AALBC Search
Cerece Rennie Murphy
Cerece Rennie Murphy NONE Cerece Rennie Murphy, a science fiction enthusiast since age seven, has a rich background in social work and international relations. She transitioned into creative writing ...
Cerece Rennie Murphy and Alana Joli Abbott
Cerece Rennie Murphy and Alana Joli Abbott MULTIPLE Cerece Rennie Murphy and Alana Joli Abbott
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...
Elizabeth Murphy Oliver
Elizabeth Murphy Oliver NONE Elizabeth Murphy Oliver Abney, former city editor and columnist for the Baltimore Afro-American and granddaughter of its founder, has died at 85. A respected journalist a...
Charlie Murphy
Charlie Murphy 0000000114942873 Born on July 12, 1959, Charles Quinton Murphy, Jr. grew up in Roosevelt, Long Island. He served in the U.S. Navy before following his brother Eddie into show business....
Rachel Eliza Griffiths
Rachel Eliza Griffiths 0000000527846142 Rachel Eliza Griffiths, a poet, photographer, and creative writing teacher, is renowned for her literary portraits, fine art photography, and lyric videos. She...
Nellie Y. McKay
Nellie Y. McKay 0000000081108566 Nellie Y. McKay, an influential figure in American literature, co-edited the Norton Anthology of African American Literature. Her work highlighted the scholarly study...
Adrian Matejka
Adrian Matejka 0000000037525872 Adrian Matejka is a Germany-born, Indiana-based author and educator. A graduate of Indiana University and Southern Illinois University Carbondale, he has penned award-...
Irene Luxbacher
Irene Luxbacher 0000000078506870 Irene Luxbacher is a renowned Canadian artist, author, and children's book illustrator. With degrees in Art History and Fine Art, she has gained acclaim through her a...
Troy Pappy Johnson
Troy Pappy Johnson NONE Troy “Pappy” Johnson, a Brooklyn native, is a Howard University graduate and US Army veteran. He has had a successful career in Theatrical/Film Production in NYC, working with...
Hayden Goodman
Hayden Goodman NONE Hayden Goodman, born in Western Massachusetts, is a renowned painter and children's book illustrator. Her clients include the New Yorker, the New York Times, MIT, and Garden & Gun...
Marcus Bridgewater
Marcus Bridgewater NONE Marcus Bridgewater, known on social media as Garden Marcus, is also the author of How to Grow: Nurture Your Garden, Nurture Yourself. Media outlets that have featured his wor...
O.H. Bennett
O.H. Bennett NONE O.H. Bennett is a versatile writer with experience in advertising, military orders, and technical writing. He has a Journalism degree from the University of Evansville and an MFA fr...
Doris Jean Austin
Doris Jean Austin 0000000084312407 Doris Jean Austin (1949-1994) was an accomplished journalist from Mobile, Alabama, known for her contributions to Essence magazine and her novel, “After the Garden”...
Leah Henderson
Leah Henderson NONE Leah Henderson is an award-winning author with a passion for travel and exploration, which influences her work. Her notable works include the Africana Children’s Book Award notabl...
Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor 0000000108802241 Richard Pryor December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005 Before ...
Fabienne Josaphat
Fabienne Josaphat 0000000001379199 "Fabienne Josaphat, an M.F.A. graduate from Florida International University, is an accomplished writer with works in various journals. 'Dancing in the Baron’s Shad...
Lynda Koolish
Lynda Koolish NONE Lynda Koolish, a photographer and literature scholar, captures the essence of writers she admires through her deeply collaborative and personal work. Her artistry involves paying a...
Markette Sheppard
Markette Sheppard NONE Markette Sheppard is an Emmy-winning journalist, children's book author, and founder of The GLOW Brands, LLC. Her bestseller 'What Is Light?' inspires children to discover inne...
Jackie Sibblies Drury
Jackie Sibblies Drury NONE Jackie Sibblies Drury is a Brooklyn-based playwright, known for plays including 'We Are Proud to Present...' and 'Really'. Her work has been showcased by prominent institut...
James F. Daniels
James F. Daniels NONE James F. Daniels, author of 'Metamorphosis: From Cotton Picker to Community Leader', shares his journey from growing up as a sharecropper in the Jim Crow South to becoming a com...
Kelvin Bodley
Kelvin Bodley NONE Kelvin D. Bodley, a Chicago native and now Florida resident, is a social change advocate, author, and Minister of the Gospel. He served as the Special Assistant to Mayor Anthony Gr...
Damon Wayans
Damon Wayans 000000005928060X Damon Wayans, a NY Times bestselling author and award-winning actor from a renowned Hollywood family, is known for his roles in 'In Living Color' and 'My Wife and Kids'....
Stacy Spikes
Stacy Spikes NONE Stacy Spikes, co-founder of MoviePass and founder of Urbanworld Film Festival, is an award-winning entrepreneur and former film marketing executive. Recognized as one of the most in...
Eriq La Salle
Eriq La Salle 0000000078409843 Eriq La Salle, an actor, director, writer, and producer, is known for his role as Dr. Peter Benton on NBC's ER, earning him multiple award nominations and wins. With a ...
Leslie Jones
Leslie Jones 0000000447812524 Leslie Jones, born in 1967, is an award-nominated actress known for her work on Saturday Night Live and HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death. She's been recognized as one...
Neville Goddard
Neville Goddard 0000000033028836 Neville Goddard (1905-1972) was a renowned metaphysical writer and lecturer from Barbados who moved to NYC to study theater before shifting to metaphysics. Known for ...
Jasmine Guy
Jasmine Guy 0000000114437228 Jasmine Guy knew Afeni Shakur for nearly a decade, having met her via Afeni's son, Tupac. A multitalented performer, Guy began her career as a dancer for the Alvin Ailey...
K.L. Reeves
K.L. Reeves NONE Harvard graduate Kevin “K.L.” Reeves is a dedicated Chicago-based artist and writer, striving to illuminate the complexities of the human experience through his work. Despite persona...
Andre Ward
Andre Ward NONE Andre Michael Ward, born 1984, is a retired American boxer with an untarnished record. He was a multi-time world champion in two weight categories from 2004-2017. Recognized by The Ri...
Luke Flowers
Luke Flowers NONE Luke Flowers, founder of Luke Flowers Creative in 2010, is dedicated to illuminating the imagination in all his work, inspired by the meaning of his name, 'Light'. He aims to enligh...
Lynn Gaines
Lynn Gaines NONE Ohio-based artist, Lynn Gaines, works for American Greetings and enjoys creating children's book illustrations. She utilizes both traditional and digital mediums, drawing inspiration...
Cozbi A. Cabrera
Cozbi A. Cabrera NONE I wanted to express something that was really beautiful… —Cozbi A. Cabrera Cozbi A. Cabrera, a Brooklyn native, is a multidisciplinary creative best known for design...
Valerie Brown
Valerie Brown 0000000084824330 Valerie Brown is a Buddhist-Quaker Dharma teacher, executive coach, and co-director of Georgetown's Institute for Transformational Leadership. Formerly a lawyer and lob...
Anastacia-Reneé
Anastacia-Reneé NONE Anastacia-Reneé is an acclaimed writer, educator, artist, and speaker known for her cross-genre work. Author of several books, her works have been featured in numerous literary ...
Anna Woofenden
Anna Woofenden NONE Anna Woofenden is a founding pastor, author, and podcast co-host based in Massachusetts. She's a pivotal figure in the food and faith movement, passionate about spirituality, just...
Donna Drew Sawyer
Donna Drew Sawyer NONE Donna Drew Sawyer, author of Provenance, has a rich background in arts administration, advertising, and public relations. A New Yorker with over three decades of experience in ...
Barbara Fant
Barbara Fant 0000000114483152 Barbara Fant is an acclaimed poet who has been writing and performing for over fifteen years. She has competed in nine National Poetry Slam competitions and placed 8th ...
Jake Alexander and Melleny Taylor
Jake Alexander and Melleny Taylor MULTIPLE Jake Alexander, an award-winning illustrator from England, is known for his works inspired by pop culture and current events. Melleny Taylor, a former Art &...
Vincent Brown
Vincent Brown 0000000114674784 Vincent Brown is the Charles Warren Professor of American History and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. He is the author of Tacky...
Paule Marshall
Paule Marshall 0000000110812465 Watch a Powerful Tribute to Paule Marshall and John A. Williams Paule Marshall, born Valenza Pauline Burke, was a renowned author and educator. She was selected by Lang...
W. J. Lofton
W. J. Lofton NONE W. J. Lofton, a Chicago-born poet and multimodal artist, is the author of A Garden for Black Boys Between the Stages of Soil and Stardust. His work explores the intersections of ra...
Historical Research Department of the Nation of Islam
Historical Research Department of the Nation of Islam NONE This author explores the historical relationship between Black and Jewish communities, claiming that Black leaders advocating for economic a...
Larry Ward
Larry Ward NONE AALBC Mourns the passing of Larry Ward August 19, 2025 Dr. Larry Ward was the co-founder of The Lotus Institute and a beloved senior Dharma teacher in Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Plu...
Jessica Fong
Jessica Fong NONE Jessica Fong is a Latina and native Spanish speaker who is deeply rooted in the environmental education community of Chicago as well as nationally. Jessica’s teaching journey...
Jennifer Jones
Jennifer Jones 0000000121452274 Jennifer Jones is a Tony Award-winning dancer and activist known for her pioneering role as the first Black Rockette. Jennifer Jones is a Tony Award-winning dancer and...
Tom Knight
Tom Knight 0000000356443698 After an enjoyable stint as a graphic designer, Tom Knight is now proud to be using his imagination as a full-time career. Drawing on a long and abiding love of imagery f...
Brigid Washington
Brigid Washington NONE Brigid R. Washington is a Trinidadian food writer who has covered a variety of topics, including Caribbean food and culture as it intersects with life in the United States. ...
Janet Halfmann
Janet Halfmann NONE Janet Halfmann, author of over 30 children's books, many on natural science, enjoys gardening, nature exploration, travel, and films. She resides in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin wit...
Elizabeth Acevedo
Elizabeth Acevedo 0000000120164676 Elizabeth Acevedo, a New York Times bestselling author, is known for her award-winning debut novel, The Poet X. She is a daughter of Dominican immigrants, with degr...
Ashley Iman
Ashley Iman NONE Ashley Iman, a former teacher and lifelong learner, currently directs a teacher residency program in Washington, DC. In her free time, she enjoys exploring national parks and gardeni...
Bria Alston
Bria Alston NONE Bria Alston is a writer and children’s book editor living in New York City. She has written titles including Serena Williams: A Little Golden Book Biography, Tiana’s Garden Grows, a...
David Greenberg
David Greenberg 0000000071453622 David Greenberg is an author and professor of history and of journalism and media studies at Rutgers University and a frequent commentator on historical and political...
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...
Nnedi Okorafor
Nnedi Okorafor 0000000037028083 Nnedi Okorafor, Ph.D., is a Nigerian-American novelist known for blending African culture into her creative works. The New York Times has praised her stunning imaginat...
Bunmi Emenanjo
Bunmi Emenanjo NONE Bunmi Emenanjo is an attorney and entrepreneur. Born in the United States and raised in Nigeria, her childhood and culture inspire her writing. Bunmi Emenanjo is an attorney and e...
John Lewis
John Lewis 0000000114586629 Born to sharecroppers, John Robert Lewis became a key figure in the US Civil Rights Movement. As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and a speaker at...
Faye Thompson
Faye Thompson NONE Faye Thompson, a passionate author, discovered her love for writing at a young age. After a life diversion and a degree in psychology, an epiphany led her back to her true calling....
Hugh Holton
Hugh Holton NONE Hubert “Hugh” Holton, son of a police officer, was a prolific author who passed away in 2001. Raised in Woodlawn, he attended Saint Anselm elementary school and Mount Carmel high sch...
Zeba Blay
Zeba Blay NONE Zeba Blay is a film and culture critic with a career spanning nearly a decade. She has contributed to various publications like The New York Times and was a Senior Culture Writer at Hu...
Christopher Myers
Christopher Myers NONE Christopher Myers, son of renowned author Walter Dean Myers, is an award-winning illustrator with a deep appreciation for storytelling through images. Myers extends his family'...
Véronique Tadjo
Véronique Tadjo 0000000081825936 Véronique Tadjo, an Ivorian poet, novelist, academic, and artist, holds a doctorate in Black American Literature and Civilization. She served as the head of the Fren...
Michael Simanga
Michael Simanga NONE Michael Simanga holds a doctorate in African American Studies from the Union Institute and University, USA and teaches in the Department of African American Studies at Georgia St...
Karen Walrond
Karen Walrond NONE Karen Walrond is a lawyer, leadership coach, activist, and senior director for Brené Brown Education and Research Group. She's a Certified Dare To Lead™ Facilitator, photographe...
Vincent L. Johnson
Vincent L. Johnson NONE Vincent L. Johnson, MD, a pediatrician and author, uses his passion for storytelling to create books that inspire and entertain young readers. Drawing from his upbringing in C...
Kahran and Regis Bethencourt
Kahran and Regis Bethencourt MULTIPLE Kahran and Regis Bethencourt are Atlanta-based photographers specializing in child and family portraits. The couple captures unique beauty as Canon Explorers of ...
Geneva Bowers
Geneva Bowers NONE Geneva Bowers is a self-taught illustrator from North Carolina, known for children’s books like Beyoncé Shine Your Light and Curls. Her work, blending whimsy, realism and color, w...
David Diop
David Diop 0000000381649161 David Diop, born in 1966, is a renowned French-Senegalese author known for his historical fiction. His novel “At Night All Blood is Black” won the 2021 International Booke...
Toni Ann Johnson
Toni Ann Johnson NONE Toni Ann Johnson is an award-winning author recognized for her linked story collection 'Light Skin Gone to Waste', which won the 2021 Flannery O'Connor Award and was nominated f...
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...
Ruha Benjamin
Ruha Benjamin 0000000401943238 Ruha Benjamin is a 2024 MacArthur Foundation’s “Genius” Grant Winner Ruha Benjamin is a renowned sociologist, professor, and author specializing in tec...
Nawal El Saadawi
Nawal El Saadawi 0000000120296695 Nawal El Saadawi was an Egyptian feminist writer, activist, and physician renowned globally for her fearless advocacy for women's rights. Her writings, including “Wo...
Lisa Allen-Agostini
Lisa Allen-Agostini 0000000072635073 Lisa Allen-Agostini is a Trinidadian author and journalist known for her impactful work in Caribbean literature and social issues advocacy. Her novels, poetry, an...
C. S. Whitehurst
C. S. Whitehurst NONE C. S. Whitehurst is a psychology-based UX/UI designer, computer programmer, and certified IT project manager. A student of science and philosophy, he uses his knowledge to help ...
George Lamming
George Lamming 0000000114972132 George William Lamming (1927-2022) was a renowned Barbadian novelist and critic, celebrated for his exploration of colonialism and identity in the 20th century Caribbe...
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...
Leon E. Pettiway
Leon E. Pettiway 0000000033688893 Leon E. Pettiway, Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus at Indiana University, known for his research in crime patterns, race, and ghettoization. He has published numerous ...
Sydney McGee
Sydney McGee NONE “McGee is the youngest bestselling author in AALBC.com History!” Sydney McGee, also known as “Sydney Sunshine”, is a young author from Houston, Texas, known for her uniqu...
William Craft and Ellen Craft
William Craft and Ellen Craft MULTIPLE William and Ellen Craft, escaped slaves from Georgia, became famous fugitives in the 1840s. Disguised as a white man and his servant, they reached the North and...
Carlton Pearson
Carlton Pearson 0000000033443634 Bishop Carlton Pearson was a renowned minister, gospel singer, and author. Once a prominent figure in Christian movements, his questioning of traditional doctrines sp...
Caroline Randall Williams
Caroline Randall Williams 0000000371378337 Caroline Randall Williams, born in 1987, is a multi-genre writer and educator based in Nashville, Tennessee. She's well-recognized for her award-winning wor...
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...
Mark Mathabane
Mark Mathabane 0000000108774033 "Mark Mathabane is a South African author and human rights activist, known for his memoir 'Kaffir Boy' which sheds light on his life under apartheid. His works, transl...
Mavis C. Campbell
Mavis C. Campbell NONE Mavis C. Campbell was a renowned historian noted for her work on Caribbean and African diaspora history. Her research focused on the history of slavery, emancipation, and post-...
Valerie Boyd
Valerie Boyd 000000011658992X Valerie Boyd was a notable American author, journalist, and educator, celebrated for her contributions to African American literature. She's best known for her acclaimed...
Alexandra Morton
Alexandra Morton 0000000078676423 Alexandra Morton, host of The Book Look and 2011 Miss Black America-Baltimore, offers a unique online book review show on NewsOne.com. Featuring the latest book news...
Bill Duke
Bill Duke 0000000063023892 Actor, Director, and Producer Bill Duke has over 40 years of Hollywood experience, known for his roles in “Predator,” “X-Men 3,” and currently in HBO Max's “No Sudden Move....
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†...
Michael G. Long
Michael G. Long NONE Michael G. Long is a distinguished author and editor specializing in civil rights and gender issues. Known for his in-depth works on key American historical figures like Jackie R...
Gia L. James
Gia L. James NONE Gia L. James, a New Orleans native and Houston-raised writer, is an advocate for adoptees and personal discovery. An alumna of Carnegie Mellon University, she's an active member of ...
Stella Dadzie
Stella Dadzie 0000000081383699 Stella Dadzie was born in 1952 in London, United Kingdom, to a white English mother and a Ghanaian father, who was Ghana’s first trained pilot and served as a navigato...
Chigozie Obioma
Chigozie Obioma 000000007886845X “the heir to Chinua Achebe” (New York Times) Chigozie Obioma, born in Nigeria, is an award-winning author and professor of English at the University of Neb...
Tracy K. Smith and John Freeman
Tracy K. Smith and John Freeman MULTIPLE Tracy K. Smith is a Pulitzer-winning poet, author of four books, including 'Life on Mars', and editor of 'American Journal'. She served as the US Poet Laureat...
T. Styles
T. Styles NONE Driven by her faith and inspired by trailblazers like Sister Souljah, this multi-talented author has a diverse background in massage therapy, modeling, and public speaking. Passionate ...
Carolina Maria de Jesus
Carolina Maria de Jesus 0000000083875208 Carolina Maria de Jesus, born in 1914, was a Brazilian writer who highlighted life in favelas through her diaries. Despite facing extreme poverty and social o...
Kay Mills
Kay Mills 0000000114412223 Kay Mills (1941–2011) was a distinguished journalist and author, known for her advocacy of civil rights and women’s rights through her writing. Born in Washington, D...
Talia Skyles
Talia Skyles NONE Talia Skyles is a Baltimore-based illustrator and painter and is currently working towards her BFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Growing up in a family that appreciated...
Brenda Williams
Brenda Williams NONE Brenda Williams is a writer, speaker, and advocate devoted to empowering young girls to see their beauty, believe in their dreams, and know they matter. Through her Worthy &...
Brandy
Brandy 0000000114622220 Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979) is a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and actress—the ultimate triple threat. She rose to fame as the star of the l...