AALBC Search
Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia Abu-Jamal 0000000117671001 Mumia Abu Jamal, an award-winning journalist and best-selling author, was convicted for allegedly killing a cop in 1981. His trial was denounced by Amnesty Internatio...
Delores Lowe Friedman
Delores Lowe Friedman NONE Brooklyn-born Delores Lowe Friedman, a retired professor from the City University of New York, is an advocate for literacy and equity in education. She's authored education...
Sean Anderson
Sean Anderson 0000000078343215 Sean Anderson, son of Jamaican immigrants, is a New York-based writer, educator, and youth advocate. His works reflect his unique experiences growing up in 80s NYC and ...
Randall Woodfin
Randall Woodfin NONE Randall Woodfin worked at City Hall (in jobs for the mayor and the city council) and for the Jefferson County Committee on Economic Opportunity, attended Cumberland School of Law...
Anasa Maat
Anasa Maat NONE Dr. Anasa Maat, a retired educator from Newark, NJ, holds degrees from Montclair and Rutgers Universities. She is a prolific author of four novels. Known for her civic engagement, she...
Henry Dumas
Henry Dumas 0000000110288296 Henry Dumas (1934-1968) was a celebrated writer and poet who greatly influenced American literature despite his premature death. Born in Arkansas, Dumas later moved to Ne...
Dennis A. Williams
Dennis A. Williams NONE Dennis A. Williams is a Syracuse-born author and educator. Raised in a multicultural neighborhood, his experiences shaped his writing, including his 1973 novella “Them That’s ...
Sondra Kathryn Wilson
Sondra Kathryn Wilson NONE Dr. Sondra Kathryn Wilson was a senior associate at Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute, founder of the James Weldon Johnson Foundation, and executor of Johnson’s literary e...
Sydney Smith
Sydney Smith 000000010777471X Sydney Smith is a renowned illustrator of children's books, known for works like 'Sidewalk Flowers' and 'The White Cat and the Monk.' His book 'Town Is by the Sea' won t...
Jim Neighbors, Brenda Lee Pryce, and Betsy Wakefield Teter
Jim Neighbors, Brenda Lee Pryce, and Betsy Wakefield Teter MULTIPLE Learn about the writers, Jim Neighbors, Brenda Lee Pryce, and Betsy Wakefield Teter and their book. Dr. Jim Neighbors teaches ethni...
Sekou Sundiata
Sekou Sundiata 0000000046188513 Sekou Sundiata (August 22, 1948 - July 18, 2007) was a poet, performer, and teacher. While attending the City College of New York (CCNY), he began reciting poetry ...
Ina Yalof
Ina Yalof NONE Ina Yalof, a sociologist and author, has penned numerous cultural articles and books over 30 years. She has taught writing at Dartmouth College's ILEAD program and has 14 published boo...
Sapphire
Sapphire NONE Sapphire, born Ramona Lofton (1950), is a New York-based author and poet, known for her prose collection “American Dreams.” Her work features in several anthologies and she is a recipie...
Anthony Ray Hinton
Anthony Ray Hinton NONE Anthony Ray Hinton, wrongfully sentenced to death row for 28 years, now advocates for prison reform and faith following his 2015 release. Living in Alabama, his book was chose...
Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyatta 0000000121015234 Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, born in 1897, was a prominent leader of African nationalism. He studied anthropology at the London School of Economics. As the first native-born Pre...
Louis Emanuel Lomax
Louis Emanuel Lomax 000000010988746X Dr. Louis Emanuel Lomax, born in 1922, was the first African-American TV journalist and a Yale Ph.D. graduate. Known for co-producing a documentary about the Nati...
Biyi Bandele
Biyi Bandele 0000000120964833 Biyi Bandele-Thomas (1967-2022) was a renowned Nigerian novelist, playwright, director, and photographer. He was celebrated as one of Africa's top 50 artists. Bandele's ...
Barbara Eleanor Adams
Barbara Eleanor Adams NONE Barbara Eleanor Adams, born on February 27, 1939 in New York City, is an accomplished scholar. She earned both her Bachelor's degree (1975) and Master of Arts (1977) from t...
Joyce Hansen
Joyce Hansen 0000000122135457 Joyce Hansen, an author of children's and young adult books for over 20 years, used her New York City upbringing as inspiration for her works. With a BA from Pace Univer...
Amos N. Wilson
Amos N. Wilson 0000000083152296 Dr. Amos N. Wilson was a renowned psychologist, social worker, and academic who held roles in the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice and taught at City Unive...
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...
Greg Mathis
Greg Mathis 0000000034573270 Judge Mathis is a public servant and advocate for equal justice. His career began in college leading campaigns, later joining Detroit City councilman Clyde Cleveland's st...
Ginger Adams Otis
Ginger Adams Otis 0000000120319922 Ginger Adams Otis is an experienced New York City journalist and author. She's a staff writer at NY Daily News, having covered local politics, City Hall, and the Fi...
Douglas E. McIntosh
Douglas E. McIntosh NONE Douglas E. McIntosh, a New York-born writer, holds degrees in Finance and History from Pace University. With a background in banking and financial analysis, including a stint...
Emily Raboteau
Emily Raboteau 0000000036573661 Emily Raboteau, author of 'The Professor’s Daughter' and 'Searching for Zion,' is an award-winning writer renowned for her fiction and essays. She has received numerou...
Paulo Lins
Paulo Lins 0000000109587125 Paulo Lins, born in Rio de Janeiro in 1958, escaped the dangers of favela life to become a renowned writer. He studied at the University of Rio de Janeiro and published hi...
Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa NONE Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa, born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York, is a renowned writer and educator. Her work, influenced by her Puerto Rican heritage and experiences, i...
Angela Dews
Angela Dews NONE Angela M. Dews, a former journalist and public servant, now writes and teaches in New York City. She has authored a series of murder mysteries set in Harlem and a 2018 book on urban ...
Michael Tubbs
Michael Tubbs NONE Michael Tubbs, former 79th mayor of Stockton, CA, was the city's first Black and youngest ever mayor. He founded Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and advises California's governor on...
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...
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...
Randal Pinkett
Randal Pinkett NONE Dr. Randal Pinkett is an entrepreneur, author, and scholar. He is the CEO of BCT Partners, a consulting firm working in various sectors. Pinkett co-founded Inner City Consulting G...
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, ...
Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin Van Peebles 000000038553859X Melvin Van Peebles, founding father of Black American cinema, was a multi-talented artist known for directing, writing, and acting in groundbreaking films. He was ...
John Gibson
John Gibson 0000000080602546 John H. Gibson, a former high-tech engineer with over 25 years of experience, is a writer of thrilling political novels. His career in writing began as a hobby while resi...
Morgan Radford
Morgan Radford NONE Morgan Kelly Radford (born November 18, 1987) is a television news anchor and reporter for NBC News based in New York City. Raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, she received her...
Michele Wallace
Michele Wallace 0000000114424646 Michele Faith Wallace is a renowned black feminist author and cultural critic. She serves as an English Professor at City College and the Graduate Center of CUNY. Mic...
Treasure Blue
Treasure Blue NONE Treasure Blue is an Essence Magazine best selling author. A former fire inspector with the New York City Fire Department, he is also winner of the Black Issue Book Reviews Urba...
Colin Powell
Colin Powell 0000000108588433 Colin Powell (1937-2021) was a US statesman, diplomat, and retired four-star general. He served four presidential administrations, including as Secretary of State under ...
Teju Cole
Teju Cole 0000000077460567 Teju Cole, an acclaimed writer, art historian, and photographer, serves as the Distinguished Writer in Residence at Bard College and is a photography critic for the New Yor...
Tim Todd
Tim Todd NONE Tim Todd is a prolific author and executive writer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He specializes in banking history, with eight books published, including a study on Americ...
Shane W. Evans
Shane W. Evans 0000000038504360 Shane Evans is a renowned illustrator, artist and designer whose work has been recognized by The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and The Orbis Pictus Award. His illustrat...
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...
Laureen Cantwell and Leonard Gill
Laureen Cantwell and Leonard Gill MULTIPLE Laureen P. Cantwell, a former librarian at the University of Memphis, loved the city's dark side and Elvis. Leonard Gill, a Memphis native, writes for the M...
Kevin Mitchell
Kevin Mitchell 0000000352296686 Kevin M. Mitchell is a versatile writer, musician, and producer. A University of Missouri—Kansas City Conservatory of Music graduate, he has published over a dozen b...
Cathie Wright-Lewis
Cathie Wright-Lewis NONE Cathie Wright-Lewis, a lover of linguistics, ancient history, and metaphysics, is a former NYC high school English teacher with a passion for diverse cultures and dialects. O...
A.R. Bernard
A.R. Bernard NONE Dr. Alphonso R. Bernard, Sr., born in 1953, is the spiritual leader of the New York Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn. He left a banking career in 1979 to establish a church tha...
Craig Steven Wilder
Craig Steven Wilder 0000000055180126 Craig Steven Wilder began his career as a community organizer in the South Bronx. He provides curricular and professional development workshops with public s...
Nigeria Lockley
Nigeria Lockley NONE Nigeria Lockley is a New York-based author and teacher. Her debut novel, Born at Dawn, reflects her Christian faith and everyday issues. She holds two Master's degrees from the C...
Jacqueline Johnson
Jacqueline Johnson NONE Jacqueline Johnson is a multi-disciplined artist and award-winning author known for her work in writing and fiber arts. She has taught poetry at multiple institutions and has ...
Milton Allimadi
Milton Allimadi NONE Milton Allimadi, co-founder and editor of The Black Star News, is an experienced journalist who previously worked for The City Sun and The New York Times. A Columbia Journalism S...
John Strausbaugh
John Strausbaugh 0000000067554770 John Strausbaugh, born in 1951, is a renowned author and cultural commentator. Known for his authority on New York City's history, he also hosts The New York Times' ...
Maitefa Angaza
Maitefa Angaza NONE Maitefa Angaza, editor of African Voices and author of the #1 Amazon Holiday Book, Kwanzaa: From Holiday to Every Day, has a distinguished editing background with renowned NYC pub...
Miguel Algarin
Miguel Algarin 0000000108989771 Miguel Algarin, a key figure of the Nuyorican movement and founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, has significantly contributed to Puerto Rican literature and American a...
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...
Dina Strachan
Dina Strachan NONE Dr. Dina Strachan is a renowned dermatologist, author, and speaker based in New York City. She is a Harvard and Yale alumna and founder of Aglow Dermatology. Known for her best-sel...
Tommie Thomas
Tommie Thomas NONE Tommie Lee Thomas, a determined individual of Cherokee Indian and African descent, overcame poverty and adversity to become a retired employee of Ford Motor Company, the City of De...
Ilyasah Shabazz
Ilyasah Shabazz 000000004150744X Ilyasah Al-Shabazz, community organizer, activist, and daughter of Malcolm X, advocates for at-risk youth and interfaith dialogue. She's developed programs promoting ...
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 ...
Jamaica Kincaid
Jamaica Kincaid 0000000081560368 Jamaica Kincaid, born as Elaine Potter Richardson in Antigua, is a renowned novelist and essayist. She migrated to the US at 17, worked as an au pair, and later atten...
Cheryl Woodruff-Brooks
Cheryl Woodruff-Brooks NONE Cheryl Woodruff-Brooks, a legislative assistant at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, is a passionate writer and author of the 2017 book “Chicken Bone Beach.” She ...
Brad Walrond
Brad Walrond NONE Brad Walrond is a poet, author, and performance artist renowned for his contribution to the 1990s Black Arts Movement in NYC. His works include recordings, an album, a multimedia in...
Jill Nelson
Jill Nelson 0000000066956364 Jill Nelson, a seasoned journalist from Harlem, is a graduate of the City College of New York and the Columbia School of Journalism. Her work has graced various publicati...
Clarence N.M. Coggins
Clarence N.M. Coggins NONE Clarence N.M. Coggins is a Japanese Anime enthusiast, Kean University Economics graduate, and IT professional. He is a Radio Personality, known for hosting “A New Day is He...
Suzan Johnson Cook
Suzan Johnson Cook 0000000027574363 Rev. Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook, also known as Dr. Sujay, is a prominent figure in religious freedom, serving as the former US Ambassador-at-Large for International...
Keith Gilyard
Keith Gilyard 0000000084094091 Raymond Keith Gilyard is a renowned American professor and writer specializing in rhetoric, composition, literacy studies, sociolinguistics, and African American litera...
Marilyn Allman Maye
Marilyn Allman Maye NONE Marilyn Allman Maye, a renowned educator and advocate, focuses on high-quality teaching in mathematics, especially for communities of color. Holding degrees from Swarthmore C...
Dharathula H. Millender
Dharathula H. Millender NONE Dharathula H. Millender, also known as “Dolly,” was a librarian, educator, author, and historian from Terre Haute, Indiana, best known for preserving the history of Gary,...
Patricia Spears Jones
Patricia Spears Jones 0000000031494569 Patricia Spears Jones, born in Arkansas, is the 2024 New York State Poet Laureate, a Jackson Poetry Prize laureate, and a cultural activist. An esteemed poet, p...
Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland 0000000053252958 Misty Copeland, born in 1982, is a renowned soloist at the American Ballet Theatre and a recipient of the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts. She resides in New ...
Ray Billingsley
Ray Billingsley 0000000031424835 Ray Billingsley, creator of the comic strip “Curtis”, draws upon his personal experiences and urban life for inspiration. Born in Wake Forest, N.C., and raised in Har...
Valerie Wilson Wesley
Valerie Wilson Wesley 0000000108586470 Valerie Wilson Wesley, author of the Tamara Hayle mystery series, has also written adult-themed novels, children's books, and various fiction and non-fiction wo...
Gabriel Okara
Gabriel Okara 0000000109284773 Gabriel Okara, a self-taught Nigerian poet and novelist, is known for his multilingual poetry and award-winning piece 'The Call of the River Nun'. His works, characteri...
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...
Jay Lemming
Jay Lemming NONE Jay Lemming is a Washington, DC-based author known for dark literary fiction and horror. Works include 'Billy Maddox Takes His Shot', 'The Curse of Jaxx', and 'Death to the Children ...
Neoma Nwasike
Neoma Nwasike NONE Neoma Nwasike, born in Manhattan and raised in a Nigerian household in Long Island, is a hardworking undergraduate student at Medgar Evers College. Despite her father's death, she ...
John Riddick, Jr.
John Riddick, Jr. MULTIPLE John Riddick, Jr., editor of Rhapsody in Black, a quarterly literary magazine, showcased selected national writers and artists' talents. This publication aimed to promote d...
June Jordan
June Jordan 0000000114793687 June Millicent Jordan (1936-2002) was a renowned poet, activist, teacher, and essayist, known for her influential voice in liberation. A professor at UC Berkeley, she dir...
Damien Echols and Lorri Davis
Damien Echols and Lorri Davis MULTIPLE Bestselling author and visual artist Damien Echols, known for his wrongful death row sentence and magick practice, has penned six books, including two with his ...
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...
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...
My Haley
My Haley NONE Myran “My” Haley, a PhD graduate from The Ohio State University, is a renowned writer who collaborated with her late husband, author Alex Haley, on projects including the book and minis...
Nelson George
Nelson George 0000000115805862 Nelson George, born in 1957, is a renowned columnist, critic, journalist, filmmaker, and author of 21 books, including bestseller 'The Michael Jackson Story'. A pioneer...
Darnell Lamont Walker
Darnell Lamont Walker NONE Darnell Lamont Walker is a celebrated death doula, Emmy-nominated writer, and storyteller redefining how we talk about life, loss, and everything in between. He guides ind...
Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull
Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull MULTIPLE Calvin Duncan is the founder and director of the Light of Justice program, which focuses on improving legal access for incarcerated individuals. Falsely accuse...
Walter Zacharius
Walter Zacharius NONE Walter Zacharius (1923-2011) was a WWII veteran and a noted philanthropist. He co-founded Kensington Publishing in 1974, expanding the romance genre and supporting diverse reade...
Annette Gordon-Reed
Annette Gordon-Reed 0000000035723517 Annette Gordon-Reed, a professor of law and history, authored “Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy.” She delves into the complex and intim...
Natalie Hopkinson
Natalie Hopkinson NONE Natalie Hopkinson, Ph.D., is a celebrated journalist, scholar, and author known for her insightful exploration of arts, gender, place, and identity. She has received critical a...
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...
Penny Mickelbury
Penny Mickelbury 0000000067623801 Penny Mickelbury is a celebrated playwright, journalist, and novelist, known for her work in fiction and script writing. She rose to prominence with her detective no...
Remi Adeleke
Remi Adeleke NONE Remi Adeleke, author of 'Transformed', is a former Navy SEAL turned business consultant and filmmaker. Born in Africa and raised in the Bronx, his journey from regrettable decisions...
Malcolm X
Malcolm X 0000000121348258 Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965), born Malcolm Little, was a Muslim minister and human rights activist. Malcolm was born i...
Don Freeman
Don Freeman 000000010880233X Don Freeman was a California-born artist and musician who turned to sketching Broadway shows in New York after losing his trumpet. He found his true calling in children's...
Diane Oliver
Diane Oliver 000000012330550X Diane Oliver (1943-1966) was a notable author and Managing Editor of The Carolinian. She published seven short stories, won an O. Henry Award, and attended the Universit...
Robert Hayden
Robert Hayden 0000000114660665 Hayden was Named U.S. Poet Laureate for (1976–1978) Robert Hayden (1913-1980) was a renowned African-American poet, essayist, and educator. He was the first Africa...
Zonie Felder
Zonie Felder NONE Zonie Felder, an erotic fiction writer from Jersey City, New Jersey, is a former Catholic school girl and Girl Scout who enjoys football, Zumba, dancing, and family time. Zonie Feld...
Sylvia Hubbard
Sylvia Hubbard NONE Sylvia Hubbard, a Detroit native and single mother, is a prolific romance author with over 40 books to her name. She founded the Motown Writers Network and co-created The Essence ...
Jerdine Nolen
Jerdine Nolen 000000006390290X Jerdine Nolen is an acclaimed children's book author known for award-winning works like “Thunder Rose” and “Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life.” She lives in Ellicott Cit...