AALBC Search
African American Literature Book Club
African American Literature Book Club 0000000509856750 The African American Literature Book Club transforms notable forum discussions into articles for increased visibility. The first conversion, “On...
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...
Olympia Scott
Olympia Scott NONE Olympia Scott, a Brooklyn native and English major at Medgar Evers College, is a creative writer and intern at AALBC. She contributes useful content and aims to help other writers ...
Diana Veiga
Diana Veiga NONE Go On Girl! Book Club, Unpublished Writer Award 2013 Winner Diana Veiga, winner of the 2013 Go On Girl! Book Club's Unpublished Writer award, is a dedicated writer and social justice ...
Annette Vendryes Leach
Annette Vendryes Leach NONE Annette Vendryes Leach, a Brooklyn author and entrepreneur, transitioned from a successful advertising career to pursue her passion for fiction writing. She founded the Bl...
Lynda Johnson
Lynda Johnson NONE Lynda Johnson, co-founder of Go On Girl! Book Club, supported authors from the African diaspora and helped fund scholarships. She also founded Kidstylesource.com, a leading website...
Edwidge Danticat
Edwidge Danticat 000000011051509X Edwidge Danticat, a Haitian-born author, is renowned for her books like “Breath, Eyes, Memory”, an Oprah Book Club pick, and “The Farming of Bones”, an American Book...
Everett Hoagland
Everett Hoagland NONE Everett Hoagland, a Philadelphia-born poet, professor, and activist, is renowned for his contributions to African American literature. A significant literary figure, he has nume...
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....
K. Reshay
K. Reshay NONE K. Reshay is a versatile author, poet, and playwright, known for her thought-provoking book series 'Appearances'. She is the Founder of Me Time Book Club, aimed at promoting literacy a...
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey 0000000114891842 Oprah Winfrey, a multi-billionaire and influential media owner, is best known for her highest-rated TV show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. She also runs the renowned Oprah Bo...
Curtis Bunn
Curtis Bunn NONE Curtis Bunn, a successful novelist, broke into the literary scene in 2001 with his hit novel, “Baggage Check,” which topped the Essence bestsellers list. Recognized for his honest po...
Brenda M. Greene
Brenda M. Greene 000000008095850X Dr. Brenda M. Greene is a respected professor, writer, and scholar, leading the Center for Black Literature and the National Black Writers Conference. She has contri...
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...
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...
Clarence V. Reynolds
Clarence V. Reynolds NONE Clarence V. Reynolds is an independent editor and journalist, former director of Literary Programs at the Center for Black Literature and editor-in-chief of the Killens Revi...
Dinah Johnson
Dinah Johnson NONE Dinah Johnson is a renowned author in children's literature, particularly in African American storytelling. Her books, which include titles like Hair Dance! and Sitting Pretty, cel...
Ronda Racha Penrice
Ronda Racha Penrice NONE Ronda Racha Penrice, an expert in African American history and culture, studied at Columbia University and NYU, focusing on African American literature. She contributed to Th...
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...
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...
Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka 0000000122837862 Winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature Wole Soyinka, born July 13, 1934, is the first Black Nobel Laureate in Literature, awarded in 1986 for his work that fashions...
Latina McIntyre
Latina McIntyre NONE Latina Sharmain McIntyre, born in North Carolina and raised in New York, is a dedicated wife, mother, Air Force Veteran, and educator. She founded the non-profit “Super Smart Gir...
Tamika Newhouse
Tamika Newhouse NONE Tamika Newhouse is a self-published author and founder of Delphine Publications. Recognized as Self Published Author of the Year in 2009 and 2011, she also received an award for ...
William L. Andrews
William L. Andrews 0000000108957024 William L. Andrews is E. Maynard Adams Professor of English Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has authored, edited, or co-edited more...
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...
Amina Gautier
Amina Gautier 0000000118109950 Dr. Amina Gautier, an award-winning author of three short story collections, is a scholar and professor specializing in African American literature. She teaches in the ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Francesca Momplaisir
Francesca Momplaisir NONE Haitian-born Francesca Momplaisir is a multilingual literature scholar and writer. Educated at Columbia University, the University of Oxford, and New York University, she sp...
Simone A. James Alexander
Simone A. James Alexander 0000000109111143 Simone A. James Alexander is a distinguished professor, author, and researcher. Born in Guyana, she studied in Guyana, Russia, and the US, earning degrees i...
Beverly Jenkins
Beverly Jenkins 000000011691928X Beverly Jenkins, a USA TODAY bestselling author, is renowned for her African-American historical romance fiction, mainly set in the 19th century. With over thirty nov...
Tiya Miles
Tiya Miles 0000000114701869 Tiya Alicia Miles is a historian and professor at the University of Michigan. Specializing in African American and Native American histories, she's the author of award-win...
Leila Mottley
Leila Mottley 0000000508946148 Leila Mottley, an Oakland native, is a celebrated author known for her debut novel, Nightcrawling, an Oprah Book Club pick. She explores themes of inequity and liberati...
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...
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison 0000000368636040 Winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature Celebrated American novelist Toni Morrison, born Chloe Ardelia Wofford, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. A profes...
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...
Jervette R. Ward
Jervette R. Ward NONE Dr. Jervette R. Ward is an English Associate Professor at Mississippi State University, editor, former journalist, and public relations professional. She specializes in American...
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...
J.D. Mason
J.D. Mason NONE J.D. Mason is a distinguished author with over a decade of professional writing. She self-published her debut novel twice before signing with a NYC publisher. Her work, featuring a po...
Eryka Parker
Eryka Parker NONE Eryka is the moderator of AALBC’s Black Don’t Crack… Book Spines book club. Eryka Parker is an award-winning book coach and developmental editor who assists diverse writers in storyt...
Kathryn M. Johnson
Kathryn M. Johnson NONE Compiler of “The Two Foot Shelf of Negro Literature” Kathryn Magnolia Johnson, born in the Jim Crow Era, was a champion for literacy, education, and social justice....
Gail L. Thompson
Gail L. Thompson NONE Dr. Gail L. Thompson is an esteemed author, researcher, former teacher, and ex-Endowed Professor of Education. She established the Black Men Teaching (BMT) Program and led an af...
Naleighna Kai, Renee Bernard, J.L. Woodson, Joyce A Brown, D. J. McLaurin, Candy Jackson, Janice Pernell, Valarie Prince, Martha Kennerson, Susan D. Peters, Tanishia Pearson-Jones, and L. A. Lewis
Naleighna Kai, Renee Bernard, J.L. Woodson, Joyce A Brown, D. J. McLaurin, Candy Jackson, Janice Pernell, Valarie Prince, Martha Kennerson, Susan D. Peters, Tanishia Pearson-Jones, and L. A. Lewis MUL...
Zelda Lockhart
Zelda Lockhart 0000000053635692 Zelda Lockhart, Associate Professor of Creative Writing and African American Literature at North Carolina Central University, is a distinguished author and educator. K...
Cassandra Jackson
Cassandra Jackson NONE Cassandra Jackson is a professor of English at the College of New Jersey, where she teaches classes about African American literature and visual culture. Cassandra Jackson is a...
Delia Mercado
Delia Mercado NONE Delia Mercado, a NY licensed entrepreneur and mother of three, is pursuing an English degree at Medgar Evers College. Passionate about literature, she aspires to become an author a...
Ann-Margaret Lim
Ann-Margaret Lim NONE Ann-Margaret Lim, a renowned Jamaican author, is celebrated for her work in literature, published in major newspapers, journals, and anthologies. She is a BA in English Literatu...
John H. Bracey Jr.
John H. Bracey Jr. NONE John H. Bracey Jr. (1941-2023) was a renowned Afro-American studies professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, known for his work on African American history and cu...
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...
Courtney Thorsson
Courtney Thorsson 0000000401626056 Courtney Thorsson is a Professor of English at the University of Oregon. She teaches, studies, and writes about African American literature from its beginnings to t...
J. Michael Dash
J. Michael Dash 0000000081152794 Professor Jean Michael Dash (1948-2019) was a renowned scholar of Francophone Caribbean literature. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, and educated at the University of the...
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...
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...
Zuksiwa Wanner
Zuksiwa Wanner NONE Zukiswa Wanner, born to South African and Zimbabwean parents in Zambia, is a celebrated author known for award-nominated novels like “Men of the South.” As an essayist, she focuse...
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...
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...
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...
Monique Greenwood, Lynda Johnson, and Tracy Mitchell-Brown
Monique Greenwood, Lynda Johnson, and Tracy Mitchell-Brown MULTIPLE "Evalyn Hamilton, Lynda Johnson, and Monique Greenwood are key members of Go On Girl! Book Club. Hamilton is the Newsletter Editor,...
Valerie Babb
Valerie Babb NONE Valerie Babb, Franklin Professor of English and Director of the Institute for African American Studies at the University of Georgia, has taught at Georgetown University and Middlebu...
Henri Lopes
Henri Lopes 0000000081022754 Henri Lopes (1937-2023) was a distinguished writer and politician from the Belgian Congo. He made significant contributions to African literature and served as the Prime ...
Jean-Philippe Marcoux
Jean-Philippe Marcoux 0000000108385791 Jean-Philippe Marcoux is a Professor of American Literature at Laval University, specializing in African American literature, postmodernist fiction, poetry, and...
Farah Jasmine Griffin
Farah Jasmine Griffin 0000000045480467 Farah Jasmine Griffin is a Columbia University professor specializing in English, Comparative Literature, and African American Studies. She has a BA from Harvar...
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', ...
Ron Kavanaugh
Ron Kavanaugh NONE Ron Kavanaugh is a literary activist who founded Mosaic Books and the Literary Freedom Project (LFP), a non-profit supporting the literary arts. Through LFP, he launched Mosaic Lit...
Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander 0000000114909360 Elizabeth Alexander, a renowned poet, essayist, playwright, and teacher, has authored multiple books, including 'American Sublime', a Pulitzer finalist. A scholar...
Jesse J. Holland
Jesse J. Holland 0000000048283848 Jesse J. Holland is a noteworthy journalist from Mississippi, focusing on race, ethnicity, and demographics. He is a Washington correspondent for The Associated Pres...
Tananarive Due
Tananarive Due 0000000114453527 “The Queen of Black Horror” Tananarive Due, American Book Award-winning author of nine books, holds a B.S. in Journalism and M.A. in English literature. A s...
Chris Abani
Chris Abani 0000000083877772 Chris Abani, born in Nigeria in 1966, is a renowned author and educator who faced imprisonment for his literary work. After escaping to the US, he published eight books o...
William Melvin Kelley
William Melvin Kelley 0000000108984997 William Melvin Kelley was a notable American novelist and short-story writer, known for using African American comedy to critique racial attitudes. He taught li...
Linda A. Duggins
Linda A. Duggins NONE Linda A. Duggins is the Director of Multicultural Publicity at Hachette Book Group and Co-founder of the Harlem Book Fair. She's a board member of several literacy organizations...
Arturo Alfonso Schomburg
Arturo Alfonso Schomburg 0000000111353723 Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, born in Puerto Rico, was an Afro-Puerto Rican author, researcher, and activist who made significant contributions to the Harlem Ren...
Delores Thornton
Delores Thornton NONE Indianapolis author Delores Thornton, celebrated for her novels “Ida Mae” and its sequel, is a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild and the African-American Online ...
Sharon Lucas
Sharon Lucas NONE Sharon Richardson Lucas, with over 40 years in HR and sales, and 10+ years as a book club leader, has spent a lifetime planning events. Now retired, she merges her expertise with he...
Melvin Dixon
Melvin Dixon 0000000110291356 Melvin Dixon, a respected professor at Queens College, City University of New York, was renowned for his work on African and African-American literature. He authored nov...
Abdulrazak Gurnah
Abdulrazak Gurnah 0000000109376264 Winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature Abdulrazak Gurnah, a UK-based novelist and academic, won the 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature for his exploration of colo...
Brenda M. Hampton
Brenda M. Hampton NONE Brenda M. Hampton, a native St. Louisan, is a passionate writer known for her addictive series, The Naughty Series. With over 20 novels, novellas, and anthologies to her credit...
Tony Rose
Tony Rose 000000005879297X AALBC Mourns the Passing of Tony Rose Tony Rose (October 11, 1950 – May 27, 2025) was the Publisher and CEO of Amber Communications Group, Inc. the nation’s large...
Veronica Freeman Ellis
Veronica Freeman Ellis NONE Veronica Freeman Ellis is a renowned author known for “Land of the Four Winds” and “AFRO-BETS First Book about Africa.” She has contributed to “Book of Black Heroes: Great...
Michelle Lindo-Rice
Michelle Lindo-Rice NONE Michelle Lindo-Rice, bestselling author of the 'Able to Love' and 'On the Right Path' series, focuses on themes of faith, friendship, family, and forgiveness. She was nominat...
Kam Williams
Kam Williams NONE Lloyd “Kam” Williams was a renowned film and book critic, contributing to AALBC.com and numerous other publications. A member of several critics associations, he was known for his a...
Shonda Buchanan
Shonda Buchanan 0000000500800611 Shonda Buchanan is an award-winning author and professor with over 15 years of teaching experience in various literary fields. She's an Education Specialist for the U...
Dana A. Williams
Dana A. Williams 0000000038160369 Dana A. Williams is Professor of African American literature and Dean of the Graduate School at Howard University. She is also a former president of the College Lang...
Monique Greenwood
Monique Greenwood NONE Monique Greenwood is a multifaceted entrepreneur managing Akwaaba, writing successful books, co-founding Go on Girl! Book Club, starring in Checked Inn on OWN, and a former Edi...
Julia D. Shaw
Julia D. Shaw NONE Julia D. Shaw is a seasoned marketing expert with over 20 years experience in PR, events, and business development. As a PR consultant for The Network for Women in Business and fou...
Kei Miller
Kei Miller 000000037003708X Jamaican author, Kei Miller, born in 1978, writes across various genres including novels, essays, and poetry. His works have been shortlisted for several awards and he has...
Sterling Brown
Sterling Brown 0000000467837526 Sterling A. Brown (1901-1989) was a renowned African American professor, poet, and literary critic. Born and educated in prestigious institutions, he devoted 40 years ...
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...
Janet Cheatham Bell
Janet Cheatham Bell 0000000114460532 Janet Cheatham Bell, an educator, author, and publishing entrepreneur, has significantly contributed to ethnic studies and African American literature. She has pu...
Sandra Jackson-Opoku
Sandra Jackson-Opoku 0000000034062374 Sandra Jackson-Opoku is an acclaimed writer with numerous published works on Africana literature and African American studies. She has also taught Literature and...
Claude Atcho
Claude Atcho NONE Claude Atcho, a pastor based in Charlottesville, VA, is a respected voice in theology, culture, and literature. He holds graduate degrees in English Literature and Theological Studi...
Eloise Greenfield
Eloise Greenfield 000000006319793X Eloise Greenfield, renowned for her rhythmic style, positively portrayed the black experience in her award-winning children's literature. With works like The Friend...
Cheryl Willis Hudson
Cheryl Willis Hudson 0000000037209335 Cheryl Willis Hudson, editorial director of Just Us Books, focuses on publishing Black interest books for children. Co-founder of the company in 1988, she's a re...
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...
Jacqueline Alcantara
Jacqueline Alcantara NONE Jacqueline Alcántara is a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s literature. After teaching art and photography, she pursued projects featuring diverse main chara...
Mudiwa Pettus
Mudiwa Pettus NONE Mudiwa Pettus, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of English at Medgar Evers College, specializing in rhetorical education and African-American literature. She's the Editor-in-Chief ...