AALBC Search
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates 0000000036544350 “I’ve been wondering who might fill the intellectual void that plagued me after James Baldwin died…clearly it is Ta-Nehisi Coates.” —To...
Ta-Nehisi Coates and Roxane Gay
Ta-Nehisi Coates and Roxane Gay MULTIPLE Ta-Nehisi Coates and Roxane Gay are acclaimed authors known for their insightful works on contemporary social issues, with Coates focusing on racial issues an...
Ta-Nehisi Coates and Yona Harvey
Ta-Nehisi Coates and Yona Harvey MULTIPLE Ta-Nehisi Coates and Yona Harvey are celebrated authors, known for their influential works in literature and comics. Coates is renowned for his expertise in ...
W. Paul Coates
W. Paul Coates 0000000029319323 Coates Wins the 2024 Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation W. Paul Coates, founder of Black Classic Press, specializes in republishing significant work...
Susie Day, W. Paul Coates and Eddie Conway
Susie Day, W. Paul Coates and Eddie Conway MULTIPLE "Susie Day, W. Paul Coates, and Eddie Conway are notable figures in literature. Conway's life inspired Coates to establish Black Classic Press, a ...
Rodney D. Coates
Rodney D. Coates NONE Rodney D. Coates, Ph.D., is a Professor of Sociology and Gerontology and Director of Black World Studies at Miami University with extensive publications in critical race and eth...
Angela Flournoy
Angela Flournoy 0000000436914613 Angela Flournoy, author of The Turner House, a National Book Award finalist, has been recognized with numerous awards including the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize. A Nat...
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...
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 ...
Saeed Jones
Saeed Jones 0000000365991477 Saeed Jones, award-winning author of 'Prelude to Bruise', is known for his work at BuzzFeed as an LGBT and Culture editor, as well as co-host of AM to DM. Born in Memphis...
Alaya Dawn Johnson
Alaya Dawn Johnson 0000000084426631 Alaya Dawn Johnson, an award-winning author recognized for her YA novels and short fiction. She won the 2015 Nebula Award for “A Guide to the Fruits of Hawai’i.” H...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Anthony Grooms
Anthony Grooms 0000000034968192 Anthony “Tony” Grooms, born in 1955, is a respected author and instructor at Kennesaw State University. With degrees in theatre, speech, and English, Grooms has receiv...
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah 0000000110549118 Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first prime minister and president, led the country to independence from Britain in 1957 and ruled until a 1966 coup. His time in the U.S. greatl...
Gregory Pardlo
Gregory Pardlo 0000000044381598 Gregory Pardlo is a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and professor at Rutgers University-Camden. He's earned multiple fellowships and a National Endowment for the Arts gran...
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...
Gwynne Forster
Gwynne Forster NONE Gwynne Forster (1922-2015) was a renowned and award-winning author, known for her romance and general fiction novels. Her work, featured in Black Expressions Magazine, earned her ...
Yona Harvey
Yona Harvey NONE Yona Harvey is an award-winning poet and one of the first black female writers for Marvel Comics. She won the Kate Tufts Discovery Award for her book 'Hemming the Water' and an Eisne...
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 &...
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...
Marlon McCaulsky
Marlon McCaulsky NONE Award-winning American author and screenplay writer, Marlon McCaulsky, is celebrated for his Fiction, Romance, and Science Fiction works that often highlight contemporary Africa...
Bianca Xunise
Bianca Xunise NONE Bianca Xunise is a cartoonist based out of Chicago, Illinois. Their work primarily focuses on the plight, joy, and daily struggles of misfits within the Black community. Bianca Xun...
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...
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...
Michelle Lindo-Rice
Michelle Lindo-Rice NONE Michelle Lindo-Rice, bestselling author of the 'Able to Love' and 'On the Right Path' series, focuses on themes of faith, friendship, family, and forgiveness. She was nominat...
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...
Steven Todd Fisher
Steven Todd Fisher NONE Ayna Rayne is an award-nominated, genre-defying author who captivates readers with her experimental storytelling. She blends elements of romance, drama, mystery, philosophy, a...
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...
Kevin Sack
Kevin Sack NONE Kevin Sack is a veteran journalist who has written broadly about national affairs for more than four decades and has shared in three Pulitzer Prizes. Sack spent 30 years on the staff...
Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington 0000000114628411 Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was a pivotal African American educator, author, and advisor to presidents. Born into slavery, he rose to become a key leader fo...
Tamika D. Mallory
Tamika D. Mallory NONE Tamika D. Mallory, born in 1980, is a globally recognized civil rights activist, co-founder of Until Freedom and the Women's March, and author of 'State of Emergency'. She was ...
Gwen Richardson and Sylvia Richardson
Gwen Richardson and Sylvia Richardson MULTIPLE Sylvia Richardson, an honors student at North Carolina Central University, is pursuing a double major in accounting and hospitality management. Her moth...
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 ...
Alretha Thomas
Alretha Thomas NONE Alretha Thomas is an acclaimed author & playwright who began writing at age 10. A standout in high school speech competitions, she pursued journalism at USC. Her unique storytelli...
Morowa Yejide
Morowa Yejide 0000000418442034 Morowa Yejidé, a Washington, DC native, is an acclaimed author recognized for her novel 'Time of the Locust'. A PEN/Bellwether and PEN/Bingham finalist, and NAACP Imag...
Helene Cooper
Helene Cooper 0000000045708150 Helene Cooper, born in Liberia, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The New York Times. She has served as a Pentagon Correspondent, diplomatic correspondent, and...
Jackie Sibblies Drury
Jackie Sibblies Drury NONE Jackie Sibblies Drury is a Brooklyn-based playwright, known for plays including 'We Are Proud to Present...' and 'Really'. Her work has been showcased by prominent institut...
Kawai Strong Washburn
Kawai Strong Washburn 0000000500666563 Hawaiian-born author Kawai Strong Washburn is known for his work in McSweeney’s, Best American Nonrequired Reading and more. He's a 2015 Tin House and Bread Loa...
Angie Ransome-Jones
Angie Ransome-Jones NONE National bestselling author and ghostwriter, Angie Ransome-Jones, is known for her book, Path to Peace, and her ghostwriting services. She is a dedicated wife and mother, a f...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
Chigozie Obioma
Chigozie Obioma 000000007886845X “the heir to Chinua Achebe” (New York Times) Chigozie Obioma, born in Nigeria, is an award-winning author and professor of English at the University of Neb...
Eric Deggans
Eric Deggans NONE Eric Deggans, NPR's first full-time TV critic, has served as a critic across various mediums and regularly comments on TV for National Public Radio. Raised in Indiana with a journal...
Karen Eubanks Jackson
Karen Eubanks Jackson NONE Karen Eubanks Jackson, a 27-year, four-time breast cancer survivor, is the founder and CEO of Sisters Network Inc., the only nationwide African American breast cancer survi...
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 ...
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...
Sharon C. Cooper
Sharon C. Cooper NONE Sharon C. Cooper is an award-winning, bestselling author of contemporary and romantic suspense novels. She's known for her love of romance, rainy days, and peanut butter and jel...
John Keene
John Keene 0000000032165978 Winner 2022 National Book Award for Poetry John Keene, acclaimed author known for Annotations, has been published in various anthologies and journals, earning several award...
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...
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...
Desiree Cooper
Desiree Cooper NONE Desiree Cooper is a 2015 Kresge Artist Fellow, ex-attorney, Pulitzer-nominated journalist, and Detroit activist. She has contributed fiction and poetry to numerous publications an...
Danica Novgorodoff
Danica Novgorodoff 0000000115661248 Danica Novgorodoff is an award-winning artist, writer, and graphic novelist based in Louisville, KY. Her accolades include the 2022 Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal and a...
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...
Masande Ntshanga
Masande Ntshanga 0000000450507336 Masande Ntshanga, winner of the 2013 PEN International New Voices Award and 2015 Caine Prize Finalist, is an accomplished writer and UCT graduate. He has written for...
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Malcolm-Jamal Warner 0000000072500865 AALBC Mourns the Passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, July 20, 2025 Malcolm-Jamal Warner (August 18, 1970 – July 20, 2025) was an American actor, musician and po...
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...
Gary Golio
Gary Golio NONE Gary Golio is a multi-talented visual artist, musician, psychotherapist, and author, known for his New York Times-bestselling book about young Jimi Hendrix. His works focus on artists...
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...
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...
Kekla Magoon
Kekla Magoon 0000000040185776 Kekla Magoon, an award-winning author of eight YA novels, including The Rock and the River and X: A Novel, also pens non-fiction on historical topics. She's won an NAACP...
Dinah Johnson
Dinah Johnson NONE Dinah Johnson is a renowned author in children's literature, particularly in African American storytelling. Her books, which include titles like Hair Dance! and Sitting Pretty, cel...
National Museum of African American History and Culture
National Museum of African American History and Culture MULTIPLE The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), established by Congress in 2003, is devoted to documenting Afric...
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...
Lamar Giles
Lamar Giles 0000000514184709 L.R. Giles is a renowned author and speaker from Virginia, known for his commitment to diversity in publishing. A founding member of We Need Diverse Books, Giles made his...
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...
Marvin V. Arnett
Marvin V. Arnett NONE Marvin V. Arnett, a retired Federal Manager from Detroit, had a successful career receiving numerous awards for job performances and cost-cutting suggestions. She served as Nati...
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...
Julian Randall
Julian Randall NONE Julian Randall, a Queer Black poet from Chicago, has received multiple fellowships and was named 2015's Best Poet at CUPSI. He curates for Winter Tangerine Review and is pursuing ...
Kim Taylor
Kim Taylor 0000000111137246 Kim Taylor is a speech language pathologist, Department Supervisor, expert quilter, and author. Her quilts, reflecting African American life, have been exhibited widely, i...
Nathan C. Heard
Nathan C. Heard NONE Nathan C. Heard (1936-2004) was a celebrated author, teacher, and actor. Known as a pioneer of “street literature,” he gained fame with his book Howard Street, written during his...
Pamela C. Rice
Pamela C. Rice NONE Pamela C. Rice is an acclaimed children's author and illustrator with over 25 books to her credit. Notable for her artistic collaborations and warm illustrations, Rice's works dra...
Mitchell S. Jackson
Mitchell S. Jackson 0000000409614826 Mitchell S. Jackson Awarded the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing Mitchell S. Jackson is an acclaimed author and educator, known for his debut novel “The Resi...
Tai Allen
Tai Allen NONE Tai Allen, a renowned Brooklyn-based creative director, poet, and musician, has excelled in multiple disciplines. His poetry and music have gained recognition from notable publications...
Marley Dias
Marley Dias NONE “Diversity is more than just having one book where a black character is a slave.” Marley Dias, born in 2005, is a young author and literary activist known for launching th...
Mecca Jamilah Sullivan
Mecca Jamilah Sullivan NONE Mecca Jamilah Sullivan, Ph.D., is an award-winning author and scholar known for her short stories and critical work on African Diaspora culture. She's held numerous reside...
Robert F. Smith
Robert F. Smith NONE Entrepreneur and philanthropist Robert F. Smith contributed insights to the book “Lead Boldly: Seven Principles from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Robert F. Smith is a philanthrop...
AlTonya Washington
AlTonya Washington NONE AlTonya Washington is an award-winning romance novelist with 12 years of experience. She's won two Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Awards and the Romance Slam Jam EM...
Farrah Rochon
Farrah Rochon NONE Farrah Rochon, a Louisiana native and award-winning author, launched her writing career at Xavier University. She's known for her Holmes Brothers series, starting with her debut no...
Samuel R. Delany
Samuel R. Delany 0000000109208949 Samuel R. Delany, a renowned author of science fiction and nonfiction, is known for works like Dhalgren and The Mad Man. A former English and Creative Writing profes...
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...
Julian Bond
Julian Bond 0000000110860184 Horace Julian Bond was a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement, politician, professor, and writer. He co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and t...
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 ...
Clarence B. Jones
Clarence B. Jones 0000000036182118 AALBC mourns the passing of Clarence B. Jones Dr. Clarence Benjamin Jones (January 8, 1931 – May 22, 2026) the lawyer who served as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s pe...
Dana Marie Miroballi
Dana Marie Miroballi NONE Dana Marie Miroballi, a biracial ex-teacher now speech-language pathologist, authors books for young readers. With experiences from Germany, Uzbekistan, and now Chicago, she...
Cassandra Mack
Cassandra Mack NONE Cassandra Mack, founder of Strategies for Empowered Living Inc., is an author and life coach. Known for her blogs, books and radio appearances, she offers practical tools for succ...
Lisa Moore Ramée
Lisa Moore Ramée NONE Lisa Moore Ramée, born and raised in Los Angeles, is a critically acclaimed author of two books, including “A Good Kind of Trouble.” A graduate in Speech Communications and Eng...
Brittany N. Williams
Brittany N. Williams NONE Brittany N. Williams is an award-nominated actress and the award-nominated author of the YA historical fantasy trilogy The Forge & Fracture Saga. She holds a BFA in Musical ...
MK Asante
MK Asante NONE MK Asante, Jr., a bestselling author, award-winning filmmaker, and professor, uses his talent for storytelling to overcome personal struggles. Known for his memoir 'Buck,' Asante's wor...
Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi 0000000120987488 Zanele Muholi, born 1972, is a South African visual activist and award-winning photographer. They are the co-founder of the Forum for the Empowerment of Women and found...