AALBC Search
Kayla Perrin
Kayla Perrin NONE Kayla Perrin, a USA TODAY and Essence bestselling author, is known for her mainstream and romance novels. Her first novel, Again, My Love, made it on Ingram's Top 50 Most Requested ...
Halima Taha
Halima Taha NONE Halima Taha is a renowned advocate for African and African-American art, known for her educational initiatives and influential writings. Her contributions have spearheaded recognitio...
Linton Kwesi Johnson
Linton Kwesi Johnson 0000000081062844 Linton Kwesi Johnson, aka LKJ, is a UK-based Jamaican-British dub poet and a major talent. Born in Jamaica and raised in London, he invented dub poetry, a toasti...
Torrey Maldonado
Torrey Maldonado NONE Torrey Maldonado, once a disinterested reader, became a passionate middle school teacher and author after discovering engaging, culturally responsive books. For 20 years, he's i...
Quintard Taylor
Quintard Taylor 0000000114391610 AALBC Truly Mourns the Lost of Quintard Taylor Quintard Taylor, a Professor of American History, specializes in African American history with over three decades of exp...
Eric Adjepong
Eric Adjepong NONE Eric Adjepong, a first-generation Ghanaian-American chef, hosts virtual classes on West African cuisine. He gained fame as a finalist on Bravo's Top Chef seasons 16 and 17. His coo...
Brenda M. Hampton
Brenda M. Hampton NONE Brenda M. Hampton, a native St. Louisan, is a passionate writer known for her addictive series, The Naughty Series. With over 20 novels, novellas, and anthologies to her credit...
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. MULTIPLE Dr. Henry “Skip” Louis Gates Jr., a distinguished Harvard professor, is widely recognized for his contribution to African and African American research. As editor in c...
Charles S. Finch III
Charles S. Finch III NONE AALBC Mourns the passing of Dr. Finch January 17, 2026 Dr. Charles S. Finch III is a renowned African-American physician, author, and cultural historian. Known for his health...
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...
Terrence L. Johnson
Terrence L. Johnson NONE Terrence L. Johnson is the Charles G. Adams Professor of African American Religious Studies, Professor of African and African American Studies (FAS), Director of Religion and...
Jay Manuel
Jay Manuel NONE TV personality Jay Manuel is celebrated for his roles as a Fashion Correspondent, Host, Judge, Creative Director, and Executive Producer on popular television shows over 20 years. He'...
Skyler Houston
Skyler Houston NONE Skyler “Skye” Houston is a Mississippi-born, Georgia-raised author with a Master's in Organizational Leadership. Her love for children and writing inspired her to pen “I Want to b...
Richard B. Moore
Richard B. Moore 0000000082432341 Moore was an early advocate for the use of “African American” as opposed to “Negro” or “Black.” Richard Benjamin Moore was an infl...
Gil Robertson
Gil Robertson NONE Gil L. Robertson IV is a renowned authority on African-American pop culture. A journalist, author, lecturer, and media consultant, he provides platforms for social change through h...
Tiya Miles
Tiya Miles 0000000114701869 Tiya Alicia Miles is a historian and professor at the University of Michigan. Specializing in African American and Native American histories, she's the author of award-win...
Agymah Kamau
Agymah Kamau 0000000067721508 Originally from Barbados, the author pursued their passion for writing after a career in economics in New York. Studied under Paule Marshall, authored a trilogy starting...
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...
Wade Hudson
Wade Hudson 0000000067647969 Why I Publish Children’s Books Wade Hudson, born in 1946, is an author, journalist, and civil rights activist. Known for his children's books promoting positive Afri...
Zetta Elliott
Zetta Elliott 000000003627950X Zetta Elliott, a Canadian-born Black feminist writer, is known for her poetry, plays, essays, and children's novels. She earned a PhD in American Studies from NYU, taug...
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...
Fenton Johnson
Fenton Johnson 0000000038623095 Fenton Johnson (1888-1958) was an African American poet, essayist, and editor who significantly contributed to the Harlem Renaissance. His work, including his well-kno...
Van Whitfield
Van Whitfield 000000004215157X Van Whitfield, an acclaimed novelist, rose to fame with his debut book, “Beeperless Remote,” earning him 6 Ben Franklin Award nominations. Despite initial struggles wit...
B. Smith
B. Smith 0000000045066151 Barbara Elaine Smith (1949-2020) was a former fashion model and the first African-American woman on Mademoiselle’s cover. She also starred in TV commercials and served as a ...
Lisa Watson
Lisa Watson NONE Lisa Watson is a national bestselling author based in Washington D.C., known for her work in diverse romance genres. Her debut novel was nominated for Best Contemporary Fiction, and ...
Randy Weston
Randy Weston 0000000081037964 Randy Weston, born April 6, 1926, was a renowned jazz musician whose career spanned over six decades. Known for his unique fusion of African rhythms and jazz improvisati...
Cassandra Foster
Cassandra Foster NONE Cassandra Foster, a computer industry veteran with advanced degrees in computational linguistics, is a Washington DC-based author. She writes juvenile books funded by arts organ...
LaKesa Cox
LaKesa Cox NONE LaKesa Cox is an award-winning author and screenwriter with over 20 years of experience. She has published four novels and has contributed to two anthologies. She was acknowledged as ...
Tony Rose
Tony Rose 000000005879297X AALBC Mourns the Passing of Tony Rose Tony Rose (October 11, 1950 – May 27, 2025) was the Publisher and CEO of Amber Communications Group, Inc. the nation’s large...
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...
Kevin M. Weeks
Kevin M. Weeks NONE Kevin M. Weeks is an acclaimed self-published Urban Fiction author known for his debut, The Street Life Series. Honored as the Best New Urban Author of 2007, his fresh approach te...
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...
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...
Marta Moreno-Vega
Marta Moreno-Vega 0000000032859822 Dr. Marta Moreno-Vega, born in 1952, is a renowned scholar and advocate for cultural equity. She holds degrees from New York University and Temple University. She f...
Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander 0000000114909360 Elizabeth Alexander, a renowned poet, essayist, playwright, and teacher, has authored multiple books, including 'American Sublime', a Pulitzer finalist. A scholar...
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...
E. Franklin Frazier
E. Franklin Frazier 0000000110444690 Edward F. Frazier (1894-1962) was a renowned American sociologist and author. His influential work, “The Negro Family in the United States,” won the 1940 Anisfiel...
Ivor W. Hartmann
Ivor W. Hartmann NONE Ivor W. Hartmann is a Zimbabwean writer, editor, and publisher, known for editing the groundbreaking anthology AfroSF: Science Fiction by African Writers. His work has promoted ...
ReShonda Tate Billingsley
ReShonda Tate Billingsley 0000000116441757 ReShonda Tate Billingsley is a former reporter and national bestselling author of 21 titles including both adult and teen novels. She's also an executive pr...
Pamala McCoy
Pamala McCoy NONE Pamala L. McCoy, CEO of BONA5D Credit Consultants, is a credit industry expert with over 25 years' experience. Honored as a top professional, she's been nominated for Tampa Business...
G.L. Henderson
G.L. Henderson NONE G.L. Henderson, a top new non-fiction author nominee, is known for his insights on romance and relationships. His work, characterized by emotional depth and eloquence, provides in...
Menah Adeola Eyaside Pratt
Menah Adeola Eyaside Pratt NONE Menah Pratt, born in Pittsburgh, is a highly educated leader recognized as one of Virginia's Top 50 Women Leaders. She serves as the Vice President for Strategic Affai...
Sterling Brown
Sterling Brown 0000000467837526 Sterling A. Brown (1901-1989) was a renowned African American professor, poet, and literary critic. Born and educated in prestigious institutions, he devoted 40 years ...
Kellie Jones
Kellie Jones 0000000076890717 Kellie Jones is an Associate Professor at Columbia University specializing in African American and African Diaspora artists, Latinx and Latin American Artists, and conte...
Olympia Scott
Olympia Scott NONE Olympia Scott, a Brooklyn native and English major at Medgar Evers College, is a creative writer and intern at AALBC. She contributes useful content and aims to help other writers ...
Everett Hoagland
Everett Hoagland NONE Everett Hoagland, a Philadelphia-born poet, professor, and activist, is renowned for his contributions to African American literature. A significant literary figure, he has nume...
Tamkara Adun
Tamkara Adun NONE Tamkara Adun is a Nigerian author, researcher, and historian specializing in indigenous African history. She founded ỌdúnìfẹÌ, a platform for teaching African history and lan...
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...
Lenard D. Moore
Lenard D. Moore 0000000079037447 Lenard D. Moore is a celebrated poet, anthologist, and U.S. Army Veteran, known globally for his works published in 15+ countries and translated into multiple languag...
Clyde R. Taylor
Clyde R. Taylor NONE Clyde Russell Taylor was a vital figure in African American studies, known for his influential work in film and cultural criticism. He focused on the portrayal of Black people in...
Barbara Brandon
Barbara Brandon 0000000031564723 Barbara Brandon is the first nationally syndicated African-American female cartoonist. Barbara Brandon-Croft, creator of the comic strip 'Where I’m Coming From', is ce...
Paul Von Blum
Paul Von Blum NONE Paul Von Blum is a Senior Lecturer at UCLA with a rich history in African American Studies and Communication Studies. Since 1968, he has taught at UC Berkeley and UCLA. An esteemed...
RAWSISTAZ
RAWSISTAZ NONE The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers were a group of 13 women, including founder Tee C. Royal, who promoted books by and about African Americans. These avid readers, reviewers and members of the Re...
John Steptoe
John Steptoe 0000000083178664 John Lewis Steptoe (1950-1989) was a renowned children's book author and illustrator from Brooklyn, NY. Known for his rich illustrations depicting the African American e...
Bettye Collier-Thomas
Bettye Collier-Thomas 0000000122788183 Dr. Bettye Collier-Thomas is professor of American history at Temple University. Her scholarship includes American social and cultural history, African American...
Beauty Bragg
Beauty Bragg 0000000125620829 Beauty Bragg is a Professor of African American Literature at Georgia College with a BA from USC and a MA and Ph.D from UT Austin. She authored a book exploring black wo...
Molefi Kete Asante
Molefi Kete Asante 0000000108973825 Dr. Molefi Kete Asante is Professor and Chair, Department of African American Studies at Temple University. Considered by his peers to be one of the most distingu...
Breanna J. McDaniel
Breanna J. McDaniel NONE Breanna J. McDaniel is a children's literature author and scholar, holding an MA from Simmons University and currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Cambridge. Her rese...
Frances Mensah Williams
Frances Mensah Williams NONE Frances Mensah Williams, born in Ghana, is the CEO of Interims for Development Ltd. and Publisher of ReConnectAfrica.com. A seasoned Human Resources professional, she's l...
Erica Kennedy
Erica Kennedy 0000000361335106 Erica Kennedy Johnson (1970-2012) was an accomplished publicist, special news correspondent, and bestselling author. She worked with top designers like Tommy Hilfiger a...
Maulana Karenga
Maulana Karenga 0000000116973657 Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana Studies and influential figure in the Black Power movement, created the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa. A graduate of UC...
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...
August Wilson
August Wilson 0000000368634467 August Wilson (1945-2005), two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning African American playwright, is renowned for his Pittsburgh Cycle, a series of 10 plays each set in a unique ...
Janice N. Harrington
Janice N. Harrington 0000000032231461 Award-winning poet and children's author Janice N. Harrington's notable works include NSTA Best STEM Book 'Buzzing with Questions' and Kirkus Reviews Best Book '...
Barbara Summers
Barbara Summers 0000000083029183 Barbara Summers was an American author, educator, and former Ford model. She authored 'Skin Deep' (1998), a definitive work on black women in the modeling industry, b...
Joe L. Dudley, Sr.
Joe L. Dudley, Sr. MULTIPLE Dr. Joe Louis Dudley, Sr. was a pioneering entrepreneur and founder of Dudley Products Inc., a major Black haircare brand. With his business acumen, he filled a market gap...
Timbaland and Veronica Chambers
Timbaland and Veronica Chambers MULTIPLE Timothy Z. Mosley, known as Timbaland, is a renowned music producer, part of hip-hop duo Timbaland & Magoo, and CEO of Mosley Music Group. Veronica Chambers, ...
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...
Toyomi Igus
Toyomi Igus NONE Toyomi Igus, a celebrated author and communications strategist, has had a varied career in publishing, corporate, and marketing communications. Known for her work in academic book pu...
Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
Eddie S. Glaude Jr. NONE Join a Conversation with Go On Girl! Book Club and Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Saturday, February 20, 2021. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. is a renowned professor at Princeton University, speci...
Henri Lopes
Henri Lopes 0000000081022754 Henri Lopes (1937-2023) was a distinguished writer and politician from the Belgian Congo. He made significant contributions to African literature and served as the Prime ...
Brandon M. Terry
Brandon M. Terry NONE Brandon M. Terry is the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University and the co-director of the Institute on Policing, Incarceration, and Publi...
Jaron Lanier
Jaron Lanier 0000000118753199 Lanier is a globally renowned technology writer known for his humanistic approach. Awarded the 2014 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, his internationally bestselling...
Daniel Black
Daniel Black NONE Daniel Omotosho Black, a Kansas City native, is an accomplished scholar and author. Raised in Arkansas, he studied English at Clark College under a full scholarship, later attending...
John H. Bracey Jr.
John H. Bracey Jr. NONE John H. Bracey Jr. (1941-2023) was a renowned Afro-American studies professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, known for his work on African American history and cu...
George S. Schuyler
George S. Schuyler 0000000114970428 George Samuel Schuyler was a prolific journalist and cultural critic, known for his controversial shift from liberal views to conservative ones throughout the 20th...
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...
Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara
Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara 0000000458778456 Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara is a Barcelona-based author and creative director specializing in children's books. With over 15 years' experience in top adve...
John Hope Franklin
John Hope Franklin 0000000114547638 John Hope Franklin (January 2, 1915 – March 25, 2009) was an educator and historian. Franklin lived through America’s most defining twentieth-century transf...
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...
Shana Lynch
Shana Lynch NONE Shana Lynch, a Los Angeles-based writer, cultivates and inspires thoughts through her poetry. Over the past six years, she has developed her talent for writing, supported by her love...
Runoko Rashidi
Runoko Rashidi 0000000067534868 “Africans came to America before, during, and after enslavement. Don’t start our history at the end; start it at the beginning.” Dr. Runoko Rashidi wa...
Laila Ali
Laila Ali NONE Laila Amaria Ali (born December 30, 1977) is an undefeated five-time boxing world champion with a 24–0 record and a 2022 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee. As the daughter of...
Timothy George
Timothy George 0000000083235956 Detroit-born author Timothy George, renowned for his deep fascination with African-American history, adeptly combines education with entertainment in his novels. His e...
Gail L. Thompson
Gail L. Thompson NONE Dr. Gail L. Thompson is an esteemed author, researcher, former teacher, and ex-Endowed Professor of Education. She established the Black Men Teaching (BMT) Program and led an af...
Carl Weber
Carl Weber 0000000111497479 Carl Weber, born in 1964, is a New York Times bestselling author and renowned African American author with over 20 novels. He's also the CEO of Urban Books LLC, one of the...
Jupiter Hammon
Jupiter Hammon 000000038947276X Jupiter Hammon (1711-1806), a born slave, became the first African-American writer to be published in the US in 1761. Encouraged to learn reading and writing, he serve...
Paul Simon
Paul Simon 0000000114799181 Paul Simon is a renowned artist recognized with twelve GRAMMY Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. He is an honoree in the Songwriters and Rock & Roll H...
Ben McBride
Ben McBride NONE Rev. Ben McBride is an acclaimed faith leader and activist known globally as a speaker. Founder of Empower Initiative and Bring the HEAT campaign, and former director of PICO Califor...
Andre Ward
Andre Ward NONE Andre Michael Ward, born 1984, is a retired American boxer with an untarnished record. He was a multi-time world champion in two weight categories from 2004-2017. Recognized by The Ri...
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...
Randal Maurice Jelks
Randal Maurice Jelks 0000000035838680 Dr. Randal Maurice Jelks is a Professor at the University of Kansas, specializing in American and African American Studies. He has authored two award-winning boo...
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Dolen Perkins-Valdez 0000000074479879 Dolen Perkins-Valdez, a Memphis-born novelist, is renowned for her New York Times bestselling novel 'Wench.' A Harvard graduate and former University of Californ...
Sharon Bennett and Beatrice Moore
Sharon Bennett and Beatrice Moore MULTIPLE Sharon Bennett and Beatrice Moore are accomplished authors with backgrounds in healthcare and education respectively. Bennett, a health care professional fr...
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...
Derrick Bell
Derrick Bell 0000000108752280 Derrick Bell, the first tenured African-American professor at Harvard Law School and one of the first African-American law school deans, was a pioneer in critical race t...
Hannah Crafts
Hannah Crafts 0000000057115061 Hannah Bond, known as Hannah Crafts, was an African-American writer and ex-slave who escaped to the North and wrote The Bondwoman’s Narrative. Settling in New Jersey, B...
Rion Amilcar Scott
Rion Amilcar Scott 000000050163167X Rion Amilcar Scott, a celebrated author, has been published in numerous journals and holds awards like the Mary Roberts Rinehart award. His works include the short...
Dante Lee
Dante Lee 0000000081738541 Dante Lee, an award-winning business coach and best-selling author, is the CEO of Dante Lee International, a marketing and PR firm that specializes in reaching African Amer...
E. Ethelbert Miller
E. Ethelbert Miller 0000000083478974 E. Ethelbert Miller is a writer and literary activist. He was born in 1950 and grew up in New York City. A graduate of Howard University, he was one of the...