AALBC Search
Barbara A. Seals Nevergold
Barbara A. Seals Nevergold NONE Dr. Barbara A. Seals Nevergold, a Louisiana native based in Buffalo, NY, is a retired educator and activist, co-founder of the Uncrowned Queens Institute, and co-autho...
Jamillah Lamb and David Lamb
Jamillah Lamb and David Lamb MULTIPLE David and Jamillah Lamb are the dynamic duo behind Between The Lines Productions, Inc. The couple co-authored the book Perfect Combination: Seven Key Ingredients...
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 ...
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 ...
Melvin Dixon
Melvin Dixon 0000000110291356 Melvin Dixon, a respected professor at Queens College, City University of New York, was renowned for his work on African and African-American literature. He authored nov...
Mazaradi Fox
Mazaradi Fox NONE Mazaradi Fox, born Jamal Green, was a childhood friend of 50 Cent and a prominent figure in Queens, New York. Known for his love of cars and “dum out” lifestyle, which he often refl...
Noel Hankin
Noel Hankin NONE Noel Hankin, founder of The Best of Friends, Inc., pioneered disco nightlife in NYC, paving the way for the disco explosion of the '70s. A retired executive from Moët Hennessy USA a...
Andrew P. Jackson
Andrew P. Jackson 0000000045924849 Andrew P. Jackson (Sekou Molefi Baako) served as Executive Director of Queens Library’s Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center in New York from 1980...
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 ...
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...
Adijah & Atiya Brabham
Adijah & Atiya Brabham MULTIPLE Adijah and Atiya Brabham, identical twins, are educators, philanthropists, and authors hailing from Queens, NY. Besides their individual achievements in education, the...
Traci N. Todd
Traci N. Todd 0000000504688188 Traci N. Todd, a Chicago native, is a children's book editor based in Queens. Raised on the music of Ray Charles and Nina Simone and a love for books, she continues to ...
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...
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...
Reality Way
Reality Way NONE Reality Way, a Queens-born author, faced several life obstacles leading him to prison. It was there he developed a passion for writing, leading to his first published work, “Young Go...
Erick S. Gray
Erick S. Gray NONE Erick S. Gray, an accomplished author since 1997, is known for his engaging mix of street style, comedy, and intricate plots. Born in Jamaica, Queens, his first book, Booty Call, w...
Danielle Murrell Cox
Danielle Murrell Cox NONE Danielle Murrell Cox is a Canadian graphic designer, illustrator, and toy designer. She graduated from Dawson College and gained fame for her self-published coloring books, ...
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 ...
Betty J. Dopson
Betty J. Dopson NONE Betty J. Dopson is a cultural activist, administrator, and organizer with a degree in Communications Arts and Sciences. She served as the Director of Public Relations at Harlem H...
Tembe Denton-Hurst
Tembe Denton-Hurst NONE Tembe Denton-Hurst is a culture and beauty writer for New York Magazine's “The Strategist”, and author of the novel “Homebodies.” She resides in Queens with her partner and tw...
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-...
T. N. Baker
T. N. Baker NONE "Prolific author from Queens, NY, currently residing in Charlotte, NC with her daughter.” This prolific author was born and raised in Queens, NY and presently lives in Charlotte, NC ...
Ashley Evans
Ashley Evans NONE Ashley Evans, a Queens-born artist, crafts vibrant, dynamic images. Now residing in Charlotte, NC, she spends her time creating art, decorating cakes, and relishing family moments. ...
Desiree C. Bailey
Desiree C. Bailey 0000000507276998 Desiree C. Bailey, born in Trinidad and Tobago, is an accomplished author known for her fiction chapbook, In Dirt or Saltwater. Her work has been featured in Best A...
Niya Holland
Niya Holland NONE Niya Holland is an accomplished author with five novels, a graduate of South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts, and a Writer in Residence at Queens University. She has diverse...
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...
Reynold Ruffins
Reynold Ruffins 0000000024800273 Reynold Ruffins, a renowned illustrator and professor, has received prestigious awards from The Cooper Union and had a successful career teaching at various instituti...
Rodney E. Daniels
Rodney E. Daniels NONE Rodney E. Daniels, a native New Yorker from Queens, is an accomplished author with several novels to his credit. Rodney E. Daniels is native New Yorker currently residing in Qu...
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson 0000000110665899 Curtis James Jackson III, known as 50 Cent, is a renowned rapper, actor, and entrepreneur, raised in South Jamaica, Queens. Overcoming early life struggles a...
Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie
Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie NONE Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie is an author, teacher, and herbalist based in Queens, NY. Her work explores themes of silence, sexism, and racism, and has been published worl...
Assata Shakur
Assata Shakur 0000000083645007 AALBC Mourns the Passing of Assata Shakur 9/25/2025 Assata Shakur, also known as JoAnne Chesimard, was a prominent activist born on July 16, 1947, in Jamaica Queens, New...
James McIntosh
James McIntosh NONE James C. McIntosh, M.D. is a Queens-based psychiatrist and graduate of Hunter College and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He serves as chairman of the BEPAA, f...
Sunshine Smith-Williams
Sunshine Smith-Williams NONE Sunshine Smith-Williams, a Queens native, overcame a poverty-stricken upbringing through education, climbing the corporate ladder. After job loss in 2010, she bravely fou...
Maria Smilios
Maria Smilios NONE Maria Smilios is a New York-based author and educator with a Masters of Arts from Boston University. She's a former university writing instructor and high school teacher with exten...
Marcus Jackson
Marcus Jackson NONE Marcus Jackson, an accomplished poet from Toledo, Ohio, studied at the University of Toledo and NYU. His work has been published in prestigious journals like The New Yorker. Curre...
Elle Johnson
Elle Johnson NONE Elle Johnson, a Harvard-educated writer from Queens, has contributed to numerous TV shows like THE FOSTERS, LAW & ORDER and currently co-runs MADAM CJ WALKER on Netflix. She has a d...
Phoebe Robinson
Phoebe Robinson NONE Phoebe Robinson is a stand-up comedian, best-selling author, and actress. She's the co-creator of 2 Dope Queens, host of podcast Sooo Many White Guys, and author of You Can't Tou...
Kathleen Cornell Berman
Kathleen Cornell Berman NONE Kathleen Cornell Berman is a former teacher turned author, specializing in picture books. When not writing, she enjoys painting, sculpting, and attending concerts. She fi...
Jason Griffin
Jason Griffin NONE Jason Griffin, the artist for “My Name Is Jason. Mine Too”, is a globally recognized artist and collaborator. Notable works include a mural at Montefiore Hospital and a residency a...
Bevy Smith
Bevy Smith 0000000496656249 Beverly “Bevy” Smith, born in 1966, is a renowned TV personality, motivational speaker, and businesswoman. She hosts SiriusXM's “Bevelations” and is known for her work on ...
Maaza Mengiste
Maaza Mengiste 0000000079072875 Ethiopian-born author Maaza Mengiste, known for her novel 'Beneath the Lion’s Gaze', is a celebrated academic at Queens College and Princeton University. A Fulbright S...
Harold A. Dow
Harold A. Dow NONE Mr. Harold A. Dow is the co-founder of the dynamic entrepreneurial duo, The Dow Twins. Born in Queens, New York, Norman and Harold began their long career as event specialists. Har...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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, ...
Michael Cunningham
Michael Cunningham 0000000081609993 Michael Cunningham, a renowned commercial photographer, has published several photo essay books and worked with world's top corporations. Known for projects like “...
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...
Thomas Long
Thomas Long 0000000376122955 Thomas Long, a self-published poet from Baltimore, transitioned to urban fiction, reflecting his experiences growing up in the inner city. His debut novel, Dayvon’s Story...
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...
Mikki Arlene Ealey
Mikki Arlene Ealey NONE Mikki Arlene Ealey is a mother, author, CEO, and senior court office assistant. She is dedicated to healing the world and helping others reach their potential through her writ...
William Jelani Cobb
William Jelani Cobb 0000000034332610 William Jelani Cobb, Ph.D., is an accomplished author, educator, and journalist specializing in post-Civil War African American history and 20th-century American ...
Victor Lavalle
Victor Lavalle 0000000114589002 “If the literary gods mixed together Karuki Murakami and Ralph Ellison, the result would be Victor Lavaelle.” Victor D. LaValle, born in 1972, is an award-w...