AALBC Search
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 ...
Jesmyn Ward
Jesmyn Ward 0000000049339751 Two-Time National Book Award Winning Author Jesmyn Ward, a Mississippi-born author and University of South Alabama professor, has penned novels like “Where the Line Bleeds...
Jerry Mitchell
Jerry Mitchell 0000000082044357 Jerry Mitchell, a renowned Mississippi reporter since 1986, has won over 30 national awards. He founded the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit...
Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer 0000000072528286 “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.” —Fannie Lou Hamer Fannie Lou Hamer was a significant civil rights leader and voting rights activist. ...
Addie E. Citchens
Addie E. Citchens 0000000529088410 Addie E. Citchens was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and lives in New Orleans. A graduate of Jackson State University, she studied in the Florida State Universit...
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 ...
Angela Jackson
Angela Jackson 0000000035958201 Angela Jackson, born in 1951, is an acclaimed poet, novelist, and playwright from Mississippi. Raised in Chicago, she's a Northwestern and University of Chicago alumna...
Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Aimee Nezhukumatathil 000000005262000X Aimee Nezhukumatathil is a NY Times best-selling author known for her non-fiction work, 'WORLD OF WONDERS', and four poetry books. She's a poetry editor at SIER...
Deborah Johnson
Deborah Johnson 000000008053546X Deborah Johnson, award-winning author of 'The Air Between Us', resides in Columbus, Mississippi, and is currently crafting her next novel. Deborah Johnson is the auth...
Jerry W. Ward
Jerry W. Ward 0000000108699053 Dr. Jerry W. Ward, Jr. is a renowned professor of English and African American World Studies at Dillard University. He spent 20 years at Tougaloo College, is a leading ...
Jesse J. Holland
Jesse J. Holland 0000000048283848 Jesse J. Holland is a noteworthy journalist from Mississippi, focusing on race, ethnicity, and demographics. He is a Washington correspondent for The Associated Pres...
E.J. Josey
E.J. Josey NONE E.J. Josey was a distinguished professor at the University of Pittsburgh and an influential figure in international librarianship, recognized with numerous awards. He served as presid...
Harold Phifer
Harold Phifer NONE Harold Phifer, also known as Dean Conan, is a Mississippi-born author who spent 23 years as an Air Traffic Controller with the FAA. Post FAA, he transitioned into an International ...
James Meredith
James Meredith 0000000115004803 James Howard Meredith, born June 25, 1933, is a Civil Rights Movement veteran, writer, political adviser, and Air Force veteran. Notably, he was the first Black studen...
Natasha Trethewey
Natasha Trethewey 0000000084159051 Trethewey was U.S. Poet Laureate, 2012-2014 Natasha Trethewey, an American poet and winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for her collection “Native Guard,” was inspired...
Richard Wright
Richard Wright 0000000079803105 Richard Nathaniel Wright (1908-1960), born in poverty and racial discrimination in Mississippi, was a prolific writer aiming to unite Black and White worlds. Known ini...
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-...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Sarah J. Heidelberg
Sarah J. Heidelberg NONE Kansas-born Sarah Jane Heidelberg, an artistic, music-loving author and tutor, runs her own publishing company, Ophelia Brown Publishing. Inspired by a childhood German tale,...
Skyler Houston
Skyler Houston NONE Skyler “Skye” Houston is a Mississippi-born, Georgia-raised author with a Master's in Organizational Leadership. Her love for children and writing inspired her to pen “I Want to b...
Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams
Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams MULTIPLE Alice Randall, a New York Times bestselling author and Harvard graduate, resides in Nashville where she's a songwriter and Writer-in-Residence at ...
Hester Bass
Hester Bass NONE Hester Bass, an award-winning author, was influenced by her upbringing near Atlanta and time in Mississippi. Her diverse experiences, from singing in a rock band to appearing on game...
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...
Shay Youngblood
Shay Youngblood 0000000066793518 Shay Youngblood is an award-winning novelist and playwright, known for her drama 'Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery'. Passionate about reading and writing since childhood...
Saundra
Saundra 0000000497397250 Saundra Jones, an author from Mississippi, now living in Indiana, is known for her stories about fearless females. Her acclaimed debut novel, Her Sweetest Revenge, kickstarte...
Alex Bostic
Alex Bostic NONE Alex Bostic is a renowned realist painter and award-winner based in Mississippi. With a BFA and MA in Illustration from Pratt Institute and Syracuse University respectively, he has o...
Monica Carter
Monica Carter NONE Monica P. Carter is an accomplished author, journalist, and speaker. A University of Southern Mississippi graduate, she's known for her award-winning column in The Times and her fr...
Alice Walker
Alice Walker 0000000114547953 “…a genius of African-American literature.” Alice Walker, born 1944 in Georgia, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for her novel, “The Color Purp...
Douglas A. Blackmon
Douglas A. Blackmon 0000000040628274 Doug Blackmon, a Mississippi native, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and chair of the Miller Center Forum at the University of Virginia. He's a correspondent f...
W. Ralph Eubanks
W. Ralph Eubanks 0000000078505050 W. Ralph Eubanks is a renowned author known for his memoirs about the American South. He formerly edited the Virginia Quarterly Review and directed publishing at the...
Angie Thomas
Angie Thomas 0000000486125057 Angie Thomas, a Mississippi-based author, gained fame with her debut novel 'The Hate U Give'. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, the novel was a #1 New York Ti...
Renée Allen McCoy
Renée Allen McCoy NONE Renée Allen McCoy, a South Carolina native, now resides in Mississippi. She authors a newsletter and a devotional blog, and has written seven books to date. Her work aims to e...
John Valentine
John Valentine NONE John Valentine, born in 60s' Mississippi, is a writer and cultural historian. From a background of poverty and racism, Valentine channeled his experiences into understanding the h...
Tim Fielder
Tim Fielder 0000000496510944 Tim Fielder is a Mississippi-born illustrator, animator and pioneer Afrofuturist. He founded Dieselfunk Studios and has taught at institutions such as the New York Film A...
Albert J. Raboteau
Albert J. Raboteau 0000000081058642 Albert J. Raboteau (1943-2021) was a renowned professor of religion at Princeton University. Born into a Catholic family in segregated Mississippi, his experiences...
Jervette R. Ward
Jervette R. Ward NONE Dr. Jervette R. Ward is an English Associate Professor at Mississippi State University, editor, former journalist, and public relations professional. She specializes in American...
Kiese Laymon
Kiese Laymon 0000000454231015 Kiese Laymon is a Professor of English and African American Studies at the University of Mississippi. He's an acclaimed author with works published in major publications...
Albert Tate
Albert Tate 0000000117939653 Albert Tate, a Mississippi native, is a pastor, public speaker, and podcast host. He accepted his call to ministry at 21, graduated from Wesley Bible College, and is purs...
Heather McTeer Toney
Heather McTeer Toney NONE Heather McTeer Toney, an attorney and environmentalist, was the youngest and first Black female mayor of Greenville, MS. Appointed by President Obama as the EPA's Southeast ...
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf 0000000115018412 Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, born Chris Jackson, is a renowned ex-NBA star and current BIG3 league player. Known for his record-breaking performance at LSU and in the NBA, ...
Tyriek White
Tyriek White 0000000517767141 Tyriek Rashawn White, a Brooklyn-based writer, musician, and educator, serves marginalized communities and leads Lampblack Lit, a literary foundation for Black writers. ...
Maegan Parker Brooks
Maegan Parker Brooks NONE Maegan Parker Brooks teaches in the Civic Communication and Media Department and the American Ethnic Studies Program at Willamette University in Salem, OR. Brooks also direc...
M.W. Moore
M.W. Moore NONE M.W. Moore, former NCAA track champion and recovering addict, is a renowned speaker on addiction and its consequences. Known for his courage and transparency, Moore openly shares his ...
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...
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...
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, ...
Dionne Brand
Dionne Brand 0000000109071487 “The best poetry jolts and shocks, it mines language for what we have not seen, have not heard.” Dionne Brand is an acclaimed poet and novelist, known for win...
Vincent Brown
Vincent Brown 0000000114674784 Vincent Brown is the Charles Warren Professor of American History and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. He is the author of Tacky...
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey 0000000114891842 Oprah Winfrey, a multi-billionaire and influential media owner, is best known for her highest-rated TV show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. She also runs the renowned Oprah Bo...
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...