AALBC Search
Barack Obama
Barack Obama 0000000121331026 Barack Obama, born in Hawaii in 1961, was the 44th President of the United States. Raised in a middle-class family, he worked his way through college and became the firs...
Marcus Dewan Williams
Marcus Dewan Williams NONE Marcus Dewan Williams, more than just the owner of Nubian Books bookstore, is an active advocate for African and African-American culture and education. As a publisher and ...
Tamara Shiloh
Tamara Shiloh NONE Tamara Shiloh, a Northern California native, owns the Multicultural Bookstore and Gifts in Richmond. She is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother residing in Point Richmond,...
David Ruggles
David Ruggles 0000000078894447 David Ruggles was a pioneer in black activism, journalism, and entrepreneurship in the 1800s. He led 600+ slaves to freedom, including Frederick Douglass, and owned the...
Victoria Scott-Miller
Victoria Scott-Miller NONE Victoria Scott-Miller is an acclaimed entrepreneur, author, and owner of North Carolina's first black-owned children's bookstore. She's notable for creating 'The Museum Liv...
Isis Asare
Isis Asare NONE Isis Asare is the CEO/Founder of Sistah Scifi, the first Black-owned US bookstore focused on science fiction and fantasy in the US. She also serves as Exec. Director of Aunt Lute Book...
Marie Brown
Marie Brown 0000000376893266 Marie Brown is the first inductee into the Publishing Hall of Fame Marie Dutton Brown, President of Marie Brown Associates, is a highly experienced literary agent with ove...
Katie Mitchell
Katie Mitchell 0000000368018699 Katie Mitchell is a writer, owner of Atlanta-based online and pop-up Black bookstore Good Books. She's been featured on media outlets like The NYT, Oprah Daily, NPR, a...
Bernard L. Dillard
Bernard L. Dillard NONE Bernard L. Dillard, a North Carolina native, is a scholar and actor based in New York City. Known for bridging the gap between statistical theory and practice, Dillard co-auth...
Rio Cortez
Rio Cortez NONE Rio Cortez is a Pushcart-nominated poet and writer, recognized with fellowships from esteemed literary organizations. Her work has featured in top publications and she also works as a...
Hugh Mulzac
Hugh Mulzac 0000000399996487 Hugh Nathaniel Mulzac (1886-1971), the first African American ship commander, served on British and American ships during WWI. A graduate of Swansea Nautical College, he ...
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...
Somaiya Daud
Somaiya Daud NONE Somaiya Daud, a PhD candidate at the University of Washington, is a former children's bookseller passionate about Arabic poetry, astronomy, and Gothic novels. “Mirage” is her debut ...
Tyrone Geter
Tyrone Geter NONE Tyrone Geter is an illustrator known for numerous children's books such as Evelyn Coleman's “White Socks Only,” an American Bookseller's “Pick of the Lists.” He resides in Columbia,...
Clara Villarosa
Clara Villarosa 0000000060242379 Clara Villarosa, a celebrated entrepreneur and business coach, founded Hue-Man Experience Bookstore in Denver and New York. She's also co-founder of Villarosa Media, ...
Kymone
Kymone NONE Kymone Freeman is an award-winning writer, activist, and entrepreneur known for his works in poetry, playwriting, and media. He co-founded We Act Radio, a progressive station in Washingto...
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...
George E. Johnson with Hillary Beard
George E. Johnson with Hillary Beard MULTIPLE George Ellis Johnson Sr. (born June 12, 1927) is the founder of the Johnson Products Company, the maker of Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen, the first Black-o...
George E. Johnson
George E. Johnson NONE George Ellis Johnson Sr. (born June 12, 1927) is the founder of the Johnson Products Company, the maker of Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen, the first Black-owned company to trade o...
Simba Sana
Simba Sana NONE Simba Sana overcame hardships in Washington, D.C. to graduate with degrees in Accounting, Business and Finance, and African Studies. He left his auditing job to join Karibu Books, gro...
Noel Hankin
Noel Hankin NONE Noel Hankin, founder of The Best of Friends, Inc., pioneered disco nightlife in NYC, paving the way for the disco explosion of the '70s. A retired executive from Moët Hennessy USA a...
Nia Damali
Nia Damali NONE Nia Damali, owner of Medu Bookstore and a prominent figure in the Black Book Ecosystem, is dedicated to promoting literacy and knowledge within the Black community. Editor of historic...
Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay 000000035624500X Ava DuVernay is an award-winning writer, producer, and director in independent film. She founded DVA Media + Marketing and the African-American Film Festival Releasing M...
Linda Villarosa
Linda Villarosa NONE Linda Villarosa, a University of Colorado graduate and Harvard journalism fellow, is the journalism program director at City College of New York and a former editor at the New Yo...
Louise Borden
Louise Borden 0000000067578502 Louise Borden, a Cincinnati native, is a history enthusiast turned writer and speaker, inspired by her grandmother's love for history. Prior to writing, she worked in e...
Mellody Hobson
Mellody Hobson NONE Mellody Hobson is co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments, the first African American-owned mutual fund company in the United States. Priceless Facts about Money was her first c...
Jackie Ormes
Jackie Ormes 0000000055572904 Jackie Ormes, the first nationally syndicated African-American woman cartoonist, revolutionized the portrayal of black characters in the 1930s-50s. Her four comic strips...
Carl Weber
Carl Weber 0000000111497479 Carl Weber, born in 1964, is a New York Times bestselling author and renowned African American author with over 20 novels. He's also the CEO of Urban Books LLC, one of the...
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....
Phyllis R. Dixon
Phyllis R. Dixon NONE Phyllis R. Dixon, acclaimed author of notable works including Intermission and Down Home Blues, is a contributor to various publications. A graduate of the University of Wiscons...
Meredith Davis and Rebeka Uwitonze
Meredith Davis and Rebeka Uwitonze MULTIPLE Meredith Davis, a former bookstore worker and children's book writers' society founder from Austin, Texas, holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. ...
Danielle Jackson
Danielle Jackson 0000000485185680 Danielle Jackson, a contemporary romance author and avid reader, balances her love for books with hosting a podcast and coordinating author events at an indie bookst...
W. Paul Coates
W. Paul Coates 0000000029319323 Coates Wins the 2024 Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation W. Paul Coates, founder of Black Classic Press, specializes in republishing significant work...
Margaret Busby
Margaret Busby 0000000384780261 Margaret Busby, UK's youngest and first black female publisher, co-founded Allison & Busby Ltd and was a director at Earthscan Publications. An award-winning writer, e...
Dinesh Sharma
Dinesh Sharma 0000000057310182 Dinesh Sharma, a Harvard-educated cultural psychologist and acclaimed author, is a respected research professor and senior fellow at various institutes. Known for his b...
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama 0000000114497394 Michelle Obama, first African-American First Lady, lawyer, and author, launched initiatives like Let's Move!, Joining Forces, and Reach Higher. A Harvard Law graduate,...
Hisani P. Dubose
Hisani P. Dubose NONE “The Best Black Director of 2005” —Kam Williams Hisani DuBose is a Seton Hall University graduate, former dancer and singer turned screenwriter. She's directed ...
Kasi Lemmons
Kasi Lemmons 0000000118746394 Karen “Kasi” Lemmons is a celebrated actress, writer, and director, known for roles in films like “Silence of the Lambs”, and for directing the highest-grossing independ...
De’Andre Salter
De’Andre Salter NONE De'Andre Salter is a prominent Black executive, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author, and bishop. He's celebrated for his 19-year insurance career and building the world's ...
Akilah Monifa
Akilah Monifa NONE Akilah Monifa, a lesbian freelance writer and independent journalist of African descent, works as a media trainer at SPIN Project and as a features editor for Arise Magazine. She l...
Hassan A. Akinbiyi
Hassan A. Akinbiyi NONE Dr. Hassan A. Akinbiyi is a seasoned Rehabilitative Medicine expert who actively partakes in health policy initiatives. He is the founder of DrHassanRehab.com, a platform for ...
Q. B. Wells
Q. B. Wells NONE Q.B. Wells, founder of Art Official Media LLC, is a publisher of urban-themed books and media. Wells also writes for various urban literature outlets. An entrepreneur and former educ...
Doni Glover
Doni Glover NONE Doni Glover is the founder of the Original Black Wall Street SERIES and blackwallstreetnews.com. He's an influential voice in Maryland's black community, often sought for insights on...
Terrie Williams
Terrie Williams 0000000117447093 The Terrie Williams Agency, The Premiere Black-Owned PR Firm, is Closing Terrie M. Williams is a social worker by training. She is a public relations professional by ...
Robin DiAngelo
Robin DiAngelo 0000000043595922 DiAngelo Actively Supports Black-Owned Bookstores Robin DiAngelo, PhD, is a seasoned academic, author, and lecturer specializing in racial and social justice. She has o...
Eddie C. Brown
Eddie C. Brown 0000000119429622 Eddie Carl Brown, born in 1940, is a renowned investment manager and founder of Brown Capital Management. Recognized as a pioneer of minority-owned investment firms, h...
Leah Freeman-Haskin
Leah Freeman-Haskin NONE Leah Freeman-Haskin is a debut children's book author, content creator, and founder of BLK Oceans, promoting Black-owned businesses. She resides in Memphis, Tennessee, with h...
Char Adams
Char Adams NONE Char Adams is a reporter for NBC News' BLK, specializing in race, gender, and class issues. She has covered a wide range of topics, with her work featured in major publications includ...
camika c. spencer
camika c. spencer NONE Camika C. Spencer, a Dallas native, is a best-selling author known for her unique storytelling. After studying broadcasting, she discovered her writing talent at Black Images B...
April Sinclair
April Sinclair NONE April Sinclair, a Chicago native, is a renowned author and community activist. Known for her dedicated activism in Oakland and her unique approach to her literary debut, Sinclair'...
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...
Herman Malone
Herman Malone NONE Herman Malone, a successful African American entrepreneur, established RMES Communications Inc. in Denver after being forced to leave his hometown in 1969. His company became US We...
Blanche Richardson
Blanche Richardson NONE Blanche Richardson, a seasoned book editor and manager of Marcus Books, one of the oldest African American owned bookstores in the US, has contributed significantly to literat...
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...
Enrique A. Laguerre
Enrique A. Laguerre 0000000110772440 Enrique Arturo Laguerre Velz, born in Puerto Rico in 1906, was a respected teacher, critic, and prolific author known for his works on colonized society. An award...
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf 0000000115018412 Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, born Chris Jackson, is a renowned ex-NBA star and current BIG3 league player. Known for his record-breaking performance at LSU and in the NBA, ...
Sheinelle Jones
Sheinelle Jones NONE Sheinelle Jones is co-host of the 3rd Hour of TODAY and host of “Through Mom’s Eyes”—a digital and broadcast series for TODAY where she interviews mothers of celebrities to disc...
Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones 0000000072499091 “They are lucky that what Black people are looking for is equality, not revenge!” Kimberly Latrice Jones, born March 18, 1976, is a former bookstore manager...
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...
L’Oreal Thompson Payton
L’Oreal Thompson Payton NONE L’Oreal Thompson Payton is an award-winning journalist, author, and wellness advocate whose work lives at the intersection of mental health, identity, and culture, with ...
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...
Ikwo Ntekim
Ikwo Ntekim NONE Ikwo Ntekim received her MFA in Creative Writing from Stony Brook Southampton, where her fiction appeared in The Southampton Review. She’s been a bookseller for many years and lives...
Saskia Calliste
Saskia Calliste NONE Saskia Calliste is assistant editor for Voice Mag UK, where she writes about societal issues and reviews fringe theatre, including the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019. She freelanced f...
Catherine Mann
Catherine Mann 0000000121252993 Catherine Mann is a USA Today bestselling author and RITA Award winner who has written over 60 contemporary romance books. A former theater school director with degree...
Juanita Havill
Juanita Havill 0000000082638702 Juanita Havill, born in 1949, is an acclaimed children's author with over 30 books including award-winning “Jamaica's Find.” She was raised in Illinois and now resides...
Donna Jo Napoli
Donna Jo Napoli 0000000109071663 Donna Jo Napoli, an award-winning author of fantasy and contemporary novels, received the Golden Kite Award for 'Stones in Water'. Her book 'Zel' earned multiple reco...
Malla Nunn
Malla Nunn 0000000040740979 Malla Nunn, born in Swaziland, is an acclaimed author with two Edgar nominations and a RUSA Best Mystery Novel Award. She won the L.A. Times Book Prize and Josette Frank A...
Patrice Lawrence
Patrice Lawrence 000000047779067X Patrice Lawrence is an award-winning writer. Her debut YA novel, Orangeboy (Hachette), won the Bookseller YA Prize and the Waterstones Prize for Older Children’s Fi...
Harvey Stein, Herb Boyd, and Miss Rosen
Harvey Stein, Herb Boyd, and Miss Rosen MULTIPLE Harvey Stein, Herb Boyd, and Miss Rosen are renowned authors. Stein, captured during a book signing at Rizzoli Bookstore in 2013, collaborates with Bo...
Christina Benton
Christina Benton NONE Christina Benton is a Las Vegas-based crime author, forensic anthropologist, and bookstore owner. She penned the debut novel featuring Noel Patterson, a forensic anthropologist ...
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 ...
Jeannine A. Cook
Jeannine A. Cook NONE Jeannine A. Cook (left) is the founder and owner of three avant-garde bookshop concepts: Harriett’s in Philadelphia, Ida’s in South Jersey, and Josephine’s, a literary installa...
R. Gregory Christie
R. Gregory Christie 000000011492849X R. Gregory Christie is a seasoned commercial artist with over 20 years of experience. He's illustrated 50+ children's books, designed album covers and worked with...
Wayétu Moore
Wayétu Moore 0000000474741880 Wayétu Moore is the founder of One Moore Book, a non-profit publishing culturally relevant books to promote literacy in countries with low rates. She opened her first b...
Leah Johnson
Leah Johnson NONE Leah Johnson, a Midwestern writer and editor, is a graduate of Indiana University and Sarah Lawrence College. She teaches writing, authored her first novel in 2021, and owns Loudmou...
Aimée Felone
Aimée Felone NONE Aimée Felone, Founder and Managing Director of Knights Of, a multi-award-winning inclusive children's publisher, focuses on amplifying underrepresented voices. Her team, primarily w...
Talia Whyte
Talia Whyte NONE Talia Whyte has been a freelance journalist since 1998. Prospective clients seeking story assignments, nonfiction ghostwriting, copywriting commissions, story ideas, or licensing in...
Dwayne McDuffie
Dwayne McDuffie 0000000120367289 Dwayne McDuffie (February 20, 1962 – February 21, 2011) was a comic and television writer. He was known for creating the animated television series Static ...
Kathy Trusty
Kathy Trusty NONE Kathy Trusty is an independent historian and a Black history educator. She has been conducting presentations, creating displays, and producing Black history programs for more than 2...
Haki Madhubuti
Haki Madhubuti 0000000114735014 Haki R. Madhubuti, a leading figure in Black literature, is a poet, publisher, editor, and educator. With over 30 published books and 3 million copies in print, he's o...
Bridgett M. Davis
Bridgett M. Davis NONE Bridgett M. Davis is a Detroit-born author, professor, and filmmaker. A graduate of Spelman College and Columbia University, she now teaches English at Baruch College. Her film...
Kris Rose
Kris Rose NONE Kris Rose, a Tulsa native, was an active figure in the punk scene and the previous owner of Bound for Glory Books. An avid traveler and writer, her work has appeared in the Tulsa Voice...
Peter Akinti
Peter Akinti NONE Peter Akinti, a London-born author of Nigerian descent, studied Law and worked at HM Treasury Chambers. He founded Untold Magazine, the first independent British magazine for black ...
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...
J. Everett Prewitt
J. Everett Prewitt NONE J. Everett Prewitt, a distinguished alumnus and Vietnam veteran, has received numerous awards for his novels, including “Snake Walkers” and “A Long Way Back.” His works have b...
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli 0000000108022237 Talib Kweli, renowned hip-hop artist, has been celebrated for his collaborations, solo works, and top-tier lyricism. Known for his partnerships with Mos Def, Kanye West, ...
Rhone Fraser
Rhone Fraser NONE Rhone Fraser is an independent scholar, the 2023-2024 Visiting Associate Professor of African American Studies at Penn State University. He taught on the faculty of Temple, Princeto...
Albert B. Cleage, Jr.
Albert B. Cleage, Jr. MULTIPLE Albert B. Cleage Jr., also known as Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman, was a Black nationalist Christian minister, author, and political organizer. He founded the Shrine of the Bl...
Gloria Wade-Gayles
Gloria Wade-Gayles 0000000080941716 Gloria Wade Gayles, Ph.D., is an esteemed scholar, literary critic, and essayist. She was honored as the Eminent Scholar's Chair at Spelman College in 2000 for Ind...
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...
Andre Seewood
Andre Seewood NONE André Seewood is an acclaimed independent writer, filmmaker, and musician, currently pursuing a PhD in Cinema and Media Studies at Indiana University-Bloomington. André See...
Eric July
Eric July NONE Eric Dewayne July (born April 17, 1990) is a comic book writer, entrepreneur, musician, and media personality. He is the founder of Rippaverse Publishing, an independent comic book co...
Jacqueline Bacon
Jacqueline Bacon 0000000114891017 Jacqueline Bacon, an independent scholar and Ph.D. in English from the University of Texas, focuses on historical language, empowerment, and social justice. Her rese...
Cheryl Robinson
Cheryl Robinson NONE Cheryl Robinson, a Detroit-born author, transformed her life from a career in marketing to writing. She began with self-publishing, before transitioning to Penguin Books' imprint...
Ray Charles Robinson Jr.
Ray Charles Robinson Jr. NONE Ray Charles Robinson Jr., born in 1955, is the son of music legend Ray Charles. A successful independent film producer, he's known for projects like 'Ray Charles: 50 Yea...
Sharon Bennett and Beatrice Moore
Sharon Bennett and Beatrice Moore MULTIPLE Sharon Bennett and Beatrice Moore are accomplished authors with backgrounds in healthcare and education respectively. Bennett, a health care professional fr...
Douglas S. Reed
Douglas S. Reed NONE Douglas S. Reed wins the 2020 BookLife Fiction Prize Douglas S. Reed, a Brooklyn-based screenwriter/novelist, has vast experience in the motion picture industry, including working...
Elizabeth Dowling Taylor
Elizabeth Dowling Taylor 0000000120815969 Elizabeth Dowling Taylor is a PhD holder from UC Berkeley with a 22-year career in museum education and historical research. She directed interpretation at M...
Poet On Watch
Poet On Watch NONE Poet On Watch is a renowned performance poet and multimedia artist, who collaborates globally as an independent art director. She's authored two poetry collections and has contribu...
LaShawnda Jones
LaShawnda Jones NONE LaShawnda Jones is an independent author and publisher at Spirit Harvest Publishing, known for her focus on spiritual growth and social justice. She is a national speaker on self...