AALBC Search
Frankie Hutton
Frankie Hutton NONE Frankie Hutton (born January 24, 1949) is Assistant Professor of Journalism and Communications and Adjunct Professor of History at Lehigh University, specializing in nineteenth-c...
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 ...
Iyanla Vanzant
Iyanla Vanzant 0000000110419866 Iyanla Vanzant, a Yoruba priestess and spiritual life coach, overcame adversity to become a New York Times best-selling author and host of OWN's Iyanla: Fix My Life. H...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
Terrance Coffey
Terrance Coffey NONE Bestselling author Terrance Coffey, a Kindle Scout winner, is renowned for his work as a screenwriter, songwriter, and composer with a passion for Egyptian history. His debut nov...
Evan Turk
Evan Turk NONE Evan Turk is an award-winning author, illustrator, and animator known for his books like “The Storyteller”, “Heartbeat”, and “You Are Home.” He has also illustrated New York Times Best...
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 0000000476477577 Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, hailing from Spring Valley, NY, is a SUNY Albany graduate with an MFA from Syracuse University. His work, celebrated in numerous pu...
Alison Inches
Alison Inches NONE Alison Inches, based in Mill Valley, California, is a prolific children's author renowned for her Puffin Lift-the-Flap book series. Alison Inches is the author of many Puffin Lift-...
Donald Crews
Donald Crews 0000000073626339 Donald Crews is a celebrated children's author, known for Caldecott Honor Books like Freight Train and Truck. Living in New York's Hudson River Valley with wife Ann Jona...
Larry Eugene Rivers
Larry Eugene Rivers NONE Dr. Larry E. Rivers is a distinguished educator with degrees from Fort Valley State College, Villanova University, Carnegie-Mellon University, and the University of London. H...
J.M. Holmes
J.M. Holmes NONE J.M. Holmes, a Denver-born, Rhode Island-raised author, won the Burnett Howe Prize at Amherst College. With fellowships to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the Napa Valley Writers’ Con...
Nikki Shannon Smith
Nikki Shannon Smith NONE Nikki Shannon Smith, a seasoned elementary educator from Oakland, now resides in Central Valley with her family. She's an accomplished author, crafting everything from pictur...
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...
Chancellor Williams
Chancellor Williams NONE Dr. Chancellor James Williams (1898-1992) was a pivotal scholar in the study of Nile Valley Civilization. Born to former slaves, he became an acclaimed author, university pro...
Yosef Ben-Jochannan
Yosef Ben-Jochannan 0000000084792068 Born in Gondar, Ethiopia, Dr. Yosef Alfredo Antonio ben-Jochannan (December 31, 1918 - March 19, 2015), or “Dr. Ben”, as he is affectionately known devoted th...
J. Tremble
J. Tremble NONE J. Tremble, a graduate of Missouri Valley College and Howard University, works as a sixth-grade math teacher in Prince George's County Public School System. He's a dedicated family ma...
Ma’Ronda X
Ma’Ronda X NONE Ma'Ronda X, born in San Fernando Valley, is the first in her family to graduate high school and college. With degrees from California State University, she's now pursuing a Master's i...
Rose McGee
Rose McGee NONE Rose McGee, founder of “Sweet Potato Comfort Pie,” is known for nurturing relationships across the U.S through pie delivery. Recognized by major media outlets for her community work p...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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-...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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'...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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....
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...
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...
Al Young
Al Young 0000000063058737 Al Young, born in 1939, is a respected author and poet from Mississippi. He attended the University of Michigan before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area and graduating fr...
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...
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 ...
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 “...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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, ...
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...
Carol Denise Mitchell
Carol Denise Mitchell NONE Carol Denise Mitchell, an acclaimed author and journalist, has a 30-year writing career and is known for her award-winning book, “What Happened to Suzy.” Born and raised in...
Vince Bailey
Vince Bailey NONE Vince Bailey is an award-winning author and construction estimator from Central Arizona. His childhood experiences heavily influence his nostalgic fiction writing, particularly his ...
Jordan Scott
Jordan Scott 0000000503783001 Jordan Scott is an acclaimed Canadian poet known for works like Silt, Blert, DECOMP, and Night & Ox. His exploration of stuttering in Blert inspired two film projects. W...
Bryan Patrick Avery
Bryan Patrick Avery NONE Bryan Patrick Avery is a chief technologist and systems development director from Silicon Valley. He’s also an award-winning poet and author of multiple children’s books, in...
Renee Daniel Flagler
Renee Daniel Flagler NONE Renee Daniel Flagler is a writer who has served in marketing, promotions and events for over ten years. Professionally, her writing has been featured in business and co...
Stephanie Seales
Stephanie Seales NONE Stephanie Seales is a storyteller, dreamer, and doer who is passionate about racial equity. She’s also a children’s literature expert who’s worked in almost every aspect of the...
K. L. Brady
K. L. Brady NONE K. L. Brady, a D.C. native and successful author, began writing at a young age and published her first novel, The Bum Magnet, after an inspirational Oprah moment. Her writing include...
Yolanda Adams
Yolanda Adams 0000000055219713 Yolanda Adams, known as “The First Lady of Modern Gospel,” is a renowned contemporary gospel artist with numerous awards, including five Grammys. Born in Houston on Aug...
Kelvin Bodley
Kelvin Bodley NONE Kelvin D. Bodley, a Chicago native and now Florida resident, is a social change advocate, author, and Minister of the Gospel. He served as the Special Assistant to Mayor Anthony Gr...
T. Friday
T. Friday NONE T. Friday, a Detroit native and mother of five, found her passion for reading at an early age. After a life-altering event in 2016, she pursued her dream of writing. Now an author of o...
Lalita Tademy
Lalita Tademy 0000000115872555 Lalita Tademy, a former VP at Sun Microsystems, left her corporate career to trace her family history and write. Born in Berkeley, California, she grew up in a southern...
Nina Foxx
Nina Foxx 0000000045364941 Nina Foxx, a prolific author of 15 novels, has also written, produced, and directed multiple award-winning stage plays and films. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a...
Whitney J. Leblanc
Whitney J. Leblanc NONE Whitney J. LeBlanc is a Louisiana-born author and Hollywood veteran with over 25 years of experience in theater and television. He's known for his trilogy about a Creole famil...
Kimberla Lawson Roby
Kimberla Lawson Roby 0000000063897135 Kimberla’s Thoughts on Concluding Her Reverend Curtis Black Series, After 15 Books Kimberla Lawson Roby is a New York Times Bestselling Author of 24 novels,...
David Covin
David Covin 0000000084071877 David Covin was a Professor Emeritus of Government and Ethnic Studies at CSU Sacramento and Past President of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. He wa...
Wes Moore
Wes Moore 0000000071753983 Wes Moore is an author, TV producer, and political analyst born in 1978. He's the CEO of BridgeEdU and Robin Hood Foundation, focusing on education and poverty relief. A mi...
De’Shawn Charles Winslow
De’Shawn Charles Winslow NONE De'Shawn Charles Winslow, a North Carolina native, is a Brooklyn-based author and 2017 Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduate. He holds a BFA in creative writing and an MA in E...
Emmanuel M. Arriaga
Emmanuel M. Arriaga NONE Emmanuel M. Arriaga, an award-winning author, grew up in Philadelphia, developed a passion for science and fantasy, and escaped a low-income life. Graduating with a Master's ...
Katori Hall
Katori Hall 0000000071268953 Katori Hall, a renowned playwright from Memphis, is best known for her Olivier Award-winning play, The Mountaintop. Other works include Hurt Village, Hoodoo Love, and The...
J.T. Smith
J.T. Smith 0000000117420835 J.T. Smith, a New Jersey-born author, developed a passion for reading and history at an early age. His interest in Black History and the Harlem Renaissance influenced his ...
Ronald Ancrum
Ronald Ancrum NONE Ron Ancrum, a nonprofit management and organizational development expert, has a diverse career as a professor, consultant, executive, and musician. A graduate of University of Conn...
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...
Benjamin Quarles
Benjamin Quarles 0000000121004017 Benjamin A. Quarles (1904-1996) was a renowned historian and prolific writer, known for his extensive research on black soldiers and abolitionists in the American Re...
Mel Hopkins
Mel Hopkins NONE Mel Hopkins is an experienced multimedia journalist with a 10-year career in social and consumer news, and a skilled writer/editor with a focus on marketing communications. A former ...