AALBC Search
Yvonne Bynoe
Yvonne Bynoe NONE Yvonne Bynoe is an acclaimed author, cultural critic, and founder of the popular online art platform, @SHELOVESBLACKART. She made her curatorial debut in 2022, focusing on lost or e...
Paul Von Blum
Paul Von Blum NONE Paul Von Blum is a Senior Lecturer at UCLA with a rich history in African American Studies and Communication Studies. Since 1968, he has taught at UC Berkeley and UCLA. An esteemed...
Kimberly Drew
Kimberly Drew 0000000495858893 Kimberly Drew is a passionate writer, curator, and activist with a focus on art, fashion, and cultural studies. She's the Social Media Manager at The Met, a board membe...
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...
Katie Dorame
Katie Dorame NONE Katie Dorame, a Tongva artist of mixed Indigenous and European American heritage, focuses on Indigenous representation and Hollywood narratives. She has exhibited her work nationall...
Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe
Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe 0000000083215402 Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, born in 1951, is a renowned artist with exhibitions worldwide, including at MoMA and the Whitney. Her work has been featured in Life,...
Greenwood Art Project
Greenwood Art Project NONE The Greenwood Art Project, an initiative of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre Centennial Commission, aims to unite Tulsa through art, raising awareness of Greenwood's history and the...
Baba Wagué Diakité
Baba Wagué Diakité 0000000121436557 Baba Wagué Diakité, a Mali-born artist, found his roots in drawing before discovering claywork when he moved to the US. He has had numerous solo and group exhibi...
Rafael López
Rafael López 0000000430746276 Rafael López is a renowned illustrator of NYT bestsellers and award-winning books. He's won Pura Belpré medals and other prestigious awards, including the Tomás River...
Pamela C. Rice
Pamela C. Rice NONE Pamela C. Rice is an acclaimed children's author and illustrator with over 25 books to her credit. Notable for her artistic collaborations and warm illustrations, Rice's works dra...
Keith Mallett
Keith Mallett 0000000033964456 Keith Duncan Mallett, born in 1948, is a prominent artist trained in New York City. He spent 15 years as the in-house artist for Frontline Art Publishers and now works ...
Grace Aneiza Ali
Grace Aneiza Ali NONE Grace Aneiza Ali is a Curator, Assistant Professor, and Provost Fellow at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She specializes in socially engaged art, global contemporary art, and C...
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...
Connie Schofield-Morrison
Connie Schofield-Morrison NONE Connie Schofield-Morrison, a mother, author, and entrepreneur co-runs Morrison Graphics, an art gallery in Atlanta, with her husband. She manages both her family and bu...
Khalif Thompson
Khalif Thompson NONE “…my work is a pure and consummate search for who I am…” Khalif Tahir Thompson, born in 1995, is a renowned artist whose work has been showcased in prest...
Benny Andrews
Benny Andrews 0000000066753102 Benny Andrews (1930-2006) was an American painter, printmaker, and educator known for his expressionist style. Born and raised in Georgia, he was the first in his famil...
E. B. Lewis
E. B. Lewis 0000000367331472 E.B. Lewis, an award-winning illustrator, has worked on over 70 children's books. Inspired by his uncles, he developed his artistic skills from a young age and later spec...
Philemona Williamson
Philemona Williamson NONE Philemona Williamson, a renowned contemporary artist based in New Jersey, is known for her solo shows and group exhibitions. Her work, often exploring interpersonal relation...
Siku
Siku 0000000065618187 Siku is a multifaceted British artist, author, theologian, and musician, renowned for his comic book/concept art. He has worked with 2000AD, Marvel UK, and COM X, producing nota...
Jenin Mohammed
Jenin Mohammed NONE Jenin Mohammed, a talented illustrator from Florida, is renowned for her humorous and captivating art. Winner of the 2020 Summer Spectacular Illustration Grand Prize, her unique s...
Ezra Jack Keats
Ezra Jack Keats 0000000370477827 Ezra Jack Keats (1916-1983) was a pioneering children's book author and illustrator known for introducing multiculturalism into mainstream American literature. Despit...
Danny Simmons
Danny Simmons 000000011447538X AALBC Mourns the Passing of Danny Simmons Daniel “Danny” Simmons is a globally recognized abstract-expressionist painter with works in prominent establishments like the ...
Jennifer Cruté
Jennifer Cruté NONE Comic artist and writer Jennifer Cruté, known for her work in BITCH magazine and a Glyph Comic Award nominee, has lectured at several institutions, exhibited her work at various ...
Kah Yangni
Kah Yangni NONE Kah Yangni, a Philadelphia-based illustrator, creates art focusing on justice, queerness, and joy. With work featured by The New York Times, Vice Media, and in the Philadelphia Museum...
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...
K. Ancrum
K. Ancrum NONE Kayla. Ancrum is an author of award-winning contemporary YA. Notably The Wicker King, Icarus, and most recently The Corruption of Hollis Brown. K. is a Chicago native passionate about...
Ekua Holmes
Ekua Holmes 0000000451226536 Ekua Holmes is a painter and collage artist who uses various materials to create vibrant, abstract works that convey unity and evoke universal memories. Her ongoing serie...
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...
Markia Jenai
Markia Jenai NONE Markia Jenai, a Michigan-born illustrator and graduate of Kendall College of Art and Design, is known for her diverse and culturally inspired children's books. She's currently pursu...
Nicole R. Fleetwood
Nicole R. Fleetwood 0000000077155263 Dr. Nicole R. Fleetwood, a renowned writer, curator, and professor at Rutgers University, is recognized for her influential work on art and mass incarceration. Sh...
Kathleen Atkins Wilson
Kathleen Atkins Wilson NONE Kathleen Atkins Wilson is a prolific artist with 40+ published editions, showcased in galleries nationwide and online. Her extraordinary artwork has won prestigious awards...
Doreen Rappaport
Doreen Rappaport 0000000073677013 Doreen Rappaport, an award-winning author of 48 children's books, is celebrated for her unique storytelling style that combines historical facts with intimate narrat...
Kamau Daa’ood
Kamau Daa’ood NONE Kamau Daa’ood is a Los Angeles-based performance poet, educator, and community arts activist. Known for his award-winning documentary, Life is a Saxophone, he's authored two poetry...
Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi 0000000120987488 Zanele Muholi, born 1972, is a South African visual activist and award-winning photographer. They are the co-founder of the Forum for the Empowerment of Women and found...
Art T. Burton
Art T. Burton NONE Art T. Burton, a retired history professor from South Suburban College, Illinois, authored notable books on African American Scouts and Soldiers, and Black and Indian Gunfighters o...
Eric Jerome Dickey
Eric Jerome Dickey 0000000063940201 Born and raised in Memphis, TN, the author graduated from the University of Memphis and worked various jobs before becoming a stand-up comedian and actor. He's als...
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...
Manzel Bowman
Manzel Bowman NONE Manzel Bowman is a distinguished Afrofuturist artist known for his digital illustrations that merge technology with spiritual and natural motifs. His art explores identity, humanit...
Akeem S. Roberts
Akeem S. Roberts NONE Akeem S. Roberts is an illustrator, animator, and cartoonist based in Brooklyn, New York. Versed in many styles, Akeem is passionate about breathing life into stories through a...
Ross Gay
Ross Gay 0000000040706017 Born in 1974, Ross Gay is a renowned author and editor, known for his books 'Against Which', 'Bringing the Shovel Down', and 'Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude'. He co-authored...
Carleen Brice
Carleen Brice NONE Carleen Brice, a prolific author and editor, is known for the books 'Orange Mint and Honey' and 'Lead Me Home'. With over 100,000 copies sold of 'Walk Tall: Affirmations for People...
Laetitia Ky
Laetitia Ky 0000000524196957 Laetitia Ky is an Ivory Coast-based multi-talented artist known for using her hair as a sculptural medium to address social justice issues. Her debut book, Love and Justi...
Jon Key
Jon Key NONE Jonathan Key is an artist, designer, and writer originally from Seale, Alabama. After receiving his BFA from RISD, Jon began his design career at Grey Advertising in NYC before moving o...
Micha Archer
Micha Archer NONE Micha Archer is an author and illustrator. Her book Daniel Finds a Poem, one of three Daniel books, received the Ezra Jack Keats Award. Her book Wonder Walkers was selected as a Ca...
Frankie Lennon
Frankie Lennon NONE Frankie Lennon is a creative writer, teacher, and jewelry designer from Knoxville, Tennessee. She holds a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Creative Writing from Indiana University. ...
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...
Leo and Diane Dillon
Leo and Diane Dillon MULTIPLE “In terms of our art, it is virtually impossible to consider us separately,” During more than four decades of illustrating children’s books, two-time Caldeco...
Wil Clay
Wil Clay NONE Wil Clay, a renowned artist, began his journey in art at a young age. He studied at prestigious art institutions before establishing studios in Providence and Houston. Initially focusin...
Jennie Poh
Jennie Poh 0000000485139027 Jennie Poh, an English-born artist raised in Malaysia, is renowned for her quirky and beautiful illustrations. Trained in ballet, she studied Fine Art and Fashion Illustra...
Nikki Marsh
Nikki Marsh NONE Florida-based author Nikki Marsh, a former educator and counselor, writes young adult historical fiction. She loves jewelry making, antiquing, and exploring international art and cul...
Dawoud Bey
Dawoud Bey 0000000078367946 Dawoud Bey, born in 1953, is an acclaimed international photographer whose work has been exhibited at prestigious museums. He's also an author and a distinguished professo...
Montaysia Yuneek Sims
Montaysia Yuneek Sims NONE Montaysia Yuneek Sims is an illustrator and Art Activist who creates from a place of community and encouragement. Besides children's books, Montaysia enjoys drawing for the...
Q. B. Wells
Q. B. Wells NONE Q.B. Wells, founder of Art Official Media LLC, is a publisher of urban-themed books and media. Wells also writes for various urban literature outlets. An entrepreneur and former educ...
Amos Ferguson
Amos Ferguson 0000000078904406 Amos Ferguson, born in 1920, was a self-taught Bahamian artist best known for his vibrant Bible and Bahamian scenes. He started painting in his 40s, inspired by a nephe...
Askia M. Toure
Askia M. Toure 0000000043979889 Askia Muhammad Touré, born Rolland Snellings in 1938, is a renowned poet, essayist, and political editor associated with the Black Arts Movement. He has served as edi...
Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace
Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace MULTIPLE Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace are acclaimed authors known for their nonfiction works such as First Generation and Blood Brother, which have earned...
Antwaun Sargent
Antwaun Sargent 000000049991731X Antwaun Sargent is an acclaimed art critic and writer, contributing to The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vice, and various museum publications. He authored his firs...
Kitt Thomas
Kitt Thomas NONE Katelan “Kitt” Thomas is a Lucian-American author-illustrator and graduate of Ringling College of Art and Design. She uses her art to celebrate Black culture and promote inclusion. K...
Albert Murray
Albert Murray 0000000083695821 Albert L. Murray (1916-2013) was a respected critic, novelist, and biographer. Born in Alabama, he divided his time between teaching and serving in the air force before...
Sean Qualls
Sean Qualls NONE Sean Qualls is a renowned Brooklyn-based author, artist, and children's book illustrator. Known for his work on 'Dizzy' and 'Freedom Song', Qualls' illustrations also feature in maga...
Nikkolas Smith
Nikkolas Smith NONE Nikkolas Smith, a Texan Artivist, picture book author, and Hollywood illustrator, creates influential art that sparks social justice discussions. Known for his NAACP Image Award-n...
Rashidah Ismaili
Rashidah Ismaili 0000000031556002 Dr. Rashidah Ismaili AbuBakr is a writer of short stories, plays, and poetry. Originally from West Africa, Dr. AbuBakr has taught French and English Speaking ...
Regie Gibson
Regie Gibson NONE Regie Gibson is a poet, songwriter, author, workshop facilitator, and educator. Regie has performed, taught, and lectured at schools, universities, theaters and various other ve...
Mervyn Taylor
Mervyn Taylor 0000000395906544 Trinidad-born poet, Mervyn Taylor, divides his time between Brooklyn and Trinidad. A teacher at several institutions, he's known for his five poetry books including awa...
Adrienne Wright
Adrienne Wright 0000000499939148 Adrienne Wright, a South African native, is a graduate of the College of Art and Design in Johannesburg. She is experienced in illustration, art direction, and graphi...
Jeanne Walker Harvey
Jeanne Walker Harvey 0000000080644033 Jeanne Walker Harvey, a devoted docent at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, is a Stanford University graduate in literature and psychology. She believes in...
Anthony Pugh
Anthony Pugh NONE Anthony Pugh is a versatile creative professional with experience in marketing, advertising, storyboard art, character design, and comic book art. He has collaborated with prominent...
Jerry Pinkney
Jerry Pinkney 0000000063081603 Jerry Pinkney (December 22, 1939 – October 20, 2021) has been illustrating children’s books since 1964. In addition to his work on children’s books, he is an ext...
Randell Pearson
Randell Pearson NONE Randell Pearson, a Jersey City native and Brooklyn-raised graphic designer and illustrator, boasts over 30 years of experience and numerous awards. His education includes The Hig...
Kellie Jones
Kellie Jones 0000000076890717 Kellie Jones is an Associate Professor at Columbia University specializing in African American and African Diaspora artists, Latinx and Latin American Artists, and conte...
Nicole Tadgell
Nicole Tadgell 0000000038118670 Nicole Tadgell is a renowned watercolor artist and art director with over 20 years of experience. Known for her award-winning children's books, she also leads art work...
Keturah A. Bobo
Keturah A. Bobo NONE AALBC Mourns Keturah’s Passing October 2025 Keturah Ariel Bobo is a NY Times bestselling illustrator and artist from Columbus, Ohio, recognized for her vibrant, relatable ar...
Melissa Koby
Melissa Koby NONE Melissa Koby, a Jamaican-born illustrator based in Tampa, uses art as a form of self-healing. Her faceless figures encourage viewers to see themselves in her work, focusing on emoti...
London Ladd
London Ladd NONE London Ladd, a Syracuse University graduate and accomplished illustrator, uses acrylic paint and paper to bring his vibrant colors to life. His work, often recognized by prestigious ...
Lorna Goodison
Lorna Goodison 0000000354889186 Jamaican-born Lorna Goodison, a former painter and art teacher, turned professional writer and acclaimed poet. Educated in Jamaica and New York, she has been honored w...
Allan Eitzen
Allan Eitzen 000000006320495X Allan Eitzen, from Mountain Lake, Minnesota, is an accomplished illustrator educated at Gustavus Adolphus College, the Institute of Art, and the University of the Arts. ...
Michael Datcher
Michael Datcher 0000000041395804 Michael Datcher is an award-winning poet, critic, and journalist. He co-hosts a weekly news magazine on 90.7 FM KPFK and his writing is widely anthologized. He's pres...
Claudia Rankine, Sampada Aranke, and Akili Tommasino
Claudia Rankine, Sampada Aranke, and Akili Tommasino MULTIPLE "Claudia Rankine is a Poetry Professor at Yale University. Sampada Aranke serves as an Art History, Theory, and Criticism Assistant Profe...
Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys MULTIPLE Grammy-winning icons Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys are not only musical powerhouses but also philanthropists and art advocates. Founders of the Dean Collection, the...
Supriya Kelkar
Supriya Kelkar 0000000498588577 Supriya Kelkar grew up in the Midwest, where she learned Hindi as a child by watching three Hindi movies a week. Winner of the New Visions Award for her middle grade ...
Deborah Fletcher Mello
Deborah Fletcher Mello 0000000036839925 Deborah Fletcher Mello is a multi-faceted author and Renaissance woman with diverse career experience. Her debut novel earned her a Best New Author nomination,...
Leo Espinosa
Leo Espinosa 0000000028372296 Leo Espinosa is an award-winning illustrator and designer from Colombia. His work, featured globally in publications and products, includes contributions to The New York...
Tim Fielder
Tim Fielder 0000000496510944 Tim Fielder is a Mississippi-born illustrator, animator and pioneer Afrofuturist. He founded Dieselfunk Studios and has taught at institutions such as the New York Film A...
Craig Rex Perry
Craig Rex Perry NONE Craig Rex Perry, a renowned American fashion artist, is known for his unique style and illustrations. Trained at prestigious institutes, including the School of the Art Institute...
Haki Madhubuti
Haki Madhubuti 0000000114735014 Haki R. Madhubuti, a leading figure in Black literature, is a poet, publisher, editor, and educator. With over 30 published books and 3 million copies in print, he's o...
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...
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...
Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Jan Spivey Gilchrist 0000000067483263 Jan Spivey Gilchrist, a Ph.D. holder in English, has illustrated over 60 children's books since 1988, with numerous prestigious awards to her name. She's also an...
Tavis Smiley
Tavis Smiley 0000000110310916 Tavis Smiley, a prominent African-American voice, is a renowned host and political commentator. Known for his work on BET Tonight and The Tom Joyner Morning Show, he is ...
Claud Anderson
Claud Anderson NONE Dr. Claud Anderson, president of PowerNomics Corporation and The Harvest Institute, is an author, educator, and political figure. PowerNomics publishes his works promoting self-su...
Renee Gladman
Renee Gladman 0000000038222494 Renee Gladman is a renowned writer and artist, known for her exploration of poetry, prose, and architecture. Her prolific work includes a popular novel series set in th...
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...
John Valentine
John Valentine NONE John Valentine, born in 60s' Mississippi, is a writer and cultural historian. From a background of poverty and racism, Valentine channeled his experiences into understanding the h...
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture 000000040525486X Troy Johnson, founder of AALBC.com, is involved with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a NYPL research library and ar...
DeAnn Wiley
DeAnn Wiley NONE DeAnn Wiley is a Detroit artist with over five years of traditional painting experience. Now venturing into digital art, she uses her platform to promote social justice and empower m...
Dorothea Smartt
Dorothea Smartt 0000000035456594 Dorothea Smartt is a London-born poet with Barbadian roots, known for her significant contributions to British culture. As a former Live Artist at London's Institute ...
Phetote Mshairi
Phetote Mshairi NONE Phetote Mshairi is a multi-talented artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He's a poet, author, entrepreneur, performing artist, mentor, and more. With a B.B.A. in Business Management, Msh...
Edwina Louise Dorch
Edwina Louise Dorch NONE Edwina Louise Dorch is a Ph.D. psychologist and minimalist artist based in Florida, specializing in painting female figures and seascapes. She uses art as a therapy tool to m...
Brook Stephenson
Brook Stephenson NONE AALBC.com Mourns the Loss of Brook Stephenson (February 12, 1974 — August 8, 2015) …just last week Brook was at the Corridor Gallery hosting a reading of work created...
Naomi V. Dunsen-White
Naomi V. Dunsen-White NONE Naomi V. Dunsen-White is a children’s book author and editor focused on promoting diversity and representation in children's literature. She utilizes her background as a fo...