AALBC Search
Whitney J. Leblanc
Whitney J. Leblanc NONE Whitney J. LeBlanc is a Louisiana-born author and Hollywood veteran with over 25 years of experience in theater and television. He's known for his trilogy about a Creole famil...
Marsha Hunt
Marsha Hunt 0000000117741647 Marsha Hunt, born 1946, is a British-based actress, singer, and novelist, best known for her role in the rock musical 'Hair'. She has written autobiographies and novels, ...
Sterling D. Plumpp
Sterling D. Plumpp 0000000081297870 “You can not ever get free as a result of legislationHellip;you always have to take freedom.” Sterling Dominic Plumpp, born 1940, is an esteemed poet, e...
Arthur R. Flowers
Arthur R. Flowers NONE Arthur Flowers, a Vietnam veteran, blues singer, and Memphis native, is a co-founder of the New Renaissance Writer's Guild and a notable performance poet. He teaches at Syracus...
Patti Labelle
Patti Labelle 0000000063111489 Patricia Louise Holt-Edwards, born May 24, 1944, is best known as Patti LaBelle. She is renowned for her soulful singing, style, and cooking. When I sing I sing with ...
Loren Long
Loren Long 0000000068683689 Loren Long, New York Times bestselling author of the Otis series, is known for illustrating Barack Obama's Of Thee I Sing and Matt de la Pena's Love. He recently modernize...
Jon B. Eckels
Jon B. Eckels NONE Jon B. Eckels (1929-2014) was an acclaimed poet, essayist, activist, and teacher. Renowned for his 14 volumes of poetry, he won an American Book Award and made significant contribu...
Ntozake Shange
Ntozake Shange 0000000110376632 Ntozake Shange was an educator, dancer, poet, and playwright, best known for her theatre piece 'For Colored Girls'. Born on October 18, 1948, she studied at Barnard Co...
Rima Vesely-Flad
Rima Vesely-Flad NONE Rima Vesely-Flad, PhD, is the author of Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation (NYU Press, 2022) and Racial P...
James Earl Hardy
James Earl Hardy 0000000042416478 James Earl Hardy is the author of the bestselling B-Boy Blues series, including B-Boy Blues, which has been praised as the first gay hip hop love story and is celeb...
Denny S. Bryce
Denny S. Bryce NONE Denny S. Bryce is an acclaimed author, former dancer, and PR professional. Known for her work in NPR Books, FROLIC Media, and her novel 'Wild Women and the Blues', she's a member ...
Shaniqka Thomas
Shaniqka Thomas NONE Shaniqka Thomas is a trustworthy individual known for keeping secrets and offering non-judgmental advice. Her animated personality and genuine approachability have fueled her pas...
Esi Edugyan
Esi Edugyan 0000000073726743 Canadian author Esi Edugyan, renowned for acclaimed novels like 'Half-Blood Blues' and 'Washington Black', has earned prestigious recognition, including the Scotiabank Gi...
Alice Wootson
Alice Wootson NONE Alice Greenhowe Wootson is a retired teacher and acclaimed author of thirteen novels, including romance and romantic suspense. A prize-winning poet, member of various writers' asso...
Jake Lamar
Jake Lamar 0000000042394002 Jake Lamar, a Bronx native, is a renowned author of the memoir, Bourgeois Blues, and novels including The Last Integrationist and Close to the Bone. Residing in Paris sinc...
Cole Riley
Cole Riley NONE Cole Riley is a renowned journalist and reviewer, known for his work in anthologies and magazines such as SexIs Magazine. He has also edited popular anthologies like 'Making The Hook-...
Hisani P. Dubose
Hisani P. Dubose NONE “The Best Black Director of 2005” —Kam Williams Hisani DuBose is a Seton Hall University graduate, former dancer and singer turned screenwriter. She's directed ...
Shawn Amos
Shawn Amos 0000000406826567 Shawn Amos, globally recognized Blues musician and son of cookie tycoon, Wally Amos, balances his music career with his role at NYC firm Hudson Cutler. A dedicated father,...
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...
Ziggy Marley
Ziggy Marley 000000011476515X Ziggy Marley, five-time Grammy-winning musician, actor, and activist, was born in Jamaica to Bob and Rita Marley. He began his career in music at just 10 years old and l...
Phyllis R. Dixon
Phyllis R. Dixon NONE Phyllis R. Dixon, acclaimed author of notable works including Intermission and Down Home Blues, is a contributor to various publications. A graduate of the University of Wiscons...
Don Fulton
Don Fulton NONE Don Fulton, a Washington D.C. native, is a screenwriter inspired by the lack of quality and diverse Christmas films in Hollywood. His screenplay, “Please Come Home for Christmas,” is ...
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 ...
Dean Conan
Dean Conan 0000000082266515 Dean Conan, real name Harold Phifer, is a writer from Atlanta inspired by his early years in nightclubs with his blues singer mother. After unsuccessful attempts in Hollyw...
Kevin Young
Kevin Young 0000000109530225 Kevin Young, born in 1970, is a renowned poet and teacher influenced by Hughes, Berryman, Dickinson, and Basquiat. A Harvard graduate, Young authored multiple poetry book...
Rachel M. Harper
Rachel M. Harper 0000000040693017 Rachel M. Harper, acclaimed author of novels “Brass Ankle Blues” & “This Side of Providence”, is a Pushcart Prize nominee and Ernest J. Gaines Award finalist. A reci...
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples 0000000080055378 Mavis Staples, born in 1939, is a renowned musician from Chicago, acclaimed for her multiple Grammy Awards and inductions into the Blues, Gospel, and Rock & Roll Halls ...
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...
Nelson George
Nelson George 0000000115805862 Nelson George, born in 1957, is a renowned columnist, critic, journalist, filmmaker, and author of 21 books, including bestseller 'The Michael Jackson Story'. A pioneer...
Shakir Rashaan
Shakir Rashaan NONE Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste his talent, but must develop it.” —Pope Jo...
Guy Sims
Guy Sims NONE Guy A. Sims is an acclaimed author known for his early publications on Kwanzaa, his collection of American Tall Tales, and his novel, Living Just A Little. He's also the head writer for...
Leone Ross
Leone Ross 0000000114886285 Leone Ross is an acclaimed British novelist, short story writer and lecturer. Born in England, raised in Jamaica, her works include “All The Blood Is Red” and “Orange Laug...
David Roberts
David Roberts 0000000081109577 David Roberts is a London-based illustrator known for his work on children's books such as the Questioneers series, The Cook and the King, and Happy Birthday, Madame Ch...
Mechal Renee Roe
Mechal Renee Roe NONE Mechal Renee Roe is a New York Times #1 bestselling illustrator, writer, designer, and entrepreneur. She gained recognition for her work on Kamala Harris' “Superheroes Are Every...
Parker Curry and Jessica Curry
Parker Curry and Jessica Curry MULTIPLE Jessica Curry, a New York Times published author and blogger, is a full-time mother chronicling her family's adventures in Washington, DC. Her daughter, Parker...
Kathy Strahs
Kathy Strahs NONE Kathy Strahs, creator of the top-rated blog Panini Happy, left her corporate career to follow her passion for cooking. Her innovative recipes and stunning food photography have been...
Lana Reid
Lana Reid 0000000530613016 Lana Reid, author and relationship advocate, hosts “The Male Perspective” podcast and leads transformative workshops nationwide. Best known for her “Loving Him Better†...
Chianti Lomax
Chianti Lomax NONE Chianti Lomax, “The Chief Happiness Curator”, is a renowned speaker, coach, and strategist, dedicated to transforming mental health in communities of color. Founder of wellDistrict...
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...
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...
Derrick Barnes
Derrick Barnes 0000000036217464 Derrick D. Barnes, a Kansas City native and Jackson State University graduate, is a celebrated author known for children's books like “Stop Drop and Chill” and “The Lo...
Alicia D. Williams
Alicia D. Williams 0000000493459573 Alicia D. Williams is a beloved teacher, oral storyteller, and award-nominated author. Known for her lively spirit, she blends drama and storytelling in her teachi...
Claude McKay
Claude McKay 0000000108625951 Festus Claudius McKay, a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, was born in Jamaica and authored influential works including the poem “If We Must Die” and novel “Home to ...
Donna Drew Sawyer
Donna Drew Sawyer NONE Donna Drew Sawyer, author of Provenance, has a rich background in arts administration, advertising, and public relations. A New Yorker with over three decades of experience in ...
justin a. reynolds
justin a. reynolds NONE Justin A. Reynolds is an acclaimed author renowned for his debut YA novel, “Opposite of Always,” and second novel “Early Departures.” His work includes a Marvel graphic novel ...
Pearl Cleage
Pearl Cleage 0000000031900424 “The purpose of my writing, often, is to express the point where racism and sexism meet.” Pearl Cleage, born in 1948, is an acclaimed playwright, journalist, ...
Jamillah Lamb and David Lamb
Jamillah Lamb and David Lamb MULTIPLE David and Jamillah Lamb are the dynamic duo behind Between The Lines Productions, Inc. The couple co-authored the book Perfect Combination: Seven Key Ingredients...
Cynthia Harris Casteel
Cynthia Harris Casteel NONE Cynthia Harris Casteel, a retired teacher and Maryland native, is an aspiring writer, playwright, and founder of the happiness organization, Frankie's Angels. Known for he...
Evelyn Palfrey
Evelyn Palfrey NONE Evelyn Palfrey, a native Texan, is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas Law School. As an attorney and writer, she's known for her romantic susp...
Lisa Stringfellow
Lisa Stringfellow NONE Lisa Stringfellow is an award-winning author known for her West Indian and Black southern heritage-inspired works like “A Comb of Wishes” and “Kingdom of Dust.” She is a dedica...
Shannon Holmes
Shannon Holmes NONE Shannon Holmes, a Bronx native, turned his life around while serving a prison sentence by penning his first novel. Achieving success with his debut, “B-more Careful,” he secured 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 ...
Brian Pinkney
Brian Pinkney 0000000063549392 As a child, Brian Pinkney loved drawing pictures on every piece of paper he could find. He also loved watching his father, Jerry Pinkney, illustrate books for children...
Katherine Jumbe
Katherine Jumbe NONE Katherine Jumbe is a first-time author who loves to read, travel, sing, play volleyball, and hike. She is a proud Malawian by birth and a bona fide Minnesotan by survival of man...
Ekua Holmes
Ekua Holmes 0000000451226536 Ekua Holmes is a painter and collage artist who uses various materials to create vibrant, abstract works that convey unity and evoke universal memories. Her ongoing serie...
Robbie Montgomery
Robbie Montgomery NONE Robbie Montgomery, “Miss Robbie,” is a former professional singer who worked with Ike Turner and other notable artists before opening a soul food restaurant, Sweetie Pie's, in ...
Juanita Bynum
Juanita Bynum 000000004089322X Dr. Juanita Bynum, born on January 16, 1959, is a multifaceted personality - a televangelist, platinum gospel recording artist, NY Times bestselling author, TV and radi...
Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Vanessa Brantley-Newton NONE Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a self-taught illustrator and crafter from a musical family. She studied fashion illustration at FIT and children's book illustration at the Sc...
Kyra D. Gaunt
Kyra D. Gaunt 0000000061596283 Kyra D. Gaunt is a college professor, jazz vocalist, author, and songwriter specializing in race, gender, and African American music. With a career in education startin...
James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson 0000000120206864 James Weldon Johnson was a legendary civil rights activist, renowned author, and key figure in the Harlem Renaissance. His diverse career spans roles as a U.S. c...
Eleanor Shearer
Eleanor Shearer NONE Eleanor Shearer, a mixed-race writer and granddaughter of Windrush immigrants, studies the legacy of slavery and reparations. She divides her time between London and Ramsgate, dr...
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...
Bebe Moore Campbell
Bebe Moore Campbell 0000000121422163 Elizabeth Bebe Moore Campbell Gordon was an accomplished author with three New York Times bestsellers and a NAACP Image Award for literature. She was a commentato...
Desiree Day
Desiree Day NONE Desiree Day is an accomplished author with a diverse professional background in banking, telecommunications, and IT. Member of Georgia Romance Writers, she has published five novels,...
Ben Greenman
Ben Greenman 0000000043364577 Ben Greenman, a New Yorker contributor and New York Times bestselling author, writes both fiction and non-fiction. Notably, he collaborated with Questlove on a hip-hop m...
Margaret Johnson-Hodge
Margaret Johnson-Hodge NONE Margaret Johnson-Hodge is the author of eleven published novels, contributor to three anthologies, including the highly successful Proverbs of the People, and author of a...
Addie E. Citchens
Addie E. Citchens 0000000529088410 Addie E. Citchens was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and lives in New Orleans. A graduate of Jackson State University, she studied in the Florida State Universit...
Brook Stephenson
Brook Stephenson NONE AALBC.com Mourns the Loss of Brook Stephenson (February 12, 1974 — August 8, 2015) …just last week Brook was at the Corridor Gallery hosting a reading of work created...
Terry McMillan
Terry McMillan 000000011827688X Terry McMillan, born in 1951, is a celebrated author and screenwriter known for her novels, four of which have been adapted into films. She fell in love with books as ...
D.T. Pollard
D.T. Pollard NONE D.T. Pollard, an Essence Bestselling author from Texas, discovered his passion for writing at a young age but paused during college. After a 25-year career in technology sales, he r...
Paul Beatty
Paul Beatty 0000000084014450 Paul Beatty, born 1962, the first American to win the Man Booker Prize in 2016 for his novel “The Sellout.” An LA native and graduate of Brooklyn College and Boston Unive...
Brian W. Smith
Brian W. Smith NONE Brian W. Smith, an award-winning author of 15 novels and former U.S. Army member, turned full-time author after being laid off. His personal trauma inspired his first novel, leadi...
Yvvette Edwards
Yvvette Edwards 000000012060298X London-based author, Yvvette Edwards, is best known for her debut novel “A Cupboard Full of Coats,” longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Her work, focused on diverse ...
Jacki Simmons
Jacki Simmons NONE Bronx-born, Harlem-raised author Jacki Simmons found inspiration in her surroundings from a young age. She completed her first short story at 11 and her first novel at 16. After wi...
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...
Nalo Hopkinson
Nalo Hopkinson 0000000084289358 Acclaimed author Nalo Hopkinson, known for her debut novel 'Brown Girl in the Ring', is a winner of multiple awards including the Locus Award and John W. Campbell Awar...
Sofia Samatar
Sofia Samatar 0000000370667268 Sofia Samatar’s first novel, A Stranger in Olondria, won the 2014 William L. Crawford Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award, and the World Fantasy Award for Best Nov...
Sharon M. Draper
Sharon M. Draper 0000000374578086 Sharon M. Draper, acclaimed author of the Sassy series and numerous teen novels, is a New York Times bestseller and multiple Coretta Scott King Award winner. A forme...
Jason Peterson
Jason Peterson NONE Jason Peterson is a music journalist and former contributing writer for The Onion News Network. Blues with a Butter Knife is his first picture book. He is originally from the Chi...
Parker-Nia Gordon
Parker-Nia Gordon NONE Parker-Nia Gordon grew up in the musical city of Memphis, Tennessee, home of rhythm and blues. She earned her BFA from Ringling College of Art and Design before returning to M...
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 ...
Useni Eugene Perkins
Useni Eugene Perkins 0000000082421407 Useni Eugene Perkins (1932-2023) was a renowned author, poet, playwright, social worker, and civil rights activist. Known for his work during the Chicago Black A...
Albert Murray
Albert Murray 0000000083695821 Albert L. Murray (1916-2013) was a respected critic, novelist, and biographer. Born in Alabama, he divided his time between teaching and serving in the air force before...
Keisha-Gaye Anderson
Keisha-Gaye Anderson NONE Keisha-Gaye Anderson is a Jamaican-born poet, creative writer, visual artist, and media professional, whose multi-platform storytelling has examined subjects like art, cult...
Suzan-Lori Parks
Suzan-Lori Parks 0000000115844503 Suzan-Lori Parks, born 1963, is a Pulitzer-winning playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. Notable for her work on Spike Lee’s ‘Girl 6’ and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo P...
Donald Bogle
Donald Bogle 0000000118749640 Donald Bogle, a renowned author known for his studies on Black representation in American cinema and television, has penned multiple acclaimed books including a biograph...
Charlie Murphy
Charlie Murphy 0000000114942873 Born on July 12, 1959, Charles Quinton Murphy, Jr. grew up in Roosevelt, Long Island. He served in the U.S. Navy before following his brother Eddie into show business....
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...
Evan Turk
Evan Turk NONE Evan Turk is an award-winning author, illustrator, and animator known for his books like “The Storyteller”, “Heartbeat”, and “You Are Home.” He has also illustrated New York Times Best...
Lasana D. Kazembe
Lasana D. Kazembe NONE Dr. Lasana D. Kazembe, a Chicago-native scholar, specializes in Urban Education, Global Black Arts Movements, and the Black Intellectual Tradition. He explores Culturally Susta...
Goldie the Poet
Goldie the Poet NONE Goldie the Poet, a Bay-Area native and prominent alumnus of Leimert Park’s World Stage Poets, is a gifted actor and artist. With performances across the U.S. and Europe, his uniq...
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...
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...
Karlos K. Hill
Karlos K. Hill NONE Dr. Karlos K. Hill is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma, specializing in African and African-American Studies. He's authored books on Black culture and history,...
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 ...
Bill Duke
Bill Duke 0000000063023892 Actor, Director, and Producer Bill Duke has over 40 years of Hollywood experience, known for his roles in “Predator,” “X-Men 3,” and currently in HBO Max's “No Sudden Move....
Ramon Hervey II
Ramon Hervey II NONE Ramon Hervey II is a renowned entertainment manager, brand consultant, and PR specialist. With four decades of experience, his firm Hervey & Company has represented hundreds of a...
Thembisa S. Mshaka
Thembisa S. Mshaka NONE Thembisa S. Mshaka is a versatile creative executive, author, producer, filmmaker, and voice actor, renowned for her award-winning global ad campaigns and writings. She is the...
Marita Golden
Marita Golden 000000008396725X In a professional writing career that spans more than twenty years, Marita Golden has distinguished herself as a novelist, essayist, teacher of writing and lite...
Kim McMillon
Kim McMillon NONE Kim McMillon, Ph.D., is an acclaimed author contributing to anthologies and encyclopedias on Black Arts and Power Movements. She produced a notable Black Arts Movement Conference an...