AALBC Search
Toni Blackman
Toni Blackman 0000000036920264 Toni Blackman, an international champion of hip-hop culture, is known for her captivating performances and powerful presence. She's the first hip-hop artist to work as ...
International Human Rights Association of American Minorities
International Human Rights Association of American Minorities NONE IHRAAM, an international NGO with UN consultative status, facilitates the access of individuals and unrepresented groups to human ri...
Zuksiwa Wanner
Zuksiwa Wanner NONE Zukiswa Wanner, born to South African and Zimbabwean parents in Zambia, is a celebrated author known for award-nominated novels like “Men of the South.” As an essayist, she focuse...
Jael Richardson
Jael Richardson NONE Jael Ealey Richardson is a Toronto-based author and educator with an MFA in Creative Writing. Known for her memoir and children's book, both titled The Stone Thrower, her work re...
LaKesa Cox
LaKesa Cox NONE LaKesa Cox is an award-winning author and screenwriter with over 20 years of experience. She has published four novels and has contributed to two anthologies. She was acknowledged as ...
Donna M. Gray-Banks
Donna M. Gray-Banks NONE Donna M. Gray-Banks, founder of F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival, is a successful author known for her suspense erotic trilogy and a guest columnist for various outlets. She hosts tw...
Rose Brock
Rose Brock 0000000107888362 Rose Brock, a professor at Sam Houston State University, is renowned for inspiring youth to love books. In addition to her career as a librarian and educator, she co-found...
Kamau Brathwaite
Kamau Brathwaite 0000000109373020 Edward Kamau Brathwaite, born in Barbados (1930-2020), was a key voice in Caribbean literature, a professor at NYU, and co-founder of the Caribbean Artists Movement....
Lola Shoneyin
Lola Shoneyin 0000000041835603 Lola Shoneyin is a renowned Nigerian poet and author, best known for her debut novel, “The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives.” Identified as a promising African writer ...
Anika Malone
Anika Malone NONE Anika Malone, author of the acclaimed “10 Minutes Past Too Late”, is celebrated as a fresh voice in contemporary fiction. She has participated in notable book events across the Unit...
Vashti Harrison
Vashti Harrison 0000000476987403 Vashti Harrison, born in 1988, is a Virginia-based author, illustrator, and filmmaker with a passion for storytelling. She has degrees in Media Studies, Studio Art, F...
Biyi Bandele
Biyi Bandele 0000000120964833 Biyi Bandele-Thomas (1967-2022) was a renowned Nigerian novelist, playwright, director, and photographer. He was celebrated as one of Africa's top 50 artists. Bandele's ...
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor 0000000049060048 Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor is a renowned Kenyan writer, recognized for her contribution to literature and arts in Kenya. She won the 2003 Caine Prize for her story “...
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...
Margeaux Weston and Sarosh Arif
Margeaux Weston and Sarosh Arif MULTIPLE Margeaux Weston is a writer and editor. With a background in education, she combines her passion for literacy and diversity by crafting stories that serve as...
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...
Darlene Williams
Darlene Williams NONE Darlene Williams is an award-winning businesswoman, adjunct lecturer, bestselling author, and nationally recognized youth and literacy advocate. She serves as President of the ...
Cheryl Clarke
Cheryl Clarke 0000000383377198 Cheryl L. Clarke, born in 1947, is a lesbian poet, essayist, and a Black feminist activist. Her work emphasizes African-American women's literature and black lesbian fe...
David Washington
David Washington NONE Dr. David Washington decision to write a graphic novel stemmed from his dissatisfaction with the lack of diversity in the superhero genre. He hoped to provide his children with ...
Patricia A. Saunders
Patricia A. Saunders NONE Patricia A. Saunders, an author from Connecticut, now based in San Francisco, began her writing journey after her mother's passing. She released her first book in 2012 and i...
Glodean Champion
Glodean Champion NONE Glodean Champion is a multifaceted artist, educator, and coach based in Monterey, CA. She is a published author, whose work explores themes of sexuality, gender, and African Ame...
Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl
Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl NONE Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl, born in the USA to Ugandan parents, is a technical writer and editor for international organizations like the UN and the World Bank. With degre...
Karen Grigsby Bates
Karen Grigsby Bates NONE Karen Grigsby Bates is an LA-based NPR News correspondent, known for her work on All Things Considered and The Tavis Smiley Show. She has significantly expanded the show's co...
Kellie Magnus
Kellie Magnus 0000000114740104 Kellie Magnus is a Jamaican children's author and media writer. An alumna of Harvard and Columbia Universities, she's the Chair of the Kingston Book Festival and serves...
Alberto O. Cappas
Alberto O. Cappas NONE Alberto O. Cappas, a Puerto Rican-born poet, writer, and community activist, is known for his work in economic development, literature, and advocacy in New York and Buffalo. He...
Colin Channer
Colin Channer 0000000066632589 Colin Channer, born in Jamaica, is a celebrated author and editor known for his poetry collection 'Providential' and bestselling novel 'Waiting in Vain'. He's also the ...
Amina Gautier
Amina Gautier 0000000118109950 Dr. Amina Gautier, an award-winning author of three short story collections, is a scholar and professor specializing in African American literature. She teaches in the ...
Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka 0000000122837862 Winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature Wole Soyinka, born July 13, 1934, is the first Black Nobel Laureate in Literature, awarded in 1986 for his work that fashions...
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 ...
Millicent Graham
Millicent Graham NONE Millicent A. A. Graham, born in 1974, is a Jamaican poet known for her collections 'The Damp In Things' (2009) and 'The Way Home' (2014). She was a fellow at the Bread Loaf Writ...
Jayne Cortez
Jayne Cortez 0000000080983190 Jayne Cortez (1936-2012) was a celebrated poet and performance artist, known for her political and surrealistic lyricism. She authored eleven books of poetry and present...
Christine List
Christine List NONE Christine List, Ph.D. from Northwestern University, is an award-winning filmmaker recognized globally. She has received numerous grants, served as a media grant evaluator and juri...
Nuruddin Farah
Nuruddin Farah 0000000121483513 Nuruddin Farah, born 1945 in Somalia, is an acclaimed novelist known for works like “From a Crooked Rib” and “Blood in the Sun” trilogy. His books, translated into 17 ...
Regina Brooks
Regina Brooks NONE Regina Brooks, founder and president of Serendipity Literary Agency LLC, combines expertise in engineering and literature with over a decade in senior publishing roles. A Howard Un...
Esther Phillips
Esther Phillips 0000000073657506 Esther Phillips, founder of The Bim Literary Festival & Book Fair and editor of Bim magazine, is a highly decorated poet with an MFA in Creative Writing. She's won pr...
Matthew A. Cherry
Matthew A. Cherry 0000000500418922 Former NFL wide receiver, Matthew A. Cherry, transitioned into filmmaking after his retirement in 2007. He's known for directing over 20 music videos, his feature f...
Colette Bancroft
Colette Bancroft NONE Colette Bancroft is the book editor for the Tampa Bay Times since 2007, directs the annual Festival of Reading, and served on the National Book Critics Circle board. She holds E...
Thando Mgqolozana
Thando Mgqolozana 0000000071220474 Thando Mgqolozana, born in 1983, is a renowned South African novelist and Mandela Rhodes Scholar. He authored novels like 'Hear Me Alone' and 'Unimportance' and co-...
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...
Melica Niccole
Melica Niccole NONE Melica Niccole, a Columbus-native author, poet, and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, has a passion for writing which she uses to explore various subjects. She created an annua...
justin a. reynolds
justin a. reynolds NONE Justin A. Reynolds is an acclaimed author renowned for his debut YA novel, “Opposite of Always,” and second novel “Early Departures.” His work includes a Marvel graphic novel ...
Regie Gibson
Regie Gibson NONE Regie Gibson is a poet, songwriter, author, workshop facilitator, and educator. Regie has performed, taught, and lectured at schools, universities, theaters and various other ve...
Panashe Chigumadzi
Panashe Chigumadzi 0000000454298041 Panashe Chigumadzi is an acclaimed Zimbabwean novelist and essayist, known for her award-winning debut novel, Sweet Medicine. A prominent voice in African literatu...
Kadija Sesay
Kadija Sesay NONE Kadija George is a renowned literary activist, poet, and publisher of Sierra Leonean descent. She's known for her debut poetry collection, Irki, and has edited numerous anthologies....
Cerece Rennie Murphy
Cerece Rennie Murphy NONE Cerece Rennie Murphy, a science fiction enthusiast since age seven, has a rich background in social work and international relations. She transitioned into creative writing ...
Rosemari Mealy
Rosemari Mealy NONE Rosemari Mealy, J.D., Ph.D., is a renowned professor at CUNY, recognized for her community involvement and international human rights activism. She has worked in Cuba, supporting ...
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...
Natasha Moulton-Levy
Natasha Moulton-Levy NONE Natasha Moulton-Levy, a mother and problem-solver, instills a global perspective in her children, helping them become successful global citizens. An alumna of the College of...
William W. Sales Jr.
William W. Sales Jr. NONE William W. Sales, Jr., an Associate Professor at Seton Hall University, is an acknowledged expert on Malcolm X, authoring two books and numerous articles on the subject. A v...
Cheryl Willis Hudson
Cheryl Willis Hudson 0000000037209335 Cheryl Willis Hudson, editorial director of Just Us Books, focuses on publishing Black interest books for children. Co-founder of the company in 1988, she's a re...
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...
J. Michael Dash
J. Michael Dash 0000000081152794 Professor Jean Michael Dash (1948-2019) was a renowned scholar of Francophone Caribbean literature. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, and educated at the University of the...
Simone A. James Alexander
Simone A. James Alexander 0000000109111143 Simone A. James Alexander is a distinguished professor, author, and researcher. Born in Guyana, she studied in Guyana, Russia, and the US, earning degrees i...
Faye Childs
Faye Childs NONE Faye Childs, born 1956, was a literary agent committed to promoting Black literature. She founded the Black Board Bestsellers list, a platform that increased visibility for Black aut...
Everett Hoagland
Everett Hoagland NONE Everett Hoagland, a Philadelphia-born poet, professor, and activist, is renowned for his contributions to African American literature. A significant literary figure, he has nume...
Sharon M. Draper
Sharon M. Draper 0000000374578086 Sharon M. Draper, acclaimed author of the Sassy series and numerous teen novels, is a New York Times bestseller and multiple Coretta Scott King Award winner. A forme...
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...
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 ...
Tamiya Davis
Tamiya Davis NONE Tamiya Davis, a Virginia native, is a longshoreman, fashion entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker. Her achievements include running a rights restoration chapter, owning a f...
Carrolyn Pichet
Carrolyn Pichet NONE Carrolyn Pichet is a Washington native with a diverse career spanning from the Parole Board to the FBI. She holds degrees from Howard University and the University of Maryland an...
Pamela Mariva Mshana
Pamela Mariva Mshana NONE Pamela Mariva Mshana, PhD, is an acclaimed playwright, author, and educator. Known for her play, Ebony, and her work at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, she has receive...
Vickie M. Stringer
Vickie M. Stringer NONE “I use my life as an example to warn others of the dangers of the drug game.” Vickie Stringer, the Queen of Hip-Hop Literature, has revolutionized the genre throu...
Mayra Santos-Febres
Mayra Santos-Febres 0000000079758949 Mayra Santos-Febres, born in 1966, is a celebrated Afro-Puerto Rican author, poet, and literature professor. Her work, translated into numerous languages, explore...
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...
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...
papi kymone freeman
papi kymone freeman NONE Papi Kymone Freeman is a renowned writer, activist, and entrepreneur known for his award-winning plays and debut fiction novel, NINEVEH. He co-founded We Act Radio, a progres...
Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys MULTIPLE Grammy-winning icons Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys are not only musical powerhouses but also philanthropists and art advocates. Founders of the Dean Collection, the...
Lauren Wesley Wilson
Lauren Wesley Wilson NONE Lauren Wesley Wilson is one of the nation’s leading thought leaders on media relations, diversity and inclusion, and crisis communications. At 25, she became the founder an...
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey 0000000114722280 Mariah Carey is an author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, producer, and multiple award-winning artist and songwriter. She is the best-selling female artist of all time w...
Mervyn Morris
Mervyn Morris 0000000122796976 Born in 1937, Mervyn E. Morris is a renowned Jamaican poet and scholar. A Rhodes Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Creative Writing & West Indian Literature, he was the...
Elsie Augustave
Elsie Augustave NONE Elsie Augustave, born in Haiti, is a Fulbright Scholar and accomplished educator, teaching French and Spanish at Stuyvesant High School. With degrees in foreign language and lite...
Sefi Atta
Sefi Atta 0000000078515961 Sefi Atta, a Nigerian-born author, educated in Nigeria, England, and the U.S., is a former accountant turned award-winning writer. Her works have appeared in multiple journ...
Dorothea Smartt
Dorothea Smartt 0000000035456594 Dorothea Smartt is a London-born poet with Barbadian roots, known for her significant contributions to British culture. As a former Live Artist at London's Institute ...
Ephraim Isaac
Ephraim Isaac 0000000067027946 Ephraim Isaac, founder and first professor of Harvard University's Department of African & Afro-American Studies, is a respected scholar in religious literature. He has...
Jean “Binta” Breeze
Jean “Binta” Breeze 0000000025335932 Jean “Binta” Breeze (1956–2021) was a renowned Jamaican poet who published eight books and performed globally. She first gained recognition in 1985 at the Inter...
Gary Gray, Jr.
Gary Gray, Jr. MULTIPLE Gary Gray, Jr. is a Black Canadian poet, educator, and podcast host who writes for children and adults. His love for literature is inspired by stories from his hometown, Prest...
Warsan Shire
Warsan Shire 0000000401939810 Warsan Shire, a Somali British writer and poet, is renowned for her chapbooks, and for winning the inaugural Brunel International African Poetry Prize. She was London's ...
Veronica Freeman Ellis
Veronica Freeman Ellis NONE Veronica Freeman Ellis is a renowned author known for “Land of the Four Winds” and “AFRO-BETS First Book about Africa.” She has contributed to “Book of Black Heroes: Great...
Dinah Johnson
Dinah Johnson NONE Dinah Johnson is a renowned author in children's literature, particularly in African American storytelling. Her books, which include titles like Hair Dance! and Sitting Pretty, cel...
Kei Miller
Kei Miller 000000037003708X Jamaican author, Kei Miller, born in 1978, writes across various genres including novels, essays, and poetry. His works have been shortlisted for several awards and he has...
Kathryn M. Johnson
Kathryn M. Johnson NONE Compiler of “The Two Foot Shelf of Negro Literature” Kathryn Magnolia Johnson, born in the Jim Crow Era, was a champion for literacy, education, and social justice....
Shafika Burke
Shafika Burke NONE Shafika Burke, a 4th year English major at Medgar Evers College, was raised in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Originally interested in accounting, her passion shifted to literatur...
Francesca Momplaisir
Francesca Momplaisir NONE Haitian-born Francesca Momplaisir is a multilingual literature scholar and writer. Educated at Columbia University, the University of Oxford, and New York University, she sp...
Abdulrazak Gurnah
Abdulrazak Gurnah 0000000109376264 Winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature Abdulrazak Gurnah, a UK-based novelist and academic, won the 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature for his exploration of colo...
Autumn Allen
Autumn Allen NONE Autumn Allen is a literature educator, senior editor at Barefoot Books, and author known for her contributions to children's literature. She teaches at Harvard Graduate School of Ed...
African American Literature Book Club
African American Literature Book Club 0000000509856750 The African American Literature Book Club transforms notable forum discussions into articles for increased visibility. The first conversion, “On...
William L. Andrews
William L. Andrews 0000000108957024 William L. Andrews is E. Maynard Adams Professor of English Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has authored, edited, or co-edited more...
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...
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....
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 ...
Petina Gappah
Petina Gappah 0000000076949184 Petina Gappah is a Zimbabwean writer and international trade lawyer based in Geneva. Known for her debut book, 'An Elegy for Easterly', which won the 2009 Guardian Firs...
E.J. Josey
E.J. Josey NONE E.J. Josey was a distinguished professor at the University of Pittsburgh and an influential figure in international librarianship, recognized with numerous awards. He served as presid...
Matt Meyer and déqui kioni-sadiki
Matt Meyer and déqui kioni-sadiki MULTIPLE Pictured: Sekou Odinga, déqui kioni-sadiki, & Matt Meyer. Photo Credit PM Press Matt Meyer is a NYC-based author, educator, and organizer for human r...
B.L. Brown
B.L. Brown NONE B.L. Brown is a seasoned law enforcement professional with over 16 years of experience in various roles. She uses her expertise to create training programs and teach at local academie...
Esther Armah
Esther Armah NONE Esther Armah, an award-winning international journalist, best-selling author, and New York radio host, is known for her work in Europe, Africa, and America. She contributes to MSNBC...
Tom Wood
Tom Wood 0000000071567072 “If you are excellent at almost anything you can succeed.” Tom Wood, a trailblazer in the banking industry, was the first Black member of a major U.S. bank's boar...
Ayo Sekai
Ayo Sekai NONE Dr. Ayo Sekai, founder and CEO of Universal Write Publications, is a scholar activist specializing in Black Politics and International Relations. She advocates for racial equity and an...
A.G. Allen
A.G. Allen NONE A.G. Allen is a seasoned writer, editor, and international educator specializing in Language Arts and academic writing. With a decade of teaching experience in China and South Korea, ...
David Diop
David Diop 0000000381649161 David Diop, born in 1966, is a renowned French-Senegalese author known for his historical fiction. His novel “At Night All Blood is Black” won the 2021 International Booke...
Iris Mwanza
Iris Mwanza NONE Iris Mwanza is a Zambian American writer and Deputy Director of Gender Equality at the Gates Foundation. A former corporate lawyer in Zambia and the US, she holds law degrees from Co...