AALBC Search
Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka 0000000446460520 Amiri Baraka, also known as LeRoi Jones, was a prolific 20th-century African American writer, poet, and Obie-winning playwright. Known for works such as “Blues People” a...
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...
Kimberly Lemming
Kimberly Lemming NONE Kimberly Lemming is a USA Today bestselling author who is on an eternal quest to avoid her calling as a main character. She can be found giving the slip to that new werewolf th...
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...
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...
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...
Arthur Herzog, Jr.
Arthur Herzog, Jr. MULTIPLE Arthur Herzog, Jr., a songwriter, has penned a number of songs performed and recorded by top jazz musicians including John Coltrane and Dinah Washington. His most notable ...
Antwone Fisher
Antwone Fisher 0000000120179050 Antwone Fisher is an American screenwriter, poet, lecturer, and best-selling author known for his autobiographical book and film, “Antwone Fisher.” Born in an Ohio pri...
Wendy Jones
Wendy Jones NONE “I come from a family of storytellers. My mother and my grandmother were my first teachers.” The author, raised in a family of storytellers, learned the art of dialogue an...
Johnathan Isom
Johnathan Isom NONE Johnathan Isom, a Memphis-based anesthesiologist, turned novelist, was driven to write a book he'd enjoy. Tired of deceit-focused contemporary fiction, he sought to create a diffe...
Terris McMahan Grimes
Terris McMahan Grimes NONE Terris McMahan Grimes is an award-winning author known for her Theresa Galloway mystery series. Her work often explores African American family dynamics, particularly mothe...
bell hooks
bell hooks 000000011072449X “I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else’s whim or someone else’s ignorance.” bell hooks (Sep. 25, 1952 –...
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...
Ana Latese
Ana Latese NONE Ana Latese, an African American illustrator, has a passion for producing beautiful imagery inspired by vibrant colors, magical elements, and joy. She enjoys using different lighting ...
Pat G’Orge Walker
Pat G’Orge Walker NONE Pat G’Orge-Walker, an Essence and National bestselling author and comedian, is known for her humorous observations of church life. A prolific author of 10 books, she's often be...
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. ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
Tavis Smiley
Tavis Smiley 0000000110310916 Tavis Smiley, a prominent African-American voice, is a renowned host and political commentator. Known for his work on BET Tonight and The Tom Joyner Morning Show, he is ...
Claud Anderson
Claud Anderson NONE Dr. Claud Anderson, president of PowerNomics Corporation and The Harvest Institute, is an author, educator, and political figure. PowerNomics publishes his works promoting self-su...
Neal Hall
Neal Hall 0000000050176742 Dr. Neal Hall, a poet and experienced ophthalmologist, challenges racial inequality in America despite his extensive education and career. His experiences, from studying at...
Eli Reed
Eli Reed 0000000084169217 Eli Reed, renowned Magnum photographer since 1988, studied illustration and political science, and became famous for his work in Central America. The author of acclaimed boo...
Alexandra Morton
Alexandra Morton 0000000078676423 Alexandra Morton, host of The Book Look and 2011 Miss Black America-Baltimore, offers a unique online book review show on NewsOne.com. Featuring the latest book news...
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...
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...
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...
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-...
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...
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...
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...
Ivan Van Sertima
Ivan Van Sertima 0000000063040713 Born in Guyana, Dr. Ivan Van Sertima was a literary critic, linguist, anthropologist, and writer who won the Clarence L. Holte Prize for his work, They Came Before C...
Clyde Winters
Clyde Winters NONE Dr. Clyde Winters is a renowned Educator, Anthropologist, and Linguist, known for his work in archeogenetics and linguistics. He has taught at Saint Xavier University and authored ...
Rebecca Carroll
Rebecca Carroll 0000000418744243 Rebecca Carroll is a cultural critic at WNYC, host of the podcast “Come Through with Rebecca Carroll,” and former critic for the Los Angeles Times. Her work has appea...
Kayla Perrin
Kayla Perrin NONE Kayla Perrin, a USA TODAY and Essence bestselling author, is known for her mainstream and romance novels. Her first novel, Again, My Love, made it on Ingram's Top 50 Most Requested ...
Bernadette Y. Connor
Bernadette Y. Connor NONE Bernadette Y. Connor, a former AT&T communications technician, turned adversity into opportunity, becoming a successful author. Despite facing personal tragedy and health is...
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Paul Laurence Dunbar 0000000121024640 To possess the distinct writing voices of standard English of the classical poet and the evocative dialect of the turn-of-the-century black community in Am...
J. Michael Dash
J. Michael Dash 0000000081152794 Professor Jean Michael Dash (1948-2019) was a renowned scholar of Francophone Caribbean literature. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, and educated at the University of the...
Wright Thompson
Wright Thompson NONE Wright Thompson is one of the most cherished sports writers in America. His books, Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last (2020) and The Cost of The...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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. ...
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...
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...
Fenton Johnson
Fenton Johnson 0000000038623095 Fenton Johnson (1888-1958) was an African American poet, essayist, and editor who significantly contributed to the Harlem Renaissance. His work, including his well-kno...
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Jhumpa Lahiri, and 21 Other Authors
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Jhumpa Lahiri, and 21 Other Authors MULTIPLE Discover the remarkable works of 23 authors including renowned writers Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Jhumpa Lahiri. Explore diver...
Susan Moore
Susan Moore 0000000081813898 Rev. Dr. Susan Moore is a seasoned pastor, teacher, and author with a 36-year career focused on urban America's challenges. Ordained in 1983, she has served as a communit...
Gary A. Johnson
Gary A. Johnson NONE Gary A. Johnson, founder of a management training and consulting company, is renowned for running popular web platforms like Black Men In America.com. With significant experience...
Sheryl Lister
Sheryl Lister NONE Sheryl Lister is an established author specializing in contemporary, inspirational romance and romantic suspense since 2009. Living in California, she's a dedicated wife, mother, a...
Michael Gordon Bennett
Michael Gordon Bennett NONE Author, actor, and entrepreneur Michael Gordon Bennett, born in 1958, is known for his book “7-10 Split: My Journey As America’s Whitest Black Kid.” He's also the CEO of B...
Llaila Afrika
Llaila Afrika NONE "Dr. Llaila Olela Afrika, a holistic health expert, dedicated his life to understanding the body, mind, and spirit. He has studied and taught worldwide, authored numerous resources...
George E. Curry
George E. Curry 0000000109873981 George E. Curry (1947-2016) was a renowned journalist and editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service. He also served as editor of E...
Gabby Rivera
Gabby Rivera NONE Gabby Rivera, a queer Puerto Rican from the Bronx, is the first Latina writer for Marvel comics. Known for her solo series 'AMERICA', she was recognized as a top comic creator by Sy...
Gregory Gourdet
Gregory Gourdet NONE Gregory Gourdet, born 1975 in New York, is a renowned chef and health enthusiast. A Culinary Institute of America graduate, he trained under Jean-Georges Vongerichten and ran the...
Nadra Nittle
Nadra Nittle NONE LA-based journalist Nadra Nittle has written for Vox Media, Digital First Media, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and more. She discussed her work on outlets like “Good Morning America” ...
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan 0000000103319656 Louis Farrakhan, born May 11, 1933, is a renowned former musician turned religious leader of The Nation of Islam. Raised in Massachusetts, he found fame in Boston bef...
Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Earl Ofari Hutchinson 0000000073684926 Earl Ofari Hutchinson is a renowned author and political analyst specializing in race and politics in America. He's the publisher of thehutchinsonreport.net, a ...
Winston James
Winston James 0000000042945281 Winston James, a renowned professor at the University of California, Irvine, specializes in Caribbean and African American history. His significant works include in-dep...
Jennifer L. Morgan
Jennifer L. Morgan 0000000116288983 Jennifer L. Morgan is a 2024 MacArthur Foundation’s “Genius” Grant Winner Morgan is a 2024 MacArthur Foundation's "Genius" Grant Winner, for "Deep...
Dante D. King
Dante D. King NONE Dante King is a San Francisco native, historian, and award-winning author of Diagnosing Whiteness & Anti-Blackness: White Psychopathology, Collective Psychosis, and Trauma in ...
Ronald Bonner
Ronald Bonner NONE Rev. Dr. Ronald S. Bonner has participated in justice-focused events since the early 1960s. During the late 1970s through the early 1990s, he served in Corporate America for Xerox...
Robin Roberts
Robin Roberts 0000000081478575 Robin Roberts, anchor of ABC's “Good Morning America,” is a three-time Emmy Award winner. A cum laude graduate in communications and standout basketball player from Sou...
Roseanne A. Brown
Roseanne A. Brown NONE Roseanne A. Brown, an immigrant from Ghana, is a University of Maryland alumna and completed the Jimenez-Porter Writers' program. Her work, including her debut novel, “A Song o...
Julia Hare
Julia Hare NONE Dr. Julia Hare (1939-2019) was a renowned motivational speaker and influential figure in black communities both in America and abroad. Known for her powerful speeches about black lead...