AALBC Search
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....
Venus Williams
Venus Williams 0000000114587007 Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) became a professional tennis player at the remarkable age of fourteen, immediately making waves in the sport by defeat...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
Nic Stone
Nic Stone 0000000468813358 Nic Stone, a New York Times bestselling author, is acclaimed for novels like “Clean Getaway,” “Dear Martin,” and its sequel “Dear Justyce.” A former softball player, her lo...
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...
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...
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...
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, ...
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...
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 “...
Leonard Jenkins II
Leonard Jenkins II NONE Leonard Jenkins II, an author from Birmingham, AL, is a passionate sports fan and writer. He self-published “Relationships (volume 1): Lessons Before Dying” using his skills i...
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...
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 ...
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...
National Museum of African American History and Culture
National Museum of African American History and Culture MULTIPLE The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), established by Congress in 2003, is devoted to documenting Afric...
My Bible Culture
My Bible Culture NONE My Bible Culture's mission is to help families integrate God's Word into daily life. They offer products and services, featuring stunning illustrations, to aid in strengthening ...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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-...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
Judy C. Andrews
Judy C. Andrews NONE Judy C. Andrews is an accomplished writer and educator with degrees from The City College of New York. Known for her suspense thrillers and insightful explorations of social issu...
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...
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...
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture 000000040525486X Troy Johnson, founder of AALBC.com, is involved with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a NYPL research library and ar...
Zeba Blay
Zeba Blay NONE Zeba Blay is a film and culture critic with a career spanning nearly a decade. She has contributed to various publications like The New York Times and was a Senior Culture Writer at Hu...
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...
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...
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...
Greg_Thomas
Greg_Thomas 0000000055234489 Greg Thomas, a member of Plano ISD and truancy specialist, has an extensive background in counseling, particularly in substance abuse and at-risk youth. Prior to Plano IS...
Shonda Buchanan
Shonda Buchanan 0000000500800611 Shonda Buchanan is an award-winning author and professor with over 15 years of teaching experience in various literary fields. She's an Education Specialist for the U...
John H. Bracey Jr.
John H. Bracey Jr. NONE John H. Bracey Jr. (1941-2023) was a renowned Afro-American studies professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, known for his work on African American history and cu...
Leonidas A. Johnson
Leonidas A. Johnson NONE Rev. Dr. Leonidas A. Johnson, a licensed optometrist and third-generation preacher, is the founder of Crystal Fountain Ministries and The Crystal Fountain Culture and Vision ...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Nichole Perkins
Nichole Perkins NONE Nichole Perkins, a writer from Nashville, explores pop culture, race, sex, gender, and relationships. She's a recognized fellow from various institutions and a former co-host of ...
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,...
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...
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...
Kwesi Oginga
Kwesi Oginga NONE Kwesi Oginga, born in Guyana, is a renowned dramatist, author, and pastor. He wrote plays for Guyana's top festivals, directed plays for the president's birthday, and has penned sev...
Emily Raboteau
Emily Raboteau 0000000036573661 Emily Raboteau, author of 'The Professor’s Daughter' and 'Searching for Zion,' is an award-winning writer renowned for her fiction and essays. She has received numerou...
Michael R. Jackson
Michael R. Jackson 0000000023302176 Michael R. Jackson, a BFA and MFA graduate from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, is a renowned songwriter and playwright. Known for his work on musicals like 'Teeth',...
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...
Renee Prewitt Killingsworth
Renee Prewitt Killingsworth NONE Renee Prewitt Killingsworth, a Chicago native with over 15 years in public relations, began her career as a radio talk show host. She's active in southeast Michigan c...
Shirley Neal
Shirley Neal NONE Shirley Neal is a renowned journalist, author, and documentarian specializing in Pop Culture, Africa, and Black Identity. Noted for her Forbes Africa cover story on Oprah Winfrey, s...
Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart
Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart MULTIPLE Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart are the co-founders of BLK MKT Vintage, an online vintage/antique concept shop that specializes in collectibles and curiosit...
Hoyt Fuller
Hoyt Fuller NONE Hoyt W. Fuller was a key figure in the Black Arts Movement as an editor, educator, critic, and author. He founded the OBAC writers' collective, edited the influential Negro Digest/Bl...
Hilton Als
Hilton Als 0000000106528066 Congrats to Hilton Als: Winner 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism Hilton Als, an associate professor of writing at Columbia University, is an award-winning author and critic...
Jeffrey C. Stewart
Jeffrey C. Stewart 0000000082117456 Dr. Jeffrey C. Stewart is a renowned professor and chair of Black Studies at UC Santa Barbara. With an academic background from UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, and Yale, he's...
Eisa Nefertari Ulen
Eisa Nefertari Ulen NONE Eisa Nefertari Ulen, an award-nominated author, contributes to various publications. She pens essays on African American culture, exploring wide-ranging topics. She's a recip...