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 ...
Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor
Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor NONE Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor is a Washington DC-based cultural communications specialist and author. She founded the National Black Cultural Information Trust, using...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Patricia Spears Jones
Patricia Spears Jones 0000000031494569 Patricia Spears Jones, born in Arkansas, is the 2024 New York State Poet Laureate, a Jackson Poetry Prize laureate, and a cultural activist. An esteemed poet, p...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
Mfundishi Jhutyms Hassan Salim
Mfundishi Jhutyms Hassan Salim NONE Mfundishi Jhutyms Hassan Salim is an influential author and educator, known for promoting African heritage, spirituality, and martial arts. His works aim to inspir...
Manzel Bowman
Manzel Bowman NONE Manzel Bowman is a distinguished Afrofuturist artist known for his digital illustrations that merge technology with spiritual and natural motifs. His art explores identity, humanit...
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 ...
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...
Stuart Hall
Stuart Hall 0000000121381154 Stuart Hall (1932-2014) was a pioneering Jamaican-British cultural theorist, political activist, and founding editor of New Left Review. He significantly contributed to t...
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...
April R. Silver
April R. Silver NONE April R. Silver is a renowned marketing strategist, cultural curator, and social justice activist. As the founder of AKILA WORKSONGS, she's known for creating influential social ...
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...
Henri Lopes
Henri Lopes 0000000081022754 Henri Lopes (1937-2023) was a distinguished writer and politician from the Belgian Congo. He made significant contributions to African literature and served as the Prime ...
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...
Max Rodriguez
Max Rodriguez NONE Max Rodriguez is the founder and publisher of QBR/The Black Book Review, one of the nation’s premier publications dedicated to books by and about people of African descent. ...
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...
Wanjiku Wa Ngugi
Wanjiku Wa Ngugi NONE Wanjikũ Wa Ngũgĩ, author of 'The Fall of Saints', is a former director of the Helsinki African Film Festival. Her short stories and essays are featured in various publications i...
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 ...
Yani
Yani 0000000118166410 Yani, an Amazon Best Selling Author from Philadelphia, is renowned for her six novels and unique storytelling style. She's celebrated in genres like African American Fiction-Ur...
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 ...
Suheir Hammad
Suheir Hammad 0000000084052510 Suheir Hammad, born October 25, 1973, is a Palestinian-American poet, author, performer, and activist renowned for her work in the spoken-word scene. She's had success ...
Cathy Finch White
Cathy Finch White NONE Cathy Finch White, a former medical professional turned author, advocates for child education through reading. She has written four award-winning books, including “Anna Learn's...
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...
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 “...
V. Brooks Dunbar
V. Brooks Dunbar NONE Dr. V. Brooks Dunbar is a renowned author, speaker, and leadership consultant. Known as the Confidence Commander, she empowers individuals and organizations to unlock their pote...
Peter Kalu
Peter Kalu NONE Peter Kalu is an award-winning poet, fiction writer, and playwright from the UK. He began his writing career at Manchester's Moss Side Write black writers workshop and has produced ei...
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....
Ayana Mathis
Ayana Mathis 0000000367812022 Ayana Mathis, an Iowa Writers' Workshop graduate and Michener-Copernicus Fellowship recipient, is best known for her NYT best-selling novel 'The Twelve Tribes of Hattie'...
Gwen Richardson
Gwen Richardson NONE Gwen Richardson, co-founder of Cushcity.com, the largest African-American internet retailer, is a successful entrepreneur and writer with a marketing degree from Georgetown Unive...
Justin Phillip Reed
Justin Phillip Reed 0000000497688533 Justin Phillip Reed is a South Carolina-born author, known for his work in various publications and his MFA in poetry from Washington University. Recognized for h...
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...
Jacquelin Thomas
Jacquelin Thomas NONE Award-winning author Jacquelin Thomas has published over 50 titles across romance, women’s fiction, inspirational, and young adult genres. She's received multiple awards includi...
Davida Siwisa James
Davida Siwisa James NONE Davida Siwisa James, a globe-trotting author with roots in Philly and Harlem, has experience as a freelance journalist and has several published works, including an award-win...
Hannibal B. Johnson
Hannibal B. Johnson NONE Harvard Law graduate Hannibal B. Johnson is an esteemed author, attorney, and consultant specializing in diversity and human relations. He's taught at prestigious universitie...
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...
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 ...
Nancy Churnin
Nancy Churnin NONE Nancy Churnin is a celebrated children's book author, known for inspiring kids to be heroes through her stories. She's a Eureka Silver Award winner and has been recognized with the...
January Gill O’Neil
January Gill O’Neil NONE January Gill O’Neil, author of Rewilding, Misery Islands, and Underlife, is a former executive director of Massachusetts Poetry Festival and ex-Grisham Writer-in-Residence. C...
Stacy Spikes
Stacy Spikes NONE Stacy Spikes, co-founder of MoviePass and founder of Urbanworld Film Festival, is an award-winning entrepreneur and former film marketing executive. Recognized as one of the most in...
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...
Keela Buford
Keela Buford NONE Keela Buford, a content strategist and author of 'Pride, and Joy,' is recognized in film and screenplay festival circuits. Her work ranges from science fiction to contemporary, with...
Greg Garrett
Greg Garrett 0000000046223577 Greg Garrett is a recognized voice on religion and culture in America, with work featured across major media outlets. He is the co-founder of the Long Long Way Film Fest...
Kevin Coval
Kevin Coval 0000000053723529 Kevin Coval, author of ALA “Book of the Year†finalist Slingshots: A Hip-Hop Poetica, is the Artistic Director of Louder Than a Bomb: The Chicago Teen Poetry Festival...
William Byrd
William Byrd 0000000109367704 Dr. William “Super” Byrd, a Newark native, is an acclaimed author and educator specializing in Sports Education. A holder of multiple degrees and professional licenses, ...
Stephanie Casher
Stephanie Casher NONE Stephanie Casher is a freelance editor, author of multi-cultural women's fiction, and co-owner of The Pantheon Collective. She holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Cal...
Brian Peterson
Brian Peterson 0000000026606618 Brian Petersen is a notable figure who appeared alongside Faith Cottrell at the 2000 National African American Cultural Expo in Philadelphia. Brian Petersen is picture...
Dorothy M. Hazzard
Dorothy M. Hazzard NONE "Dorothy M. Hazzard, pictured with author Tracy Grant at the 2000 National African American Cultural Expo at the Philadelphia Convention Center.” Dorothy M. Hazzard is picture...
Alain Locke
Alain Locke 0000000108789294 Celebrate the Centennial of Survey Graphic on March 23, 2025, at 6 PM ET. Register Here Born in 1886, Alain LeRoy Locke was an influential educator, writer, and phil...
Orlando Patterson
Orlando Patterson 0000000108859301 Orlando Patterson, a leading cultural and historical sociologist, is renowned for his insights on liberty, freedom, and race. A Jamaican-born American, Patterson's ...
Obari Cartman
Obari Cartman NONE Dr. Obari Adéye Cartman is a Chicago-based psychologist, educator, and author, specializing in issues concerning mental health, cultural identity, and manhood. He works as a resto...
Ahdaf Soueif
Ahdaf Soueif 0000000118857078 Ahdaf Soueif is an Egyptian author and commentator, known for her novels “In the Eye of the Sun” and “The Map of Love,” the latter shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. ...
Benita R. Dale
Benita R. Dale NONE Benita R. Dale is a champion of African-American literature and art, founding Dialogue magazine and the Alliance for Cultural Enrichment, Inc. She also runs Efficient Business Ser...
Andrea Queeley
Andrea Queeley NONE Andrea Queeley is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and African Diaspora Studies at Florida International University. Born in Berkeley, she holds a B.A. from Brown University...
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...
Aimé Césaire
Aimé Césaire 0000000121474035 One of the Founders of the Négritude Movement in Francophone Literature Aimé Césaire (1913-2008) was a Martinican poet, playwright, and politician who co-founded...
Teresa Kemp
Teresa Kemp NONE Teresa R. Kemp, a 5th-generation quilter and military historian, is a passionate advocate for cultural preservation and anti-human trafficking. She's a graduate of WVSU and DeVry Uni...
Maureen Mahon
Maureen Mahon 0000000063123420 Maureen Mahon, a cultural anthropologist with a Ph.D. from NYU, focuses on African American music and culture, race and gender in music, and related socio-cultural aspe...
John McWhorter
John McWhorter 0000000117982707 John H. McWhorter is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a renowned author and linguistics scholar. Known for his commentary on cultural and racial issues, ...
Rebecca Carroll
Rebecca Carroll 0000000418744243 Rebecca Carroll is a cultural critic at WNYC, host of the podcast “Come Through with Rebecca Carroll,” and former critic for the Los Angeles Times. Her work has appea...
Kathleen Cross
Kathleen Cross NONE Kathleen Cross is an author, educator, and speaker focused on racial and cross-cultural communication. Known for her appearances on shows like Oprah and Dr. Phil, she uses her bir...
Lewis V. Baldwin
Lewis V. Baldwin 0000000109176289 Born in 1949, Lewis V. Baldwin is a civil rights activist and professor emeritus of religious studies at Vanderbilt University. Inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr., ...
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...
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...
Andrew P. Jackson
Andrew P. Jackson 0000000045924849 Andrew P. Jackson (Sekou Molefi Baako) served as Executive Director of Queens Library’s Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center in New York from 1980...
Anela Malik
Anela Malik NONE Anela Malik is an author, creator, and host whose storytelling feeds both minds and hearts. She writes, films, and speaks about food, travel, culture, and identity through an unflin...
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...
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...
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...
Shelby Steele
Shelby Steele 0000000117385953 Shelby Steele is an award-winning author, columnist, and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow. Renowned for his study on race relations and cultural issues, Steele's work h...
Alex de Voogt
Alex de Voogt 0000000110802013 Alexander Johan de Voogt is a professor at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. He has studied Africa and the Middle East through the history and archaeology of boa...
Sterling D. Plumpp
Sterling D. Plumpp 0000000081297870 “You can not ever get free as a result of legislationHellip;you always have to take freedom.” Sterling Dominic Plumpp, born 1940, is an esteemed poet, e...
Michele Wallace
Michele Wallace 0000000114424646 Michele Faith Wallace is a renowned black feminist author and cultural critic. She serves as an English Professor at City College and the Graduate Center of CUNY. Mic...
Sonia Manjon and Marta Moreno Vega
Sonia Manjon and Marta Moreno Vega MULTIPLE Sonia Manjon and Marta Moreno Vega are renowned authors with rich backgrounds in social activism and cultural anthropology. Their works explore social just...
Yvonne Bynoe
Yvonne Bynoe NONE Yvonne Bynoe is an acclaimed author, cultural critic, and founder of the popular online art platform, @SHELOVESBLACKART. She made her curatorial debut in 2022, focusing on lost or e...
Eware Osayande
Eware Osayande NONE Eware Osayande is a poet, cultural analyst, political activist, and author of seven books, including a notable work on Black Youth & Hip Hop. He presently serves as the media chai...