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DuEwa M. Frazier
DuEwa M. Frazier NONE DuEwa Frazier is an accomplished writer, educator, and poet, renowned for her literary contributions and educational initiatives. Born in Brooklyn and raised in St. Louis, she f...
Stephanie Stokes Oliver
Stephanie Stokes Oliver NONE Stephanie Stokes Oliver is an accomplished publishing professional, heading SSO Media, serving as a literary scout for Atria Book Group and as author curator for Anguilla...
Lauren Lacey
Lauren Lacey NONE Lauren Lacey, an indie Romance author and digital strategist, has optimized global brands including PwC. She's the former marketing lead for Mastercard and AMEX gift cards, and a Fo...
Troy Andrews
Troy Andrews 0000000114882786 Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, a Grammy-nominated artist from Tremé, New Orleans, became a band leader at six. Known for his prodigious trombone skills, he now headlin...
L.L. McKinney
L.L. McKinney NONE L.L. McKinney is a writer and poet deeply involved in the kidlit community. She advocates for equality in publishing, co-founded the Juneteenth Book Fest, and created popular hasht...
Nick Brooks
Nick Brooks NONE Nick Brooks, an award-winning filmmaker and author from Washington, DC, is known for his short film 'Hoop Dreamin''. A 2020 USC graduate, he won the George Lucas Scholar Award and wa...
Jonathan Todd
Jonathan Todd 0000000028238169 Jonathan Todd, co-founder of Boston Kids Comics Fest and former teacher, is a distinguished comics author and illustrator. A Jacqueline Woodson Fellow, he studied writi...
Jay-Z
Jay-Z 0000000118335528 Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, born December 4, 1969, is a highly influential rapper with a net worth over $1B. He founded Roc Nation, an entertainment company launching a new publishin...
Brenda Jones and Krishan Trotman
Brenda Jones and Krishan Trotman MULTIPLE Brenda Jones, renowned for her 15-year role as communications director for Rep. John Lewis and co-author of an NAACP award-winning book, has vast experience ...
Danielle Y. C. McClean
Danielle Y. C. McClean NONE Danielle Y. C. McClean is an award-winning children's author, translator, and interpreter from Trinidad and Tobago. Her notable works include 'The Protectors’ Pledge' and ...
Krishan Trotman
Krishan Trotman NONE Krishan Trotman is Vice President and Publisher of Legacy Lit, the Hachette Book Group imprint she launched in 2020 to publish narrative nonfiction, fiction, and mission-driven ...
Vincent Tirado
Vincent Tirado NONE Vincent Tirado, a non-binary Afro-Latinx from Bronx, holds a Bachelor's in Biology and a Master's in Bioethics. They've contributed short stories to Desert Rose Lit Mag and FIYAH!...
Debra Phillips
Debra Phillips 0000000080337535 Debra Yvette Phillips is a diverse writer, creating works in categories like romance, mainstream, and chick-lit. She also writes under the pseudonym D.Y. Phillips, spe...
La Jill Hunt
La Jill Hunt NONE La Jill Hunt, a best-selling author from Mobile, AL, is known for her urban chic-lit novels and contributions to the 'Around the Way Girls' series. Also an erotica writer, her works...
J.M. Benjamin
J.M. Benjamin NONE Allow me to introduce you to one of the hardest working hustlers in urban lit: J.M. Benjamin J.M. Benjamin is a successful, powerful and impacting ...
Tyriek White
Tyriek White 0000000517767141 Tyriek Rashawn White, a Brooklyn-based writer, musician, and educator, serves marginalized communities and leads Lampblack Lit, a literary foundation for Black writers. ...
Prince Shakur
Prince Shakur NONE Prince Shakur is a queer, Jamaican-American freelance journalist and cultural essayist. His work has been featured in prominent publications like Teen Vogue and Electric Lit. Shaku...
Tai Allen
Tai Allen NONE Tai Allen, a renowned Brooklyn-based creative director, poet, and musician, has excelled in multiple disciplines. His poetry and music have gained recognition from notable publications...
Louis Edwards
Louis Edwards 0000000028382400 Louis Edwards, a Guggenheim Fellowship and Whiting Award-winning author, has written four novels including Ramadan Ramsey and Ten Seconds. Louisiana-born Edwards is als...
Nicola Yoon
Nicola Yoon 0000000445354582 Nicola Yoon, a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author known for her debut novel, 'Everything, Everything', is a proud member of We Need Diverse Books team. Residing in Los ...
Phill Branch
Phill Branch NONE Phill Branch is a writer, live performance storyteller, and regional Emmy Award–winning filmmaker. He is a 2025 recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council’s Creativity Gran...
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...
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' ...
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...
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 ...
P.C. Verrone
P.C. Verrone NONE P.C. Verrone’s work has appeared in FIYAH, Nightmare, PodCastle, Strange Horizons, and numerous anthologies, including multiple “best-of-the-year” series. His plays have been devel...
Al-Saadiq Banks
Al-Saadiq Banks NONE Al-Saadiq Banks is a best-selling author of nine urban fiction and crime drama books. He entered the literary scene in 2002, co-founding True 2 Life Publications with his brother...
Margeaux Weston
Margeaux Weston NONE Margeaux Weston is an editor, sensitivity reader, and writer. She has written four children's books and edited many more. Margeaux is also an editor at the Hugo-nominated Fiyah M...
Yah Yah Scholfield
Yah Yah Scholfield NONE Yah Yah Scholfield’s work has been featured in a number of horror and speculative fiction magazines and anthologies, including Fiyah Lit Mag and Death in the Mouth Vol. 1. Th...
Charmaine R. Parker
Charmaine R. Parker NONE Charmaine R. Parker, author of 'The Trophy Wives' and 'The Next Phase of Life', is a journalist turned publishing director for Strebor Books under Atria/Simon & Schuster. Ori...
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...
Darcel Turner
Darcel Turner NONE Darcel Turner, a New York native, is an accomplished author known for her novel, “Dana Dances on Paper.” She has attended various colleges, transcribed for The 4th National Black W...
Darline Dorce-Coupet
Darline Dorce-Coupet NONE Darline Dorce-Coupet was born in Port-au-Prince Haiti but was raised in Miami, Florida, which was home for years. However, Ms. Dorce-Coupet has recently relocated...
Wahida Clark
Wahida Clark 0000000035597565 Wahida Clark, a New Jersey native, began her writing career while incarcerated and has published bestselling novels including the Thug Series. After her release, she bec...
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 ...
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...
Patrice Caldwell
Patrice Caldwell NONE Patrice Caldwell, a Wellesley College alumna, is the founder of People of Color in Publishing. She's an ex-children's book editor, current literary agent, and author, known for ...
Aya de León
Aya de León NONE Aya de León is an award-winning author, activist, and educator at UC Berkeley. She's known for her Justice Hustlers series and has written for numerous publications. A Harvard alumn...
Joylynn M. Jossel
Joylynn M. Jossel NONE Check the “Act Like an Author, Think Like a Business” 2018 Conference presented by Joylynn’s Path To Publishing (September 20 – 22, 2018) Joylynn M. Joss...
Mateo Askaripour
Mateo Askaripour NONE Mateo Askaripour is a Brooklyn-based author, known for his debut novel 'Black Buck', a New York Times bestseller. His writings, touching on race, technology, and the American dr...
Kevin M. Weeks
Kevin M. Weeks NONE Kevin M. Weeks is an acclaimed self-published Urban Fiction author known for his debut, The Street Life Series. Honored as the Best New Urban Author of 2007, his fresh approach te...
Kim Coleman Foote
Kim Coleman Foote NONE Meet Kim Coleman Foote on Tour Kim Coleman Foote is an award-winning author from New Jersey recognized for her contributions in anthologies and literary reviews. She's earned mu...
Thembisa S. Mshaka
Thembisa S. Mshaka NONE Thembisa S. Mshaka is a versatile creative executive, author, producer, filmmaker, and voice actor, renowned for her award-winning global ad campaigns and writings. She is the...
Chantal James
Chantal James NONE Chantal James is a poet, fiction writer, essayist, and book reviewer. Honors include a Fulbright Fellowship in creative writing to Morocco and a finalist position for the Alex Albr...
Taylor Byas
Taylor Byas NONE Dr. Taylor Byas, Ph.D. is a Black poet and essayist. Originally from Chicago, she moved to Alabama for six years, where she received both her Bachelor’s degree in English and her Ma...
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...
Richard Jeanty
Richard Jeanty NONE Richard Jeanty is a nationally bestselling author and the founder of RJ Publications, a leading independent publishing house focused on Black literature. As an author, Jeanty has...
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...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...