AALBC Search
Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham
Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham MULTIPLE Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham are accomplished authors known for their contributions in art, technology, and culture. They're recognized for their insightfu...
Greenwood Art Project
Greenwood Art Project NONE The Greenwood Art Project, an initiative of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre Centennial Commission, aims to unite Tulsa through art, raising awareness of Greenwood's history and the...
Jenna Wortham
Jenna Wortham 0000000495858914 Jenna Wortham is a New York Times Magazine staff writer, co-host of the podcast Still Processing, and a sound healer. She practices reiki and herbalism, and is working ...
Monique Greenwood, Lynda Johnson, and Tracy Mitchell-Brown
Monique Greenwood, Lynda Johnson, and Tracy Mitchell-Brown MULTIPLE "Evalyn Hamilton, Lynda Johnson, and Monique Greenwood are key members of Go On Girl! Book Club. Hamilton is the Newsletter Editor,...
Phetote Mshairi
Phetote Mshairi NONE Phetote Mshairi is a multi-talented artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He's a poet, author, entrepreneur, performing artist, mentor, and more. With a B.B.A. in Business Management, Msh...
Monique Greenwood
Monique Greenwood NONE Monique Greenwood is a multifaceted entrepreneur managing Akwaaba, writing successful books, co-founding Go on Girl! Book Club, starring in Checked Inn on OWN, and a former Edi...
Jacqueline Johnson
Jacqueline Johnson NONE Jacqueline Johnson is a multi-disciplined artist and award-winning author known for her work in writing and fiber arts. She has taught poetry at multiple institutions and has ...
Chiquita Mullins Lee
Chiquita Mullins Lee NONE Chiquita Mullins Lee is an Arts Learning coordinator at the Ohio Arts Council, managing poetry and arts programs. A former creative writing teacher, she hosted an Emmy-winni...
Donna Drew Sawyer
Donna Drew Sawyer NONE Donna Drew Sawyer, author of Provenance, has a rich background in arts administration, advertising, and public relations. A New Yorker with over three decades of experience in ...
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...
Freddi Williams Evans
Freddi Williams Evans 0000000034100692 Freddi Williams Evans is an award-winning author and former arts educator. She's recognized for her book “Congo Square: African Roots in New Orleans” and her ad...
Lasana D. Kazembe
Lasana D. Kazembe NONE Dr. Lasana D. Kazembe, a Chicago-native scholar, specializes in Urban Education, Global Black Arts Movements, and the Black Intellectual Tradition. He explores Culturally Susta...
Ron Kavanaugh
Ron Kavanaugh NONE Ron Kavanaugh is a literary activist who founded Mosaic Books and the Literary Freedom Project (LFP), a non-profit supporting the literary arts. Through LFP, he launched Mosaic Lit...
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...
Tai Allen
Tai Allen NONE Tai Allen, a renowned Brooklyn-based creative director, poet, and musician, has excelled in multiple disciplines. His poetry and music have gained recognition from notable publications...
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman NONE Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D., is the Executive Director at the Hurston Wright Foundation, former Director at Montgomery Community Media, and a successful playwright who...
Kinshasha Holman Conwill and Paul Gardullo
Kinshasha Holman Conwill and Paul Gardullo MULTIPLE Kinshasha Holman Conwill serves as the deputy director of NMAAHC and ex-director of the Studio Museum in Harlem. Paul Gardullo is a historian, cura...
Robert O’Hara
Robert O’Hara 0000000055345883 Playwright and director Robert O'Hara is known for his award-winning works, including the Helen Hayes Award-winning play 'Antebellum'. He revamped 'The Wiz' for its rev...
Fred Lee Hord
Fred Lee Hord NONE Dr. Fred Lee Hord, born in 1941, is the founder and Executive Director of the Association for Black Culture Centers. He's a professor at Knox College and Director of its Africana S...
Denisha Jones and Jesse Hagopian
Denisha Jones and Jesse Hagopian MULTIPLE Denisha Jones, a member of the national Black Lives Matter at School committee, is an activist and advocate for education justice. She is the Director of the...
Skip Hill
Skip Hill NONE Skip Hill is a renowned mixed-media visual artist with works in collections globally. He illustrated “Opal’s Greenwood Oasis” and contributed to “13 Ways of Looking at a Black Boy.” He...
KT Alozie
KT Alozie NONE KT Alozie is an award-winning writer and scriptwriter with a fascination for history, particularly the Greenwood District of Tulsa. With a background in writing and Wall Street banking...
La Verne Ford Wimberly
La Verne Ford Wimberly NONE Dr. La Verne Ford Wimberly is a revered educator known for desegregating Tulsa schools and becoming the first interim African American female superintendent. Honored with ...
Tash Hawthorne
Tash Hawthorne NONE Tash Hawthorne is a versatile writer renowned for her contemporary novels and stage plays. She received the “Best New Author” award from Black Pearl Magazine and has worked with m...
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,...
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...
Rochelle Riley
Rochelle Riley NONE Rochelle Riley, Director of Arts and Culture for Detroit, is a celebrated author, essayist, and advocate for children and education. Known for her award-winning work at the Detroi...
Benny Andrews
Benny Andrews 0000000066753102 Benny Andrews (1930-2006) was an American painter, printmaker, and educator known for his expressionist style. Born and raised in Georgia, he was the first in his famil...
Patricia Reid-Merritt
Patricia Reid-Merritt NONE Dr. Patricia Reid-Merritt is a distinguished professor at Richard Stockton College, founder of Afro-One Dance, Drama and Drum Theatre, and an award-winning social worker. K...
Grace Aneiza Ali
Grace Aneiza Ali NONE Grace Aneiza Ali is a Curator, Assistant Professor, and Provost Fellow at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She specializes in socially engaged art, global contemporary art, and C...
Marvin X
Marvin X 0000000023827167 Marvin X, born in 1944, is a renowned poet, playwright, and essayist associated with the Black Arts Movement. Known for co-founding the Black House and Black Arts/West Theat...
Mark Green
Mark Green NONE Mark Green serves as Associate Director/General Manager of Lehman Performing Arts Center, Chairman of Artist Relations for The Hip-Hop Museum (THHM), and maintains ownership of Celebr...
David Barclay Moore
David Barclay Moore NONE Missouri-born David Barclay Moore is a Brooklyn-based writer, filmmaker, and photographer. Known for his debut young adult novel 'The Stars Beneath Our Feet' and his award-wi...
Askia M. Toure
Askia M. Toure 0000000043979889 Askia Muhammad Touré, born Rolland Snellings in 1938, is a renowned poet, essayist, and political editor associated with the Black Arts Movement. He has served as edi...
Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
Charnelle Pinkney Barlow NONE Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, a talented illustrator from Poughkeepsie, NY, studied at the University of the Arts and School of Visual Arts. Granddaughter of renowned childr...
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...
Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith 0000000109631675 Maggie Smith is the award-winning New York Times bestselling author of nine books of poetry and prose, including A Suit or a Suitcase, Dear Writer, You Could Make This ...
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 ...
Terry E. Hill
Terry E. Hill NONE Terry E. Hill, a renowned author compared to E. Lynn Harris and Eric Jerome Dickey, has a rich background in social services, spanning over 15 years. A native of Southern Californi...
Brent K. Ashabranner
Brent K. Ashabranner 0000000110762541 Brent K. Ashabranner, born 1921, has vast international experience, working with U.S. foreign assistance programs and the Ford Foundation. He served as director ...
Jill Watts
Jill Watts 0000000036116073 Jill Watts is an Associate History Professor at California State University, San Marcos. She has held roles as the Director of the History Department and Co-Director of th...
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice 000000011071227X Dr. Condoleezza Rice is the Tad and Dianne Taube Director of the Hoover Institution and a Senior Fellow on Public Policy. She is the Denning Professor in Global Bu...
Laila Ibrahim
Laila Ibrahim NONE Laila Ibrahim, a full-time novelist, achieved fame with her book, Yellow Crocus, published in ten languages. Previously a preschool teacher and director, a birth doula, and a Direc...
Karen Baicker
Karen Baicker NONE Karen Baicker is a publisher at Scholastic, developing programs for communities in need. She has served as Director of Community Affairs and Editorial Director of Professional Deve...
Augustus G. Parker III
Augustus G. Parker III NONE Dr. Augustus Garland Parker III is a renowned obstetrician from Columbus, Ohio. He has served both Ohio and North Carolina communities, contributing significantly to women...
Souleymane Bachir Diagne and Jean-Loup Amselle
Souleymane Bachir Diagne and Jean-Loup Amselle MULTIPLE Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University, is renowned for his ...
Shani M. King
Shani M. King NONE Shani Mahiri King, law professor and director of the Center on Children and Families at the University of Florida. Also an Associate Director of the Center on Race and Race Relatio...
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...
Eriq La Salle
Eriq La Salle 0000000078409843 Eriq La Salle, an actor, director, writer, and producer, is known for his role as Dr. Peter Benton on NBC's ER, earning him multiple award nominations and wins. With a ...
Kevin Young
Kevin Young 0000000109530225 Kevin Young, born in 1970, is a renowned poet and teacher influenced by Hughes, Berryman, Dickinson, and Basquiat. A Harvard graduate, Young authored multiple poetry book...
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 ...
Tsitsi Dangarembga
Tsitsi Dangarembga 0000000116802380 Tsitsi Dangarembga is an award-winning author known for her novel, Nervous Conditions, and a director at the Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa Trus...
Chet’la Sebree
Chet’la Sebree 0000000501001520 Chet’la Sebree, a poet, editor, and educator, holds an MFA from American University. She joined Bucknell University as an assistant professor and Director for the Stad...
Casey Curry
Casey Curry NONE Casey Curry, Director of Creative Writing at a fine arts school in Tampa, has a rich life experience of moving 13 times due to her husband's military career. A mother of four, she en...
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...
John O’Neal
John O’Neal NONE John O'Neal, co-founder of the Free Southern Theater and Junebug Productions, is a prominent playwright and activist. His work, which spans over 50 years, focuses on reviving the mem...
Rachel Isadora
Rachel Isadora 0000000083710059 Former professional dancer Rachel Isadora transitioned into visual arts after an injury. She's since created over 200 children's books and focuses on painting, often d...
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 “...
Marvis Johnson
Marvis Johnson NONE Marvis Johnson is a multi-talented entrepreneur, artist manager, director, and author with formal training in Film and Television Arts. Known for his work in the New York City fil...
Jerry Craft
Jerry Craft 000000050467371X Jerry Craft is a renowned cartoonist, children's book illustrator, and a graduate from the School of Visual Arts. Known for his comic strip Mama's Boyz, he's one of the f...
Mark Anthony Neal
Mark Anthony Neal 0000000114756800 Mark Anthony Neal, a distinguished professor at Duke University, is the founding director of the Center for Arts, Digital Culture, and Entrepreneurship. He co-direc...
Valerie Brown
Valerie Brown 0000000084824330 Valerie Brown is a Buddhist-Quaker Dharma teacher, executive coach, and co-director of Georgetown's Institute for Transformational Leadership. Formerly a lawyer and lob...
Willard Jenkins
Willard Jenkins 0000000114808113 Willard Jenkins, born in 1949, is an influential figure in jazz, serving as Artistic Director of the DC Jazz Festival, arts consultant, producer, educator, and journa...
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 ...
Sony Ton-Aime
Sony Ton-Aime NONE Sony Ton-Aime is a Haitian poet, essayist, translator, and the executive director of Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures. Previously, he served as the Michael I. Rudell Director of Liter...
Anthony Browder
Anthony Browder NONE Anthony T. Browder, a cultural historian, artist, and educational consultant, is renowned for his extensive research on ancient Egyptian history and culture. A founder of IKG Cul...
Michelle Alexander
Michelle Alexander 0000000118793131 Michelle Alexander, born October 7, 1967, is a renowned civil rights advocate and litigator. She held a Soros Justice Fellowship in 2005 and has a joint appointmen...
Luvvie Ajayi Jones
Luvvie Ajayi Jones NONE Luvvie Ajayi Jones is an award-winning writer and speaker, specializing in comedy, technology, and activism. She is the voice behind the respected entertainment and humor blog...
Leah Penniman
Leah Penniman 0000000499416929 Leah Penniman, a Black Kreyol farmer and James Beard Foundation Leadership Award recipient, is dedicated to advocating for an anti-racist food system. Co-founding direc...
Margaret A. Burnham
Margaret A. Burnham NONE Margaret A. Burnham, a notable law professor and the founding director of the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project at Northeastern University, has had a diverse caree...
John Murillo
John Murillo NONE John Murillo is a renowned poet and professor known for his works “Up Jump the Boogie” and “Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry.” He's won numerous awards including two Larry Neal Writers ...
Halifu Osumare
Halifu Osumare 0000000031536722 Dr. Halifu Osumare, Professor Emerita at UC Davis, is a renowned dancer, choreographer, and scholar of black popular culture with over 40 years of experience. She has ...
Mai Sennaar
Mai Sennaar NONE Mai Sennaar is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. The Smithsonian Affiliate Museum of the African Diaspora, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, and the Class...
Phill Branch
Phill Branch NONE Phill Branch is a writer, live performance storyteller, and regional Emmy Award–winning filmmaker. He is a 2025 recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council’s Creativity Gran...
Mariame Kaba
Mariame Kaba 0000000512367579 Mariame Kaba is a justice advocate, educator, and founder of Project NIA, aimed at ending youth incarceration. She's a researcher at Interrupting Criminalization at the ...
Damario Solomon-Simmons
Damario Solomon-Simmons NONE Damario Solomon-Simmons is a civil rights attorney, educator, and advocate for restorative justice. Widely recognized for his work on behalf of the last survivors of the...
Thembisa S. Mshaka
Thembisa S. Mshaka NONE Thembisa S. Mshaka is a versatile creative executive, author, producer, filmmaker, and voice actor, renowned for her award-winning global ad campaigns and writings. She is the...
Andrea Smith
Andrea Smith 0000000040577630 Andrea Smith, a recipient of fellowships from the Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center and The New York Council on the Arts, is a Brooklyn-born author now residing in...
Grant Harper Reid
Grant Harper Reid NONE Dr. Grant Harper Reid, author of award-winning biography, “Rhythm For Sale,” explores the life of his grandfather, influential theatre producer Leonard Harper. An arts graduate...
Andreia Chavis-Douglas
Andreia Chavis-Douglas NONE Andreia Chavis-Douglas, a native of Washington, DC, is an artist, professor, and former graphic artist at the Washington Post. She holds degrees in Fine Arts and Education...
Mecca Jamilah Sullivan
Mecca Jamilah Sullivan NONE Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Ph.D., is an award-winning author and scholar known for her short stories and critical work on African Diaspora culture. She's held numerous reside...
Crystal Wilkinson
Crystal Wilkinson 0000000041499179 Crystal Wilkinson is an award-winning author known for novels like The Birds of Opulence and Blackberries, Blackberries. She has received recognition from instituti...
Danny Simmons
Danny Simmons 000000011447538X AALBC Mourns the Passing of Danny Simmons Daniel “Danny” Simmons is a globally recognized abstract-expressionist painter with works in prominent establishments like the ...
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...
Anthony Grooms
Anthony Grooms 0000000034968192 Anthony “Tony” Grooms, born in 1955, is a respected author and instructor at Kennesaw State University. With degrees in theatre, speech, and English, Grooms has receiv...
Steve Cannon
Steve Cannon 0000000363821597 Steve Cannon (1935-2019) was a key figure in the Black Arts Movement and a prominent Black writer from New Orleans. He moved to NYC in 1962, where he engaged in literary...
James E. Cherry
James E. Cherry NONE James E. Cherry, founder of The Griot Collective of West Tennessee, is a devoted literary arts organizer and Artist in Residence for the Tennessee Arts Commission. He uses his cr...
Kamau Daa’ood
Kamau Daa’ood NONE Kamau Daa’ood is a Los Angeles-based performance poet, educator, and community arts activist. Known for his award-winning documentary, Life is a Saxophone, he's authored two poetry...
Kiki Petrosino
Kiki Petrosino NONE Kiki Petrosino, a Professor of Poetry at the University of Virginia, is the author of four poetry books, including “White Blood: a Lyric of Virginia.” Her work has been featured i...
Tamisha Anthony
Tamisha Anthony NONE "Tamisha Anthony is a freelance illustrator and educator with clients like Macmillan Publishers. She's a graduate of Rice University and the School of Visual Arts, and sells her ...
Kim McMillon
Kim McMillon NONE Kim McMillon, Ph.D., is an acclaimed author contributing to anthologies and encyclopedias on Black Arts and Power Movements. She produced a notable Black Arts Movement Conference an...
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...
Michael S. Harper
Michael S. Harper 000000011480004X Michael S. Harper was an American poet and English professor at Brown University. He was the Poet Laureate of Rhode Island from 1988 to 1993. Michael S. Harper (Ma...
Lynell George
Lynell George NONE Lynell George Lynell George is a journalist and essayist. After/Image: Los Angeles Outside the Frame is her first book of essays and photography, exploring the city where she grew ...
Tara Betts
Tara Betts NONE Tara Betts, a celebrated author and poet, is known for her educational efforts in arts programs and her work with GirlSpeak. She has been featured on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and the Blac...
Emmanuel Iduma
Emmanuel Iduma NONE Emmanuel Iduma is a Nigeria-born lawyer and art critic, with an MFA from the School of Visual Arts, New York. He teaches at the same institution and co-founded Saraba Magazine. Re...
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....
Kekla Magoon
Kekla Magoon 0000000040185776 Kekla Magoon, an award-winning author of eight YA novels, including The Rock and the River and X: A Novel, also pens non-fiction on historical topics. She's won an NAACP...
Brian Gilmore
Brian Gilmore 0000000109671669 Brian Gilmore is a renowned poet, writer, attorney, and columnist associated with the Progressive Media Project. He's a multiple award-winning author with publications ...
Irenosen Okojie
Irenosen Okojie 0000000493628445 Irenosen Okojie is a London-based writer and curator, known for her work with prominent arts organizations and her international publications. Her writing has been fe...