AALBC Search
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...
Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes
Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes MULTIPLE Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes are acclaimed authors, specializing in speculative fiction. Due is a celebrated educator, while Barnes is an accomplished sc...
Brandon Massey, Eric Jerome Dickey, and Tananarive Due, L. A. Banks
Brandon Massey, Eric Jerome Dickey, and Tananarive Due, L. A. Banks MULTIPLE "Brandon Massey, Eric Jerome Dickey, Tananarive Due, and L.A. Banks are renowned authors known for their captivating works...
Brandon Massey, Tananarive Due, and Leslie Esdaile Banks
Brandon Massey, Tananarive Due, and Leslie Esdaile Banks MULTIPLE Brandon Massey, Tananarive Due, and L.A. Banks are renowned authors, each recognized for their unique contributions to literature. ...
Blair Underwood, Tananarive Due, and Steven Barnes
Blair Underwood, Tananarive Due, and Steven Barnes MULTIPLE Blair Underwood, Tananarive Due, and Steven Barnes are renowned authors known for their significant contributions to literature, ranging fr...
Tananarive Due, Steven Barnes, and Larry Niven
Tananarive Due, Steven Barnes, and Larry Niven MULTIPLE Tananarive Due, Steven Barnes, and Larry Niven are renowned authors known for their contributions to science fiction and fantasy literature, ea...
Bea Jackson
Bea Jackson 0000000500111306 Bea Jackson is an accomplished author known for her captivating storytelling. With a writing career spanning over decades, she has penned numerous bestsellers, captivatin...
Brittany Jackson
Brittany Jackson NONE Brittany “Bea” Jackson, an award-winning illustrator and alumni of the College for Creative Studies, is renowned for her work in children's book illustration, specifically “Hair...
Steven Barnes
Steven Barnes 0000000120240667 Steven Barnes is a bestselling author and screenwriter, known for his award-winning Tennyson Hardwick mystery series and Lifewriting course. With over 30 years of self-...
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 ...
Echo Brown
Echo Brown NONE Echo Brown is a renowned storyteller, author, and performer known for her one-woman show, 'Black Virgins Are Not for Hipsters'. She's also the author of 'Black Girl Unlimited'. Echo f...
Randall Horton
Randall Horton 0000000048702491 Award-winning author Randall Horton, known for his poetry collections and memoir, is a recipient of the Bea Gonzalez Poetry Award, GLCA New Writers Award, and a Nation...
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...
Cedric Johnson
Cedric Johnson 0000000055574096 Cedric Johnson, an associate professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago, focuses on African American Studies and Political Science. His critically acclaimed book...
Louise Story and Ebony Reed
Louise Story and Ebony Reed MULTIPLE Louise Story is a renowned investigative journalist and Yale professor, known for her work at The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and for her investig...
Ravi Howard
Ravi Howard NONE Ravi Howard is an award-winning author and television producer, known for his novel “Like Trees, Walking.” A recipient of the 2001 Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Award and the 200...
Tony Rose and Yvonne Rose
Tony Rose and Yvonne Rose MULTIPLE Tony and Yvonne Rose are the producers of the 2006 African American Pavilion and run Amber Communications Group, Inc. together. Tony Rose and Yvonne Rose P...
Jason Poole
Jason Poole NONE Jason Conrad Poole, a proud father from Washington, DC, was wrongfully sentenced to 21 years for a drug violation in 1996. Regaining his freedom in 2008, Poole's story showcases resi...
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...
Ifa Bayeza
Ifa Bayeza NONE Ifa Bayeza is an acclaimed playwright, producer, and theater artist. Known for works like “Amistad Voices” and “The Ballad of Emmett Till,” she's won the 2008 Edgar Award and 2007 Eug...
Primrose Cameron
Primrose Cameron NONE Primrose Cameron is an experienced motivational speaker, life coach, teacher, and counselor based in West Volusia. She offers personal and professional development through her t...
Heidi R. Lewis
Heidi R. Lewis NONE Dr. Heidi R. Lewis is an Associate Professor and Director of the Feminist & Gender Studies Program at Colorado College. Specializing in Feminist Theory, Hip Hop Culture, and Criti...
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 ...
J.J. Phillips
J.J. Phillips NONE Jane J. Phillips, born in 1944, is an acclaimed poet, novelist, and civil rights activist. Recognized for her works including 'Mojo Hand: an Orphic Tale' and 'The Passion of Joan P...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama 0000000121331026 Barack Obama, born in Hawaii in 1961, was the 44th President of the United States. Raised in a middle-class family, he worked his way through college and became the firs...
Omarion
Omarion 0000000101022998 Omarion Ishmael Grandberry, former B2K lead singer and successful solo artist, is now known as the “King of Unbothered.” A Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and actor, he's...
Akie F. Davis
Akie F. Davis NONE Akie F. Davis is a Houston-based writer and producer with a passion for film and a background in psychology and business. He co-owns Creole Creations and works for the Houston Acce...
Tracie Howard
Tracie Howard NONE Tracie Howard, a former executive at notable companies, is an accomplished author known for her novel, 'Why Sleeping Dogs Lie'. She served on President Obama's 2008 Finance Committ...
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...
Vincent Alexandria
Vincent Alexandria NONE Vincent Alexandria is a nationally published author, he is also an actor, producer, director, composer, lyricist, screenwriter, vocalist, and musician. He holds a Bachelor’s ...
William Melvin Kelley
William Melvin Kelley 0000000108984997 William Melvin Kelley was a notable American novelist and short-story writer, known for using African American comedy to critique racial attitudes. He taught li...
KR Bankston
KR Bankston NONE KR Bankston is an accomplished Fiction Novelist, Publishing Consultant, and CEO of Kirabaco Media Group. Known for her commercial publishing debut, 'A Deadly Encounter' in 2008, she ...
Allison Hobbs
Allison Hobbs NONE Allison Hobbs is a prolific author known for her erotic and paranormal novels. Debuting in 2003 with “Pandora’s Box”, she has since written 20 books including the “Eternal Dead” se...
Charles Wright
Charles Wright 0000000119446967 Charles Wright (1932-2008) was an American novelist, avid reader, and high school dropout who served in the Army during the Korean War. Moving to New York in his 20s, ...
Joanna Conners
Joanna Conners NONE Joanna Connors is an acclaimed journalist featured in various publications, including LA Times and Glamour. Her noteworthy accolades include the 2008 Medill Medal for Courage in J...
Cheryl Cloyd Robbins
Cheryl Cloyd Robbins NONE Cheryl Cloyd Robbins is a passionate writer who began her journey in high school. She self-published her first novel in 2006 and its acclaimed sequel in 2008. Despite being ...
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt 0000000120374593 Usain Bolt, born August 21, 1986, is recognized as the fastest person ever timed. He holds world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, won six Olympic gold medals, ...
Simba Sana
Simba Sana NONE Simba Sana overcame hardships in Washington, D.C. to graduate with degrees in Accounting, Business and Finance, and African Studies. He left his auditing job to join Karibu Books, gro...
Jan Etienne
Jan Etienne 0000000121358288 Dr. Jan Etienne, associate lecturer at Birkbeck, University of London, serves as Assistant Programme Director for BSc Social Science and Convenor for the Dissertations Wo...
Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Margaret Cezair-Thompson 0000000444583770 Margaret Cezair-Thompson, a Jamaican-born author and professor, is known for her novels “The True History of Paradise” and “The Pirate’s Daughter” which won ...
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 0000000114510288 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, born in Nigeria, is a renowned author and educator who graduated summa cum laude in Communication from Eastern Connecticut State. S...
Aimé Césaire
Aimé Césaire 0000000121474035 One of the Founders of the Négritude Movement in Francophone Literature Aimé Césaire (1913-2008) was a Martinican poet, playwright, and politician who co-founded...
Jane Mount
Jane Mount 0000000371396068 Jane Mount is a multi-talented illustrator, designer, and writer who founded Ideal Bookshelf in 2008, a company dedicated to bibliophiles. She presently resides in a Hawai...
Francis Ray
Francis Ray 0000000110715606 Francis Ray (1944-2013) was a celebrated Texas-based author and school nurse practitioner. Known for her bestsellers in Blackboard and Essence Magazine, her work includes...
Jackie Hill Perry
Jackie Hill Perry 0000000500194914 Jackie Hill Perry, born June 21, 1989, is a St. Louis-based writer, poet, and artist. Recognized by the Washington Times, The 700 Club, and other publications, she ...
Tarkisha M. Wallace
Tarkisha M. Wallace NONE Tarkisha M. Wallace is a licensed counselor offering individual, couple, and family counseling, life coaching, and training workshops. With a Master's degree in Counseling an...
Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o 0000000065421480 Lupita Nyong'o, born March 1, 1983, is a Kenyan-Mexican actress. Raised in Kenya and educated in the U.S., she began her career in Hollywood, made her acting debut in ...
Alex Wheatle
Alex Wheatle 0000000078416656 Alex Wheatle, a celebrated black British writer, is known for best-sellers like 'Brixton Rock' and the award-winning 'Crongton' series. Recognized with an MBE in 2008, h...
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...
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce NONE Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a Jamaican sprinter, rose to fame in 2008 as the first Caribbean woman to win 100m Olympic gold. In 2012, she successfully defended her title. Af...
Ben Jealous
Ben Jealous 0000000417015073 Benjamin Todd Jealous is a notable American civil rights leader and social impact investor. He was the youngest-ever national leader of the NAACP (2008-2013) and ran for ...
Patricia Jabbeh Wesley
Patricia Jabbeh Wesley 0000000046027939 Wesley Receives the 2023 Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Award Dr. Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, a Penn State Altoona professor of English, creative writing and Afri...
Rasheedah Phillips
Rasheedah Phillips NONE Rasheedah Phillips, Esq. is the Managing Attorney of the Landlord-Tenant Housing Unit at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. A graduate of Temple University, she is also...
Matt Forté
Matt Forté NONE Matthew Garrett Forté, born in 1985, is a retired NFL player best known as a running back for the Chicago Bears. He was recognized for his versatility, amassing over 9,000 rushing an...
Milton J. Davis
Milton J. Davis NONE Milton Davis, an author and entrepreneur, fulfilled his dream of completing a novel in 2008 with 'Meji Book One', released through his own company, MVmedia. Recognized for revivi...
Natasha Trethewey
Natasha Trethewey 0000000084159051 Trethewey was U.S. Poet Laureate, 2012-2014 Natasha Trethewey, an American poet and winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for her collection “Native Guard,” was inspired...
Fabu Phillis Carter
Fabu Phillis Carter NONE Poet Fabu was appointed Madison's Poet Laureate in 2008 and served in that position until 2012. Fabu Phillis Carter, professionally known as Poet Fabu, was appointed Madison’...
Pinkie Gordon Lane
Pinkie Gordon Lane 0000000025290746 Pinkie Gordon Lane (1923-2008) was an influential poet, editor, and educator. Born in Philadelphia, she overcame hardships to earn degrees from Spelman College and...
Karine Jean-Pierre
Karine Jean-Pierre 0000000500800507 Karine Jean-Pierre is the former White House Press Secretary and Senior Advisor to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Born in Martinique and raised in New York by Hait...
David Ritz
David Ritz 0000000073664036 David Ritz (born December 2, 1943) has written novels, biographies, magazine articles, and over a hundred liner notes for artists such as Aretha Franklin and Nat King Col...
Chris Washburn
Chris Washburn NONE "Ex-high school basketball star, Chris Washburn, shares his journey from NBA fame to losing everything due to a 14-year crack addiction in his upcoming memoir. His redemptive stor...
Shahrazad Ali
Shahrazad Ali 0000000381673970 Shahrazad Ali is an author and social commentator, best known for her provocative views on gender roles within the Black community. She gained significant attention wit...
Jarvis Jay Masters
Jarvis Jay Masters 0000000033485674 Jarvis Jay Masters, a San Quentin inmate since 19, is an award-winning author known for “Finding Freedom.” Convicted for conspiracy in a guard's murder, his case i...
Naleighna Kai, Renee Bernard, J.L. Woodson, Joyce A Brown, D. J. McLaurin, Candy Jackson, Janice Pernell, Valarie Prince, Martha Kennerson, Susan D. Peters, Tanishia Pearson-Jones, and L. A. Lewis
Naleighna Kai, Renee Bernard, J.L. Woodson, Joyce A Brown, D. J. McLaurin, Candy Jackson, Janice Pernell, Valarie Prince, Martha Kennerson, Susan D. Peters, Tanishia Pearson-Jones, and L. A. Lewis MUL...
Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström
Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström 0000000403172043 Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström is an acclaimed author, speaker, and photographer. Her work has been featured in major publications worldwide and she has received num...
Robert Hayden
Robert Hayden 0000000114660665 Hayden was Named U.S. Poet Laureate for (1976–1978) Robert Hayden (1913-1980) was a renowned African-American poet, essayist, and educator. He was the first Africa...
Blanche Richardson
Blanche Richardson NONE Blanche Richardson, a seasoned book editor and manager of Marcus Books, one of the oldest African American owned bookstores in the US, has contributed significantly to literat...
Ibi Zoboi, Tracey Baptiste, Coe Booth, Dhonielle Clayton, Brandy Colbert, Jay Coles, Lamar Giles, Leah Henderson, Justina Ireland, Varian Johnson, Kekla Magoon, Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone, Renée Watson, Rita Williams-Garcia, and others
Ibi Zoboi, Tracey Baptiste, Coe Booth, Dhonielle Clayton, Brandy Colbert, Jay Coles, Lamar Giles, Leah Henderson, Justina Ireland, Varian Johnson, Kekla Magoon, Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone, Renée Watso...
Tracy Sherrod
Tracy Sherrod NONE Tracy Sherrod, editorial director of HarperCollins' Amistad, has worked with award-winning authors and published numerous bestsellers. She has held editorial positions at Simon and...
Kam Williams
Kam Williams NONE Lloyd “Kam” Williams was a renowned film and book critic, contributing to AALBC.com and numerous other publications. A member of several critics associations, he was known for his a...
Florence L. Tate
Florence L. Tate NONE Florence Louise Tate (1931-2014) was a prominent activist and press secretary for Marion Barry and Jesse Jackson. She was under FBI scrutiny for her ties to Stokely Carmichael a...
K’wan
K’wan 0000000417519140 K'wan Foye, born to a poet and painter, faced numerous rejections before his debut novel, Gangsta, was published in 2002. His subsequent novels caught the attention of St. Mart...
Benita R. Dale
Benita R. Dale NONE Benita R. Dale is a champion of African-American literature and art, founding Dialogue magazine and the Alliance for Cultural Enrichment, Inc. She also runs Efficient Business Ser...
Quvenzhané Wallis
Quvenzhané Wallis 0000000401748045 Quvenzhané “Nazie” Wallis, born in 2003, is known for her role in 'Beasts of the Southern Wild', making her the youngest Oscar nominee for Best Actress. She also s...
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...
Mark Doty, Martin Espada, Joy Harjo, Marilyn Nelson, Ishmael Reed, Sonia Sanchez, Yusef Komunyakaa, Afaa Michael Weaver, and Rita Dove
Mark Doty, Martin Espada, Joy Harjo, Marilyn Nelson, Ishmael Reed, Sonia Sanchez, Yusef Komunyakaa, Afaa Michael Weaver, and Rita Dove MULTIPLE Prominent authors Mark Doty, Martin Espada, Joy Harjo, ...
Naleighna Kai, Pat G’Orge Walker, Lisa Watson, Martha Kennerson, Michelle D. Rayford, Janice Pernell, J. L. Campbell, Kisha Green, and Terri Ann Johnson
Naleighna Kai, Pat G’Orge Walker, Lisa Watson, Martha Kennerson, Michelle D. Rayford, Janice Pernell, J. L. Campbell, Kisha Green, and Terri Ann Johnson MULTIPLE "Naleighna Kai, Pat G’Orge Walker, Li...
Zane
Zane 0000000116815915 AALBC’s All-Time Bestselling Author Zane, a New York Times Bestselling Author, is known for several popular titles including “Addicted”, and “The Sex Chronicles.” Her works...
Jesmyn Ward
Jesmyn Ward 0000000049339751 Two-Time National Book Award Winning Author Jesmyn Ward, a Mississippi-born author and University of South Alabama professor, has penned novels like “Where the Line Bleeds...
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-...
Crystal Wilkinson
Crystal Wilkinson 0000000041499179 Crystal Wilkinson is an award-winning author known for novels like The Birds of Opulence and Blackberries, Blackberries. She has received recognition from instituti...
Linda Janet Holmes
Linda Janet Holmes 0000000036823341 Linda Janet Holmes is an accomplished writer, scholar, and women's health activist. Known for her work on African American midwifery practices, she has also author...
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...
Tameka Fryer Brown
Tameka Fryer Brown NONE Tameka Fryer Brown, a Charlotte-based author, is known for her award-winning children's books. Her debut, “Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day,” sold over 100,000 copies. Her sec...
Jeffrey B. Perry
Jeffrey B. Perry 0000000110567703 Dr. Jeffrey B. Perry is a renowned scholar and authority on Harlem activist Hubert Henry Harrison. He authored “Hubert Harrison: The Voice of Harlem Radicalism, 1883...
Dana Canedy
Dana Canedy 000000011303526X Dana Canedy, SVP and Publisher at Simon and Schuster, is a former New York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of bestseller “A Journal For Jordan.” With e...
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...
Clarence Page
Clarence Page 0000000034760818 Clarence Page is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Chicago Tribune and frequents TV as a political pundit. He's known for his best-selling essay collection, Cu...
Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck 0000000081402175 Raoul Peck is a renowned filmmaker known for narrative films and documentaries like Lumumba and I Am Not Your Negro. A jury member at Cannes and Berlinale, he chairs the b...
Jeff Chang
Jeff Chang 0000000367675451 Jeff Chang, renowned cultural critic and author of award-winning books such as 'Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation' and 'Who We Be: The Colorizatio...
Cinque Brown
Cinque Brown NONE Cinque Brown, a Harlem native, is a full-time philosopher with a passion for questioning life. He's an avid learner with a focus on science and technology, and enjoys social comment...
Ronda Racha Penrice
Ronda Racha Penrice NONE Ronda Racha Penrice, an expert in African American history and culture, studied at Columbia University and NYU, focusing on African American literature. She contributed to Th...
Marcia Wilson
Marcia Wilson NONE Marcia E. Wilson, a British-born photographer, has extensively documented poets, writers, and literary events of the African Diaspora since 1995. Her work, featured in major print ...
Shannon Holmes, Wahida Clark, Victor L. Martin, Sa'id Salaam, Reds Johnson, Hood Chronicles, Joe Awsum, and Vance Phillips
Shannon Holmes, Wahida Clark, Victor L. Martin, Sa'id Salaam, Reds Johnson, Hood Chronicles, Joe Awsum, and Vance Phillips MULTIPLE "Shannon Holmes, Wahida Clark, Victor L. Martin, Sa'id Salaam, Reds...
Carlotta Arradondo
Carlotta Arradondo NONE Carlotta Arradondo, a Minneapolis-born novelist, poet, and storyteller, discovered her passion for writing at nine. She is the author of the novel “Yearning” and co-author of ...
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...
Roland S. Jefferson
Roland S. Jefferson NONE Roland S. Jefferson, originally from Washington, D.C., is a celebrated author known for his rich, multi-layered characters and contemporary themes. After receiving his medica...
Tiphanie Yanique
Tiphanie Yanique 0000000071326295 Tiphanie Yanique, a novelist, poet, and professor from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, is renowned for her numerous awards including the Mary Grant Charles Award ...
Tonya Bolden
Tonya Bolden 0000000116508683 Tonya Bolden, a Princeton and Columbia University graduate, is an award-winning author/editor of over 40 books, including children's nonfiction and historical novels. He...