of teaching literature and culture. Award-winning author and editor of 6 books on the lives and experience...