AALBC Search
Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley 0000000121244897 Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753-1784) was the first published African-American female poet, originally enslaved but later emancipated by the Wheatley family. Despite her d...
J. A. Faulkerson
J. A. Faulkerson NONE J.A. Faulkerson is a Northern Virginia-based writer known for classics like Adinkrahene and Real Men Raise CHAMPIONS. He's a Phillis Wheatley Book Award finalist and has recentl...
Richard Kigel
Richard Kigel NONE Richard Kigel is an experienced literacy professional and veteran teacher with a focus on inspiring students in reading and writing. He is notable for his revealing article on Phil...
Geri Spencer Hunter
Geri Spencer Hunter NONE Geri Spencer Hunter is an award-winning writer and co-founder of The Sacramento Black Nurses Association. A retired nurse from Iowa, she has authored two novels and contribut...
Deborah Davis
Deborah Davis 0000000109357178 Deborah Davis is an acclaimed author of seven non-fiction books, including the authorized history of The Oprah Winfrey Show and Guest of Honor, a Phillis Wheatley Award...
Susan Keeter
Susan Keeter NONE Susan Keeter has illustrated over a dozen titles, including picture books on Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman and 18th-century poet Phillis Wheatley. Susan Keeter has ...
Fabu Phillis Carter
Fabu Phillis Carter NONE Poet Fabu was appointed Madison's Poet Laureate in 2008 and served in that position until 2012. Fabu Phillis Carter, professionally known as Poet Fabu, was appointed Madison’...
Denise N. Wheatley
Denise N. Wheatley NONE Denise N. Wheatley is a lover of happily-ever-afters and the art of storytelling. She has written (and ghostwritten) numerous novels and novellas that run the romance gamut, ...
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...
Saharra K. Sandhu
Saharra K. Sandhu NONE Saharra K. Sandhu is a scientist-turned-romance writer, known for weaving South American and Caribbean folklore into her novels. Her debut, “Daughter Of The Missing”, is a Whea...
Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
Honoree Fanonne Jeffers 0000000021030293 Honoree Fanonne Jeffers is a renowned poet known for her work on culture, religion, history, and family. With five books to her name, including the acclaimed ...
Arisa White
Arisa White NONE Arisa White, an acclaimed poet and assistant professor at Colby College, is known for her work that centers queer and trans narratives. She is a Cave Canem graduate, a multiple award...
Omar Tyree
Omar Tyree 0000000063866005 Omar Tyree, a.k.a. The Urban Griot is a New York Times best-selling author, journalist, lecturer, poet, screenwriter, songwriter, playwright, host, blogger, publishing con...
Nate Powell
Nate Powell 0000000078269174 Nate Powell, born in 1978, is a New York Times best-selling graphic novelist known for “March,” the autobiography of John Lewis. A self-publisher from age 14, Powell's aw...
Kei Miller
Kei Miller 000000037003708X Jamaican author, Kei Miller, born in 1978, writes across various genres including novels, essays, and poetry. His works have been shortlisted for several awards and he has...
Donna L. Washington
Donna L. Washington 0000000067719053 Donna L. Washington is a professional storyteller, multiple-award-winning recording artist, and children’s book author (Boo Stew). She performs at festivals, sch...
N. K. Jemisin
N. K. Jemisin 0000000107503776 Jemisin, in 2018, Became the Only Writer to Win 3 Best Novel Hugo Awards in Consecutive Years (note) Nora K. Jemisin, born in 1972, is a renowned speculative fiction aut...
Faith Ringgold
Faith Ringgold 0000000078615604 Faith Ringgold was a multi-disciplinary artist and professor emeritus at the University of California, San Diego. Known for her work in painting, writing, and sculptur...
Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith 000000012276857X Zadie Smith, born Sadie Smith in 1975, is a renowned British author of Jamaican-English heritage. Her debut novel, “White Teeth,” won numerous awards, and subsequent nove...
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...
Nick Chiles
Nick Chiles 0000000034375194 Nick Chiles is a renowned author and journalist, specializing in African-American culture and celebrity. Co-author of the NAACP Image Awards finalist book 'Justice While ...
Beverly Jenkins
Beverly Jenkins 000000011691928X Beverly Jenkins, a USA TODAY bestselling author, is renowned for her African-American historical romance fiction, mainly set in the 19th century. With over thirty nov...
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa L. Williams 000000011462842X Vanessa Lynn Williams, born March 18, 1963, is a multi-talented actor, singer, fashion designer and author. She made history as the first African-American Miss Am...
Bill Withers
Bill Withers 000000006309931X Bill Withers was a singer-songwriter and musician. He received numerous awards in his lifetime and won three GRAMMY Awards. William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 &...
Cheryl Wills
Cheryl Wills NONE Cheryl Wills is an acclaimed anchor for New York 1 News, author, and public speaker. Known for her coverage of significant events like 9/11, she's also authored “Die Free: A Heroic ...
D-Knowledge
D-Knowledge NONE Writer/Performer Dr. Derrick Gilbert, PhD, a/k/a poet D-Knowledge, lost his battle with liver disease on Sunday morning, November 1, 2015. He was 45. Straddling the worlds of enter...
Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm
Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm NONE Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm is a celebrated writer, playwright, and founder of Candace Magazine. She's received awards including the National Black Women Achievement Awards a...
Rachel Renée Russell
Rachel Renée Russell 0000000116442848 “Black writers should not be typecast into having only black characters.”—Shonda Rhimes Rachel Renee Russell, attorney and bestselling author of...
Angela Johnson
Angela Johnson 0000000114404557 Angela Johnson, an acclaimed American author, has penned over 40 children's books and poems since 1989. Her numerous awards include the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Awar...
Irene Luxbacher
Irene Luxbacher 0000000078506870 Irene Luxbacher is a renowned Canadian artist, author, and children's book illustrator. With degrees in Art History and Fine Art, she has gained acclaim through her a...
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 ...
Armond White
Armond White 0000000031792179 Armond Allen White, born in 1953, is a renowned film and music critic. He served as the arts editor for The City Sun and later wrote for New York Press. He was the edito...
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...
Jay Wright
Jay Wright 000000007830315X “A Poet’s Poet” Jay Wright, born in 1934, is a prolific author of 15 books of poetry, 40+ plays, and essays. A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and ...
Jacqueline Woodson
Jacqueline Woodson 0000000083968439 Jacqueline Woodson, born in 1963, is a renowned author who has received multiple awards, including the National Book Award. She writes primarily for young adults a...
Pamela Mariva Mshana
Pamela Mariva Mshana NONE Pamela Mariva Mshana, PhD, is an acclaimed playwright, author, and educator. Known for her play, Ebony, and her work at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, she has receive...
Mildred D. Taylor
Mildred D. Taylor 0000000382722105 Mildred DeLois Taylor, born September 13, 1943, is a renowned author known for her award-winning novels like 'The Road to Memphis' and 'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry...
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...
Danzy Senna
Danzy Senna 0000000121437007 “Is Danzy Senna Black?” Danzy Senna, a celebrated novelist and essayist, focuses on identity, motherhood, race, and gender in her work. A Stanford BA and UC Ir...
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Dolen Perkins-Valdez 0000000074479879 Dolen Perkins-Valdez, a Memphis-born novelist, is renowned for her New York Times bestselling novel 'Wench.' A Harvard graduate and former University of Californ...
Julia D. Shaw
Julia D. Shaw NONE Julia D. Shaw is a seasoned marketing expert with over 20 years experience in PR, events, and business development. As a PR consultant for The Network for Women in Business and fou...
Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah 0000000430715306 Trevor Noah, a successful African comedian and host of the award-winning 'The Daily Show', joined the show in 2014. He has multiple comedy specials, including his 9th, 'A...
Kisha Green
Kisha Green NONE Kisha Green is a multi-talented literary consultant and promoter dedicated to turning authors' dreams into published realities. Since 2006, she's written novels, hosted award-winning...
James W. Lewis
James W. Lewis NONE James W. Lewis, an award-winning novelist and freelance writer, is a managing partner at The Pantheon Collective publishing company. Known for his debut novel 'Sellout', he has re...
Kalamu ya Salaam
Kalamu ya Salaam 0000000067470753 Kalamu ya Salaam is the founder of NOMMO Literary Society and Runagate Press, leader of the WordBand, and a celebrated poet and educator. Born on March 24, 1947, he ...
Shaundale Rénā
Shaundale Rénā NONE Shaundale Rénā is an award-winning literary professional with over a decade of editing experience. She has six international awards and has worked in various genres. Known for enh...
Yolanda Adams
Yolanda Adams 0000000055219713 Yolanda Adams, known as “The First Lady of Modern Gospel,” is a renowned contemporary gospel artist with numerous awards, including five Grammys. Born in Houston on Aug...
Jimmie Allen
Jimmie Allen 0000000465260495 Jimmie Allen is a multi-platinum American recording artist and the first Black artist to achieve two consecutive #1 hits on country radio and win the ACM New Male Artist...
John Murillo
John Murillo NONE John Murillo is a renowned poet and professor known for his works “Up Jump the Boogie” and “Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry.” He's won numerous awards including two Larry Neal Writers ...
Caroline Randall Williams
Caroline Randall Williams 0000000371378337 Caroline Randall Williams, born in 1987, is a multi-genre writer and educator based in Nashville, Tennessee. She's well-recognized for her award-winning wor...
Michele Norris
Michele Norris 0000000047566336 Michele Norris, acclaimed host of All Things Considered, is a notable journalist and author recognized with multiple awards, including the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Un...
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg 0000000368562870 Whoopi Goldberg, born Caryn Elaine Johnson on November 13, 1955, is a celebrated comedian, actress, author, and TV host. Known for her role in 'The Color Purple,' she...
Elaine Meryl Brown
Elaine Meryl Brown NONE Elaine Meryl Brown, former VP Creative Services at HBO and Creative Director at Showtime Networks, is an Emmy Award-winning writer with work featured in Essence and Women's Wo...
Jacqueline Bishop
Jacqueline Bishop 0000000041919671 Born in 1971, Jacqueline Bishop is an accomplished Jamaican writer and visual artist. She's the founding editor of Calabash: A Journal of Caribbean Arts & Letters a...
Mona Ombogo
Mona Ombogo 0000000062004139 Kenyan author and scriptwriter, Mona Ombogo, is known for her award-winning films and novels. With a global education and exposure to diverse cultures, her work addresses...
Leah Penniman
Leah Penniman 0000000499416929 Leah Penniman, a Black Kreyol farmer and James Beard Foundation Leadership Award recipient, is dedicated to advocating for an anti-racist food system. Co-founding direc...
Nikole Hannah-Jones
Nikole Hannah-Jones 0000000454752515 Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The New York Times, is known for her work on racial injustice and the 1619 Project. A MacArthur Genius Gr...
Edward Roy
Edward Roy 0000000108894174 Edward Roy, born in 1945, grew up in Harlem, NY, mentored by influential figures including Malcolm X. He served in the US Army’s Medical Corps during the Cold War and Viet...
Shelly Oria
Shelly Oria 0000000444542979 Shelly Oria is an acclaimed author known for “New York 1, Tel Aviv 0” and the digital novella, “CLEAN.” Her work has received nominations for numerous awards, including a...
Tariq Trotter
Tariq Trotter 0000000001157609 Tariq Trotter, known as Black Thought, is a celebrated hip-hop artist and actor. With three GRAMMYs and three NAACP awards, he's produced albums both solo and with The ...
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Tasha Cobbs Leonard 0000000408031709 Two-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Tasha Cobbs Leonard (born July 7, 1981) is one of the most iconic artists in gospel music history. Winner of ...
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey 0000000114722280 Mariah Carey is an author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, producer, and multiple award-winning artist and songwriter. She is the best-selling female artist of all time w...
Toni Shiloh
Toni Shiloh NONE Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and an award-winning Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring God glory and to learn more about His goodness. Her work has...
Elizabeth Catlett
Elizabeth Catlett 0000000114727129 Born in Washington, DC, Elizabeth Catlett (1915–2012) moved to Mexico in 1946. Still, her artwork always remained attuned to the Black American experience. H...
Nelda LaTeef
Nelda LaTeef 000000008348432X Nelda LaTeef is an award-winning author and illustrator, known for acclaimed children's books like Animal Village and The Talking Baobab Tree. Her work has received nume...
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...
Barbara Ransby
Barbara Ransby 000000038357030X Barbara Ransby, a renowned historian, writer, and activist, serves as a Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She leads the Social Justice Initiative and...
Amina Gautier
Amina Gautier 0000000118109950 Dr. Amina Gautier, an award-winning author of three short story collections, is a scholar and professor specializing in African American literature. She teaches in the ...
Anna Myers
Anna Myers 0000000067526788 Anna Myers, an acclaimed author of 20 youth books and Oklahoma Writers' Hall of Fame member, is a native of west Texas and longtime Oklahoma resident. She holds four Oklah...
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...
Wanuri Kahiu
Wanuri Kahiu 0000000088258372 Wanuri Kahiu, born in Nairobi, is a renowned Kenyan filmmaker whose award-winning films have been showcased in over 100 global film festivals. Her first picture book, Th...
Janice N. Harrington
Janice N. Harrington 0000000032231461 Award-winning poet and children's author Janice N. Harrington's notable works include NSTA Best STEM Book 'Buzzing with Questions' and Kirkus Reviews Best Book '...
Russell Freedman
Russell Freedman 0000000373864646 Russell Freedman, an award-winning author of 47 books translated into multiple languages, wasn't always a children's book writer. He worked as a reporter and editor ...
Angela Shanté
Angela Shanté NONE Angela was a Finalist for a 2024 National Book Award Angela Shanté is an award-winning children's book author, co-founder of Sunday Dinner Publishing, and DEI advocate in publishing...
Rafael López
Rafael López 0000000430746276 Rafael López is a renowned illustrator of NYT bestsellers and award-winning books. He's won Pura Belpré medals and other prestigious awards, including the Tomás River...
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 ...
Colin Bootman
Colin Bootman NONE Colin Bootman is an acclaimed children's book illustrator and author, known for over 25 works including 'The Steel Pan Man of Harlem'. He's a recipient of numerous awards, such as ...
Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Jan Spivey Gilchrist 0000000067483263 Jan Spivey Gilchrist, a Ph.D. holder in English, has illustrated over 60 children's books since 1988, with numerous prestigious awards to her name. She's also an...
Jess Marie
Jess Marie NONE Jessica Marie Smith, known as Poet Jess Marie, is an inspirational writer from Detroit, MI, best known for her book “Anthology for Hope in the Hood.” A graduate of Michigan State Univ...
J. Everett Prewitt
J. Everett Prewitt NONE J. Everett Prewitt, a distinguished alumnus and Vietnam veteran, has received numerous awards for his novels, including “Snake Walkers” and “A Long Way Back.” His works have b...
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...
Jerome Lagarrigue
Jerome Lagarrigue 0000000403502938 Jerome Lagarrigue, a Paris-raised artist, moved to the US in 1992 and graduated from Rhode Island School of Design. He has won prestigious awards including the Core...
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...
Evette Dionne
Evette Dionne NONE Evette Dionne, a black feminist writer and editor-in-chief of Bitch Media, is renowned for her work on race, gender, and culture in top publications. A former educator, her acclaim...
Candice Iloh
Candice Iloh NONE Candice Iloh, a Nigerian-American author & dancer in Philadelphia, is a Howard University alumna & 2019 Kimbilio fellow. She holds an M.F.A. from Lesley University. Her novel, Every...
Jerald Walker
Jerald Walker NONE Jerald Walker is a distinguished author known for his memoirs and essays, with recognitions like the 2011 PEN New England Award for Nonfiction and honors from the National Book Awa...
Tommye Blount
Tommye Blount 0000000497978952 Tommye Blount is a Cave Canem alumnus and acclaimed author of 'What Are We Not For' and 'Fantasia for the Man in Blue', which was recognized by the National Book Awards...
Jewell Parker Rhodes
Jewell Parker Rhodes 0000000120252879 Jewell’s New Book Will’s Race for Home Debuted at #6 on the NY Times Bestsellers List! Jewell Parker Rhodes is an esteemed author and artistic directo...
Rilla Askew
Rilla Askew 0000000114522334 Rilla Askew is an award-winning author recognized by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Known for her essays, short fiction, and novels like “The Mercy Seat”, her ...
Donika Kelly
Donika Kelly 0000000497770596 Donika Kelly, award-winning author of 'Bestiary', is celebrated for her contributions to poetry with accolades like the 2015 Cave Canem Poetry Prize and 2018 Kate Tufts ...
Miasha
Miasha NONE Miasha, a best-selling author, known for her extravagant release parties and philanthropic work, has rapidly gained recognition in the book industry. With five novels, she has been hailed...
Sterling D. Plumpp
Sterling D. Plumpp 0000000081297870 “You can not ever get free as a result of legislationHellip;you always have to take freedom.” Sterling Dominic Plumpp, born 1940, is an esteemed poet, e...
ZZ Packer
ZZ Packer 0000000079830912 ZZ Packer is a celebrated writer recognized by Book magazine. A Yale, Johns Hopkins, and University of Iowa alumna, she's acclaimed for her short fiction in her debut colle...
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...
Sharon Bell Mathis
Sharon Bell Mathis 0000000063330251 Sharon Bell Mathis, initially a teacher, became an acclaimed author known for her middle-grade novels and picture books. Her works such as 'Sidewalk Story', 'Tea C...
Donna Britt
Donna Britt NONE Donna Marie Britt, a renowned Washington Post columnist since 1991, shares stories about life and relationships. A graduate of Hampton University and University of Michigan, she auth...
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...
Michael Bronski
Michael Bronski 0000000386897201 Michael Bronski, co-author of 'You Can Tell Just By Looking' and professor at Harvard, is an acclaimed writer on LGBT issues for over 40 years. His award-winning work...
Esther Iverem
Esther Iverem NONE Esther Iverem is a multi-disciplinary artist, writer, curator, and social justice advocate. She's a radio host, founder of the Black website SeeingBlack.com, and author of four boo...
Shelia M. Goss
Shelia M. Goss NONE Shelia M. Goss is a national best-selling author of over 20 novels in various genres, including Christian fiction and romance. Known for her easy, flowing prose, she has been reco...