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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...
Ntozake Shange and Ifa Bayeza
Ntozake Shange and Ifa Bayeza MULTIPLE Ifa Bayeza is a renowned author known for her collaboration with her sister, Ntozake Shange. Ifa Bayeza (l) with her sister Ntozake Shange (r)
Ntozake Shange
Ntozake Shange 0000000110376632 Ntozake Shange was an educator, dancer, poet, and playwright, best known for her theatre piece 'For Colored Girls'. Born on October 18, 1948, she studied at Barnard Co...
Ehime Ora
Ehime Ora NONE Ehime Ora is a Nigerian writer, artist, and priestess of the Ifa & Orisa tradition. Ora is initiated into the societies of Ifa, Sango, and Erinle and is titled as an Iyanifia and Iyalo...
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...
Oludamini Ogunnaike
Oludamini Ogunnaike 0000000040827310 Oludamini Ogunnaike, PhD, is the Associate Professor of African Religious Thought and Democracy at the University of Virginia. His research examines the philosop...
Mildred D. Taylor
Mildred D. Taylor 0000000382722105 Mildred DeLois Taylor, born September 13, 1943, is a renowned author known for her award-winning novels like 'The Road to Memphis' and 'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry...
Rod Brown
Rod Brown NONE Rod Brown is a fine artist and the illustrator of We Troubled the Waters and Freedom’s a-Callin’ Me, both by Ntozake Shange, as well as From Slave Ship to Freedom Road by Julius Leste...
Edel Rodriguez
Edel Rodriguez 0000000367958056 Edel Rodriguez is a Cuban-born illustrator, known for his award-winning work, including the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators. Notably, he served as Time mag...
Didi Anofienem
Didi Anofienem NONE Didi Anofienem, a Houston-born novelist and educator based in Los Angeles, holds degrees from Columbia University, University of San Francisco, UT-Austin, and University of Housto...
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...
Ayodeji Ogunnaike
Ayodeji Ogunnaike NONE Ayodeji Ogunnaike, PhD, is the Assistant Professor of African Religions and Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in the Globalization of African Religion and Yoruba Mythology at McG...
Jon B. Eckels
Jon B. Eckels NONE Jon B. Eckels (1929-2014) was an acclaimed poet, essayist, activist, and teacher. Renowned for his 14 volumes of poetry, he won an American Book Award and made significant contribu...
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 ...
Loren Long
Loren Long 0000000068683689 Loren Long, New York Times bestselling author of the Otis series, is known for illustrating Barack Obama's Of Thee I Sing and Matt de la Pena's Love. He recently modernize...
Rima Vesely-Flad
Rima Vesely-Flad NONE Rima Vesely-Flad, PhD, is the author of Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation (NYU Press, 2022) and Racial P...
Cicely Lewis
Cicely Lewis NONE Cicely Lewis, a Georgia-based school librarian, is passionate about fostering reading habits. She initiated the Read Woke challenge in 2017, addressing social issues and literature ...
David W. Marshall
David W. Marshall NONE Author David W. Marshall touches readers with his writings, reflecting his passion for American history and social justice. Born in Washington D.C., raised in Norfolk, Virginia...
Princess F.L. Gooden
Princess F.L. Gooden NONE Born and raised in Atlanta, Princess F. L. Gooden is a gifted writer, poet, and dramatist. She started writing at a young age, and by 13, she had written and directed plays ...
Katherine Jumbe
Katherine Jumbe NONE Katherine Jumbe is a first-time author who loves to read, travel, sing, play volleyball, and hike. She is a proud Malawian by birth and a bona fide Minnesotan by survival of man...
Kwame Dawes
Kwame Dawes 0000000073665848 Ghana-born Kwame Dawes, a poet significantly influenced by Jamaican rhythms and reggae music, is the author of numerous poetry collections, novels, and non-fiction works....
Johnathan Isom
Johnathan Isom NONE Johnathan Isom, a Memphis-based anesthesiologist, turned novelist, was driven to write a book he'd enjoy. Tired of deceit-focused contemporary fiction, he sought to create a diffe...
Fauziya Kassindja
Fauziya Kassindja 0000000110071038 Fauziya Kassindja is a renowned author known for her dramatic escape from Togo to avoid forced marriage and genital mutilation. Her book “Do They Hear You When You ...
Useni Eugene Perkins
Useni Eugene Perkins 0000000082421407 Useni Eugene Perkins (1932-2023) was a renowned author, poet, playwright, social worker, and civil rights activist. Known for his work during the Chicago Black A...
H.D. Hunter
H.D. Hunter NONE Hugh “H.D.” Hunter is a storyteller, teaching artist, and community organizer from Atlanta. He’s also the winner of several indie book awards for multicultural fiction. Hugh is comm...
Angel Mechelle
Angel Mechelle NONE Author Angel Mechelle, a military brat turned acclaimed writer, has a passion for storytelling. She resides in Virginia and began her literary journey as a contributing author in ...
Ebony Dawn
Ebony Dawn NONE Ebony Dawn, also known as Pat Ebron, is a Newark native writer with a romantic perspective on life, influenced by old movies and diverse music. She has written plays, children's stori...
Ingrid M. Ellis
Ingrid M. Ellis NONE Ingrid M. Ellis, a New York-born, California-educated author, turned a passion for writing into a 20-year career. From children’s series to a stirring memoir, she bravely self-pu...
Ashley Woodfolk
Ashley Woodfolk 0000000496787003 Ashley Woodfolk, a Rutgers University graduate and passionate book lover, works in the publishing industry and serves on the CBC Diversity Committee. She writes emoti...
Gary Golio
Gary Golio NONE Gary Golio is a multi-talented visual artist, musician, psychotherapist, and author, known for his New York Times-bestselling book about young Jimi Hendrix. His works focus on artists...
Brian Pinkney
Brian Pinkney 0000000063549392 As a child, Brian Pinkney loved drawing pictures on every piece of paper he could find. He also loved watching his father, Jerry Pinkney, illustrate books for children...
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...
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 ...
Juanita Bynum
Juanita Bynum 000000004089322X Dr. Juanita Bynum, born on January 16, 1959, is a multifaceted personality - a televangelist, platinum gospel recording artist, NY Times bestselling author, TV and radi...
Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Vanessa Brantley-Newton NONE Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a self-taught illustrator and crafter from a musical family. She studied fashion illustration at FIT and children's book illustration at the Sc...
Kyra D. Gaunt
Kyra D. Gaunt 0000000061596283 Kyra D. Gaunt is a college professor, jazz vocalist, author, and songwriter specializing in race, gender, and African American music. With a career in education startin...
Leone Ross
Leone Ross 0000000114886285 Leone Ross is an acclaimed British novelist, short story writer and lecturer. Born in England, raised in Jamaica, her works include “All The Blood Is Red” and “Orange Laug...
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...
Eleanor Shearer
Eleanor Shearer NONE Eleanor Shearer, a mixed-race writer and granddaughter of Windrush immigrants, studies the legacy of slavery and reparations. She divides her time between London and Ramsgate, dr...
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...
Charles R. Smith Jr.
Charles R. Smith Jr. NONE Charles R. Smith Jr. is an acclaimed author, poet, and photographer with over 30 books. He's a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration and Honor Author Aw...
Alice Faye Duncan
Alice Faye Duncan 0000000067711692 Alice Faye Duncan is a librarian and author, crafting books for young readers and adults. She aspires to write lyrical prose that compels children to read repetitiv...
Sierra Kay
Sierra Kay 0000000461326725 Sierra Kay is an award-winning author with a love for the written word. Encouraged by her mother to read widely, she has a fondness for everything from classical literatur...
Shakir Rashaan
Shakir Rashaan NONE Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste his talent, but must develop it.” —Pope Jo...
Glory Edim
Glory Edim NONE Glory Edim is the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a platform celebrating Black literature. With over 10 years of experience as a creative strategist, she currently assists writers at...
Bettye Chitman Haysbert
Bettye Chitman Haysbert NONE Dr. Bettye Chitman Haysbert, a veteran in school reform, has championed the cause of improving education for African American students. A former SF Unified School Distric...
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...
Alexis E. Jackson
Alexis E. Jackson NONE Alexis E. Jackson is an emerging professional in publishing, known for her poetry and unique book reviews on Goodreads. With a passion for genre-bending literature and diverse ...
Anne F. Rockwell
Anne F. Rockwell 000000008004082X Anne Rockwell is a renowned author specializing in nonfiction for young children, with over a hundred books including titles in the Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science s...
C. Liegh McInnis
C. Liegh McInnis NONE C. Liegh McInni, an English instructor at Jackson State University, is a former editor of Black Magnolias Literary Journal. He was invited by the NAACP to read poetry at the 200...
Terry DeRon
Terry DeRon NONE Terry DeRon, a dynamic writer with a unique writing style, served in the US Army before obtaining a Television/Film production degree from Southern University. He used his military b...
Jessica Daniels
Jessica Daniels NONE Explore the award-winning essay by Read Daniels, recipient of the Aspiring Writers Scholarship, published on March 31st, 2018. Read Daniels’s Award Winning Aspiring Writers Sch...
Matt Maxx
Matt Maxx NONE "Matt Maxx is a writer with a passion for science, dedicated to inspiring children to read.” Matt Maxx is a science loving writer who believes in motivating all kids to read.
C. Taylor-Butler
C. Taylor-Butler NONE C. Taylor-Butler, a civil engineer and educational council chairperson, is renowned for her essays and short stories in The Horn Book and Scholastic’s Read and Rise. The Kansas ...
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...
Khara Campbell
Khara Campbell NONE A Q&A, from December 2013, with novelist Khara Jhanielle Campbell: Not My Will is your first novel. Sex before marriage, such a hot evergreen topic among the number o...
Mildred Pitts Walter
Mildred Pitts Walter 0000000074049983 Mildred Pitts Walter, born on September 9, 1922, in Louisiana, overcame segregation and societal barriers to become a renowned author. Despite limited access to ...
Anthony Asadullah Samad
Anthony Asadullah Samad NONE Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad is a renowned columnist, scholar, and author of three best-selling books. He's an Associate Professor of Political Science at East Los Angeles...
Shirley Perry-Church
Shirley Perry-Church NONE Shirley Perry-Church, an educator, author, and artist, has written her debut book, The Hunt for the Magic Pearl, to inspire struggling young readers. With degrees in Psychol...
MarZé Scott
MarZé Scott NONE MarZé Scott, born in Nashville and raised in Michigan, is a University of Michigan graduate and former elementary teacher. Known for her early love for reading and writing, she crea...
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...
Michelle Meadows
Michelle Meadows NONE Michelle Meadows is a celebrated children's author of 10 books, best known for her debut, 'The Way The Storm Stops'. Her heartwarming stories, often read aloud, help children na...
Sharina Harris
Sharina Harris NONE Sharina Harris, also known as Rina Gray, is a celebrated author of women's fiction and contemporary romance. With her background in digital marketing, she's a Romance Slam Jam nom...
Eric M. Cooper
Eric M. Cooper NONE Eric Mann Cooper is a New Jersey-based Sci-Fi/Superhero author known for his Knight Seeker series set in the modern Tri-State area. He recently started a new series, Star Enforcer...
Alice Dunbar-Nelson
Alice Dunbar-Nelson 0000000081179540 Check out Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson (1875-1935) was an acclaimed American journalist, political act...
Jupiter Hammon
Jupiter Hammon 000000038947276X Jupiter Hammon (1711-1806), a born slave, became the first African-American writer to be published in the US in 1761. Encouraged to learn reading and writing, he serve...
Kianna Alexander
Kianna Alexander NONE Like any good Southern belle Kianna Alexander wears many hats: a loving wife, doting mama, advice-dispensing sister, and grabbing girlfriend. She’s a voracious reader, an amate...
Susan Hood
Susan Hood 0000000116439796 Award-winning author Susan Hood has penned numerous books for young readers and has received notable accolades such as the E. B. White Read Aloud Picture Book Honor, the C...
Jessica McKay
Jessica McKay NONE Jessica McKay, a passionate educator and author based in LA, shares her love for literature with her students, children, and the world. Fanny Liem, a self-taught digital artist fro...
Marissa Monteilh
Marissa Monteilh NONE Marissa Monteilh (Mon-tay), writing as Pynk, is the best-selling author of seven mainstream novels, May December Souls, The Chocolate Ship, Hot ...
W.D. Foster-Graham
W.D. Foster-Graham NONE W.D. Foster-Graham, a Minneapolis native and multi-Grammy Award-winning ensemble member, is a distinguished author and poet. He's a psychology graduate, guest writer, and book...
Ronald Fair
Ronald Fair 0000000116782340 Chicago-born African-American author, Ronald L. Fair, inspired by Richard Wright, carved his own literary path. Born in 1932, Fair served in the U.S. Navy before becoming...
Shasta Clinch
Shasta Clinch NONE Shasta Clinch loves to read and sometimes even finds time to write! Shasta's first book came out in 2021, and three more published in 2024. Shasta Clinch is a freelance copy editor...
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...
Sandy Daley
Sandy Daley NONE Sandy Daley, a versatile talent from Kingston, Jamaica, is an actress, author, and media personality known for her candidness. Her provocative novel, “Whose Vagina Is It, Really?” di...
Victor McGlothin
Victor McGlothin NONE Victor McGlothin, a bestselling author and filmmaker from Dallas, overcame early reading struggles to complete a Masters degree and leave his banking career for literature. Know...
Camille Yarbrough
Camille Yarbrough 0000000063310082 Read a Wonderful Article Describing Yarbrough’s Life NANA CAMILLE YARBROUGH Ms. Yarbrough, a multi-talented veteran of theater, film, ...
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...
Aesop
Aesop 0000000120317310 Aesop (c. 620-560 B.C.), the legendary creator of Aesop's Fables, was a presumed black slave from Ancient Greece. His fables popularized everyday phrases such as “don't count y...
KR Bankston
KR Bankston NONE KR Bankston is an accomplished Fiction Novelist, Publishing Consultant, and CEO of Kirabaco Media Group. Known for her commercial publishing debut, 'A Deadly Encounter' in 2008, she ...
Stephanie Renee Bell
Stephanie Renee Bell NONE Stephanie Renée Bell, an author of 5 books and a gifted musician, dedicated her life to her faith and art until her passing in 2010. Renowned for her Christian rap songs, p...
Rondall Brasher
Rondall Brasher NONE Rondall Brasher is a passionate poet with a love for words that spans over three decades. Inspired by great names such as Dr. Seuss and Kahlil Gibran, he seeks to express his sub...
Kathleen Cormack
Kathleen Cormack NONE Kathleen Cormack, a Chicago-born author, discovered her love for writing in fifth grade and has since developed a successful writing career. With a M.Ed in Higher Education and ...
Olive Senior
Olive Senior 0000000110714769 Jamaican-born Olive Senior is an accomplished scholar, journalist, and editor. Educated at Carleton University and the Thomson Foundation, she's held roles at the Daily ...
Neville Dawes
Neville Dawes 0000000434837562 Neville Augustus Dawes (1926-1984), born in Nigeria to Jamaican parents, was a writer and educator. Raised in Jamaica, he studied at Oxford University, taught in Jamaic...
Vladimir Lucien
Vladimir Lucien NONE Vladimir Lucien is an award-winning St. Lucian writer, known for his published works in notable journals and anthologies. His accolades include the Small Axe Prize 2013 and the O...
Tami Charles
Tami Charles NONE From former school Teacher to Successful Author Tami Charles, a former R&B singer and teacher, is a successful children's author and speaker. Inspired by her students, she dusted off...
Jessica Ramos
Jessica Ramos NONE Jessica Ramos, a Medgar Evers College student with an Associate's degree in Education, is driven by her passion for teaching children. Raised in a Mexico-origin family in Brooklyn,...
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...
Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas 0000000121012885 “My father was a mulatto, my grandfather was a Negro, and my great-grandfather a monkey. You see, Sir, my family starts where yours ends.” Alexandre Dumas,...
Kipjo K. Ewers
Kipjo K. Ewers NONE Kipjo K. Ewers, born in 1975, has always had a vivid imagination, crafting stories from a young age. His passion for writing continued through his education and into his career. D...
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...
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 '...
Michelle S. Hartzog
Michelle S. Hartzog NONE Michelle S. Hartzog, a Black woman, is a firm believer in family bond. Her book, 'The Beauty of Being a Black Woman', tackles issues and stereotypes that often hinder family ...
Lawrence Hill
Lawrence Hill 0000000073673418 Lawrence Hill is a renowned Canadian author and professor of creative writing at the University of Guelph. Known for his award-winning novel, “The Book of Negroes”, whi...
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. MULTIPLE Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Nobel laureate, was a key figure in the nonviolent civil rights movement and one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. A ...
William Attaway
William Attaway 000000007689315X William Attaway (1911–1986) was born in Mississippi, the son of a physician who moved his family to Chicago to escape the segregated South. Attaway was an indi...
Maurice L. Williams
Maurice L. Williams NONE Maurice L. Williams is the visionary Executive Director of A Father’s Love™ Personal Development and Community Services (AFLPDCS), an award-winning nonprofit rooted in...
Herbert S McKinney
Herbert S McKinney NONE Herbert S. McKinney is a Florida Atlantic University graduate with a degree in interdisciplinary studies and a minor in political science. He’s also spent some time worki...
K.E. Lewis
K.E. Lewis NONE K.E. Lewis was raised in Bishopville, SC, where the weather is hot and the accent thick, K.E. grew up in a community that was a haven, rich in generosity and Blackness, much like the...