AALBC Search
Claudette Colvin
Claudette Colvin 0000000448828317 Claudette Colvin is a civil rights activist whose refusal to give up her bus seat led to the Montgomery bus boycott and helped bring an end to segregation on buses t...
Rosa Guy
Rosa Guy 0000000111564547 Rosa Guy, born in Trinidad in 1925, was an influential Harlem-based writer and activist. A co-founder of the Harlem Writer's Guild, she was also a member of the Black nation...
Electa Rome Parks
Electa Rome Parks NONE Electa Rome Parks is a successful self-published author known for best-selling novels like The Ties That Bind and Loose Ends. After initially self-publishing through her own co...
Suzan-Lori Parks
Suzan-Lori Parks 0000000115844503 Suzan-Lori Parks, born 1963, is a Pulitzer-winning playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. Notable for her work on Spike Lee’s ‘Girl 6’ and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo P...
Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks 0000000122842071 Gordon Parks (1912-2006) was a self-taught photographer who rose from poverty to become a pioneering African American film director, writer, and composer. Notably, he di...
Joy Deja King, Electa Rome Parks, Cheryl Robinson, and Meta Smith
Joy Deja King, Electa Rome Parks, Cheryl Robinson, and Meta Smith MULTIPLE Joy King, Electa Rome Parks, Cheryl Robinson, and Meta Smith are renowned authors known for their significant contributions ...
Novuyo Rosa Tshuma
Novuyo Rosa Tshuma 0000000430427881 Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, a Zimbabwe-born author based in Texas, is known for her prizewinning short story collection, Shadows. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop,...
Kate Coombs
Kate Coombs NONE Kate Coombs, an award-winning author known for her fairy tales, poetry, and middle-grade fantasy novels, lives in Utah. Seth Lucas, a graphic designer and illustrator supporting Nati...
John Steptoe
John Steptoe 0000000083178664 John Lewis Steptoe (1950-1989) was a renowned children's book author and illustrator from Brooklyn, NY. Known for his rich illustrations depicting the African American e...
Dashka Slater
Dashka Slater 0000000037310986 Dashka Slater is an award-winning journalist who writes for such publications as The New York Times Magazine and Mother Jones. She is also the author of fifteen books ...
G. Percy Smalley
G. Percy Smalley NONE G. Percy Smalley, a Los Angeles native, began writing to impress his now-wife Natalie, and continues to captivate her with romantic tales. With degrees in Business Management an...
Patrick Girouard
Patrick Girouard NONE Patrick Girouard is a versatile artist, known for his original work ranging from corporate logos to city bus designs. With over 100 children's books under his belt, including aw...
Brad Meltzer
Brad Meltzer 000000011669085X Brad Meltzer is a #1 NY Times bestselling author known for his thriller novels and non-fiction works, such as “The Inner Circle” and “Heroes For My Son.” He's also an Ei...
Shauna J. Grant
Shauna J. Grant NONE Shauna J. Grant, a celebrated cartoonist known for her cute creations, is the author of 'Mimi and the Cutie Catastrophe.' She's also contributed to 'Black Comix Returns', 'Noisem...
Osonye Tess Onwueme
Osonye Tess Onwueme 0000000114408785 Dr. Osonye Tess Onwueme, a University Professor of Global Letters at the University of Wisconsin, is a renowned author with several prestigious awards including t...
J. Drew Lanham
J. Drew Lanham NONE J. Drew Lanham is a distinguished author, poet, and professor of Wildlife Ecology. Known for his books 'Sparrow Envy' and 'The Home Place', he's recognized with a MacArthur Grant ...
Kimberly Brown Pellum
Kimberly Brown Pellum NONE Kimberly Brown Pellum is a renowned author, historian, and professor, known for her expertise in African American history and culture. She has an extensive background in ed...
Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr.
Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. MULTIPLE Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. (born 1948) was working a corporate job for AT&T when, at the age of 40, he discovered the art of letterpress printing on a tour of Colonia...
Christian Gregory
Christian Gregory 0000000092619249 Dr. Christian Claxton Gregory is the eighth child of Dick and Lillian Gregory. Dr. Gregory practiced in Washington, DC for twenty-five years, caring for DC natives...
Seth Lucas
Seth Lucas NONE Seth Lucas, a talented illustrator and designer, is the co-founder of Ello There Outdoors which sells prints and accessories supporting National Parks. Based in Indianapolis, he lives...
Devin Allen
Devin Allen NONE Devin Allen is a self-taught artist from Baltimore. He's known for his powerful photographs published on Time magazine covers, notably during the Baltimore Uprising and BlackTrans Li...
Andre Seward
Andre Seward NONE Andre Seward, also known as Poetryman7, is a poet who has been writing since 1998. His works are deeply grounded in faith and spirituality, exploring themes of love, grace, and fami...
Tracy K. Smith and Kevin Young
Tracy K. Smith and Kevin Young MULTIPLE Tracy K. Smith is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of four poetry books, including 'Life on Mars', and the upcoming 'Such Color: New and Selected Poems'. She ha...
Matthew Shenoda
Matthew Shenoda 0000000045678350 Matthew Shenoda is a writer, professor, and author and editor of several books. His poems and essays have appeared in a variety of newspapers, journals, radio progra...
Cheryl Boyce-Taylor
Cheryl Boyce-Taylor 0000000038283932 Trinidad-born, Queens-bred Cheryl Boyce Taylor is a celebrated poet and visual artist. She's authored several poetry collections, received the Partners in Writing...
Etheridge Knight
Etheridge Knight 0000000066439498 Etheridge Knight, born on April 19, 1931, was a renowned poet who began writing while incarcerated and published his notable collection, Poems from Prison, in 1968. ...
Camille T. Dungy
Camille T. Dungy 0000000036407735 Camille T. Dungy, renowned poet and essayist, is known for her work in 100 Best African American Poems and 30 other anthologies. She's a recipient of multiple awards...
Kelly Harris-DeBerry
Kelly Harris-DeBerry NONE Kelly Harris-DeBerry is an award-winning poet and the author of Freedom Knows My Name. Known for her gift to bring poems to life by using her voice as an instrument, audienc...
Tracy K. Smith and John Freeman
Tracy K. Smith and John Freeman MULTIPLE Tracy K. Smith is a Pulitzer-winning poet, author of four books, including 'Life on Mars', and editor of 'American Journal'. She served as the US Poet Laureat...
Angelina Weld Grimké
Angelina Weld Grimké 0000000110713205 Angelina Weld Grimké (1880-1958) was an accomplished American journalist, teacher, playwright, and poet. Notably, she was one of the first Black American women ...
Frank Marshall Davis
Frank Marshall Davis 0000000037536993 Frank Marshall Davis (1905-1987) was a renowned poet known for four volumes including 'Black Man's Verse' & '47th Street: Poems'. His works were later edited by ...
Jacki Simmons
Jacki Simmons NONE Bronx-born, Harlem-raised author Jacki Simmons found inspiration in her surroundings from a young age. She completed her first short story at 11 and her first novel at 16. After wi...
Barbara Keaton
Barbara Keaton NONE Barbara Keaton, a Chicago native, is a published author and experienced professional in public and community relations. She attributes her respect for the written word to her Cath...
Alan Osi
Alan Osi NONE Alan Osi, a writer hailing from Arlington MA, is known for his compelling storytelling about the new Black American experience. His work, born from his upbringing as the son of civil ri...
Michael Baisden
Michael Baisden 0000000034966779 Michael Baisden is a popular radio personality, NY Times best-selling author, and film producer. Known for his explosive radio show themes, he began his career sellin...
Paula Young Shelton
Paula Young Shelton NONE Born in NYC during the 1960s, author Paula Young Shelton moved to Atlanta as a baby during the civil rights movement. An NAACP Image Award nominee, she has written children's...
Zane
Zane 0000000116815915 AALBC’s All-Time Bestselling Author Zane, a New York Times Bestselling Author, is known for several popular titles including “Addicted”, and “The Sex Chronicles.” Her works...
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...
Darnell L. Moore
Darnell L. Moore 0000000430743868 Darnell L. Moore, born 1976, is an influential writer and editor with contributions at CASSIUS, LogoTV.com, and Mic, and a regular writer for Ebony, Advocate, Vice, ...
James Earl Hardy
James Earl Hardy 0000000042416478 James Earl Hardy is the author of the bestselling B-Boy Blues series, including B-Boy Blues, which has been praised as the first gay hip hop love story and is celeb...
John Lewis
John Lewis 0000000114586629 Born to sharecroppers, John Robert Lewis became a key figure in the US Civil Rights Movement. As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and a speaker at...
Aleema Omotoni
Aleema Omotoni NONE Aleema Omotoni is an award-winning British-Nigerian author. She writes novels that center Black teens coming of age, falling in love, and navigating all kinds of contemporary and...
Tiphanie Yanique
Tiphanie Yanique 0000000071326295 Tiphanie Yanique, a novelist, poet, and professor from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, is renowned for her numerous awards including the Mary Grant Charles Award ...
Ashley Iman
Ashley Iman NONE Ashley Iman, a former teacher and lifelong learner, currently directs a teacher residency program in Washington, DC. In her free time, she enjoys exploring national parks and gardeni...
Aisha Muharrar
Aisha Muharrar 0000000033303156 Aisha Muharrar is an Emmy Award–winning writer and co-executive producer of the hit show Hacks. She was a writer for Parks and Recreation for six seasons and ha...
Ave Maria Cross
Ave Maria Cross NONE As poet, playwright and teaching artist, Ave Maria Cross has practiced her passion and exercised her God-given talents for over 20 years, through researching and writing i...
Jerry Pinkney
Jerry Pinkney 0000000063081603 Jerry Pinkney (December 22, 1939 – October 20, 2021) has been illustrating children’s books since 1964. In addition to his work on children’s books, he is an ext...
Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein
Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein MULTIPLE Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein are accomplished authors and screenwriters. Bandy, a founding member of Comedy Shorts, has worked in animation and co-authored...
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...
Bernadette Baillie
Bernadette Baillie NONE Bernadette Baillie, a Filipina American writer and speaker, grew up in a sports-loving family, selling signature athlete shoes. A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked...
Jamel Shabazz
Jamel Shabazz 0000000078691308 Jamel Shabazz, born in Brooklyn in 1960, is a renowned photographer whose work has been exhibited at major museums. Inspired by famed photographers, Shabazz started doc...
Michelle V. Agins and Julia Chance
Michelle V. Agins and Julia Chance MULTIPLE Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Michelle V. Agins, renowned for her work with The New York Times and publications like Essence and Sports Illustrate...
Julian Mims
Julian Mims NONE Julian Merrell Mims was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1979, the eldest son of Anthony Ronald Mims, a college football coach, and Virginia Mims, an elementary school teacher. ...
Sonia Sanchez
Sonia Sanchez 0000000080885435 Sonia Sanchez (b. 1934) is a significant figure in the Black Arts Movement, known for her innovative and original poetry that explores racial and gender struggles. Her ...
Toi Derricotte
Toi Derricotte 0000000083980729 “My skin causes certain problems continuously, problems that open the issue of racism over and over like a wound.” Toi Derricotte is an award-winning poet a...
Dianne Ochiltree
Dianne Ochiltree NONE Dianne Ochiltree is a nationally recognized author, writing for children of all ages. Her work, ranging from stories to poems, has been translated into multiple formats includin...
Princess F.L. Gooden
Princess F.L. Gooden NONE Born and raised in Atlanta, Princess F. L. Gooden is a gifted writer, poet, and dramatist. She started writing at a young age, and by 13, she had written and directed plays ...
Jen Bryant
Jen Bryant 0000000067561735 Jen Bryant is an award-winning author of picture books, novels, and poems for all ages. Her accolades include two Caldecott Honors, two ALA Schneider Family Book Awards, a...
Patricia Hubbell
Patricia Hubbell 0000000084277955 Patricia Hubbell, a celebrated children's author, has written numerous award-winning books and poems over her four-decade career. Her work features in over 200 antho...
Charles R. Smith Jr.
Charles R. Smith Jr. NONE Charles R. Smith Jr. is an acclaimed author, poet, and photographer with over 30 books. He's a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration and Honor Author Aw...
Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
Natasha Anastasia Tarpley NONE Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, a Chicago native, nurtured her love for writing from a young age. She began publishing poetry in high school and honed her craft at Harvard U...
Teri Ellen Cross Davis
Teri Ellen Cross Davis NONE Teri Ellen Cross Davis, award-winning author of 'Haint: poems', is a Cave Canem Fellow and Poetry Coordinator at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. Teri Ell...
Carolyn Marie Rodgers
Carolyn Marie Rodgers 0000000066509791 Carolyn Marie Rodgers (1940-2010), a key figure in the Black Arts Movement and co-founder of Third World Press, was born and raised in Chicago. Known for her po...
Ai Ogawa
Ai Ogawa 0000000368573553 Ai Ogawa (1947-2010), born Florence Anthony, was a prominent poet and author awarded with the American Book Award and a National Book Award. She authored seven books of poet...
Sherley Anne Williams
Sherley Anne Williams 0000000114970321 Sherley Anne Williams was an influential poet, novelist, and professor known for her works portraying her experiences within the African-American community. Bor...
Adrian Matejka
Adrian Matejka 0000000037525872 Adrian Matejka is a Germany-born, Indiana-based author and educator. A graduate of Indiana University and Southern Illinois University Carbondale, he has penned award-...
Roxane Orgill
Roxane Orgill NONE Roxane Orgill is a seasoned music critic and author with over 20 years of experience, having worked with The Wall Street Journal and The Milwaukee Journal. She is known for her bio...
Carolyn Joyner
Carolyn Joyner NONE Carolyn Joyner is a dedicated poet with a divine mission to inspire through themes of politics, love, and spirituality. Her performances span from Washington, DC to Chicago and En...
Truth Thomas
Truth Thomas NONE Truth Thomas, born in Knoxville and raised in Washington DC, is an award-winning poet and singer-songwriter. He has authored four poetry collections including Speak Water, winner of...
Derek Walcott
Derek Walcott 0000000114709596 Winner of the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature Walcott, won the Nobel Prize for Literature (1992). The motivation for the Prize was, “…for a poetic oeuvre of great lumino...
Pamela Sneed
Pamela Sneed 0000000035258600 Pamela Sneed is a New York-based poet, writer, and actress, featured in prestigious publications and has performed globally. She's included in “The 100 Best African Amer...
Michelle D. Rayford
Michelle D. Rayford NONE Author Michelle D. Rayford, winner of a fifth-grade literacy contest, nurtured her passion for writing through years of education, a government job, marriage, and motherhood....
George Moses Horton
George Moses Horton 000000006316904X George Moses Horton (1798–1884) was the first African American poet to be published in the Southern US, while still enslaved. His notable works include “The Hop...
Haki Madhubuti
Haki Madhubuti 0000000114735014 Haki R. Madhubuti, a leading figure in Black literature, is a poet, publisher, editor, and educator. With over 30 published books and 3 million copies in print, he's o...
Gloria Oden
Gloria Oden 0000000382838642 Gloria Catherine Oden (1923-2011) was a renowned poet, editor, and English professor from New York. A Pulitzer Prize nominee for her poetry collection 'Resurrections', sh...
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 ...
Mervyn Taylor
Mervyn Taylor 0000000395906544 Trinidad-born poet, Mervyn Taylor, divides his time between Brooklyn and Trinidad. A teacher at several institutions, he's known for his five poetry books including awa...
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...
Joseph S. Spence, Sheila M. Parrish-Spence, and Jonathan Clarence Parrish-Spence
Joseph S. Spence, Sheila M. Parrish-Spence, and Jonathan Clarence Parrish-Spence MULTIPLE The Spence family, consisting of Joseph, Sheila, and Jonathan, use poetry and various other forms of artistic...
Yolanda T. Marshall
Yolanda T. Marshall NONE Yolanda T. Marshall, born in Guyana, is a writer and manager for Canada's largest Academic Publishing Company. With a passion for guitar and poetry, she published her first b...
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...
Alexander Andrews
Alexander Andrews 0000000063097189 Alexander Andrews, a critically acclaimed poet of diverse heritage, is known for exploring themes of love, childhood, and environmental stress. His highly-rated deb...
Irene Latham and Charles Waters
Irene Latham and Charles Waters MULTIPLE Irene Latham and Charles Waters, “Poetic Forever Friends”, are renowned for their collaborative poetry books for young readers, including award-winning works ...
Kwame Dawes
Kwame Dawes 0000000073665848 Ghana-born Kwame Dawes, a poet significantly influenced by Jamaican rhythms and reggae music, is the author of numerous poetry collections, novels, and non-fiction works....
Jason Lawrence Moore
Jason Lawrence Moore NONE "Jason Moore, a Connecticut-based writer, pens one-page poems on diverse subjects, drawing from his experiences in Indianapolis, the US Navy, and corporate America. His work...
Jean “Binta” Breeze
Jean “Binta” Breeze 0000000025335932 Jean “Binta” Breeze (1956–2021) was a renowned Jamaican poet who published eight books and performed globally. She first gained recognition in 1985 at the Inter...
Lucille Clifton
Lucille Clifton 0000000117802788 Lucille Clifton (1936-2010) was a distinguished poet and professor, notable as the first African American woman to win the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. She also won the N...
Uzoma R. Ezekwudo
Uzoma R. Ezekwudo NONE Uzoma “Uzo” R. Ezekwudo is a graduate of Economics from the University of North Carolina who discovered a love for writing in her adulthood. She's penned a diverse collection o...
Mari Evans
Mari Evans 0000000108875002 Mari Evans, born July 16, 1919, was a significant figure in the 1960s Black Arts Movement. She was a distinguished writer and educator, teaching at institutions like Corne...
Pat Parker
Pat Parker 0000000106773440 Pat Parker (1944-1989) was a renowned African-American, lesbian-feminist poet and performer. Notable works include 'Jonestown & Other Madness' and 'Movement in Black'. She...
Noah Davis
Noah Davis 0000000403317062 Noah Davis, a Pennsylvania native, is a renowned author specializing in poems and prose about the Allegheny Front. His work has featured in numerous publications and his f...
aja monet
aja monet 0000000370068724 aja monet is a surrealist blues poet, storyteller, and organizer born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She won the legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe Grand Slam poetry award title i...
Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni 0000000114678830 Nikki Giovanni (June 7, 1943 to December 9, 2024 was an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni (June 7, 1943 &n...
Bernardo Wade
Bernardo Wade NONE Born & raised in New Orleans, Bernardo Wade tries at poems, catches elbows on the court, wanders around the Bay—occasionally on Stanford’s campus as a Wallace Stegner Fellow. ...
Stephanie Powell Watts
Stephanie Powell Watts 0000000123378514 Stephanie Powell Watts, a former Jehovah’s Witness minister and factory worker, is a celebrated writer and teacher of fiction and creative nonfiction. With a B...