AALBC Search
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...
Kwame Onwuachi
Kwame Onwuachi NONE Kwame Onwuachi, winner of the 2019 James Beard Foundation Award, shares his inspiring journey in his memoir. From selling candy on the subway, to running a failed acclaimed restau...
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...
Selina Alko
Selina Alko NONE Selina Alko, a graduate from the School of Visual Arts, is a Brooklyn-based illustrator known for works like My Taxi Ride and My Subway Ride. She resides with her husband, Sean Quall...
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 ...
A.R. Bernard
A.R. Bernard NONE Dr. Alphonso R. Bernard, Sr., born in 1953, is the spiritual leader of the New York Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn. He left a banking career in 1979 to establish a church tha...
Kyle T. Mays
Kyle T. Mays NONE Kyle T. Mays, an Afro-Indigenous writer and scholar, specializes in U.S. history, urban studies, and race relations. He's an Assistant Professor at UCLA and author of 'Hip Hop Beats...
Leslie Gray Streeter
Leslie Gray Streeter NONE Leslie Gray Streeter is an award-winning journalist and columnist for the Baltimore Banner. She is also the cohost of the podcast Fine Beats and Cheeses, and a frequent spea...
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...
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...
Don Freeman
Don Freeman 000000010880233X Don Freeman was a California-born artist and musician who turned to sketching Broadway shows in New York after losing his trumpet. He found his true calling in children's...
Jacqueline Johnson
Jacqueline Johnson NONE Jacqueline Johnson is a multi-disciplined artist and award-winning author known for her work in writing and fiber arts. She has taught poetry at multiple institutions and has ...
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...
Jerry Canada
Jerry Canada NONE Jerry Canada, a New York-based former intellectual property lawyer, is a SUNY Stony Brook psychology graduate, All American track athlete, and UC Berkeley School of Law honoree. Ren...
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...
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 ...
Lisa E. Davis
Lisa E. Davis NONE Lisa E. Davis is one of the nation’s foremost entertainment attorneys. She serves as chair of the Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, where she represents cl...
Craig Steven Wilder
Craig Steven Wilder 0000000055180126 Craig Steven Wilder began his career as a community organizer in the South Bronx. He provides curricular and professional development workshops with public s...
Clara Villarosa
Clara Villarosa 0000000060242379 Clara Villarosa, a celebrated entrepreneur and business coach, founded Hue-Man Experience Bookstore in Denver and New York. She's also co-founder of Villarosa Media, ...
Pamela Newkirk
Pamela Newkirk NONE Pamela Newkirk, Ph.D., is an NYU professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies with a rich journalism background, including a Pulitzer Prize at New York Newsday. She's won the N...
Mary Rand Hess
Mary Rand Hess 0000000071315983 Mary Rand Hess is a celebrated poet, artist, screenwriter, and New York Times bestselling author, known for co-authoring “Solo” and “Animal Ark: Celebrating Our Wild W...
Dwayne Alexander Smith
Dwayne Alexander Smith NONE Born in Harlem, Dwayne Alexander Smith is a professional screenwriter who shifted from electrical engineering to film-making. Inspired by Star Wars, he began with an award...
Kevin McGruder
Kevin McGruder 0000000071766805 Kevin McGruder is an Assistant Professor of History at Antioch College with interests in African American institutions, urban history, and gay and lesbian history. He ...
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...
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...
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...
Nigeria Lockley
Nigeria Lockley NONE Nigeria Lockley is a New York-based author and teacher. Her debut novel, Born at Dawn, reflects her Christian faith and everyday issues. She holds two Master's degrees from the C...
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' ...
Jill Nelson
Jill Nelson 0000000066956364 Jill Nelson, a seasoned journalist from Harlem, is a graduate of the City College of New York and the Columbia School of Journalism. Her work has graced various publicati...
Rosalind Kilkenny McLymont
Rosalind Kilkenny McLymont NONE Rosalind Kilkenny McLymont, editor-in-chief of The Network Journal, is an experienced writer and adviser with over 25 years in global business. She made history as the...
Jamaica Kincaid
Jamaica Kincaid 0000000081560368 Jamaica Kincaid, born as Elaine Potter Richardson in Antigua, is a renowned novelist and essayist. She migrated to the US at 17, worked as an au pair, and later atten...
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...
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...
g. haron davis
g. haron davis NONE G. Haron Davis is a New York-born, Tennessee-raised writer based in Kansas City specializing in horror and fantasy. They co-founded Marginsbox and co-edited the anthology “All Sig...
Gabourey Sidibe
Gabourey Sidibe 0000000120325062 Gabourey Sidibe is an award-winning actress known for roles in 'Precious', 'American Horror Story' and 'Empire'. She also made her directorial debut with 'The Tale of...
Michael H. Cottman
Michael H. Cottman NONE Michael H. Cottman is an acclaimed author and journalist, having served with NBCU Academy and as Editorial Manager of NBCBLK. A former reporter for leading publications like T...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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 L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany
Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany MULTIPLE Sarah Delany, the last of the Delany sisters, passed away at 109. Born to a former slave, she was the first colored woman to teach home economics in w...
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 ...
Lawrence Otis Graham
Lawrence Otis Graham 0000000117846836 Lawrence Otis Graham, born 1961, was a prolific author of 14 books, including the New York Times bestseller “Our Kind of People.” A Princeton and Harvard Law Sch...
T. Thomas Fortune
T. Thomas Fortune 0000000108971715 “The Black Radical You Never Heard Of.” Timothy Thomas Fortune (born October 3, 1856 in Marianna, Florida; died June 2, 1928, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was a lead...
John Freeman
John Freeman 0000000067029909 John Freeman is an award-winning writer, book critic, and former president of the National Book Critics Circle. Known for his work in The New Yorker, The New York Times,...
Linda Villarosa
Linda Villarosa NONE Linda Villarosa, a University of Colorado graduate and Harvard journalism fellow, is the journalism program director at City College of New York and a former editor at the New Yo...
Vinson Cunningham
Vinson Cunningham NONE Vinson Cunningham, a staff writer and theatre critic for The New Yorker, has contributed to several publications and taught at top universities. He is also a former Obama campa...
Barbara C. Cruz
Barbara C. Cruz NONE Barbara C. Cruz is a renowned author known for her children's and young adult books, covering diverse topics from celebrating African-American culture to discussing school violen...
Rachel Moss
Rachel Moss 0000000053187316 Rachel Moss, a Jamaican-born graphic designer, studied animation in England. She's now based in Jamaica, illustrating vibrant, colorful children's books including 'Celebr...
Clothilde Ewing
Clothilde Ewing NONE Clothilde “Clo” Ewing, a former journalist and TV producer, is now a dedicated writer aiming to inspire adults to rediscover their childlike wonder. A proud Syracuse University l...
Nia Damali
Nia Damali NONE Nia Damali, owner of Medu Bookstore and a prominent figure in the Black Book Ecosystem, is dedicated to promoting literacy and knowledge within the Black community. Editor of historic...
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 ...
Patricia Reid-Merritt
Patricia Reid-Merritt NONE Dr. Patricia Reid-Merritt is a distinguished professor at Richard Stockton College, founder of Afro-One Dance, Drama and Drum Theatre, and an award-winning social worker. K...
Kevin Mitchell
Kevin Mitchell 0000000352296686 Kevin M. Mitchell is a versatile writer, musician, and producer. A University of Missouri—Kansas City Conservatory of Music graduate, he has published over a dozen b...
Margo Jefferson
Margo Jefferson 0000000055228599 Margo Jefferson, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic, has written for Vogue, New York magazine, and The New Republic. She has served as a critic for Newsweek and The New Yo...
Colson Whitehead
Colson Whitehead 0000000109128041 Congrats to Colson Whitehead: Winner 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Colson Whitehead, born in 1969, is an acclaimed writer who began his career at the Village Voice....
L’Oreal Thompson Payton
L’Oreal Thompson Payton NONE L’Oreal Thompson Payton is an award-winning journalist, author, and wellness advocate whose work lives at the intersection of mental health, identity, and culture, with ...
Nina Revoyr
Nina Revoyr 0000000004707741 Nina Revoyr, a Japanese-American author of five novels, is known for her remarkable storytelling. Born in Japan and raised in Tokyo, Wisconsin, and Los Angeles, she's co-...
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 ...
Andrea Elliott
Andrea Elliott NONE Andrea Elliott is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for The New York Times, formerly with The Miami Herald. She's received multiple journalism awards and served as a...
Dina C. Tate
Dina C. Tate NONE Dina C. Tate, founder of Global Girls Squad in NYC, creates books for young girls of color, promoting cultural exploration and empowerment. She's an adjunct at NYU School of Profess...
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...
Herbert J. Seligmann
Herbert J. Seligmann 0000000108046757 Herbert J. Seligmann was a New York-based author and journalist, Harvard graduate, and contributed to various prominent publications. Notable works include 'The ...
Sam Anderson
Sam Anderson 0000000119000682 Dr. Sam Anderson, a veteran activist and educator, is a renowned mathematics professor and Senior Editor of NOBO. A founding member of the Network of Black Organizers an...
Eric Payne
Eric Payne NONE Eric Payne, a versatile writer and poet, started his journey in literature at age 7. He graduated from Cornell and Binghamton Universities and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternit...
Henry Dumas
Henry Dumas 0000000110288296 Henry Dumas (1934-1968) was a celebrated writer and poet who greatly influenced American literature despite his premature death. Born in Arkansas, Dumas later moved to Ne...
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 ...
Brad Walrond
Brad Walrond NONE Brad Walrond is a poet, author, and performance artist renowned for his contribution to the 1990s Black Arts Movement in NYC. His works include recordings, an album, a multimedia in...
Suzan Johnson Cook
Suzan Johnson Cook 0000000027574363 Rev. Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook, also known as Dr. Sujay, is a prominent figure in religious freedom, serving as the former US Ambassador-at-Large for International...
Keith Gilyard
Keith Gilyard 0000000084094091 Raymond Keith Gilyard is a renowned American professor and writer specializing in rhetoric, composition, literacy studies, sociolinguistics, and African American litera...
Karen Hunter
Karen Hunter NONE Karen Hunter, a distinguished radio host and former New York Daily News reporter, is renowned for her Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism and as the first African-American female news...
Micah Johnson
Micah Johnson NONE Micah Johnson is a multidisciplinary artist, author, and former Major League Baseball player. A “proud Hoosier” and dedicated “girl dad,” Johnson has transitioned from a professio...
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...
Angie Martinez
Angie Martinez 0000000367767831 Angie Martinez, known as “The Voice of New York,” is an American radio personality, former rapper, and actress. She excels in personal interviews with iconic figures, ...
Richard Prince
Richard Prince 0000000081682656 Richard Prince, a veteran journalist and recipient of the Ida B. Wells Award, is known for his news column on diversity issues, “Richard Prince's Journal-isms”, and fo...
David T. Boyd
David T. Boyd NONE Chicago-born author David T. Boyd discovered his passion for writing early, penning his first story at nine. Inspired by authors like Stephen King, he developed his short story int...
William Fredrick Cooper
William Fredrick Cooper NONE William Fredrick Cooper, a legal assistant in New York, is known as “Mr. Romance” for his sensitive and caring nature. His writing, full of honesty and complexity, explor...
Brendan Kiely
Brendan Kiely 0000000427845214 Brendan Kiely, a New York Times bestselling author known for 'All American Boys', 'The Last True Love Story', and 'The Gospel of Winter'. His award-winning work has bee...
Marvis Johnson
Marvis Johnson NONE Marvis Johnson is a multi-talented entrepreneur, artist manager, director, and author with formal training in Film and Television Arts. Known for his work in the New York City fil...
Yusef A. Salaam
Yusef A. Salaam NONE Yusef A. Salaam, a Harlem-born writer, contributes regularly to the New York Beacon and is a member of the National Writers Union. Known for his appearances on the Oprah Winfrey ...
Steven Barboza
Steven Barboza NONE Steven Barboza is a practicing Muslim and professional journalist writing for top publications like the New York Times and USA Today. He lives in New York City with his wife. His ...
muMs the schemer
muMs the schemer NONE Craig Grant, known as muMs the Schemer, is a poet and actor from the Bronx, New York. He rose to fame in the documentary SlamNation and through his role as “Poet” in HBO's Oz. H...
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...
Dana Canedy, Darcy Eveleigh, Damien Cave, and Rachel L. Swarns
Dana Canedy, Darcy Eveleigh, Damien Cave, and Rachel L. Swarns MULTIPLE Darcy Eveleigh, a photo editor at The New York Times, is the creator of “The Lively Morgue” blog. Dana Canedy, former senior ed...
Rosa Guy
Rosa Guy 0000000111564547 Rosa Guy, born in Trinidad in 1925, was an influential Harlem-based writer and activist. A co-founder of the Harlem Writer's Guild, she was also a member of the Black nation...
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...
Christian Robinson
Christian Robinson 0000000356790294 Christian Robinson is a San Francisco-based illustrator and animator, known for his work with Pixar Animation Studios and The Sesame Street Workshop. He has illust...
Esther Armah
Esther Armah NONE Esther Armah, an award-winning international journalist, best-selling author, and New York radio host, is known for her work in Europe, Africa, and America. She contributes to MSNBC...
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 ...
Sam Cornish
Sam Cornish 0000000383831039 Sam Cornish (1935-2018) was the Poet Laureate of Boston from 2008 and authored seven poetry books. He taught poetry workshops at the Boston Public Library and was a promi...
Ross Victory
Ross Victory NONE J. Ross Victory is an award-winning author and music artist from Los Angeles. Known for his memoirs and music, he has a background in marketing, teaching, and music publishing. Draw...
Darnell Lamont Walker
Darnell Lamont Walker NONE Darnell Lamont Walker is a celebrated death doula, Emmy-nominated writer, and storyteller redefining how we talk about life, loss, and everything in between. He guides ind...
Rowan Ricardo Phillips
Rowan Ricardo Phillips 0000000077578485 Rowan Ricardo Phillips, an acclaimed poet and author, is recognized for books like Heaven and The Ground. Winner of the 2015 Guggenheim Fellowship, his work ha...
Neil Baldwin
Neil Baldwin 0000000108910963 Dr. Neil Baldwin, born in New York City, is a renowned author and scholar with a Ph.D. in Modern American Poetry. He has authored various poetry, textbooks, and biograph...
Kevin Powell
Kevin Powell NONE Kevin Powell is widely considered one of America’s most important voices in these early years of the 21st century. Legendary feminist Gloria Steinem asserts that "as a cha...
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...
Krishan Trotman
Krishan Trotman NONE Krishan Trotman is Vice President and Publisher of Legacy Lit, the Hachette Book Group imprint she launched in 2020 to publish narrative nonfiction, fiction, and mission-driven ...
Ilyasah Shabazz
Ilyasah Shabazz 000000004150744X Ilyasah Al-Shabazz, community organizer, activist, and daughter of Malcolm X, advocates for at-risk youth and interfaith dialogue. She's developed programs promoting ...