AALBC Search
Bruce W. Talamon
Bruce W. Talamon NONE “For ten glorious years, I had the best seat in the house.” Bruce W. Talamon, a renowned African American photographer, gained prominence during the golden age of sou...
Molefi Kete Asante
Molefi Kete Asante 0000000108973825 Dr. Molefi Kete Asante is Professor and Chair, Department of African American Studies at Temple University. Considered by his peers to be one of the most distingu...
Victor H. Green
Victor H. Green 0000000361280061 Victor Hugo Green was a postal worker and travel writer from Harlem, New York. Best known for creating “The Green Book,” a travel guide for African Americans navigati...
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', ...
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...
Angle S. Bush
Angle S. Bush NONE Angle S. Bush, an author, poet, and motivational speaker from Michigan, is known for her books “When I Cease to Exist” and “Soul of a Woman” aimed at fostering self-embrace and inn...
Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington 0000000114628411 Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was a pivotal African American educator, author, and advisor to presidents. Born into slavery, he rose to become a key leader fo...
Kim Watson
Kim Watson NONE Kim Watson is a versatile artist who has worked with top entertainment platforms like Disney and Warner Brothers, earning MTV, Soul Train and NAACP accolades for his impactful work in...
William Gardner Smith
William Gardner Smith 0000000063221434 Influential writer and journalist William Gardner Smith (1927–1974) used his work to highlight racial inequality in America. His novels, such as The Stone Fac...
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...
George S. Schuyler
George S. Schuyler 0000000114970428 George Samuel Schuyler was a prolific journalist and cultural critic, known for his controversial shift from liberal views to conservative ones throughout the 20th...
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...
Jamie Walker
Jamie Walker NONE Jamie Walker, Ph.D. is a freelance journalist, and poet. She is also president and CEO of J.D. Publishing Group. Originally from Oakland, California, Walker graduated magna cum lau...
E. Franklin Frazier
E. Franklin Frazier 0000000110444690 Edward F. Frazier (1894-1962) was a renowned American sociologist and author. His influential work, “The Negro Family in the United States,” won the 1940 Anisfiel...
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...
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...
Ivan Van Sertima
Ivan Van Sertima 0000000063040713 Born in Guyana, Dr. Ivan Van Sertima was a literary critic, linguist, anthropologist, and writer who won the Clarence L. Holte Prize for his work, They Came Before C...
William A. Darity Jr., A. Kirsten Mullen, and Lucas Hubbard
William A. Darity Jr., A. Kirsten Mullen, and Lucas Hubbard MULTIPLE William A. Darity Jr. is a professor and director at Duke University, specializing in Public Policy, African and African American ...
Balogun Ojetade
Balogun Ojetade NONE Balogun Ojetade, the Technical Director of Afrikan Martial Arts Institute, is a best-selling author renowned for his work in Afroretroism. He has written 18 novels and gamebooks,...
Natasha Owens
Natasha Owens NONE Southern girl Natasha Owens is a devoted mother and Christian with a love for soul music and comfort food. Despite struggles with weight and eyesight, she pursued higher education....
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 ...
Clyde R. Taylor
Clyde R. Taylor NONE Clyde Russell Taylor was a vital figure in African American studies, known for his influential work in film and cultural criticism. He focused on the portrayal of Black people in...
Matthew F. Delmont
Matthew F. Delmont 0000000356157878 Matthew F. Delmont is the Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of History at Dartmouth College. An expert on African American history and the history of ...
Joe L. Dudley, Sr.
Joe L. Dudley, Sr. MULTIPLE Dr. Joe Louis Dudley, Sr. was a pioneering entrepreneur and founder of Dudley Products Inc., a major Black haircare brand. With his business acumen, he filled a market gap...
Christine Taylor Butler
Christine Taylor Butler NONE Christine Taylor Butler is an accomplished children's author from Ohio. Overcoming initial fears, she pursued her passion for writing, inspired by her daughters' love for...
Anita Kopacz
Anita Kopacz NONE Anita Kopacz is an award-winning writer and spiritual advisor, known for her work as Editor-in-Chief of Heart & Soul Magazine. Her novel 'Shallow Waters' beautifully explores themes...
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...
Randy Weston
Randy Weston 0000000081037964 Randy Weston, born April 6, 1926, was a renowned jazz musician whose career spanned over six decades. Known for his unique fusion of African rhythms and jazz improvisati...
Breena Clarke and Amy Newmark
Breena Clarke and Amy Newmark MULTIPLE Amy Newmark is the author, editor, and publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Breena Clarke, a distinguished Black scholar and novelist, penned the ...
Jesse McCarthy
Jesse McCarthy NONE Jesse McCarthy is an assistant professor of English and of African and African American studies at Harvard University. His critically acclaimed essay collection Who Will Pay Repar...
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...
Ivor W. Hartmann
Ivor W. Hartmann NONE Ivor W. Hartmann is a Zimbabwean writer, editor, and publisher, known for editing the groundbreaking anthology AfroSF: Science Fiction by African Writers. His work has promoted ...
Clyde Winters
Clyde Winters NONE Dr. Clyde Winters is a renowned Educator, Anthropologist, and Linguist, known for his work in archeogenetics and linguistics. He has taught at Saint Xavier University and authored ...
Carla Hall
Carla Hall NONE “Say Yes! Adventure follows, then growth” Carla Hall, co-host of ABC's “The Chew”, followed her passion from accounting to modeling, and eventually discovered her true call...
Runoko Rashidi
Runoko Rashidi 0000000067534868 “Africans came to America before, during, and after enslavement. Don’t start our history at the end; start it at the beginning.” Dr. Runoko Rashidi wa...
Robbie Montgomery
Robbie Montgomery NONE Robbie Montgomery, “Miss Robbie,” is a former professional singer who worked with Ike Turner and other notable artists before opening a soul food restaurant, Sweetie Pie's, in ...
Rick Wallace
Rick Wallace NONE Rick Wallace, Ph.D., Psy.D., is a renowned author of 20 books and numerous scholarly articles, primarily focusing on issues affecting the black community. He's also an influential p...
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...
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...
Janks Morton
Janks Morton NONE Janks Morton is a filmmaker, author, activist, director, producer, editor, and cinematographer. Morton is the founder and CEO of iYAGO Entertainment Group, an independently owne...
Charles R. Saunders
Charles R. Saunders 0000000073596061 Charles Robert Saunders (1946–2020) was a pioneering African American author and journalist credited with creating the Sword and Soul genre. Born in Pennsylvania...
William C. Rhoden
William C. Rhoden NONE Author Rhoden delves into institutionalized racism in sports in his book, “Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete.” He traces African ...
Milton J. Davis
Milton J. Davis NONE Milton Davis, an author and entrepreneur, fulfilled his dream of completing a novel in 2008 with 'Meji Book One', released through his own company, MVmedia. Recognized for revivi...
Keith Kareem Williams
Keith Kareem Williams NONE Keith Kareem Williams, a Brooklyn-based author, has penned over 21 books and 5 screenplays. He balances a full-time writing career with single fatherhood. Williams writes '...
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...
Malik Canty
Malik Canty NONE Malik Canty, also known as the Word Bird, is a spiritual poet, teacher, and writer known for giving voice to the voiceless. He has performed at renowned venues including The Apollo T...
Ric Murphy
Ric Murphy NONE Ric Murphy, an award-winning author and historian from Boston, specializes in genealogical research and African American history. With a family lineage dating back to early colonial A...
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...
Charlie Wilson
Charlie Wilson 0000000055156329 Charlie Wilson, renowned R&B and soul musician, has earned multiple Grammy nominations and acclaim for his distinct voice and timeless hits. Despite struggles with hom...
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...
J. A. Rogers
J. A. Rogers NONE Joel Augustus Rogers was a self-taught Jamaican author, journalist, and historian who greatly contributed to African and African American history. His work challenged racial ideas, ...
Robin Roberts
Robin Roberts 0000000081478575 Robin Roberts, anchor of ABC's “Good Morning America,” is a three-time Emmy Award winner. A cum laude graduate in communications and standout basketball player from Sou...
Earl Sewell, William Fredrick Cooper, Michael Pressley, Rique Johnson, Destin Soul, V. Anthony Rivers, William Cooper, and V. Rivers
Earl Sewell, William Fredrick Cooper, Michael Pressley, Rique Johnson, Destin Soul, V. Anthony Rivers, William Cooper, and V. Rivers MULTIPLE
Earl Sewell, William Fredrick Cooper, Michael Pressley, Rique Johnson, and Destin Soul
Earl Sewell, William Fredrick Cooper, Michael Pressley, Rique Johnson, and Destin Soul MULTIPLE
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...
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...
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...
Marta Moreno-Vega
Marta Moreno-Vega 0000000032859822 Dr. Marta Moreno-Vega, born in 1952, is a renowned scholar and advocate for cultural equity. She holds degrees from New York University and Temple University. She f...
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...
Patti Labelle
Patti Labelle 0000000063111489 Patricia Louise Holt-Edwards, born May 24, 1944, is best known as Patti LaBelle. She is renowned for her soulful singing, style, and cooking. When I sing I sing with ...
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 ...
Linda Addison
Linda Addison 000000003555029X “Addison has enough invention for two writers, and enough heart for three.” —Terry Bisson, Nebula Award winning author Linda D. Addison, first African...
Carole Boston Weatherford
Carole Boston Weatherford 0000000042539806 Carole Boston Weatherford, a New York Times best-selling author, has written over 50 books, earning multiple awards including three Caldecott Honors and two...
Stafford L. Battle
Stafford L. Battle NONE Stafford Levon Battle has been called one of the original “Black Geeks” and Black pioneers of the internet, utilizing online networks even before the dawn of the World Wide W...
Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe 0000000087759773 Arthur Ashe, born in 1943, was the first and only African-American male tennis player to win the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and the Australian Open, with three Grand Slam titl...
St. Clair Drake and Horace R. Cayton
St. Clair Drake and Horace R. Cayton MULTIPLE John Gibbs St. Clair Drake (1911-1990) was a pioneering African-American sociologist and anthropologist, known for documenting 1960s social turmoil, esta...
Kidada E. Williams
Kidada E. Williams NONE Kidada E. Williams is a distinguished historian and author, known for her detailed exploration of African American history, specifically during the Reconstruction era. Her wor...
Bobby Seale
Bobby Seale 0000000108724909 Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, is a key figure in the civil rights and Black Power movements. He helped establish the party's ideology and Ten-Point ...
Tanisha C. Ford
Tanisha C. Ford 0000000394524085 Tanisha C. Ford, a renowned writer, researcher, and cultural critic, specializes in Black style/fashion history and social movements. Recognized as one of The Root's ...
Timothy George
Timothy George 0000000083235956 Detroit-born author Timothy George, renowned for his deep fascination with African-American history, adeptly combines education with entertainment in his novels. His e...
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...
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...
T. D. Jakes
T. D. Jakes 0000000383058082 Bishop T.D. Jakes is the founder of The Potter’s House, a 30,000-member church and global humanitarian organization. Known for his best-selling books, he's recognized as ...
Shirley Neal
Shirley Neal NONE Shirley Neal is a renowned journalist, author, and documentarian specializing in Pop Culture, Africa, and Black Identity. Noted for her Forbes Africa cover story on Oprah Winfrey, s...
Lisa Watson
Lisa Watson NONE Lisa Watson is a national bestselling author based in Washington D.C., known for her work in diverse romance genres. Her debut novel was nominated for Best Contemporary Fiction, and ...
Michelle Gipson
Michelle Gipson NONE Michelle Gipson, Founder of Written magazine, has 15+ years in publishing and media as a writer, radio personality, and advertising executive. With degrees from Hampton Universit...
Breena Clarke
Breena Clarke 0000000116790578 Breena Clarke, a Washington D.C. native and Howard University alumnus, is a renowned author known for her debut novel, an Oprah Book Club selection 'River, Cross My Hea...
Susie King Taylor
Susie King Taylor 0000000084839030 Susan Taylor Baker King, born into slavery in 1848, overcame adversity to become a teacher, nurse, and author. Despite education restrictions, she attended secret s...
Lowell D. Thompson
Lowell D. Thompson NONE Lowell Thompson is an accomplished artist and writer with a rich history in advertising. A pioneer as one of the first African-Americans in advertising, he now channels his cr...
Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley 0000000121244897 Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753-1784) was the first published African-American female poet, originally enslaved but later emancipated by the Wheatley family. Despite her d...
Angela S. Medearis
Angela S. Medearis NONE Angela Shelf Medearis combines a general love for children‘s literature with a particular attention to the reading needs of young African Americans. “I write the kinds ...
Anna Christian
Anna Christian NONE Anna Christian is an accomplished author of seven books, including 'Then Sings My Soul' and 'Daniel’s Wife'. She has made contributions to the African American National Biography ...
Valjeanne Jeffers
Valjeanne Jeffers NONE Valjeanne Jeffers, a graduate of Spelman College and North Carolina Central University, is a member of the Carolina African American Writer’s Collective. She is a published poe...
Idza Luhumyo
Idza Luhumyo NONE Idza Luhumyo, born in 1993, is a rising star in African literature, known for her award-winning works. She earned the Margaret Busby New Daughters of Africa Award in 2020 and the Sh...
Ama Ata Aidoo
Ama Ata Aidoo 0000000108626567 Ama Ata Aidoo was a celebrated Ghanaian author, poet, and playwright, recognized for her significant contributions to African literature. Her works, including Our Siste...
Clarence Lusane
Clarence Lusane 0000000109374330 Dr. Clarence Lusane, a respected scholar and activist, specializes in human rights, global race relations, U.S. politics, and international relations. Born in Detroit...
Alvin Poussaint
Alvin Poussaint NONE Alvin F. Poussaint, a renowned scholar, psychiatrist, and consultant, is known for his work with Bill Cosby on The Cosby Show and A Different World. He's a Harvard Medical School...
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Paul Laurence Dunbar 0000000121024640 To possess the distinct writing voices of standard English of the classical poet and the evocative dialect of the turn-of-the-century black community in Am...
R.L. Byrd
R.L. Byrd NONE R.L. Byrd, born in Brunswick, Georgia, was raised by his grandparents and developed an “old soul” from their stories, shaping his writing style. Pursuing interests in Architecture and ...
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, ...
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...
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 ...
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...
George C. Fraser and Emma Fraser-Pendleton
George C. Fraser and Emma Fraser-Pendleton MULTIPLE George C. Fraser, CEO of FraserNet, is a leading authority on economic development and networking for African Americans. His sister, Dr. Emma Frase...
Wade Hudson
Wade Hudson 0000000067647969 Why I Publish Children’s Books Wade Hudson, born in 1946, is an author, journalist, and civil rights activist. Known for his children's books promoting positive Afri...
Glennette Tilley Turner
Glennette Tilley Turner NONE Glennette Tilley Turner has also written collections of biographies of notable African Americans for adults and serves as an advisor to the National Park Service, where s...
E. C. Osondu
E. C. Osondu NONE E.C. Osondu is a renowned Nigerian author and English professor at Providence College. Known for his short stories, he won the 2009 Caine Prize for African Writing. His debut collec...
Tom Burrell
Tom Burrell 0000000078076508 Thomas J. Burrell, a pioneer in marketing communications, revolutionized the portrayal of African Americans in TV advertising. He acknowledged their purchasing power, cha...
Farrah Gray
Farrah Gray 0000000108020506 Dr. Farrah Gray was named as one of the most influential Black men in America by the National Urban League’s Urban Influence Magazine. Ebony Magazine recognized ...