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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 ...
Marcus Mosiah Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey 0000000121272214 “Up! You mighty race, you can accomplish what you will.” Marcus Mosiah Garvey was a prominent publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and advocate for Bl...
Marcus Guillory
Marcus Guillory NONE Born in Louisiana, Marcus Guillory rose from humble beginnings to become a renowned screenwriter, author, musician, and producer. He initially pursued law before dedicating himse...
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...
Jess Mowry
Jess Mowry 0000000080841328 Jess Mowry is an author of children's and young adult books often set in Oakland, California, dealing with contemporary themes. Raised by his father, he developed a love f...
Marcus Mosiah Garvey and Tony Martin
Marcus Mosiah Garvey and Tony Martin MULTIPLE Marcus Mosiah Garvey, a prominent political leader, and Tony Martin, a distinguished historian, are renowned for their significant contributions in advoc...
E. Lynn Harris, Eric Jerome Dickey, Marcus Major, and Colin Channer
E. Lynn Harris, Eric Jerome Dickey, Marcus Major, and Colin Channer MULTIPLE "E. Lynn Harris, Eric Jerome Dickey, Marcus Major, and Colin Channer are renowned authors, each contributing unique voic...
Marcus Jackson
Marcus Jackson NONE Marcus Jackson, an accomplished poet from Toledo, Ohio, studied at the University of Toledo and NYU. His work has been published in prestigious journals like The New Yorker. Curre...
Marcus Major
Marcus Major 0000000038042522 Marcus Major, born in Fort Bragg, followed a transient childhood due to his father's military career. He studied Literature and African-American Studies at Richard Stock...
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 ...
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'...
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,...
Joy Elan
Joy Elan NONE Joy Elán, an award-winning author and spoken word artist from Oakland, CA, has penned six books. Despite being born with hearing loss, she overcame adversity to earn degrees from UC Be...
Harold G. Marcus
Harold G. Marcus NONE Harold G. Marcus was a notable professor of History and African Studies at Michigan State University. He is renowned for his works on Ethiopian history and politics, including '...
Marcus Weber
Marcus Weber 0000000019794032 Marcus Weber, younger half-brother of NY Times bestselling author Carl Weber, is currently incarcerated as of 2022. Marcus Weber is the younger half-brother of New York ...
Marcus Samuelsson
Marcus Samuelsson 0000000049972194 Marcus Samuelsson, celebrated chef known for appearances on Top Chef Masters and Iron Chef, earned a three-star review from The New York Times at a young age. He re...
Marcus Mabry
Marcus Mabry NONE Marcus Mabry is a veteran foreign correspondent and chief of correspondents for Newsweek. His award-winning work has been featured in numerous publications, and he is the author of ...
Marcus Anthony Hunter
Marcus Anthony Hunter 0000000379386059 Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, a sociology & African American studies professor at UCLA, coined #BlackLivesMatter, and led UCLA's African American Studies Departmen...
Marcus J. Moore
Marcus J. Moore NONE Marcus J. Moore is a music journalist, editor, curator, pundit, professor, and author. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, NPR, Pitchfork, TIME, TIDAL, GQ, The Washington Post...
Marcus Bridgewater
Marcus Bridgewater NONE Marcus Bridgewater, known on social media as Garden Marcus, is also the author of How to Grow: Nurture Your Garden, Nurture Yourself. Media outlets that have featured his wor...
Carmen Bogan
Carmen Bogan NONE Carmen Bogan is a children's book author and writing coach, known for her works 'Granny, Who Is God?' and 'Where’s Rodney?'. She's part of Oakland Literacy Coalition, promotes publi...
Leila Mottley
Leila Mottley 0000000508946148 Leila Mottley, an Oakland native, is a celebrated author known for her debut novel, Nightcrawling, an Oprah Book Club pick. She explores themes of inequity and liberati...
Morrie Turner
Morrie Turner 0000000021272073 Morris “Morrie” Turner (1923-2014) was an American cartoonist known for creating Wee Pals, the first American syndicated comic strip featuring an integrated cast. Raise...
Marcus Kareem
Marcus Kareem NONE Marcus Kareem was born in Hip-Hop, and raised in Teaneck, NJ. He learned to write and music at early age, sitting on the floor sometimes of the record shop with a pencil and pad. ...
Rupert Lewis
Rupert Lewis 0000000066437652 Rupert Lewis, Professor Emeritus at the University of the West Indies, has dedicated 50 years to educating on Marcus Garvey and the Garvey movement. Lewis has authored a...
Brenda Lane Richardson
Brenda Lane Richardson NONE Brenda Lane Richardson is an award-winning author and trained minister known for her books like Story Power, Chesapeake Song and more. A former Oakland Tribune columnist, ...
Jake Sloan
Jake Sloan NONE Jake Sloan is a civil rights advocate and owner of Davillier-Sloan, Inc., a major California labor-management consulting firm. He began as a pipefitter, later focusing on equality in ...
Fanita Pendleton
Fanita Pendleton NONE Fanita “Moon†Pendleton, originally from Oakland, is a parole officer based in Norfolk, Virginia. She's an experienced criminal justice instructor with a Masters in Public A...
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...
Amy Jacques Garvey
Amy Jacques Garvey 0000000078290141 Amy Euphemia Jacques Garvey was a Jamaican-born journalist, activist and wife of Marcus Garvey. Born on December 31, 1895, she was one of the 20th century's pionee...
Julius Garvey
Julius Garvey NONE Julius W. Garvey, a board-certified cardiothoracic & vascular surgeon in New York, is affiliated with Northwell Health & teaches at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He also lec...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Mary Monroe
Mary Monroe 0000000029010860 Mary Monroe, a sharecropper's daughter and the first in her family to graduate high school, returned to the literary scene with her novel “God Don’t Like Ugly”, which sol...
Elaine Brown
Elaine Brown 000000010913170X Elaine Brown, former leader of the Black Panther Party and author of several notable books, is renowned for her works like 'A Taste of Power', which was optioned by HBO....
Angela Dalton
Angela Dalton NONE Angela Dalton, former video game producer turned award-winning author, is known for her children's books, including 'If You Look Up to the Sky'. Living in Oakland, California, she ...
Robyn C. Spencer
Robyn C. Spencer 0000000117365645 Robyn C. Spencer is a historian and Associate Professor at Lehman College, CUNY. She specializes in post-WWII social protest, urban and working-class radicalism, and...
Terris McMahan Grimes
Terris McMahan Grimes NONE Terris McMahan Grimes is an award-winning author known for her Theresa Galloway mystery series. Her work often explores African American family dynamics, particularly mothe...
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...
Mary Williams
Mary Williams NONE Mary Williams, adopted daughter of Jane Fonda, worked with humanitarian organizations and founded the Lost Boys Foundation. She lived in various locations, including Africa and acr...
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...
Constance Moore
Constance Moore 0000000037457048 Constance Moore is an artist and educator based in Oakland, California. She loves teaching elementary school art and shares her students' love of color. Constance Moo...
Michele E. Lee
Michele E. Lee NONE Michele Elizabeth Lee has worked for over 30 years in the integrated arts field as a visual artist, curator, administrator, educator, and writer. She has an MFA from the Universi...
Diane Givens Moffett
Diane Givens Moffett NONE Diane L. Givens Moffett, a native of Oakland, is a well-educated pastor with degrees from UC Berkeley and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Author of notable sermons publi...
Eugene Stovall
Eugene Stovall NONE Oakland-born Eugene Stovall is a magna cum laude graduate and PhD holder from the University of California. He worked in academia and the corporate world, notably at Pacific Bell ...
Natasha Diaz
Natasha Diaz NONE Natasha DÃaz is a freelance writer and producer with accolades in screenwriting. She's a published essayist and author of the debut YA novel, “Color Me In.” Originally from NYC, sh...
Mia Birdsong
Mia Birdsong NONE Mia Birdsong is an activist, facilitator, and storyteller. She is a Senior Fellow of the Economic Security Project and has held positions at The Aspen Institute and Family Independe...
Ana Ramírez González
Ana Ramírez González NONE Ana RamÃrez González is a visual development artist known for her work on Pixar's Oscar-winning film Coco and its companion picture book. She also illustrated 'Maybe Tomor...
Judy Tyrus and Paul Novosel
Judy Tyrus and Paul Novosel MULTIPLE Judy Tyrus, a former principal ballerina with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and Oakland Ballet, now serves as a dance industry consultant and co-founder of ChromaDi...
Jasmine Guillory
Jasmine Guillory 0000000510956804 Jasmine Guillory, a New York Times bestselling author known for novels like 'The Wedding Date' and 'The Proposal.' Her work has been featured in major publications a...
Taj McCoy
Taj McCoy NONE Oakland-born law grad, Taj McCoy, is a writer dedicated to promoting diverse narratives, including stories of Black love, joy, and empowerment. She engages in yoga, cooking, and suppor...
Ben McBride
Ben McBride NONE Rev. Ben McBride is an acclaimed faith leader and activist known globally as a speaker. Founder of Empower Initiative and Bring the HEAT campaign, and former director of PICO Califor...
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...
Akilah Trinay
Akilah Trinay NONE Oakland native Sharifa Akilah Trinay Parr, M.Ed. is a passionate educator and entrepreneur. She holds a B.A. in Communications and an M.A. in Education and is pursuing her doctora...
Malaika Adero
Malaika Adero 0000000384232281 Malaika Adero runs a literary agency, Adero's Literary Tribe, where she works with publishers and individual clients. She is the author of several books including “Up S...
Tony Martin
Tony Martin 0000000064030680 Professor Tony Martin, born in Trinidad and Tobago (1942-2013), was a revered historian and author, known as the leading expert on Marcus Garvey. Alongside teaching Afric...
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 ...
W. B. Garvey
W. B. Garvey NONE W.B. Garvey, a relative of Marcus Garvey, is a renowned violinist and author of “Panama Fever: Digging Down Gold Mountain.” His work spans from performing with top orchestras and ar...
Leslie Jones
Leslie Jones 0000000447812524 Leslie Jones, born in 1967, is an award-nominated actress known for her work on Saturday Night Live and HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death. She's been recognized as one...
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, ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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. ...
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...
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 ...
Deborah Day
Deborah Day 0000000066839686 Deborah Day, Founder and CEO of Ashay by the Bay, a publishing company specializing in African American and Multi-Cultural children's and adult books. Established in 1997...
Christian Robinson
Christian Robinson 0000000356790294 Christian Robinson is a San Francisco-based illustrator and animator, known for his work with Pixar Animation Studios and The Sesame Street Workshop. He has illust...
Colson Whitehead
Colson Whitehead 0000000109128041 Congrats to Colson Whitehead: Winner 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Colson Whitehead, born in 1969, is an acclaimed writer who began his career at the Village Voice....
Robert Liu-Trujillo
Robert Liu-Trujillo NONE Robert Liu-Trujillo is a California-based author and illustrator, co-founder of The Trust Your Struggle Collective and founder of Come Bien Books. He uses his art to tell cul...
Ruth Forman
Ruth Forman NONE Ruth Forman is an award-winning author of three books and a recipient of multiple literary awards. She's a former faculty member at USC and UC Berkeley, providing writing workshops a...
Percival Everett
Percival Everett 0000000115807163 Percival Everett, a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California, has authored over 20 books, including notable works such as 'Erasure...
Torman Jahi
Torman Jahi NONE Torman Jahi, for the last 27 years, has been known as an international hip-hop artist, born and raised in East Cleveland, Ohio, and calling Oakland home for the last 25 years. Jahi,...
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...
A. Van Jordan
A. Van Jordan NONE A. Van Jordan, an award-winning poet, is known for collections like Rise and M-A-C-N-O-L-I-A. He's received numerous accolades including the Whiting Writers Award, Anisfield-Wolf B...
Jon B. Eckels
Jon B. Eckels NONE Jon B. Eckels (1929-2014) was an acclaimed poet, essayist, activist, and teacher. Renowned for his 14 volumes of poetry, he won an American Book Award and made significant contribu...
Lee E. Meadows
Lee E. Meadows NONE Lee E. Meadows, a native Detroiter and Michigan State University graduate, is a multi-faceted professional with experience in academia, corporate training, and media. He has held ...
Aliona L. Gibson
Aliona L. Gibson NONE Aliona L. Gibson is an author and filmmaker with a passion for creativity and service. She published her first book, Nappy, and later the self-published For Black Writers. Inspi...
Shawnee Gibbs and Shawnelle Gibbs
Shawnee Gibbs and Shawnelle Gibbs MULTIPLE Shawnee Gibbs & Shawnelle Gibbs are writers for comics, graphic novels, television, film & animation. The Gibbs Sisters, Shawneé Gibbs (l) and Shawne...