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Claude McKay
Claude McKay 0000000108625951 Festus Claudius McKay, a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, was born in Jamaica and authored influential works including the poem “If We Must Die” and novel “Home to ...
Leon E. Pettiway
Leon E. Pettiway 0000000033688893 Leon E. Pettiway, Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus at Indiana University, known for his research in crime patterns, race, and ghettoization. He has published numerous ...
Regina Abraham
Regina Abraham NONE Regina Abraham, a Harlem-based Academic Intervention Coordinator, is an educational consultant and author of the Harlem-inspired children's book series, “The Harlem Legends.” She ...
Bernard N. Lee, Jr.
Bernard N. Lee, Jr. MULTIPLE Bernard N. Lee, Jr., also known as Bernie, is a former military kid whose childhood experiences shaped his memoir series, “A Look Back in Time.” He studied engineering an...
Wallace Thurman
Wallace Thurman 0000000080916692 Wallace Henry Thurman, born in 1902, was an influential figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Known for his realistic portrayals of lower-class black American society...
Anne Spencer
Anne Spencer 0000000458445176 Anne Bannister Spencer was a lauded American poet, civil rights activist, and librarian during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in 1882, she was the first African-American w...
Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi 0000000368537317 Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi aka “Kid Cudi”, born January 30, 1984, is a Grammy Award–winning artist, actor, designer, and cultural trailblazer who transformed the soun...
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 ...
Carl Van Vechten
Carl Van Vechten 0000000115587789 Carl Van Vechten, the great popularizer of the Harlem Renaissance for white people. Carl Van Vechten was a renowned photographer and author, best known for his contri...
Irene Smalls
Irene Smalls NONE Irene Smalls, a Harlem native and Cornell University graduate, is a renowned children's author, inspired by her personal experiences and heritage. Her diverse career spans modelling...
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...
Mark Twain
Mark Twain 0000000368641704 Mark Twain (1835-1910) was an influential American author known for his satirical humor and social criticism. He's best remembered for classic novels such as The Adventure...
Chioma Ebinama
Chioma Ebinama NONE Chioma Ebinama is a Nigerian-American artist known for her international exhibits. She started her art journey with children's books and cartoons. Her first illustrated book, Emil...
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...
Michelle V. Agins and Julia Chance
Michelle V. Agins and Julia Chance MULTIPLE Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Michelle V. Agins, renowned for her work with The New York Times and publications like Essence and Sports Illustrate...
Keisha Mennefee
Keisha Mennefee NONE Keisha Mennefee is a celebrated author and founder of Honey Magnolia, an agency dedicated to promoting underrepresented creatives. She has fostered the careers of notable best-se...
Tony Hillery
Tony Hillery NONE Tony Hillery, founder and executive director of Harlem Grown, began his journey in 2011, transforming a vacant lot in Harlem into a thriving urban farm. He is based in New York and ...
Alain Locke
Alain Locke 0000000108789294 Celebrate the Centennial of Survey Graphic on March 23, 2025, at 6 PM ET. Register Here Born in 1886, Alain LeRoy Locke was an influential educator, writer, and phil...
Gwendolyn Bennett
Gwendolyn Bennett 0000000041133249 Gwendolyn B. Bennett was an influential American artist, writer, and journalist during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in 1902, she contributed to Opportunity, publish...
Judy Tyrus and Paul Novosel
Judy Tyrus and Paul Novosel MULTIPLE Judy Tyrus, a former principal ballerina with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and Oakland Ballet, now serves as a dance industry consultant and co-founder of ChromaDi...
Edward Roy
Edward Roy 0000000108894174 Edward Roy, born in 1945, grew up in Harlem, NY, mentored by influential figures including Malcolm X. He served in the US Army’s Medical Corps during the Cold War and Viet...
Louise Meriwether
Louise Meriwether 0000000110768302 Louise Meriwether was a renowned novelist, essayist, journalist, and activist, best known for her children's biographies of significant African Americans. Born in N...
Celeste Beatty
Celeste Beatty NONE Celeste Beatty is the first Black woman to own a brewery in the United States. Celeste Beatty (born 1964), entrepreneur and beer pioneer, founded the Harlem Brewing Company in 200...
Rudolph Fisher
Rudolph Fisher 0000000081030148 Rudolph Fisher was a multifaceted talent associated with the Harlem Renaissance, known for his work as a physician, radiologist, novelist, and orator. Notably, he effe...
Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie
Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie NONE Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie is an author, teacher, and herbalist based in Queens, NY. Her work explores themes of silence, sexism, and racism, and has been published worl...
Sidi
Sidi NONE Sidibe Ibrahima, known as Sidi, is a multilingual entrepreneur from Ivory Coast who started as a book vendor in Harlem. Now a well-known figure in New York's African American literary scene...
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston 0000000109083197 “One of the greatest writers of our time.”—Toni Morrison Zora Neale Hurston is considered one of the titans of twentieth-century African American ...
Mae V. Cowdery
Mae V. Cowdery 0000000068646714 Mae V. Cowdery (1909–1948) was a gifted poet of the Harlem Renaissance whose work explored racial pride, love, and sensuality with unusual candor for her era. Born in...
Betty J. Dopson
Betty J. Dopson NONE Betty J. Dopson is a cultural activist, administrator, and organizer with a degree in Communications Arts and Sciences. She served as the Director of Public Relations at Harlem H...
Countee Cullen
Countee Cullen 0000000081534450 Countée Porter Cullen (1903-1946) was a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, known for his poetry books “Color” and “Copper Sun.” He taught and mentored James ...
David Rivera
David Rivera 0000000119349964 David Rivera Jr., a writer inspired by contemporary black male authors, has been writing since high school. His debut book, Harlem's Dragon, received great acclaim. Draw...
Willis Nathaniel Huggins
Willis Nathaniel Huggins 0000000064958315 Willis Nathaniel Huggins, Ph.D. (1886-1940) was a renowned historian, activist, and mentor. He owned the Blyden Bookstore in Harlem and was a key member of t...
Dorothy West
Dorothy West 0000000117719538 Dorothy West (1907-1998) was an active participant in the Harlem Renaissance and the last surviving member. Known for her short stories, she debuted with her novel 'The ...
Eartha Watts-Hicks
Eartha Watts-Hicks NONE Eartha Watts-Hicks is a prolific writer for various online publications, including Harlem World's Magazine's blog and TheUrbanBookSource.com. She has been the director of publ...
Greg Thomas
Greg Thomas 0000000055234489 Greg Thomas is an esteemed jazz writer, editor, educator, and broadcaster. With works published in numerous publications, he was the founding Editor-in-Chief of Harlem Wo...
Jeffrey B. Perry
Jeffrey B. Perry 0000000110567703 Dr. Jeffrey B. Perry is a renowned scholar and authority on Harlem activist Hubert Henry Harrison. He authored “Hubert Harrison: The Voice of Harlem Radicalism, 1883...
J.T. Smith
J.T. Smith 0000000117420835 J.T. Smith, a New Jersey-born author, developed a passion for reading and history at an early age. His interest in Black History and the Harlem Renaissance influenced his ...
Rosa Guy
Rosa Guy 0000000111564547 Rosa Guy, born in Trinidad in 1925, was an influential Harlem-based writer and activist. A co-founder of the Harlem Writer's Guild, she was also a member of the Black nation...
Paula Betancur
Paula Betancur NONE Colombian-born author, Paula Betancur, raised in New York, celebrates diversity, culture, and self-care. A lover of nature, yoga, DIY projects, and adventure, she's also a proud m...
Walter Dean Myers
Walter Dean Myers 0000000108718912 Walter Dean Myers, born August 12, 1937, was an award-winning author from Harlem, known for his dedication to children and young adult literature. He received numer...
Joy M. Copeland
Joy M. Copeland NONE Joy M. Copeland, a Harlem-born author with a diverse career in government and business, now focuses on her writing. Notably, she has written two novels and several horror and cri...
Yvonne Blackwood
Yvonne Blackwood NONE Yvonne Blackwood is a renowned author, speaker, and retired banker, known for her world travels and writing. She has written successful books like 'Into Africa a Personal Journe...
DK
DK NONE DK is an author who creates books to inspire curiosity and discovery about our world. Covering topics from first words to the Big Bang and city adventures, their books offer expert knowledge ...
Parker Curry and Jessica Curry
Parker Curry and Jessica Curry MULTIPLE Jessica Curry, a New York Times published author and blogger, is a full-time mother chronicling her family's adventures in Washington, DC. Her daughter, Parker...
Baptiste Paul
Baptiste Paul 0000000497262487 Baptiste Paul, a St. Lucia native, holds an Environmental Science degree and is a renowned author. He's known for his books “The Field”, which earned multiple starred r...
Treavion Davenport
Treavion Davenport NONE Treavion Davenport, also known as Trea “The Storyteller,†is a renowned storyteller, ghostwriter, and producer from Detroit. She's authored urban fiction and self-help boo...
David F. Walker
David F. Walker 0000000071165663 David F. Walker is a celebrated comic book writer, author, filmmaker, and scholar. He's known for his award-winning comic 'Shaft' and YA series 'The Adventures of Dar...
Serena Williams
Serena Williams 0000000114598590 Serena Williams, renowned for her tennis prowess and 23 Grand Slams, is also a successful businesswoman and philanthropist. She founded Serena Ventures, supporting co...
Yesenia Moises
Yesenia Moises NONE Yesenia Moises is an Afro-Latina illustrator and author, specializing in product design. Her vibrant work highlights diversity in fantasy adventures. She's known for 'Stella’s Ste...
Anastasia Magloire Williams
Anastasia Magloire Williams NONE Anastasia Williams, Florida-based illustrator and graphic designer, uses her art to depict diverse adventures and untold stories. Known for embracing her Afro hair, a...
Dwayne Ferguson
Dwayne Ferguson NONE Dwayne Ferguson, also known as Hunter Wolf, is a versatile artist who's created work for Walt Disney, Sony Music, Warner Bros. and more. As a writer, he's known for his comic boo...
Katura J. Hudson
Katura J. Hudson NONE Katura J. Hudson, a marketing professional and editor from New Jersey, is known for leading marketing campaigns for numerous children's books. A Rutgers University graduate and ...
Nathan Bryon
Nathan Bryon NONE British actor and writer, known for contributing to BAFTA-winning children's TV shows and authoring Rocket Says Look Up! Currently, he's working on an animated series, Afro Kid. Bas...
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...
Tara Sullivan
Tara Sullivan NONE Tara Sullivan, born in Calcutta and raised across South America and the Caribbean, is a global-minded author with a dual Master's degree in Non-Profit Management and International ...
Michael Gordon Bennett
Michael Gordon Bennett NONE Author, actor, and entrepreneur Michael Gordon Bennett, born in 1958, is known for his book “7-10 Split: My Journey As America’s Whitest Black Kid.” He's also the CEO of B...
Nicole Miles
Nicole Miles NONE Nicole Miles, a Bahamian illustrator based in the UK, is known for her global client projects, a nomination for an Eisner Award for her comic 'Barbara', and her illustrations in var...
Valerie Bolling and Kailei Pew
Valerie Bolling and Kailei Pew MULTIPLE Valerie Bolling, an award-winning author and educator, is committed to creating diverse literature for children. Kailei Pew, author of children's books like Ki...
James Baldwin
James Baldwin 0000000121446704 “No white critic can judge my work. I’d be a fool if I depended upon that judgement.” James Arthur Baldwin (1924-1987), born in Harlem, NY, was a ren...
Alix Delinois
Alix Delinois NONE Alix Delinois, a Harlem-based fine artist and art teacher, was born in Haiti. He has illustrated four children's books penned by award-winning authors like Walter Dean Myers, Edwid...
James Van Der Zee
James Van Der Zee 0000000066571798 James Augustus Van Der Zee (June 29, 1886 – May 15, 1983) began working as a photographer in 1915, and by the following year had opened his photography studi...
Eric Velasquez
Eric Velasquez 0000000424545187 Eric Velasquez, an Afro-Puerto Rican illustrator from Harlem, offers a unique cultural perspective in his work. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts, Velasquez has ...
Richard Bruce Nugent
Richard Bruce Nugent 0000000108136373 Richard Bruce Nugent, a notable figure in the Harlem Renaissance, was a pioneering openly gay writer and painter. Celebrated for his contributions to gay and bla...
Jeffrey C. Stewart
Jeffrey C. Stewart 0000000082117456 Dr. Jeffrey C. Stewart is a renowned professor and chair of Black Studies at UC Santa Barbara. With an academic background from UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, and Yale, he's...
Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany
Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany MULTIPLE Sarah Delany, the last of the Delany sisters, passed away at 109. Born to a former slave, she was the first colored woman to teach home economics in w...
Jessie Redmon Fauset
Jessie Redmon Fauset 0000000121319502 Jessie Redmon Fauset was a prominent literary editor for Crisis magazine (1919-1926) and The Brownie's Book (1920-1921). Her first novel, 'There is Confusion', w...
Claude Brown
Claude Brown 0000000116506653 Claude Brown, born 1937, was a former juvenile delinquent who turned his life around after being shot during a burglary at age 13. He attended Howard University, where h...
Patricia Mckinney
Patricia Mckinney NONE Patricia McKinney, a professional in Telecommunications with a Bachelor's degree in Photography from Ventura College. She's an avid reader of African American Literature, curre...
Gabourey Sidibe
Gabourey Sidibe 0000000120325062 Gabourey Sidibe is an award-winning actress known for roles in 'Precious', 'American Horror Story' and 'Empire'. She also made her directorial debut with 'The Tale of...
Max Rodriguez
Max Rodriguez NONE Max Rodriguez is the founder and publisher of QBR/The Black Book Review, one of the nation’s premier publications dedicated to books by and about people of African descent. ...
Georgia Douglas Johnson
Georgia Douglas Johnson 0000000139704329 Georgia Douglas Johnson, born September 10, 1880, was an influential African-American poet, pioneering female playwright, and key participant in the Harlem Re...
Herb Boyd
Herb Boyd 0000000110710186 Herb Boyd Receives Social Justice Award Herb Boyd, born in 1938, is an award-winning author and journalist. He's written over 20 books and numerous articles, with notable wo...
Charles S. Johnson
Charles S. Johnson 0000000108707076 Charles Spurgeon Johnson was a prominent 20th-century black sociologist, key figure of the Harlem Renaissance, and a Ph.D. graduate from the University of Chicago....
Jacki Simmons
Jacki Simmons NONE Bronx-born, Harlem-raised author Jacki Simmons found inspiration in her surroundings from a young age. She completed her first short story at 11 and her first novel at 16. After wi...
James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson 0000000120206864 James Weldon Johnson was a legendary civil rights activist, renowned author, and key figure in the Harlem Renaissance. His diverse career spans roles as a U.S. c...
Jean Toomer
Jean Toomer 0000000120198120 Jean Toomer (1894-1967), born as Nathan Pinchback Toomer, was a leading African American poet and novelist of the Harlem Renaissance and Modernism. Born to wealthy parent...
Walter White
Walter White 0000000081462565 “I am a Negro. My skin is white, my eyes are blue, my hair is blond. The traits of my race are nowhere visible upon me.” Explore A.J. Baime's 2022 autobiograp...
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 ...
Angelina Weld Grimké
Angelina Weld Grimké 0000000110713205 Angelina Weld Grimké (1880-1958) was an accomplished American journalist, teacher, playwright, and poet. Notably, she was one of the first Black American women ...
Bevy Smith
Bevy Smith 0000000496656249 Beverly “Bevy” Smith, born in 1966, is a renowned TV personality, motivational speaker, and businesswoman. She hosts SiriusXM's “Bevelations” and is known for her work on ...
Itah Sadu
Itah Sadu NONE Itah Sadu, an award-winning author and bookstore owner, is known for sharing diverse oral traditions and creating youth programs. She's a founder of several initiatives like the Emanci...
Evelyn Collins
Evelyn Collins NONE Dr. Evelyn Collins is a renowned luminary in theater, African American history, and arts education with over 35 years of experience. As CEO of Onyx Production Company and the forc...
Ifa Bayeza
Ifa Bayeza NONE Ifa Bayeza is an acclaimed playwright, producer, and theater artist. Known for works like “Amistad Voices” and “The Ballad of Emmett Till,” she's won the 2008 Edgar Award and 2007 Eug...
Joyce Carol Thomas
Joyce Carol Thomas 0000000377888506 Joyce Carol Thomas is an award-winning author known globally for her novels and picture books. She received the National Book Award for 'Marked By Fire' and multip...
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...
Carol Taylor
Carol Taylor 0000000113419810 Carol Taylor, a seasoned book editor & writer with over 20 years in the industry, has worked with prominent black authors. Featured in notable publications & TV, she has...
Daniel Henderson
Daniel Henderson 0000000016295318 Daniel B. Henderson Sr., also known as Smokey 'D', is a poet residing in Ashdown, AR. Born in 1956, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force Reserves. He hol...
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...
Natasha Bowen
Natasha Bowen NONE Natasha Bowen, a New York Times bestselling author, teacher, and mother, is of Nigerian and Welsh descent. She studied English and creative writing at Bath Spa University and has a...
Kenji Jasper
Kenji Jasper 0000000002779450 “My name is Kenji Nathaniel Jasper and I am author. But I know that in this day and age ‘authors’ come a dime a dozen. It is no longer an event when one of ou...
Mikaila Ulmer
Mikaila Ulmer NONE Mikaila Ulmer is the founder and CEO of Me & the Bees Lemonade. After landing a deal with Daymond John on Shark Tank, her lemonade is now sold in grocery stores across the country....
Michaela angela Davis
Michaela angela Davis 0000000505022572 Michaela angela Davis (Born March 31, 1964) is a writer, creative director, producer, and image activist focusing on the intersections of gender, race, fashion...
Diamond Forde
Diamond Forde NONE Diamond Forde’s debut collection, Mother Body, was chosen by Patricia Smith as the winner of the 2019 Saturnalia Poetry Prize. She has been the recipient of the Pink Poetry Prize,...
Amy DuBois Barnett
Amy DuBois Barnett 0000000040720716 Amy DuBois Barnett is an award-winning media executive and author who earned national acclaim as editor in chief of Honey, Ebony, and Teen People—where she made h...
Nikki Payne
Nikki Payne NONE “Church, cemeteries and romance novels are still the most segregated places in America.” Nikki Payne is a tech anthropologist improving digital services and a member of Sm...
Linda Addison and Alessandro Manzetti
Linda Addison and Alessandro Manzetti MULTIPLE Poets Linda D. Addison and Alessandro Manzetti have collaborated to create a unique poetry collection. The book, written across different time zones, fe...
Christian Cook
Christian Cook 0000000109462330 Christian Sandra-Elise Cook, a Detroit-born author, graduated early from high school and earned a BA in Public Relations from Columbia College Chicago. Her passion for...
Darshana Khiani
Darshana Khiani NONE Darshana Khiani is a Kenya-born author and engineer, now based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Known for her advocacy for South Asian children's literature, she delights in educat...
Lawrence Deron Thomas
Lawrence Deron Thomas NONE Lawrence Deron Thomas, a Bay Area native, was inspired by his parents to pursue strength, courage, and success. After a brief stint as a rapper, he found his passion for wr...