AALBC Search
Ty Chapman
Ty Chapman NONE Ty Chapman is a Twin Cities-based author of Nigerian and European descent, with a focus on the Black American experience. His achievements include being a Loft Literary Center fellow ...
Barbara A. Holmes
Barbara A. Holmes 0000000040028738 Barbara A. Holmes, president emerita of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, is a former professor and VP of academic affairs at Memphis Theological Semi...
Donna M. Gray-Banks
Donna M. Gray-Banks NONE Donna M. Gray-Banks, founder of F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival, is a successful author known for her suspense erotic trilogy and a guest columnist for various outlets. She hosts tw...
Jael Richardson
Jael Richardson NONE Jael Ealey Richardson is a Toronto-based author and educator with an MFA in Creative Writing. Known for her memoir and children's book, both titled The Stone Thrower, her work re...
Toni Blackman
Toni Blackman 0000000036920264 Toni Blackman, an international champion of hip-hop culture, is known for her captivating performances and powerful presence. She's the first hip-hop artist to work as ...
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 ...
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...
Zuksiwa Wanner
Zuksiwa Wanner NONE Zukiswa Wanner, born to South African and Zimbabwean parents in Zambia, is a celebrated author known for award-nominated novels like “Men of the South.” As an essayist, she focuse...
Lola Shoneyin
Lola Shoneyin 0000000041835603 Lola Shoneyin is a renowned Nigerian poet and author, best known for her debut novel, “The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives.” Identified as a promising African writer ...
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...
Darlene Williams
Darlene Williams NONE Darlene Williams is an award-winning businesswoman, adjunct lecturer, bestselling author, and nationally recognized youth and literacy advocate. She serves as President of the ...
Patricia A. Saunders
Patricia A. Saunders NONE Patricia A. Saunders, an author from Connecticut, now based in San Francisco, began her writing journey after her mother's passing. She released her first book in 2012 and i...
Anika Malone
Anika Malone NONE Anika Malone, author of the acclaimed “10 Minutes Past Too Late”, is celebrated as a fresh voice in contemporary fiction. She has participated in notable book events across the Unit...
Kellie Magnus
Kellie Magnus 0000000114740104 Kellie Magnus is a Jamaican children's author and media writer. An alumna of Harvard and Columbia Universities, she's the Chair of the Kingston Book Festival and serves...
Melica Niccole
Melica Niccole NONE Melica Niccole, a Columbus-native author, poet, and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, has a passion for writing which she uses to explore various subjects. She created an annua...
Colette Bancroft
Colette Bancroft NONE Colette Bancroft is the book editor for the Tampa Bay Times since 2007, directs the annual Festival of Reading, and served on the National Book Critics Circle board. She holds E...
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 ...
David Washington
David Washington NONE Dr. David Washington decision to write a graphic novel stemmed from his dissatisfaction with the lack of diversity in the superhero genre. He hoped to provide his children with ...
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...
Thando Mgqolozana
Thando Mgqolozana 0000000071220474 Thando Mgqolozana, born in 1983, is a renowned South African novelist and Mandela Rhodes Scholar. He authored novels like 'Hear Me Alone' and 'Unimportance' and co-...
Vashti Harrison
Vashti Harrison 0000000476987403 Vashti Harrison, born in 1988, is a Virginia-based author, illustrator, and filmmaker with a passion for storytelling. She has degrees in Media Studies, Studio Art, F...
Holly Robinson Peete and RJ Peete
Holly Robinson Peete and RJ Peete MULTIPLE Actress Holly Robinson Peete, also a devoted mother, collaborates with her son RJ Peete and Ryan's Twin on a book project. Actress Holly Robinson Peete is t...
Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete
Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete MULTIPLE Actress Holly Robinson Peete is a mother and author, having collaborated on a book with her children, Ryan Elizabeth Peete and twin RJ. Actress ...
Chaun Webster
Chaun Webster NONE Chaun Webster, a poet, publisher, and graphic designer, is influenced by the Black Arts Movement, Jazz, and Graffiti. He founded Free Poet’s Press in 2009 to encourage art producti...
W.D. Foster-Graham
W.D. Foster-Graham NONE W.D. Foster-Graham, a Minneapolis native and multi-Grammy Award-winning ensemble member, is a distinguished author and poet. He's a psychology graduate, guest writer, and book...
Pamela Ayo Yetunde
Pamela Ayo Yetunde 0000000046727185 Pamela Ayo Yetunde, ThD, is a pastoral counselor, educator, and author celebrated for her work, including the award-winning book 'Black and Buddhist'. She founded ...
Alberto O. Cappas
Alberto O. Cappas NONE Alberto O. Cappas, a Puerto Rican-born poet, writer, and community activist, is known for his work in economic development, literature, and advocacy in New York and Buffalo. He...
Cheryl Clarke
Cheryl Clarke 0000000383377198 Cheryl L. Clarke, born in 1947, is a lesbian poet, essayist, and a Black feminist activist. Her work emphasizes African-American women's literature and black lesbian fe...
Matthew A. Cherry
Matthew A. Cherry 0000000500418922 Former NFL wide receiver, Matthew A. Cherry, transitioned into filmmaking after his retirement in 2007. He's known for directing over 20 music videos, his feature f...
Louis Edwards
Louis Edwards 0000000028382400 Louis Edwards, a Guggenheim Fellowship and Whiting Award-winning author, has written four novels including Ramadan Ramsey and Ten Seconds. Louisiana-born Edwards is als...
Biyi Bandele
Biyi Bandele 0000000120964833 Biyi Bandele-Thomas (1967-2022) was a renowned Nigerian novelist, playwright, director, and photographer. He was celebrated as one of Africa's top 50 artists. Bandele's ...
Regie Gibson
Regie Gibson NONE Regie Gibson is a poet, songwriter, author, workshop facilitator, and educator. Regie has performed, taught, and lectured at schools, universities, theaters and various other ve...
Pam Dawling
Pam Dawling NONE Pam Dawling is an expert in sustainable vegetable farming with over 40 years of experience in diverse climates. She's the author of the best-seller, Sustainable Market Farming, and s...
Taiye Selasi
Taiye Selasi 0000000384492964 Taiye Selasi, born in 1979, is an accomplished writer and photographer. Raised in Massachusetts by Nigerian and Ghanaian physicians, she earned degrees from Yale and Oxf...
Christopheraaron Deanes
Christopheraaron Deanes NONE Christopheraaron Deanes is an artist and educator from Minneapolis, creating murals and metal sculptures, represented in local galleries. He works at Fridley Public Schoo...
Damone Bester
Damone Bester NONE Damone Bester was born and raised on Chicago’s Southside to blue-collar parents who were married 49 years and one older brother whose backyard scuffles taught Damone one lesson: n...
Ira Katznelson
Ira Katznelson 0000000121224394 Ira Katznelson, the Henry A. and Louise Loeb Professor at the New School for Social Research, is known for his works “Black Men, White Cities” and “The Politics of Pow...
Jas Hammonds
Jas Hammonds NONE Jas Hammonds, raised across various cities and amidst books, is a renowned author supported by Lambda Literary and Sundress Academy of the Arts. A MacDowell James Baldwin Fellow, th...
Robert M. Drake
Robert M. Drake NONE Robert M. Drake is a renowned American author celebrated for bestsellers like Beautiful Chaos & Black Butterfly. He's also a popular social media figure and self-proclaimed stree...
Nancy Churnin
Nancy Churnin NONE Nancy Churnin is a celebrated children's book author, known for inspiring kids to be heroes through her stories. She's a Eureka Silver Award winner and has been recognized with the...
Cathy Finch White
Cathy Finch White NONE Cathy Finch White, a former medical professional turned author, advocates for child education through reading. She has written four award-winning books, including “Anna Learn's...
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 ...
Breena Clarke and Amy Newmark
Breena Clarke and Amy Newmark MULTIPLE Amy Newmark is the author, editor, and publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Breena Clarke, a distinguished Black scholar and novelist, penned the ...
Ayana Mathis
Ayana Mathis 0000000367812022 Ayana Mathis, an Iowa Writers' Workshop graduate and Michener-Copernicus Fellowship recipient, is best known for her NYT best-selling novel 'The Twelve Tribes of Hattie'...
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...
Shane W. Evans
Shane W. Evans 0000000038504360 Shane Evans is a renowned illustrator, artist and designer whose work has been recognized by The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and The Orbis Pictus Award. His illustrat...
Olive Senior
Olive Senior 0000000110714769 Jamaican-born Olive Senior is an accomplished scholar, journalist, and editor. Educated at Carleton University and the Thomson Foundation, she's held roles at the Daily ...
V. Brooks Dunbar
V. Brooks Dunbar NONE Dr. V. Brooks Dunbar is a renowned author, speaker, and leadership consultant. Known as the Confidence Commander, she empowers individuals and organizations to unlock their pote...
Gwen Richardson
Gwen Richardson NONE Gwen Richardson, co-founder of Cushcity.com, the largest African-American internet retailer, is a successful entrepreneur and writer with a marketing degree from Georgetown Unive...
Tamiya Davis
Tamiya Davis NONE Tamiya Davis, a Virginia native, is a longshoreman, fashion entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker. Her achievements include running a rights restoration chapter, owning a f...
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...
Yani
Yani 0000000118166410 Yani, an Amazon Best Selling Author from Philadelphia, is renowned for her six novels and unique storytelling style. She's celebrated in genres like African American Fiction-Ur...
Panashe Chigumadzi
Panashe Chigumadzi 0000000454298041 Panashe Chigumadzi is an acclaimed Zimbabwean novelist and essayist, known for her award-winning debut novel, Sweet Medicine. A prominent voice in African literatu...
Davida Siwisa James
Davida Siwisa James NONE Davida Siwisa James, a globe-trotting author with roots in Philly and Harlem, has experience as a freelance journalist and has several published works, including an award-win...
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 ...
Kadija Sesay
Kadija Sesay NONE Kadija George is a renowned literary activist, poet, and publisher of Sierra Leonean descent. She's known for her debut poetry collection, Irki, and has edited numerous anthologies....
Kevin Coval
Kevin Coval 0000000053723529 Kevin Coval, author of ALA “Book of the Year†finalist Slingshots: A Hip-Hop Poetica, is the Artistic Director of Louder Than a Bomb: The Chicago Teen Poetry Festival...
Patricia Spears Jones
Patricia Spears Jones 0000000031494569 Patricia Spears Jones, born in Arkansas, is the 2024 New York State Poet Laureate, a Jackson Poetry Prize laureate, and a cultural activist. An esteemed poet, p...
Wanjiku Wa Ngugi
Wanjiku Wa Ngugi NONE Wanjikũ Wa Ngũgĩ, author of 'The Fall of Saints', is a former director of the Helsinki African Film Festival. Her short stories and essays are featured in various publications i...
Colin Channer
Colin Channer 0000000066632589 Colin Channer, born in Jamaica, is a celebrated author and editor known for his poetry collection 'Providential' and bestselling novel 'Waiting in Vain'. He's also the ...
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor 0000000049060048 Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor is a renowned Kenyan writer, recognized for her contribution to literature and arts in Kenya. She won the 2003 Caine Prize for her story “...
Peter Kalu
Peter Kalu NONE Peter Kalu is an award-winning poet, fiction writer, and playwright from the UK. He began his writing career at Manchester's Moss Side Write black writers workshop and has produced ei...
Justin Phillip Reed
Justin Phillip Reed 0000000497688533 Justin Phillip Reed is a South Carolina-born author, known for his work in various publications and his MFA in poetry from Washington University. Recognized for h...
Hannibal B. Johnson
Hannibal B. Johnson NONE Harvard Law graduate Hannibal B. Johnson is an esteemed author, attorney, and consultant specializing in diversity and human relations. He's taught at prestigious universitie...
Glodean Champion
Glodean Champion NONE Glodean Champion is a multifaceted artist, educator, and coach based in Monterey, CA. She is a published author, whose work explores themes of sexuality, gender, and African Ame...
January Gill O’Neil
January Gill O’Neil NONE January Gill O’Neil, author of Rewilding, Misery Islands, and Underlife, is a former executive director of Massachusetts Poetry Festival and ex-Grisham Writer-in-Residence. C...
Stacy Spikes
Stacy Spikes NONE Stacy Spikes, co-founder of MoviePass and founder of Urbanworld Film Festival, is an award-winning entrepreneur and former film marketing executive. Recognized as one of the most in...
Willard Jenkins
Willard Jenkins 0000000114808113 Willard Jenkins, born in 1949, is an influential figure in jazz, serving as Artistic Director of the DC Jazz Festival, arts consultant, producer, educator, and journa...
Keela Buford
Keela Buford NONE Keela Buford, a content strategist and author of 'Pride, and Joy,' is recognized in film and screenplay festival circuits. Her work ranges from science fiction to contemporary, with...
Greg Garrett
Greg Garrett 0000000046223577 Greg Garrett is a recognized voice on religion and culture in America, with work featured across major media outlets. He is the co-founder of the Long Long Way Film Fest...
William Byrd
William Byrd 0000000109367704 Dr. William “Super” Byrd, a Newark native, is an acclaimed author and educator specializing in Sports Education. A holder of multiple degrees and professional licenses, ...
Adijah & Atiya Brabham
Adijah & Atiya Brabham MULTIPLE Adijah and Atiya Brabham, identical twins, are educators, philanthropists, and authors hailing from Queens, NY. Besides their individual achievements in education, the...
Sierra Kay
Sierra Kay 0000000461326725 Sierra Kay is an award-winning author with a love for the written word. Encouraged by her mother to read widely, she has a fondness for everything from classical literatur...
David Nicholson
David Nicholson NONE David Nicholson, former editor and book reviewer for the Washington Post Book World, is the author of “Flying Home: Seven Stories of the Secret City.” He's a University of the Di...
Calvin Alexander Ramsey
Calvin Alexander Ramsey NONE Calvin Alexander Ramsey is a multi-talented artist known for his award-winning children's books, photography, folk art painting, and plays. His works have been recognized...
Sheryll Cashin
Sheryll Cashin NONE Sheryll Cashin, an acclaimed author and Georgetown University Law Professor, focuses on US racism and inequality. Recognized by the NAACP and New York Times, she also worked in th...
Joi-Marie McKenzie
Joi-Marie McKenzie NONE Joi-Marie McKenzie is an ABC News lifestyle writer, author of “The Engagement Game,” and creator of the award-winning website, The Fab Empire. Also a sought-after panelist, Mc...
Ruth P. Watson
Ruth P. Watson NONE Ruth P. Watson is a Virginia-born author and educator, now living in Atlanta. Known for bestsellers like Blackberry Days of Summer, she also writes children's books and is a docum...
John Edgar Wideman
John Edgar Wideman 0000000110326512 John Edgar Wideman, born in 1941, is a renowned author and professor hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He completed his B.A. in English from the University of...
Wanda P. Bowman
Wanda P. Bowman NONE “My Philosophy of Life is, ‘What I believe contributes to how I behave’”. Wanda P. Bowman is a finance professional with over 25 years of experience in hea...
Marc Lamont Hill and Todd Brewster
Marc Lamont Hill and Todd Brewster MULTIPLE Marc Lamont Hill is a media personality, educator, and entrepreneur, hosting BET News and Black News Tonight, and holding a chair at Temple University. He ...
Leah Lewis
Leah Lewis 0000000436814452 Reverend Dr. Leah Carol Lewis, J.D., is a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit executive. Leah is the Founder and Executive Director of Little Lumpy’s Center for Educational...
Christopher Eliopoulos
Christopher Eliopoulos NONE Christopher Eliopoulos is a renowned illustrator, starting his career with Marvel. He wrote and illustrated popular comics like Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius, Pet Ave...
Lauren K. Alleyne
Lauren K. Alleyne 0000000434680630 Lauren K. Alleyne, from Trinidad and Tobago, is a renowned author. Her fiction, poetry, and non-fiction works have been published in numerous journals and anthologi...
Holly Robinson Peete, Ryan Elizabeth Peete, and RJ Peete
Holly Robinson Peete, Ryan Elizabeth Peete, and RJ Peete MULTIPLE Holly Robinson Peete is a dedicated mother to twin children, Ryan Elizabeth Peete and RJ Peete. Holly Robinson Peete is the mother o...
Stacy Gueraseva
Stacy Gueraseva NONE Born in Moscow, Stacy Gueraseva immigrated to NYC in 1981, growing up in the Bronx amidst diverse cultures and music. She became editor-in-chief of Oneworld magazine at 24, after...
Derek Walcott
Derek Walcott 0000000114709596 Winner of the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature Walcott, won the Nobel Prize for Literature (1992). The motivation for the Prize was, “…for a poetic oeuvre of great lumino...
Anait Semirdzhyan
Anait Semirdzhyan NONE Anait Semirdzhyan is a multicultural illustrator based in Seattle, known for her unique watercolor pieces used in books like “The Arabic Quilt.” Her art is a mix of traditional...
Uche Blackstock
Uche Blackstock NONE Dr. Uche Blackstock is a Harvard-educated physician and leader in addressing bias and racism in health care. As the founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, she regularly appe...
Porsche Thomas
Porsche Thomas NONE Porsche Thomas is a Brooklyn‐born multi‐hyphenate with a dynamic career spanning modeling, television, comedy, and writing. She’s graced catwalks for Vogue, appeared in campaigns...
Jonathan Tremaine Thomas
Jonathan Tremaine Thomas NONE Jonathan Tremaine Thomas is the founder and president of Civil Righteousness, a nonprofit movement committed to reconciliation and restorative justice through spiritual...
Andre M. Perry
Andre M. Perry 0000000051497732 Andre M. Perry is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the author of Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities. Andre M. ...
Anita Bunkley
Anita Bunkley NONE Anita Richmond Bunkley is a highly-acclaimed author and motivational speaker. Overcoming initial rejections, she self-published her first novel and has since written five more, all...
Michael Gurian
Michael Gurian 0000000084041467 Michael Gurian, a social philosopher, family therapist, and bestselling author, has pioneered efforts in neurobiology and brain research. He has worked as a consultant...
Chris Abani
Chris Abani 0000000083877772 Chris Abani, born in Nigeria in 1966, is a renowned author and educator who faced imprisonment for his literary work. After escaping to the US, he published eight books o...
Ben Carson
Ben Carson 0000000110700201 Dr. Benjamin Carson, once a child from a poor, single-parent home, overcame challenges to fulfill his dream of becoming a physician. Now, he's a renowned pediatric neurosu...
Jason Griffin
Jason Griffin NONE Jason Griffin, the artist for “My Name Is Jason. Mine Too”, is a globally recognized artist and collaborator. Notable works include a mural at Montefiore Hospital and a residency a...
Aaron Foley
Aaron Foley NONE Aaron Foley is a seasoned journalist and author with a passion for amplifying Black voices in media. Currently serving as senior digital editor for PBS NewsHour, he is also the found...
Harold A. Dow
Harold A. Dow NONE Mr. Harold A. Dow is the co-founder of the dynamic entrepreneurial duo, The Dow Twins. Born in Queens, New York, Norman and Harold began their long career as event specialists. Har...
Keisha Lance Bottoms
Keisha Lance Bottoms NONE Keisha Lance Bottoms is the former Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, and currently serves as a political commentator for CNN. During her tenure as mayor from 2018 to 2022, Bott...