AALBC Search
Linda Gaston-Bessellieu
Linda Gaston-Bessellieu NONE Linda Gaston-Bessellieu, a retired teacher with 30 years in NYC & State school systems, co-authors with her daughter, Tawana Bessellieu, a preschool teacher. They share a...
Constance Banks
Constance Banks NONE Constance Banks is a motivational author with over 20 years of experience in youth ministry. Her latest book, “A Conversation with My Mother about Sex, Boys, and How She Married ...
Charlamagne Tha God
Charlamagne Tha God 0000000486501489 Charlamagne Tha God, born Lenard McKelvey, is a renowned media personality and co-host of The Breakfast Club radio show and Brilliant Idiots podcast. He's also a ...
Lee Hawkins
Lee Hawkins NONE Lee Hawkins is a 2023-2024 Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism at The Carter Center and was named the Josephine Albright Fellow by the 2024 Alicia Patterson Foundatio...
Edwin Raymond with Jon Sternfeld
Edwin Raymond with Jon Sternfeld MULTIPLE Edwin Raymond, a fifteen-year veteran of the New York Police Department, is one of the nation’s leading voices on criminal justice reform. He has received n...
Donna M. Gray-Banks
Donna M. Gray-Banks NONE Donna M. Gray-Banks, founder of F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival, is a successful author known for her suspense erotic trilogy and a guest columnist for various outlets. She hosts tw...
Brett T. Brown
Brett T. Brown NONE Brett Tyler Brown, born in 1997, is a talented self-taught artist inspired by Chicago's architecture. His passion for art extends to architecture, animation, and writing. He wrote...
K.E. Lewis
K.E. Lewis NONE K.E. Lewis was raised in Bishopville, SC, where the weather is hot and the accent thick, K.E. grew up in a community that was a haven, rich in generosity and Blackness, much like the...
Ed Gordon
Ed Gordon 0000000045843168 Ed Gordon is an esteemed journalist with a career spanning various TV networks like BET, NBC, MSNBC, and CBS. Known for hosting shows like Conversation with Ed Gordon, BET ...
Justin Phillip Reed
Justin Phillip Reed 0000000497688533 Justin Phillip Reed is a South Carolina-born author, known for his work in various publications and his MFA in poetry from Washington University. Recognized for h...
Linda Dominique Grosvenor
Linda Dominique Grosvenor NONE Linda Dominique Grosvenor-Holland, a New York-born author with Caribbean roots, is known for her impactful writing on life, love, and family. Her novel, “Like Boogie On...
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...
Asiya Wadud
Asiya Wadud NONE Asiya Wadud is a Brooklyn-based author and third-grade teacher. She instructs poetry at Saint Ann’s School and facilitates an English conversation class for new immigrants at the Bro...
Celeste Headlee
Celeste Headlee 0000000049531591 ` Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist, author, and expert in human communication. Known for her work on NPR and American Public Media, she advises on racial...
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...
Jawanza Kunjufu
Jawanza Kunjufu NONE AALBC Mourns the Passing of Jawanza Kunjufu Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu is an educational consultant and prolific author specializing in African-American issues. Known for his dynamic lec...
Tonja Myles
Tonja Myles NONE Tonja Myles, an ordained minister and community activist, uses her own experiences as an addict and abuse survivor to promote mental wellness and recovery. As a certified peer suppor...
Robin Walker
Robin Walker 000000006356551X Robin Walker is a London-born author and editor known for his work on Black history and culture. He co-edited the influential Black Community Reports and authored books ...
David Covin
David Covin 0000000084071877 David Covin was a Professor Emeritus of Government and Ethnic Studies at CSU Sacramento and Past President of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. He wa...
Jamarhl Crawford
Jamarhl Crawford NONE Jamarhl Crawford, also known as UNO The Prophet, is a Boston-based artist and poet deeply rooted in the city's Black communities. Coming from a family rich in artistic history, ...
Glory Edim
Glory Edim NONE Glory Edim is the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a platform celebrating Black literature. With over 10 years of experience as a creative strategist, she currently assists writers at...
Patrisse Khan-Cullors
Patrisse Khan-Cullors 0000000486461392 Patrisse Khan-Cullors, an LA-based artist and freedom fighter, is known for co-founding Black Lives Matter and Dignity and Power Now. A Fulbright scholar and NA...
Rasheedah Phillips
Rasheedah Phillips NONE Rasheedah Phillips, Esq. is the Managing Attorney of the Landlord-Tenant Housing Unit at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. A graduate of Temple University, she is also...
T. Thomas Fortune
T. Thomas Fortune 0000000108971715 “The Black Radical You Never Heard Of.” Timothy Thomas Fortune (born October 3, 1856 in Marianna, Florida; died June 2, 1928, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was a lead...
Marcus Dewan Williams
Marcus Dewan Williams NONE Marcus Dewan Williams, more than just the owner of Nubian Books bookstore, is an active advocate for African and African-American culture and education. As a publisher and ...
Carl Patterson
Carl Patterson NONE Carl Patterson started writing at 45, inspired by his late wife's positive outlook on life. Initially a poet, he transitioned into novel-writing upon her suggestion. His works, in...
Andrea J. Loney
Andrea J. Loney NONE Andrea J. Loney, a versatile author with African American, Jamaican and Panamanian roots, realized her childhood dream of becoming a writer. After developing her craft in college...
Kimberly R. Lock
Kimberly R. Lock NONE Kimberly Rochelle Lock is a multitalented individual, known for her advanced academic abilities and musical prowess. She began pre-college courses at 11, was a state spelling be...
Tracey Syphax
Tracey Syphax NONE Tracey D. Syphax is a renowned entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and community activist. He leads two firms, Capitol City Contracting, Inc. and The Phax Group, LLC. He holds posi...
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-...
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 ...
Kim Jones
Kim Jones 0000000385386573 Kimberly Jones, an educator at Lawton Public Schools since 1998, is committed to community improvement. She has initiated numerous programs including “The Colors of Life,” ...
LaQuitta Barnes
LaQuitta Barnes NONE LaQuitta Barnes is a seasoned educator with over 13 years of experience. She has served as a Literacy Coach, District Mentor, and Campus Administrator. She's also an author, real...
Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer 000000010799937X Keke Palmer is an Emmy award-winning actress, singer/songwriter, producer, author, television host, and passionate voice of the millennial generation. Lauren Keyana “Keke...
Mahmoud El-Kati
Mahmoud El-Kati NONE Mahmoud El‑Kati is a lecturer, writer, and commentator on the African American experience. He specializes in African American history and advocates institution building within c...
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 ...
Jess Mowry
Jess Mowry 0000000080841328 Jess Mowry is an author of children's and young adult books often set in Oakland, California, dealing with contemporary themes. Raised by his father, he developed a love f...
T. Friday
T. Friday NONE T. Friday, a Detroit native and mother of five, found her passion for reading at an early age. After a life-altering event in 2016, she pursued her dream of writing. Now an author of o...
Alberto O. Cappas
Alberto O. Cappas NONE Alberto O. Cappas, a Puerto Rican-born poet, writer, and community activist, is known for his work in economic development, literature, and advocacy in New York and Buffalo. He...
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...
Aaron Foley
Aaron Foley NONE Aaron Foley is a seasoned journalist and author with a passion for amplifying Black voices in media. Currently serving as senior digital editor for PBS NewsHour, he is also the found...
Alexis Pauline Gumbs
Alexis Pauline Gumbs 000000011229354X Alexis Pauline Gumbs is a queer black feminist and academic who has pioneered archival research in Black feminist geniuses' works. She founded grassroots publish...
Doni Glover
Doni Glover NONE Doni Glover is the founder of the Original Black Wall Street SERIES and blackwallstreetnews.com. He's an influential voice in Maryland's black community, often sought for insights on...
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 ...
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...
Viola Ford Fletcher
Viola Ford Fletcher NONE ”Every day, I have lived through the massacre. While our country may forget this history, I cannot.” Viola Ford Fletcher, born in 1907, is a notable figure in Afri...
Shahrazad Ali
Shahrazad Ali 0000000381673970 Shahrazad Ali is an author and social commentator, best known for her provocative views on gender roles within the Black community. She gained significant attention wit...
Sandra W. Headen
Sandra W. Headen NONE Dr. Sandra W. Headen is a Social and Community Psychologist turned children's historical fiction author. After an accomplished career in public health research and academia, she...
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 ...
Lisa D. Brathwaite
Lisa D. Brathwaite NONE Lisa D. Brathwaite is a creative self-expression enthusiast and author of children's book, “Miles of Style.” She holds a degree in Community Studies from the University of Mar...
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...
Leyda Aileen
Leyda Aileen NONE Leyda Aileen is a writer, interviewer, and communications professional dedicated to celebrating Black authors, books, and the communities that support them. Passionate about the po...
Chianti Lomax
Chianti Lomax NONE Chianti Lomax, “The Chief Happiness Curator”, is a renowned speaker, coach, and strategist, dedicated to transforming mental health in communities of color. Founder of wellDistrict...
Carlos Whittaker
Carlos Whittaker NONE Carlos Whittaker is bringing hope to humans all over the world. And he’s pretty good at it: he’s an author, podcaster, and global speaker backed by the power of a massive Insta...
Fred Beauford
Fred Beauford NONE Fred Beauford is a prolific novelist, essayist, and editor, known for his eight novels, memoir, essay collections, and contributions to notable literary series. He's also the found...
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...
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....
Madeline Hampton
Madeline Hampton NONE Madeline Hampton is a romance novelist who began reading and writing at a young age. After serving in the U.S. Military, she pursued a career in health, during which she continu...
Solomon Jones
Solomon Jones NONE Solomon Jones is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist, and community advocate who overcame adversity to succeed. He began his career writing articles while living in a sh...
Andrew Feiler
Andrew Feiler NONE Author and fifth-generation Jewish Georgian is driven by community and the complexities of the American South. His art, shaped by history, culture, race, and tradition, aims to mak...
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...
Arlington R. Callies
Arlington R. Callies NONE Arlington R. Callies, born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, is an author, experienced AAU Basketball and Track coach, and real estate broker. He has written a book about AA...
Sarah Jakes Roberts
Sarah Jakes Roberts NONE Sarah Jakes Roberts is a successful businesswoman, bestselling author, and media personality, known for her work in film marketing and inspiring community programs. Daughter ...
Michael Eric Dyson
Michael Eric Dyson 0000000108900116 Michael Eric Dyson is a distinguished scholar, Baptist minister, and public intellectual known for his innovative scholarship on race, religion, and popular cultur...
Cheryl Willis Hudson and Wade Hudson
Cheryl Willis Hudson and Wade Hudson MULTIPLE Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, parents based in Northern NJ, founded Just Us Books in 1988 to address a lack of quality Black-interest children's ...
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman NONE Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D., is the Executive Director at the Hurston Wright Foundation, former Director at Montgomery Community Media, and a successful playwright who...
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...
Winston Chapman
Winston Chapman NONE Winston Chapman, originally from Roseville, Minnesota, is an author with diverse career experiences, including stand-up comedy and TV show production. He first published an artic...
Alicia T. Bowens
Alicia T. Bowens NONE Alicia T. Bowens, from Chicago, overcame early motherhood to graduate high school and the University of Illinois. She built a successful career in IT, earned two masters degrees...
Doug and Jackie Christie
Doug and Jackie Christie MULTIPLE Doug & Jackie Christie are both natives of Seattle, WA. Jackie, a former model turned fashion designer, owns her own clothing boutique and label. Doug, a former NBA ...
Karen E. Quinones Miller
Karen E. Quinones Miller 0000000050390888 Karen E. Quinones Miller, born in Harlem, experienced street life as a teen, joined the Navy at 22, and later became a journalist. She worked for The Philade...
Alyssa Reynoso-Morris
Alyssa Reynoso-Morris NONE Alyssa Reynoso-Morris is a queer Afro-Latinx/e writer, mother, and community organizer from The Bronx. She currently resides in Philadelphia and has been recognized with mu...
Eldridge Cleaver
Eldridge Cleaver 0000000108667924 Leroy Eldridge Cleaver was a writer, political activist, and early leader of the Black Panther Party. His 1968 bestseller, “Soul on Ice,” is a collection of his pris...
Debra Owsley
Debra Owsley NONE Debra Owsley, avid reader and hairstylist, transformed her passion into a business, Simply Said Reading Accessories and LitVersation. She collaborates with bestselling authors, book...
Christine Pride
Christine Pride NONE Christine Pride considers herself fortunate to have built a twenty-year+ career in the publishing industry, working as an editor at several Big Five imprints, including Doubleda...
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 ...
Nichole L. Shields
Nichole L. Shields NONE Nichole L. Shields (1969-2009) was a celebrated poet and essayist, renowned for her impactful story-telling as a black woman. She was a two-time Gwendolyn Brooks poetry winner...
Quraysh Ali Lansana
Quraysh Ali Lansana NONE Quraysh Ali Lansana is a prolific author, educator, and radio producer based in Tulsa. He has written 23 books spanning poetry, nonfiction, and children's literature. Lansana...
Sherley Anne Williams
Sherley Anne Williams 0000000114970321 Sherley Anne Williams was an influential poet, novelist, and professor known for her works portraying her experiences within the African-American community. Bor...
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...
Rachel Johnson
Rachel Johnson 0000000081373706 Rachel Johnson, a licensed mental health practitioner, doula, and activist, is dedicated to improving the Black community's health and wellness. She owns Half Hood Hal...
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...
James H. Cone
James H. Cone 0000000381571755 James Hal Cone (1938-2018) was a renowned theologian known for advocating black theology and black liberation theology. His seminal work, Black Theology and Black Power...
Toni Cade Bambara
Toni Cade Bambara 0000000109088262 Toni Cade Bambara (1939-1995) was a celebrated writer, activist, feminist, and filmmaker. Born in Harlem, her work was characterized by her capacity for both laught...
Michael La Ronn
Michael La Ronn NONE Michael La Ronn is a prolific author in science fiction, fantasy, and self-help genres for writers. Renowned for his Decision Select and Magic Trackers series, he's been publishi...
Karen English
Karen English NONE Karen English, renowned for her children's books, is a multiple award-winning author recognized for addressing racial injustice. Raised in 1960s Los Angeles, she began writing at a...
Fred Lee Hord
Fred Lee Hord NONE Dr. Fred Lee Hord, born in 1941, is the founder and Executive Director of the Association for Black Culture Centers. He's a professor at Knox College and Director of its Africana S...
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...
Stacey Abrams aka Selena Montgomery
Stacey Abrams aka Selena Montgomery NONE Selena Montgomery is the pseudonym of Stacey Abrams, born Dec 9, 1973, former Georgia House Representative and first Black female major party gubernatorial no...
Monda Raquel Webb
Monda Raquel Webb NONE Born in 1968, Monda Raquel Webb is an avid reader and writer who was influenced by notable authors like Zora Neale Hurston and James Baldwin. Raised in multiple states, she gra...
David L.
David L. 0000000121374173 David L., a renowned author and publisher, has written notable works like “Over Your Dead Body,” “Chalk Outline Confessions,” “My Life Is A Movie,” and “Represent.” Holding ...
Larry Neal Shorter
Larry Neal Shorter NONE Larry Neal Shorter, also known as “Big Larry”, is a Baltimore-born author who has made a name for himself in the urban literature scene. After moving to Los Angeles and studyi...
Bonnie St. John
Bonnie St. John 0000000036620085 Bonnie St. John, the first African-American Winter Paralympic medalist, is a highly accomplished individual. Despite losing her leg at age five, she ventured into var...
Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
Eddie S. Glaude Jr. NONE Join a Conversation with Go On Girl! Book Club and Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Saturday, February 20, 2021. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. is a renowned professor at Princeton University, speci...
Souleymane Bachir Diagne and Chike Jeffers
Souleymane Bachir Diagne and Chike Jeffers MULTIPLE Souleymane Bachir Diagne, a Philosophy professor at Columbia University, has contributed to African studies and written books like The Ink of the S...
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...
Faye Childs
Faye Childs NONE Faye Childs, born 1956, was a literary agent committed to promoting Black literature. She founded the Black Board Bestsellers list, a platform that increased visibility for Black aut...
Lakita Wilson
Lakita Wilson NONE Lakita was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland. A 2017 recipient of SCBWI's Emerging Voices Award, Lakita received her MFA in writing for childr...
Simba Sana
Simba Sana NONE Simba Sana overcame hardships in Washington, D.C. to graduate with degrees in Accounting, Business and Finance, and African Studies. He left his auditing job to join Karibu Books, gro...
April Sinclair
April Sinclair NONE April Sinclair, a Chicago native, is a renowned author and community activist. Known for her dedicated activism in Oakland and her unique approach to her literary debut, Sinclair'...