AALBC Search
Ronald Fair
Ronald Fair 0000000116782340 Chicago-born African-American author, Ronald L. Fair, inspired by Richard Wright, carved his own literary path. Born in 1932, Fair served in the U.S. Navy before becoming...
Abdulrazak Gurnah
Abdulrazak Gurnah 0000000109376264 Winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature Abdulrazak Gurnah, a UK-based novelist and academic, won the 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature for his exploration of colo...
Nathan Harris
Nathan Harris 0000000047365403 A 2021 National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” Honoree Nathan Harris, an award-winning author, holds an MFA from the University of Texas and lives in Austin. K...
Akeem S. Roberts
Akeem S. Roberts NONE Akeem S. Roberts is an illustrator, animator, and cartoonist based in Brooklyn, New York. Versed in many styles, Akeem is passionate about breathing life into stories through a...
Judy Allen Dodson
Judy Allen Dodson NONE Judy Allen Dodson is an award-winning librarian, archivist, and children's author dedicated to teaching Black History through stories of unsung heroes. She serves as a regional...
Leire Salaberria
Leire Salaberria 0000000360451551 Leire Salaberria, born in Spain in 1983, is a Fine Arts graduate who specializes in Children's Illustration. She's exhibited her work globally and has been featured ...
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...
Dantiel W. Moniz
Dantiel W. Moniz NONE A 2021 National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” Honoree Dantiel W. Moniz is an award-winning author, recognized by the Alice Hoffman Prize and Tin House Scholarship. Her...
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...
Max Rodriguez
Max Rodriguez NONE Max Rodriguez is the founder and publisher of QBR/The Black Book Review, one of the nation’s premier publications dedicated to books by and about people of African descent. ...
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...
Patrice Lawrence
Patrice Lawrence 000000047779067X Patrice Lawrence is an award-winning writer. Her debut YA novel, Orangeboy (Hachette), won the Bookseller YA Prize and the Waterstones Prize for Older Children’s Fi...
Linda A. Duggins
Linda A. Duggins NONE Linda A. Duggins is the Director of Multicultural Publicity at Hachette Book Group and Co-founder of the Harlem Book Fair. She's a board member of several literacy organizations...
Wade Hudson
Wade Hudson 0000000067647969 Why I Publish Children’s Books Wade Hudson, born in 1946, is an author, journalist, and civil rights activist. Known for his children's books promoting positive Afri...
Pat Cummings
Pat Cummings 0000000067231736 Pat Cummings is an award-winning author and illustrator, known for creating over 30 children's books. She's worked on TV shows like Gullah Gullah Island and Cover to Cov...
Zaila Avant-Garde
Zaila Avant-Garde NONE Zaila Avant-Garde, a New York Times bestselling author and SportsKid of the Year 2021, is renowned for being the first African-American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee...
Naomi V. Dunsen-White
Naomi V. Dunsen-White NONE Naomi V. Dunsen-White is a children’s book author and editor focused on promoting diversity and representation in children's literature. She utilizes her background as a fo...
Michele Wood
Michele Wood 0000000384420661 Michele Wood is a minister and award-winning author known for her vivid illustrations and use of Christian symbolism. Her accolades include the American Book Award, the ...
Lynda Johnson
Lynda Johnson NONE Lynda Johnson, co-founder of Go On Girl! Book Club, supported authors from the African diaspora and helped fund scholarships. She also founded Kidstylesource.com, a leading website...
Leila Chatti
Leila Chatti 0000000474101189 Leila Chatti is a Tunisian-American poet and author of Deluge (Copper Canyon Press, 2020), winner of the 2021 Levis Reading Prize, the 2021 Luschei Prize for African Po...
Tiffany Rose
Tiffany Rose NONE Tiffany Rose, a teacher and author/illustrator, is known for her book 'M is for Melanin'. Passionate about creating art and stories that reflect underrepresented children, she also ...
Terrence L. Johnson
Terrence L. Johnson NONE Terrence L. Johnson is the Charles G. Adams Professor of African American Religious Studies, Professor of African and African American Studies (FAS), Director of Religion and...
Safia Elhillo
Safia Elhillo 0000000464340864 Safia Elhillo, author of 'The January Children', is a celebrated Sudanese-American poet. She's notable for her 2016 Sillerman First Book Prize, 2018 Arab American Book ...
Safiya Umoja Noble
Safiya Umoja Noble 0000000452149763 Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble is an associate professor at UCLA with degrees from California State University and University of Illinois. Recognized as a 2021 MacArthur F...
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...
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...
Heidi Tyline King
Heidi Tyline King 0000000110757224 Heidi Tyline King is an accomplished author known for her adult literature. She ventured into children's books with “Saving American Beach: The Biography of African...
Lauren Lacey
Lauren Lacey NONE Lauren Lacey, an indie Romance author and digital strategist, has optimized global brands including PwC. She's the former marketing lead for Mastercard and AMEX gift cards, and a Fo...
Yvette Lisa Ndlovu
Yvette Lisa Ndlovu NONE Yvette Lisa Ndlovu is a Zimbabwean storyteller. Her debut short story collection Drinking from Graveyard Wells was selected for the 2021 UPK New Poetry & Prose Series. Yvette ...
Autumn Allen
Autumn Allen NONE Autumn Allen is a literature educator, senior editor at Barefoot Books, and author known for her contributions to children's literature. She teaches at Harvard Graduate School of Ed...
Ed Bullins
Ed Bullins 0000000108602549 Ed Bullins (1935-2021) was a renowned figure in American theater, significantly contributing to African American drama during the Black Arts Movement. A playwright, poet, ...
Daphne A. Brooks
Daphne A. Brooks 0000000036317932 Daphne A. Brooks is a Yale University professor and co-founder of the Black Sound & the Archive Working Group. She is an award-winning author known for her works on ...
Kakwasi Somadhi
Kakwasi Somadhi NONE Kakwasi Somadhi Kakwasi is a seasoned writer and educator with an MFA in creative writing from Goddard College. She made her debut with the novel “Coming Forth by Day.” Besides t...
Nah Dove
Nah Dove NONE Nah Dorothy Dove, Ph.D. is a proud mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She has lived in Ghana, Nigeria, Canada, the U.S., and the UK. She graduated with a PhD from the State Un...
Raphael G. Warnock
Raphael G. Warnock NONE Reverend Dr. Raphael Warnock, born in 1969, is a Senator from Georgia, elected in 2021. He graduated from Morehouse College and Union Theological Seminary. Previously, he serv...
Tonya M. Evans
Tonya M. Evans NONE Tonya M. Evans is a distinguished professor, speaker, and author with expertise in blockchain, cryptocurrency, and law. She's recognized in Forbes 50 Over 50 Investment List and t...
Taylor Byas
Taylor Byas NONE Dr. Taylor Byas, Ph.D. is a Black poet and essayist. Originally from Chicago, she moved to Alabama for six years, where she received both her Bachelor’s degree in English and her Ma...
Eloise Greenfield
Eloise Greenfield 000000006319793X Eloise Greenfield, renowned for her rhythmic style, positively portrayed the black experience in her award-winning children's literature. With works like The Friend...
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith 0000000114602158 Jada Pinkett Smith is a versatile American actress, singer-songwriter, and producer notable for roles in over 20 films including the Matrix and Madagascar series. ...
Meron Hadero
Meron Hadero 0000000497702868 Meron Hadero, an Ethiopian American writer, is known for her award-winning short stories. Born in Addis Ababa and raised in the US, she has been published in esteemed ou...
Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas 0000000121205943 Clarence Thomas, born in 1948, is an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, nominated by President G. H. W. Bush. He succeeded Thurgood Marshall in 1991, becomi...
Ronda Racha Penrice
Ronda Racha Penrice NONE Ronda Racha Penrice, an expert in African American history and culture, studied at Columbia University and NYU, focusing on African American literature. She contributed to Th...
Wanda Thomas
Wanda Thomas 0000000074200639 Wanda L. Thomas, a New York-born author and CEO of a Medical Transcribing business, holds a BA in Biology and Pre-Medical Studies. She founded JCW Enterprises, a childre...
Nathan Huggins
Nathan Huggins 0000000110473299 Nathan Irvin Huggins (1927-1989) was a renowned historian, author, and educator specializing in African-American studies. He served as the W. E. B. Du Bois Professor a...
Nellie Y. McKay
Nellie Y. McKay 0000000081108566 Nellie Y. McKay, an influential figure in American literature, co-edited the Norton Anthology of African American Literature. Her work highlighted the scholarly study...
Ted Joans
Ted Joans 0000000081560413 “Jazz is my religion.” Theodore “Ted” Joans was an acclaimed jazz poet, surrealist, trumpeter, and painter, known for his avant-garde work and criticism of compe...
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...
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...
Naleighna Kai, Renee Bernard, J.L. Woodson, Joyce A Brown, D. J. McLaurin, Candy Jackson, Janice Pernell, Valarie Prince, Martha Kennerson, Susan D. Peters, Tanishia Pearson-Jones, and L. A. Lewis
Naleighna Kai, Renee Bernard, J.L. Woodson, Joyce A Brown, D. J. McLaurin, Candy Jackson, Janice Pernell, Valarie Prince, Martha Kennerson, Susan D. Peters, Tanishia Pearson-Jones, and L. A. Lewis MUL...
Dinah Johnson
Dinah Johnson NONE Dinah Johnson is a renowned author in children's literature, particularly in African American storytelling. Her books, which include titles like Hair Dance! and Sitting Pretty, cel...
Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
Mohamed Mbougar Sarr 0000000448978075 Senegalese author Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, born in 1990, is celebrated for his contributions to modern African literature. He tackles social, political, and cultura...
B. B. Alston
B. B. Alston NONE B.B. Alston is a South Carolina-based author known for his international bestseller, “Amari and the Night Brothers.” The book, published in 27 countries, spent 30+ weeks on the NY T...
Idza Luhumyo
Idza Luhumyo NONE Idza Luhumyo, born in 1993, is a rising star in African literature, known for her award-winning works. She earned the Margaret Busby New Daughters of Africa Award in 2020 and the Sh...
Beauty Bragg
Beauty Bragg 0000000125620829 Beauty Bragg is a Professor of African American Literature at Georgia College with a BA from USC and a MA and Ph.D from UT Austin. She authored a book exploring black wo...
Rebel Girls
Rebel Girls NONE Rebel Girls is an empowerment brand that inspires girls globally with stories of extraordinary women. Originated from a best-selling children's book, it reaches nearly 20 million gir...
Halima Taha
Halima Taha NONE Halima Taha is a renowned advocate for African and African-American art, known for her educational initiatives and influential writings. Her contributions have spearheaded recognitio...
Gil Robertson
Gil Robertson NONE Gil L. Robertson IV is a renowned authority on African-American pop culture. A journalist, author, lecturer, and media consultant, he provides platforms for social change through h...
Andrew Young
Andrew Young 0000000109181731 Andrew Jackson Young Jr. is an American politician, diplomat, and activist born on March 12, 1932. He started as a pastor, became a civil rights leader, and served as th...
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Cynthia Leitich Smith 0000000116543788 Cynthia Leitich Smith is a bestselling author of books across all ages. Known for her award-winning books like Hearts Unbroken, she also curates Heartdrum, a Na...
Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
Eddie S. Glaude Jr. NONE Join a Conversation with Go On Girl! Book Club and Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Saturday, February 20, 2021. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. is a renowned professor at Princeton University, speci...
Kenesha Sneed
Kenesha Sneed NONE Kenesha Sneed, a Los Angeles-based award-winning artist and Creative Director, centers her work on empowerment and the Black female experience. Known as Tactile Matter for her text...
Shasta Clinch
Shasta Clinch NONE Shasta Clinch loves to read and sometimes even finds time to write! Shasta's first book came out in 2021, and three more published in 2024. Shasta Clinch is a freelance copy editor...
Quintard Taylor
Quintard Taylor 0000000114391610 AALBC Truly Mourns the Lost of Quintard Taylor Quintard Taylor, a Professor of American History, specializes in African American history with over three decades of exp...
Monique Greenwood, Lynda Johnson, and Tracy Mitchell-Brown
Monique Greenwood, Lynda Johnson, and Tracy Mitchell-Brown MULTIPLE "Evalyn Hamilton, Lynda Johnson, and Monique Greenwood are key members of Go On Girl! Book Club. Hamilton is the Newsletter Editor,...
Ibi Zoboi, Tracey Baptiste, Coe Booth, Dhonielle Clayton, Brandy Colbert, Jay Coles, Lamar Giles, Leah Henderson, Justina Ireland, Varian Johnson, Kekla Magoon, Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone, Renée Watson, Rita Williams-Garcia, and others
Ibi Zoboi, Tracey Baptiste, Coe Booth, Dhonielle Clayton, Brandy Colbert, Jay Coles, Lamar Giles, Leah Henderson, Justina Ireland, Varian Johnson, Kekla Magoon, Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone, Renée Watso...
Cheryl Willis Hudson and Wade Hudson
Cheryl Willis Hudson and Wade Hudson MULTIPLE Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, parents based in Northern NJ, founded Just Us Books in 1988 to address a lack of quality Black-interest children's ...
Runoko Rashidi
Runoko Rashidi 0000000067534868 “Africans came to America before, during, and after enslavement. Don’t start our history at the end; start it at the beginning.” Dr. Runoko Rashidi wa...
Briona Simone Jones
Briona Simone Jones NONE Briona Simone Jones, a Black lesbian feminist of Jamaican and African American heritage from Rochester, NY, is a 2021 doctoral candidate in English at Michigan State Universi...
Greg Tate
Greg Tate 0000000385325658 Greg Tate (1957-2021) was a revered writer, musician, and producer, primarily focusing on African-American music and culture. He co-founded the Black Rock Coalition and led...
Ashley Bryan
Ashley Bryan 0000000063847832 Ashley Bryan (1923-2022) was a celebrated illustrator, recognized for his contributions to children's literature. His accolades include the Coretta Scott King—Virginia...
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. MULTIPLE Dr. Henry “Skip” Louis Gates Jr., a distinguished Harvard professor, is widely recognized for his contribution to African and African American research. As editor in c...
Destiny O. Birdsong
Destiny O. Birdsong NONE Destiny O. Birdsong is a critically acclaimed poet published in prominent outlets like The Paris Review. She's a recipient of the American Poets Prize and Richard G. Peterson...
Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin Van Peebles 000000038553859X Melvin Van Peebles, founding father of Black American cinema, was a multi-talented artist known for directing, writing, and acting in groundbreaking films. He was ...
Claribel A. Ortega
Claribel A. Ortega NONE Claribel A. Ortega is a New York Times Bestselling author known for her debut novel Ghost Squad, which won multiple awards and is being made into a film. She co-hosts the Bad ...
Anne Wynter
Anne Wynter NONE Anne Wynter is the Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning author of the picture books Everybody in the Red Brick Building and Nell Plants a Tree as well as the board books Hands On! and One B...
Beronda L. Montgomery
Beronda L. Montgomery NONE Beronda L. Montgomery is an award-winning plant biologist and author of the acclaimed Lessons from Plants (Harvard University Press, 2021). She has been named one of the j...
Nadia Salomon
Nadia Salomon NONE Nadia Salomon is a #PitMad Success Story and award-winning author of A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers Williams Story, the first picture book biography ever written about the iconi...
Nita Wiggins
Nita Wiggins NONE Nita Wiggins is a Paris-based American author, speaker, and journalism instructor. She is recognized for her expertise in journalism strategies and regularly appears on TV networks,...
David Diop
David Diop 0000000381649161 David Diop, born in 1966, is a renowned French-Senegalese author known for his historical fiction. His novel “At Night All Blood is Black” won the 2021 International Booke...
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...
Melanie S. Hatter
Melanie S. Hatter NONE Melanie S. Hatter, award-winning author of “Malawi’s Sisters” and “The Color of My Soul”, also penned the short fiction collection “Let No One Weep for Me.” She's actively enga...
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Andrea Davis Pinkney 0000000083413599 Andrea Davis Pinkney is a bestselling author of children and young adult books, awarded multiple honors such as Coretta Scott King Awards and NAACP Image Award n...
Breanna J. McDaniel
Breanna J. McDaniel NONE Breanna J. McDaniel is a children's literature author and scholar, holding an MA from Simmons University and currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Cambridge. Her rese...
Bernette Ford
Bernette Ford 0000000038486553 Bernette Ford, founder of COLOR-BRIDGE BOOKS, was a renowned children's book packager and consultant, and an advocate for diversity in children's literature. She held s...
Victoria Christopher Murray
Victoria Christopher Murray 0000000040017326 Victoria Christopher Murray, a Queens native, turned from a successful corporate career to fulfill her dream of becoming an author. She self-published her...
Tamkara Adun
Tamkara Adun NONE Tamkara Adun is a Nigerian author, researcher, and historian specializing in indigenous African history. She founded ỌdúnìfẹÌ, a platform for teaching African history and lan...
Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chisholm 0000000021812965 Shirley Anita Chisholm January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1981 was the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1969 and was re-elected six times until she...
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...
Joe Louis
Joe Louis 0000000081503179 “You can run, but you can’t hide.” Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was n professional boxer who reigned as world heavyweight cha...
Dedrick Moone
Dedrick Moone NONE Dedrick L. Moone, COO of The Rules of a Big Boss LLC, is an author, philanthropist, and motivational speaker offering empowerment products and services. He authored 'The Unexpected...
Julian Sher
Julian Sher 0000000120277646 Julian Sher is an award-winning journalist, author of seven books on various social issues, and renowned investigative reporter. He's worked for the Toronto Star, the Glo...
Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu
Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu MULTIPLE Desmond Mpilo Tutu, former Archbishop Emeritus of Southern Africa (1931-2021), and his daughter Reverend Mpho A. Tutu, who is the executive director of The Desmond...
Keith Ross
Keith Ross 000000010921496X Keith Ross, a 4th grader from Tulsa, Oklahoma, enjoys video games, road trips, and performing arts. Known for his unique style, Keith has co-authored several books, includ...
Astrid Roemer
Astrid Roemer 0000000109985764 Astrid Heligonda Roemer, born in 1947, is a Surinamese-Dutch cosmopolitan writer. Known for her poetic prose exploring themes of race, gender, and identity, she's a rec...
Colin Powell
Colin Powell 0000000108588433 Colin Powell (1937-2021) was a US statesman, diplomat, and retired four-star general. He served four presidential administrations, including as Secretary of State under ...
Kamilah Aisha Moon
Kamilah Aisha Moon 0000000073434556 Kamilah Aisha Moon (1973-2021), a Nashville native, was a renowned author featured in numerous publications and a professor of English and Creative Writing. She wa...
Supriya Kelkar
Supriya Kelkar 0000000498588577 Supriya Kelkar grew up in the Midwest, where she learned Hindi as a child by watching three Hindi movies a week. Winner of the New Visions Award for her middle grade ...
Ronald A. Crutcher
Ronald A. Crutcher NONE Ronald Crutcher is a classical musician and academic administrator who served as President of the University of Richmond. Ronald Andrew Crutcher (born February 27, 1947) is a ...
Richard B. Moore
Richard B. Moore 0000000082432341 Moore was an early advocate for the use of “African American” as opposed to “Negro” or “Black.” Richard Benjamin Moore was an infl...
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman NONE Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D., is the Executive Director at the Hurston Wright Foundation, former Director at Montgomery Community Media, and a successful playwright who...