AALBC Search
Cicely Lewis
Cicely Lewis NONE Cicely Lewis, a Georgia-based school librarian, is passionate about fostering reading habits. She initiated the Read Woke challenge in 2017, addressing social issues and literature ...
Lecia Michelle
Lecia Michelle NONE Lecia Michelle is a writer, librarian, and educator with over 15 years of experience. She's also an activist and founder of a racial justice organization. She holds a B.A. in Jour...
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...
Patrisse Khan-Cullors
Patrisse Khan-Cullors 0000000486461392 Patrisse Khan-Cullors, an LA-based artist and freedom fighter, is known for co-founding Black Lives Matter and Dignity and Power Now. A Fulbright scholar and NA...
Sandra L. Manigault
Sandra L. Manigault NONE Sandra L. Manigault, formerly a high school math teacher and college professor, she fell in love with books by African American women and other 20th and 21st century writers,...
Anne Spencer
Anne Spencer 0000000458445176 Anne Bannister Spencer was a lauded American poet, civil rights activist, and librarian during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in 1882, she was the first African-American w...
Judy Allen Dodson
Judy Allen Dodson NONE Judy Allen Dodson is an award-winning librarian, archivist, and children's author dedicated to teaching Black History through stories of unsung heroes. She serves as a regional...
Erika Lynne Jones
Erika Lynne Jones NONE Erika Lynne Jones, a children's book author and illustrator, uses her work to celebrate culture and affirm children's worth. Known for “The Loud Librarian” and based in Dallas,...
Terah Shelton Harris
Terah Shelton Harris NONE Terah Shelton Harris is an Alabama-based librarian and freelance writer whose work features in various publications. From Illinois originally, the world traveler who has exp...
Zetta Elliott and Lyn Miller-Lachmann
Zetta Elliott and Lyn Miller-Lachmann MULTIPLE Zetta Elliott, a black feminist writer known for poetry, plays, essays, novels, and kids' stories, is renowned for her award-winning picture book, Bird....
Charlotte Watson Sherman
Charlotte Watson Sherman 0000000067613072 Charlotte Watson Sherman, a Seattle-born author, is known for her novels, children's books, and short fiction collection. Formerly a librarian, her works inc...
Augusta Baker
Augusta Baker 0000000081160874 Augusta Braxton Baker (1911-1998) was a renowned author, librarian, and storyteller, celebrated for her impactful contributions to children's literature, particularly i...
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...
Tarana Burke
Tarana Burke NONE Tarana Burke, founder of the “me too” movement, is dedicated to combating sexual violence and systemic issues affecting marginalized communities. She started her activism in the 198...
Megan Frazer Blakemore
Megan Frazer Blakemore NONE Megan Frazer Blakemore is a notable children's and young adults' author, known for her middle grade novels like “The Firefly Code” and “The Water Castle,” the latter being...
Laureen Cantwell and Leonard Gill
Laureen Cantwell and Leonard Gill MULTIPLE Laureen P. Cantwell, a former librarian at the University of Memphis, loved the city's dark side and Elvis. Leonard Gill, a Memphis native, writes for the M...
Alice Faye Duncan
Alice Faye Duncan 0000000067711692 Alice Faye Duncan is a librarian and author, crafting books for young readers and adults. She aspires to write lyrical prose that compels children to read repetitiv...
Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe 0000000120233360 Janelle Monáe is a multifaceted American artist, known for her work as a singer/songwriter, actress, and producer. With eight Grammy nominations and successful roles i...
Dharathula H. Millender
Dharathula H. Millender NONE Dharathula H. Millender, also known as “Dolly,” was a librarian, educator, author, and historian from Terre Haute, Indiana, best known for preserving the history of Gary,...
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson 0000000084378609 Vaunda Micheaux Nelson is an award-winning children's author and librarian. She penned “Bad News for Outlaws,” which won the 2010 Coretta Scott King Award, and...
Glenda Armand
Glenda Armand NONE Glenda Armand, winner of the 2006 Lee & Low's New Voices Award, is a former teacher and librarian passionate about sharing stories of enslaved African Americans and lesser-known hi...
Arna Bontemps
Arna Bontemps 0000000108744969 Arna Bontemps (1902-1973) was a significant Harlem Renaissance figure and author of 25 diverse books. He served as the head librarian at Fisk University and curator of ...
Monica Clark-Robinson
Monica Clark-Robinson NONE “I write picture books, contemporary middle grade fiction, and YA fiction.” Monica Clark-Robinson is a multi-talented individual who excels as an author, actor, ...
Cynthia Grady
Cynthia Grady NONE Cynthia Grady, a former middle school librarian and teacher, is a New Mexico-based author who enjoys playing music for her two rabbits, Finoa and Banjo. Cynthia Grady is an author ...
Alechia Dow
Alechia Dow NONE Alechia Dow is a former pastry chef, librarian, and author of YA sci-fi fantasies, The Sound of Stars and The Kindred. She enjoys dance parties with her daughter, baking, reading, an...
Dudley Randall
Dudley Randall 0000000114554651 Dudley Randall (1914-2000), a prominent Detroit poet and publisher, began his career at 13 with his first publication. He founded Broadside Press in 1965, promoting Af...
Lauren Gibaldi
Lauren Gibaldi NONE Lauren Gibaldi, a public librarian based in Orlando, Florida, is a renowned author known for works like 'The Night We Said Yes', 'Autofocus', 'This Tiny Perfect World', and coedit...
Dhonielle Clayton
Dhonielle Clayton 0000000449631049 Dhonielle Clayton, co-author of the Tiny Pretty Things series and co-founder of CAKE Literary, is a former teacher and librarian. Passionate about diverse literatur...
Jenna Beatrice
Jenna Beatrice NONE Jenna Beatrice, a children's author and former lawyer, advocates for kids through her writing and trustee role at a children's center. A Barnard College and Fordham Law graduate, ...
Julianne Malveaux
Julianne Malveaux 0000000021068830 Dr. Julianne Malveaux is a renowned economist, author, and commentator, lauded for her contributions to public discourse on race, culture, and gender. Currently the...
Joy-Ann Reid
Joy-Ann Reid 0000000038365962 Joy-Ann M. Lomena-Reid, born in 1968, is a renowned TV host and political commentator on MSNBC. Hosting “The ReidOut” since 2011, she covers political issues, current ev...
Kazembe
Kazembe NONE Lasana Kazembe is a renowned poet, essayist, and lecturer, recognized for his performances at literary venues across Chicago. Garnering accolades such as the 1st Place Winner of the Gwen...
Ice–T and Douglas Century
Ice–T and Douglas Century MULTIPLE Ice-T and Douglas Century are prolific figures in the entertainment industry. Ice-T, a Grammy-winning rapper and actor, is best known for his role on “Law & Order: ...
Buchi Emecheta
Buchi Emecheta 0000000109363682 “I work toward the liberation of women, but I’m not a feminist I’m just a woman.” Nigerian novelist Buchi Emecheta, born in 1944, is renowned f...
Valerie J. Lewis Coleman
Valerie J. Lewis Coleman NONE Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, with 20+ years of experience in family and relationships, helps families overcome challenges. She also guides aspiring authors in self-publishi...
Herb Boyd
Herb Boyd 0000000110710186 Herb Boyd Receives Social Justice Award Herb Boyd, born in 1938, is an award-winning author and journalist. He's written over 20 books and numerous articles, with notable wo...
Ice–T, Spike, and Douglas Century
Ice–T, Spike, and Douglas Century MULTIPLE Ice-T, Spike, and Douglas Century are renowned individuals known for their contributions in music, film, and literature respectively, each leaving a signifi...
Douglas Century
Douglas Century 0000000120268336 Douglas Century is a bestselling author and investigative journalist known for works such as Under and Alone, Hunting El Chapo, and Takedown. He was a 2003 Edgar Awar...
Tavis Smiley and Cornel West
Tavis Smiley and Cornel West MULTIPLE Tavis Smiley and Cornel West are two of the most prominent African American public intellectuals and media figures of the early 21st century. Through their co...
William Gardner Smith
William Gardner Smith 0000000063221434 Influential writer and journalist William Gardner Smith (1927–1974) used his work to highlight racial inequality in America. His novels, such as The Stone Fac...
Octavia E. Butler
Octavia E. Butler 0000000121272003 “There's nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns.” Butler was the first science fiction writer to be awarded a MacArthur Foundations Fellowship...
Lisa Allen-Agostini
Lisa Allen-Agostini 0000000072635073 Lisa Allen-Agostini is a Trinidadian author and journalist known for her impactful work in Caribbean literature and social issues advocacy. Her novels, poetry, an...
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...
Doni Glover
Doni Glover NONE Doni Glover is the founder of the Original Black Wall Street SERIES and blackwallstreetnews.com. He's an influential voice in Maryland's black community, often sought for insights on...
Clarence V. Reynolds
Clarence V. Reynolds NONE Clarence V. Reynolds is an independent editor and journalist, former director of Literary Programs at the Center for Black Literature and editor-in-chief of the Killens Revi...
Kehinde Andrews
Kehinde Andrews 0000000459713136 Kehinde Nkosi Andrews is a Professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University, founder and director of the Centre for Critical Social Research, and co-founder o...
Don Lemon
Don Lemon 0000000122571961 Don Lemon is a renowned American journalist, known for hosting CNN Tonight since 2006. He's covered major events like Hurricane Katrina and George Floyd protests, and is re...
Angela P. Dodson
Angela P. Dodson NONE Angela P. Dodson is a contributing editor for Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, former senior editor at The New York Times, and ex-executive editor of Black Issues Book Revie...
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...
Amina Gautier
Amina Gautier 0000000118109950 Dr. Amina Gautier, an award-winning author of three short story collections, is a scholar and professor specializing in African American literature. She teaches in the ...
Leila Aboulela
Leila Aboulela 0000000108556255 Sudanese-born author Leila Aboulela writes in English, exploring identity, migration and Islamic spirituality. Her work, influenced by her move from Sudan to Scotland ...
Gary Phillips
Gary Phillips 0000000500252416 Gary Phillips is a Los Angeles-based author known for crafting stories of chicanery and malfeasance. Drawing from his experiences as a community activist, his narrative...
Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
Mohamed Mbougar Sarr 0000000448978075 Senegalese author Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, born in 1990, is celebrated for his contributions to modern African literature. He tackles social, political, and cultura...
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...
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...
Darrin Bell
Darrin Bell 0000000036831245 The first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning Darrin Bell is a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and author from Los Angeles, known for his...
Yohuru Williams
Yohuru Williams 0000000063137216 Yohuru Williams is a renowned historian, author, and educator specializing in African American history, civil rights, and social justice. He's known for making histor...
Sheree Renée Thomas
Sheree Renée Thomas 0000000019174343 Sheree R. Thomas is a multi-talented writer, editor, publisher, educator, and visual artist. She co-publishes the literary journal Anansi and founded Wanganegress...
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...
Sarah E. Farro
Sarah E. Farro NONE Sarah E. Farro, a black author born in 1859, wrote 'True Love: A Story of English Domestic Life' in 1891, making her the second known African-American woman novelist of the 19th c...
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 ...
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 ...
Michelle S. Hartzog
Michelle S. Hartzog NONE Michelle S. Hartzog, a Black woman, is a firm believer in family bond. Her book, 'The Beauty of Being a Black Woman', tackles issues and stereotypes that often hinder family ...
John McWhorter
John McWhorter 0000000117982707 John H. McWhorter is a Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a renowned author and linguistics scholar. Known for his commentary on cultural and racial issues, ...
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...
Kysha N. Brown
Kysha N. Brown NONE A college classmate and friend of Kysha Brown Robinson’s once said of her first impression of Brown: "I remember seeing this little girl sitting at the front of the ro...
Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde 0000000115569521 Audre Lorde, a black, gay female poet and activist, fought against racial and sexual discrimination and for gay rights. A renowned writer, she authored 18 books and won t...
Michael Taylor
Michael Taylor 0000000109322362 Michael Taylor is a motivational speaker, author, and radio host committed to empowering men. Rising from adversity and challenges, he overcame a difficult upbringing,...
Nelda LaTeef
Nelda LaTeef 000000008348432X Nelda LaTeef is an award-winning author and illustrator, known for acclaimed children's books like Animal Village and The Talking Baobab Tree. Her work has received nume...
Joseph Pilates and Judd Robbins
Joseph Pilates and Judd Robbins MULTIPLE Joseph Pilates Born December 9, 1883 in Mönchengladbach, Germany; died October 9, 1967 in New York City. As a sickly child (rickets, asthma, rheumat...
Randal Pinkett
Randal Pinkett NONE Dr. Randal Pinkett is an entrepreneur, author, and scholar. He is the CEO of BCT Partners, a consulting firm working in various sectors. Pinkett co-founded Inner City Consulting G...
Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné
Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné NONE Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné is a renowned Trinidadian poet and artist, with works featured in multiple publications. She won the 2009 Caribbean Writer's Paiewonksy Prize and...
Carlos Moreno
Carlos Moreno 0000000502819973 Carlos Moreno is a graphic designer at Oklahoma's largest anti-poverty organization, CAP Tulsa, and a volunteer at Code for Tulsa. Recognized by NextCity, he also holds...
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...
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...
Robert Jackson
Robert Jackson 000000003829384X Robert Jackson, author of “The No More Excuses Curriculum,” is a renowned speaker, educator, and consultant specializing in issues facing African-American and Latino s...
Huey P. Newton
Huey P. Newton 000000010924806X Huey P. Newton, born February 17, 1942, was a key figure in the US civil rights and Black Power movements. A co-founder of the Black Panther Party, he championed self-...
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...
Audrey Vernick
Audrey Vernick NONE Our students thoroughly enjoyed meeting Audrey Vernick; her presentation kept the kids engaged and energized! She helped them make real-life connections, and she reinforced writi...
Tracey Baptiste
Tracey Baptiste 0000000037347738 Tracey Baptiste, a Trinidad-born author, made her debut with 'Angel’s Grace', lauded by NYC librarians. Once a teacher and ballerina, she now writes and edits childre...
Tracy K. Smith
Tracy K. Smith 0000000049042106 Smith was U.S. Poet Laureate, 2017-2019 Tracy K. Smith, born 1972, is a Pulitzer-winning poet and educator. She has published three poetry collections and teaches creat...
Dorothy Porter
Dorothy Porter 0000000109214185 Dorothy Louise Porter Wesley was a noted bibliographer and librarian at Howard University. She played a key role in the creation of the world-class Moorland-Spingarn R...
Kelsey Norris
Kelsey Norris NONE Kelsey Norris is a writer and editor from Alabama. Her debut story collection, House Gone Quiet, is a finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Kelsey Norris is a ...
Jawanza Kunjufu
Jawanza Kunjufu NONE AALBC Mourns the Passing of Jawanza Kunjufu Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu is an educational consultant and prolific author specializing in African-American issues. Known for his dynamic lec...
Winnie Harlow
Winnie Harlow NONE Winnie Harlow (born Chantelle Whitney Brown-Young in July 27, 1994) is a Canadian fashion model, actress, entrepreneur, and advocate best known for challenging conventional beauty...
Tricia Rose
Tricia Rose 0000000108726760 Tricia Rose, a professor of Africana Studies at Brown University, specializes in African-American culture, politics, and gender issues. She is the author of 'Black Noise'...
Amy Watkins
Amy Watkins NONE Amy Watkins, an award-winning author and physician, is known for her fictional works addressing social issues. A former Navy physician, she now practices family medicine in Virginia....
Kimberla Lawson Roby
Kimberla Lawson Roby 0000000063897135 Kimberla’s Thoughts on Concluding Her Reverend Curtis Black Series, After 15 Books Kimberla Lawson Roby is a New York Times Bestselling Author of 24 novels,...
Andrea Foy
Andrea Foy NONE Andrea Foy, award-winning author and contributor to 12 anthologies, is known for her works on women's empowerment. She's a Distinguished Toastmaster and a Certified John Maxwell Leade...
Michelle Donice
Michelle Donice NONE Michelle Donice, an Indianapolis native, is an accomplished academic and author dividing her time between inspiring youth and writing fiction in central Florida. She credits her ...
T. Styles
T. Styles NONE Driven by her faith and inspired by trailblazers like Sister Souljah, this multi-talented author has a diverse background in massage therapy, modeling, and public speaking. Passionate ...
Michael G. Long
Michael G. Long NONE Michael G. Long is a distinguished author and editor specializing in civil rights and gender issues. Known for his in-depth works on key American historical figures like Jackie R...
Michael Eric Dyson
Michael Eric Dyson 0000000108900116 Michael Eric Dyson is a distinguished scholar, Baptist minister, and public intellectual known for his innovative scholarship on race, religion, and popular cultur...
Robert G. Barnes
Robert G. Barnes NONE Dr. Robert and Rosemary Barnes are coauthors, conference speakers, and experts on marriage and family issues. Robert is executive director of Sheridan House Family Ministries an...
SLMN
SLMN NONE SLMN is a writing duo known for combating global issues and producing films. They have worked on humanitarian projects in developing nations, served on peacekeeping forces, and campaigned a...
Judy C. Andrews
Judy C. Andrews NONE Judy C. Andrews is an accomplished writer and educator with degrees from The City College of New York. Known for her suspense thrillers and insightful explorations of social issu...
Preston Perry
Preston Perry NONE Pastor Preston Perry is a respected preacher, spoken word artist, and educator in the Christian community. His powerful poetry addresses faith and social issues, resonating with yo...
Jamal Eric Watson
Jamal Eric Watson NONE Dr. Jamal Watson is an award-winning author and lecturer, known for his biography on Al Sharpton. He's a senior writer for Diverse Issues in Higher Education, with work feature...
William A. Darity Jr., A. Kirsten Mullen, and Lucas Hubbard
William A. Darity Jr., A. Kirsten Mullen, and Lucas Hubbard MULTIPLE William A. Darity Jr. is a professor and director at Duke University, specializing in Public Policy, African and African American ...
Lawrence C. Ross Jr.
Lawrence C. Ross Jr. NONE Lawrence Ross is an acclaimed author, journalist, and college lecturer whose work explores race, higher education, and African American culture. He is the author of The Div...