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...
Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah 0000000120268301 Queen Latifah, born Dana Elaine Owens, is a renowned rapper, singer, actor, TV and record producer. Known as the “First Lady of Hip-Hop,” she released her debut album i...
Queen Afua
Queen Afua 0000000513485286 Queen Afua is a renowned herbalist, natural health expert, and spiritual healer, specializing in women's health. She is a Khamitic priestess, yoga teacher, and founder of ...
Bob The Drag Queen
Bob The Drag Queen NONE The alter ego of non-binary comic/actor Caldwell Tidicue, “Bob The Drag Queen” describes herself as “hilarious, beautiful, talented and…humble.” Bob’s unabashed confidence wo...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
Natalie Baszile
Natalie Baszile NONE Natalie Baszile, author of Queen Sugar, is a scholar with an M.A. in Afro-American Studies from UCLA and a graduate of Warren Wilson College's MFA Program. Her work has won award...
Ronin Ro
Ronin Ro 0000000035931519 Ronin Ro, a New York City-based author, began his career writing for Dance Music Report and The Source, eventually contributing to renowned publications like Rolling Stone a...
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...
Delores Lowe Friedman
Delores Lowe Friedman NONE Brooklyn-born Delores Lowe Friedman, a retired professor from the City University of New York, is an advocate for literacy and equity in education. She's authored education...
Sean Anderson
Sean Anderson 0000000078343215 Sean Anderson, son of Jamaican immigrants, is a New York-based writer, educator, and youth advocate. His works reflect his unique experiences growing up in 80s NYC and ...
Boubacar Boris Diop
Boubacar Boris Diop 0000000121417292 Boubacar Boris Diop is a renowned Senegalese novelist and screenwriter. His acclaimed work, Murambi, The Book of Bones, made it to Africa's 100 Best Books of the ...
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...
Zee Edgell
Zee Edgell 000000005844502X Belizean author Zee Edgell, educated in London and the West Indies, is known for her debut novel, “Beka Lamb.” A former journalist and founding editor of The Reporter, she...
Lori Nelson Lee
Lori Nelson Lee NONE Lori Nelson Lee, author of children's books like 'Hillary’s Big Business Adventure' and 'Danica Dramatica - Queen Me', introduces entrepreneurship to young readers. Her works are...
Randall Woodfin
Randall Woodfin NONE Randall Woodfin worked at City Hall (in jobs for the mayor and the city council) and for the Jefferson County Committee on Economic Opportunity, attended Cumberland School of Law...
Jack Olsen
Jack Olsen 0000000080864730 Jack Olsen is a celebrated author of 33 books available in 15 countries and 11 languages. As a former Time bureau chief, he contributed to various high-profile publication...
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...
Laura Nsafou
Laura Nsafou 000000046109520X Laura Nsafou, alias Mrs Roots, is an Afrofeminist blogger and author known for her literature reviews and articles on Afrofeminism in France. As the founder of Afrolab a...
James Kaplan
James Kaplan 0000000114392023 James Kaplan, a Guggenheim Fellow, is a prolific writer whose work has been featured in top magazines like The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. He's penned novels such as 'Pe...
Treasure Blue
Treasure Blue NONE Treasure Blue is an Essence Magazine best selling author. A former fire inspector with the New York City Fire Department, he is also winner of the Black Issue Book Reviews Urba...
David Margolick
David Margolick 000000011572515X David Margolick is a seasoned editor with roles at Vanity Fair, Newsweek, and Portfolio. Known for his 15-year tenure as a legal affairs correspondent for the New Yor...
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...
Trey Ellis
Trey Ellis 000000011675397X Trey Ellis is a multi-talented writer, novelist, screenwriter, playwright, essayist, and Associate Professor at Columbia University. He's known for his Emmy-nominated HBO ...
Desmond Meade
Desmond Meade NONE Desmond Meade, president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, is a renowned advocate for voting rights. A former homeless retur...
Eric Williams
Eric Williams 0000000108564781 Dr. Eric Eustace Williams was an accomplished scholar and influential political leader in Trinidad and Tobago. Born in 1911, he excelled academically, earning a Doctor ...
Nikki Turner
Nikki Turner 0000000040675687 Nikki Turner, renowned as “The Queen of Hip Hop Fiction”, is an Essence best-selling author known for shedding light on the unseen side of street life. Balancing work an...
Catherine Clinton
Catherine Clinton 0000000110842429 Catherine Clinton, educated at Harvard, Sussex, and Princeton, is a renowned author known for her works on U.S. history including 'Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freed...
Vickie M. Stringer
Vickie M. Stringer NONE “I use my life as an example to warn others of the dangers of the drug game.” Vickie Stringer, the Queen of Hip-Hop Literature, has revolutionized the genre throu...
R. Gregory Christie
R. Gregory Christie 000000011492849X R. Gregory Christie is a seasoned commercial artist with over 20 years of experience. He's illustrated 50+ children's books, designed album covers and worked with...
La Jill Hunt
La Jill Hunt NONE La Jill Hunt, a best-selling author from Mobile, AL, is known for her urban chic-lit novels and contributions to the 'Around the Way Girls' series. Also an erotica writer, her works...
Wendy Williams
Wendy Williams 0000000114422456 Wendy Williams, a New Jersey native and Northeastern University graduate, is a renowned radio personality and author. She has worked at notable stations like WQHT-FM a...
Tina Lifford
Tina Lifford NONE Get a Private 30-Minute Zoom Session with Tina Tina Lifford, a veteran Hollywood actress since 1983, is known for her role as Aunt Vi on OWN's hit show, Queen Sugar. Besides acting, ...
Michelle Duster
Michelle Duster NONE Michelle Duster is an esteemed author, speaker, and educator, famously known as the great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells. She has authored impactful works including 'Ida B. the Qu...
Lama Rod Owens
Lama Rod Owens NONE Lama Rod Owens, a Black Buddhist Southern Queen, is an authorized lama in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. He holds a divinity degree from Harvard and has authored books like...
Derrick Barnes
Derrick Barnes 0000000036217464 Derrick D. Barnes, a Kansas City native and Jackson State University graduate, is a celebrated author known for children's books like “Stop Drop and Chill” and “The Lo...
Jennifer Cruté
Jennifer Cruté NONE Comic artist and writer Jennifer Cruté, known for her work in BITCH magazine and a Glyph Comic Award nominee, has lectured at several institutions, exhibited her work at various ...
Sydney Smith
Sydney Smith 000000010777471X Sydney Smith is a renowned illustrator of children's books, known for works like 'Sidewalk Flowers' and 'The White Cat and the Monk.' His book 'Town Is by the Sea' won t...
Jim Neighbors, Brenda Lee Pryce, and Betsy Wakefield Teter
Jim Neighbors, Brenda Lee Pryce, and Betsy Wakefield Teter MULTIPLE Learn about the writers, Jim Neighbors, Brenda Lee Pryce, and Betsy Wakefield Teter and their book. Dr. Jim Neighbors teaches ethni...
Anasa Maat
Anasa Maat NONE Dr. Anasa Maat, a retired educator from Newark, NJ, holds degrees from Montclair and Rutgers Universities. She is a prolific author of four novels. Known for her civic engagement, she...
Sondra Kathryn Wilson
Sondra Kathryn Wilson NONE Dr. Sondra Kathryn Wilson was a senior associate at Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute, founder of the James Weldon Johnson Foundation, and executor of Johnson’s literary e...
Sekou Sundiata
Sekou Sundiata 0000000046188513 Sekou Sundiata (August 22, 1948 - July 18, 2007) was a poet, performer, and teacher. While attending the City College of New York (CCNY), he began reciting poetry ...
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...
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...
Aminatta Forna
Aminatta Forna 0000000123211415 Aminatta Forna, born in Glasgow and raised in Sierra Leone and the UK, is an acclaimed author with works including The Devil that Danced on the Water, Ancestor Stones,...
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...
Paulo Lins
Paulo Lins 0000000109587125 Paulo Lins, born in Rio de Janeiro in 1958, escaped the dangers of favela life to become a renowned writer. He studied at the University of Rio de Janeiro and published hi...
Junot Diaz
Junot Diaz 0000000121411106 Junot DÃaz, renowned for his debut novel “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” and story collection “Drown”, is celebrated as a distinctive voice in contemporary fiction...
Alex Haley
Alex Haley 0000000121413152 Alex Haley (1921-1992) was a renowned journalist and writer, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning work, 'Roots: The Saga of an American Family'. Born in Ithaca, N.Y, ...
Hickson
Hickson 0000000071439935 Hickson, CEO and Founder of Ghettoheat, is a Harlem-born author and entrepreneur. After a career in fashion, including working with Naomi Campbell, he shifted his focus post-...
Angela Dews
Angela Dews NONE Angela M. Dews, a former journalist and public servant, now writes and teaches in New York City. She has authored a series of murder mysteries set in Harlem and a 2018 book on urban ...
Beowulf Sheehan
Beowulf Sheehan NONE Beowulf Sheehan is an acclaimed photographer specializing in arts, entertainment, and humanities. He has photographed over 800 figures from 40+ countries, with his work featuring...
Mickey See-Asia
Mickey See-Asia NONE Michele D. Croswell, pen name Mickey See-Asia, is a New York-born author known for her impactful books that discuss her personal experiences with sexual abuse and empowering love...
Joyce Hansen
Joyce Hansen 0000000122135457 Joyce Hansen, an author of children's and young adult books for over 20 years, used her New York City upbringing as inspiration for her works. With a BA from Pace Univer...
Ned Sublette and Constance Sublette
Ned Sublette and Constance Sublette MULTIPLE “[Thomas] Jefferson definitively established himself as a founding theorist of white supremacy in America…” Ned Sublette, known for his ...
Jupiter Hammon
Jupiter Hammon 000000038947276X Jupiter Hammon (1711-1806), a born slave, became the first African-American writer to be published in the US in 1761. Encouraged to learn reading and writing, he serve...
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...
Barbara Eleanor Adams
Barbara Eleanor Adams NONE Barbara Eleanor Adams, born on February 27, 1939 in New York City, is an accomplished scholar. She earned both her Bachelor's degree (1975) and Master of Arts (1977) from t...
Amos N. Wilson
Amos N. Wilson 0000000083152296 Dr. Amos N. Wilson was a renowned psychologist, social worker, and academic who held roles in the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice and taught at City Unive...
Elizabeth Murphy Oliver
Elizabeth Murphy Oliver NONE Elizabeth Murphy Oliver Abney, former city editor and columnist for the Baltimore Afro-American and granddaughter of its founder, has died at 85. A respected journalist a...
Greg Mathis
Greg Mathis 0000000034573270 Judge Mathis is a public servant and advocate for equal justice. His career began in college leading campaigns, later joining Detroit City councilman Clyde Cleveland's st...
Ginger Adams Otis
Ginger Adams Otis 0000000120319922 Ginger Adams Otis is an experienced New York City journalist and author. She's a staff writer at NY Daily News, having covered local politics, City Hall, and the Fi...
Douglas E. McIntosh
Douglas E. McIntosh NONE Douglas E. McIntosh, a New York-born writer, holds degrees in Finance and History from Pace University. With a background in banking and financial analysis, including a stint...
Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa NONE Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa, born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York, is a renowned writer and educator. Her work, influenced by her Puerto Rican heritage and experiences, i...
Dennis A. Williams
Dennis A. Williams NONE Dennis A. Williams is a Syracuse-born author and educator. Raised in a multicultural neighborhood, his experiences shaped his writing, including his 1973 novella “Them That’s ...
Michael Tubbs
Michael Tubbs NONE Michael Tubbs, former 79th mayor of Stockton, CA, was the city's first Black and youngest ever mayor. He founded Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and advises California's governor on...
Aaron Foley
Aaron Foley NONE Aaron Foley is a seasoned journalist and author with a passion for amplifying Black voices in media. Currently serving as senior digital editor for PBS NewsHour, he is also the found...
Maulana Karenga
Maulana Karenga 0000000116973657 Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana Studies and influential figure in the Black Power movement, created the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa. A graduate of UC...
Randal Pinkett
Randal Pinkett NONE Dr. Randal Pinkett is an entrepreneur, author, and scholar. He is the CEO of BCT Partners, a consulting firm working in various sectors. Pinkett co-founded Inner City Consulting G...
Saint Solomon
Saint Solomon NONE Saint Solomon, born Randy Brown in Brooklyn, was raised between city and suburb, shaping his understanding of African-American life. After a stint in prison, he turned to writing, ...
Teju Cole
Teju Cole 0000000077460567 Teju Cole, an acclaimed writer, art historian, and photographer, serves as the Distinguished Writer in Residence at Bard College and is a photography critic for the New Yor...
Darcel Turner
Darcel Turner NONE Darcel Turner, a New York native, is an accomplished author known for her novel, “Dana Dances on Paper.” She has attended various colleges, transcribed for The 4th National Black W...
Rhonda Roumani
Rhonda Roumani NONE Rhonda Roumani is a Syrian-American journalist who has written about Islam, the Arab world, and Muslim American issues for more than two decades. She is also the author of nonfic...
B. Smith
B. Smith 0000000045066151 Barbara Elaine Smith (1949-2020) was a former fashion model and the first African-American woman on Mademoiselle’s cover. She also starred in TV commercials and served as a ...
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...
Patrick A. Howell
Patrick A. Howell NONE Patrick A. Howell is an accomplished banker, author, and co-founder of the news collective, Diatribe, and the Global International African Arts Movement. Known for his work in ...
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 '...
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...
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...
Lisa D. Brathwaite
Lisa D. Brathwaite NONE Lisa D. Brathwaite is a creative self-expression enthusiast and author of children's book, “Miles of Style.” She holds a degree in Community Studies from the University of Mar...
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...
Dina Strachan
Dina Strachan NONE Dr. Dina Strachan is a renowned dermatologist, author, and speaker based in New York City. She is a Harvard and Yale alumna and founder of Aglow Dermatology. Known for her best-sel...
Sarah E. Farro
Sarah E. Farro NONE Sarah E. Farro, a black author born in 1859, wrote 'True Love: A Story of English Domestic Life' in 1891, making her the second known African-American woman novelist of the 19th c...
Kurt Boone
Kurt Boone NONE Kurt Boone is a prolific poet with over 350 works and 7 books to his name, including the acclaimed 'Looking For Myself'. Recognized by major media outlets, he has also worked as a mar...
Vladimir Lucien
Vladimir Lucien NONE Vladimir Lucien is an award-winning St. Lucian writer, known for his published works in notable journals and anthologies. His accolades include the Small Axe Prize 2013 and the O...
Daisy Copelin
Daisy Copelin NONE Daisy Copelin, a graduate of Nyack College and self-made author, uses her personal experiences of overcoming adversity to inspire young people through her writings. She founded the...
Eva Tremaine
Eva Tremaine NONE Eva Tremaine, a Queens native and prestigious IT Manager, is a versatile self-published author known for her books Unstable and Seven Again. She explores multiple genres and enjoys ...
Bibi Bakare-Yusuf
Bibi Bakare-Yusuf 0000000389704663 Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, co-founder and publishing director of Cassava Republic Press, is a renowned gender and research consultant with a PhD in Women and Gender Studies...
Tananarive Due
Tananarive Due 0000000114453527 “The Queen of Black Horror” Tananarive Due, American Book Award-winning author of nine books, holds a B.S. in Journalism and M.A. in English literature. A s...
James Berry
James Berry 0000000081429589 James Berry was a renowned Jamaican poet based in the UK. He won the Coretta Scott King Book Award and the Smarties Grand Prix, and received an OBE for his contributions ...
Nelson George
Nelson George 0000000115805862 Nelson George, born in 1957, is a renowned columnist, critic, journalist, filmmaker, and author of 21 books, including bestseller 'The Michael Jackson Story'. A pioneer...
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...
Laureen Cantwell and Leonard Gill
Laureen Cantwell and Leonard Gill MULTIPLE Laureen P. Cantwell, a former librarian at the University of Memphis, loved the city's dark side and Elvis. Leonard Gill, a Memphis native, writes for the M...
John Strausbaugh
John Strausbaugh 0000000067554770 John Strausbaugh, born in 1951, is a renowned author and cultural commentator. Known for his authority on New York City's history, he also hosts The New York Times' ...
H. J. Harris
H. J. Harris NONE Dr. Herbert Harris, a retired attorney and Columbia University graduate, is a renowned author known for his books on success principles and the music industry. His work, translated ...