AALBC Search
Michelle Singletary
Michelle Singletary 000000004572445X Michelle Singletary is a renowned personal finance columnist, author, and TV personality, celebrated for her practical financial advice. She writes the syndicated...
Nikki Woods
Nikki Woods NONE Nikki Woods is a multi-media personality, personal branding coach, and CEO of Nikki Woods Media. As senior producer of the Tom Joyner Morning Show, she reaches over 8 million listen...
Courtney Kelly
Courtney Kelly NONE Courtney Kelly, originally from New Orleans, is a civil engineer and project manager with a career in infrastructure projects. She holds degrees from Southern Methodist University...
Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance with Hilary Beard
Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance with Hilary Beard MULTIPLE Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance are renowned actors with numerous accolades. Both have had significant roles in TV and film, contr...
Robin L. Smith and Courtney B. Vance
Robin L. Smith and Courtney B. Vance MULTIPLE "Robin L. Smith and Courtney B. Vance are renowned authors known for their compelling narratives. Smith's expertise lies in psychological thrillers while...
Courtney Thorsson
Courtney Thorsson 0000000401626056 Courtney Thorsson is a Professor of English at the University of Oregon. She teaches, studies, and writes about African American literature from its beginnings to t...
Courtney Faye Taylor
Courtney Faye Taylor NONE Courtney Faye Taylor is a celebrated writer and visual artist, known for winning the Discovery/Boston Review Poetry Prize and the Academy of American Poets Prize. Her work i...
Courtney B. Vance
Courtney B. Vance 0000000078404428 Courtney B. Vance is a Harvard-educated, Yale School of Drama trained actor. Known for his powerful performances, he's a Tony and Emmy-award winner and starred in T...
Teri Woods
Teri Woods 0000000043564923 Teri Woods, a Philadelphia native and former legal secretary, turned author with her first novel, “True to the Game.” After initial rejections, she self-published and sold...
Jamila Woods, Mahogany L. Browne, and Idrissa Simmonds
Jamila Woods, Mahogany L. Browne, and Idrissa Simmonds MULTIPLE Jamila Woods, a Chicago-based poet influenced by Lucille Clifton and Gwendolyn Brooks, explores themes of blackness and womanhood. Maho...
Pamela Courtney
Pamela Courtney NONE Pamela Courtney has three loves: writing, teaching, and music. She combined these passions, creating MyLMNOP, a valuable literacy and music program for early learners. With a B....
Courtney Thornton
Courtney Thornton NONE Courtney Thornton is a Virginia native from Hampton whose work explores the intersections of identity, ancestry, and the unseen forces that shape how we understand ourselves a...
Rita Woods
Rita Woods NONE Rita Woods is a family doctor, wellness center director, and author of her debut novel, Remembrance. Balancing her professional life with family time and involvement in her local libr...
Brenda Woods
Brenda Woods NONE Brenda Woods, an award-winning author and artist, is known for her children's books like The Red Rose Box and Zoe in Wonderland. A graduate from California State University, she has...
Marcus Dewan Williams
Marcus Dewan Williams NONE Marcus Dewan Williams, more than just the owner of Nubian Books bookstore, is an active advocate for African and African-American culture and education. As a publisher and ...
Tamara Shiloh
Tamara Shiloh NONE Tamara Shiloh, a Northern California native, owns the Multicultural Bookstore and Gifts in Richmond. She is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother residing in Point Richmond,...
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...
Sylvester Boyd Jr.
Sylvester Boyd Jr. NONE Sylvester Boyd Jr., a Chicago native, is an accomplished author, background actor, and motivational speaker with a rich background in geography, history, and business. Known f...
Barbara Keaton
Barbara Keaton NONE Barbara Keaton, a Chicago native, is a published author and experienced professional in public and community relations. She attributes her respect for the written word to her Cath...
Natalie Y. Moore
Natalie Y. Moore 0000000041217426 Natalie Y. Moore is an award-winning journalist and author, known for her work in Essence, Black Enterprise, and the Chicago Tribune. She co-authored books on Black ...
Hugh Mulzac
Hugh Mulzac 0000000399996487 Hugh Nathaniel Mulzac (1886-1971), the first African American ship commander, served on British and American ships during WWI. A graduate of Swansea Nautical College, he ...
Harold Green III
Harold Green III NONE Internationally-admired artist, Harold Green III, is the author of Black Rosesv and Black Oak. Known for his poetry, Green won the Carl Sandburg Literary Award for his debut col...
Tiffany Gholar
Tiffany Gholar NONE Tiffany Gholar is a diverse Chicago artist with a Master's in Painting. She's exhibited at various local venues, studied at the University of Chicago, Harrington College of Design...
Craig Rex Perry
Craig Rex Perry NONE Craig Rex Perry, a renowned American fashion artist, is known for his unique style and illustrations. Trained at prestigious institutes, including the School of the Art Institute...
K Kelly McElroy
K Kelly McElroy NONE K Kelly, head of Uptown Media Joint Ventures, helps authors publish and market their stories. He also aids freelance journalists and recording artists in expanding their audience...
Martin R. Delany
Martin R. Delany 0000000080985970 Martin Delany (1812-1885) was a pioneering African American abolitionist and the first African American Field Officer in the U.S Army. Post-Reconstruction, he promot...
Colin Powell
Colin Powell 0000000108588433 Colin Powell (1937-2021) was a US statesman, diplomat, and retired four-star general. He served four presidential administrations, including as Secretary of State under ...
Michelle Alexander
Michelle Alexander 0000000118793131 Michelle Alexander, born October 7, 1967, is a renowned civil rights advocate and litigator. She held a Soros Justice Fellowship in 2005 and has a joint appointmen...
Asa G. Hilliard III
Asa G. Hilliard III 0000000067598829 Asa Grant Hilliard III, also known as Nana Baffour Amankwatia II, was a renowned professor of educational psychology specializing in ancient African history. He s...
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...
Valerie Jarrett
Valerie Jarrett NONE Valerie Jarrett, a long-term senior adviser to President Obama, led several White House initiatives and held key roles in Chicago's government and business sectors. She's recogni...
Eve L. Ewing
Eve L. Ewing 0000000504145239 Dr. Eve Louise Ewing, a sociologist and writer from Chicago, has authored award-winning works such as Electric Arches and Ghosts in the Schoolyard. A professor at the Un...
Claire Hartfield
Claire Hartfield 0000000034014030 Claire Hartfield is a Yale and University of Chicago-educated lawyer specializing in school desegregation. She has contributed to policy and program development in C...
Nia Damali
Nia Damali NONE Nia Damali, owner of Medu Bookstore and a prominent figure in the Black Book Ecosystem, is dedicated to promoting literacy and knowledge within the Black community. Editor of historic...
Victoria Scott-Miller
Victoria Scott-Miller NONE Victoria Scott-Miller is an acclaimed entrepreneur, author, and owner of North Carolina's first black-owned children's bookstore. She's notable for creating 'The Museum Liv...
April Sinclair
April Sinclair NONE April Sinclair, a Chicago native, is a renowned author and community activist. Known for her dedicated activism in Oakland and her unique approach to her literary debut, Sinclair'...
Kymone
Kymone NONE Kymone Freeman is an award-winning writer, activist, and entrepreneur known for his works in poetry, playwriting, and media. He co-founded We Act Radio, a progressive station in Washingto...
Carla Labat
Carla Labat NONE Carla Labat, a New Orleans native who grew up in Senegal, is known as a dining and travel connoisseur. Her diverse background, including time in a Swiss boarding school and a career ...
TiJuana A. Gholson
TiJuana A. Gholson NONE Ti’Juana A. Gholson is a dynamic business coach, author, and speaker with a focus on empowering women in business. As the founder of L.I.P.S. and Women's Business Symposium, L...
Mary Pattillo-McCoy
Mary Pattillo-McCoy NONE Mary Pattillo specializes in urban sociology, focusing on the black middle class, using Chicago as her research backdrop. Her book, Black Picket Fences, explores child-rearin...
Annie Won
Annie Won NONE Annie Won, an MFA graduate from the School of Visual Arts in NYC, is known for illustrating books like All Aboard the Moonlight Train, In the Quiet, Noisy Woods, and Little Golden Book...
Armand Anthony Gonzalzles
Armand Anthony Gonzalzles NONE Armand Anthony Gonzalzles, a Chicago native, is an education and biology graduate turned medical professional. After a successful teaching career, he attended Loyola St...
Moshood Ademola Fayemiwo and Margie Marie Neal
Moshood Ademola Fayemiwo and Margie Marie Neal MULTIPLE Moshood Ademola Fayemiwo, a former Nigerian newspaper publisher/editor and author of five books, and Margie Marie Neal, a former university pro...
Mark Allen Boone
Mark Allen Boone NONE Mark Allen Boone, born in 1951, is a former teacher and accomplished editor with over 30 years of experience. He authored two novels and served as the fiction editor of AIM Quar...
Barbara Ransby
Barbara Ransby 000000038357030X Barbara Ransby, a renowned historian, writer, and activist, serves as a Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She leads the Social Justice Initiative and...
Tara Betts
Tara Betts NONE Tara Betts, a celebrated author and poet, is known for her educational efforts in arts programs and her work with GirlSpeak. She has been featured on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and the Blac...
Charles S. Johnson
Charles S. Johnson 0000000108707076 Charles Spurgeon Johnson was a prominent 20th-century black sociologist, key figure of the Harlem Renaissance, and a Ph.D. graduate from the University of Chicago....
George E. Johnson with Hillary Beard
George E. Johnson with Hillary Beard MULTIPLE George Ellis Johnson Sr. (born June 12, 1927) is the founder of the Johnson Products Company, the maker of Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen, the first Black-o...
George E. Johnson
George E. Johnson NONE George Ellis Johnson Sr. (born June 12, 1927) is the founder of the Johnson Products Company, the maker of Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen, the first Black-owned company to trade o...
Jessica Fong
Jessica Fong NONE Jessica Fong is a Latina and native Spanish speaker who is deeply rooted in the environmental education community of Chicago as well as nationally. Jessica’s teaching journey...
Michael Marsh
Michael Marsh 0000000121034451 Michael Marsh is an editorial assistant at the Chicago Reader, with a background in covering high school sports for major Chicago newspapers.
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...
L’Oreal Thompson Payton
L’Oreal Thompson Payton NONE L’Oreal Thompson Payton is an award-winning journalist, author, and wellness advocate whose work lives at the intersection of mental health, identity, and culture, with ...
Brett T. Brown
Brett T. Brown NONE Brett Tyler Brown, born in 1997, is a talented self-taught artist inspired by Chicago's architecture. His passion for art extends to architecture, animation, and writing. He wrote...
Dana Kaye
Dana Kaye NONE Dana Kaye, owner of Kaye Publicity Inc., is a PR expert and author with a background in fiction writing. Renowned for her industry insight and innovative ideas, she frequently speaks o...
Angela Jackson
Angela Jackson 0000000035958201 Angela Jackson, born in 1951, is an acclaimed poet, novelist, and playwright from Mississippi. Raised in Chicago, she's a Northwestern and University of Chicago alumna...
Ethan Michaeli
Ethan Michaeli NONE Ethan Michaeli, the author of Twelve Tribes: Promise and Peril in the New Israel (Custom House Books, 2021), was praised by National Book Award-winner Evan Osnos as a “master por...
Obari Cartman
Obari Cartman NONE Dr. Obari Adéye Cartman is a Chicago-based psychologist, educator, and author, specializing in issues concerning mental health, cultural identity, and manhood. He works as a resto...
Jacqueline Alcantara
Jacqueline Alcantara NONE Jacqueline Alcántara is a freelance illustrator specializing in children’s literature. After teaching art and photography, she pursued projects featuring diverse main chara...
Marie Brown
Marie Brown 0000000376893266 Marie Brown is the first inductee into the Publishing Hall of Fame Marie Dutton Brown, President of Marie Brown Associates, is a highly experienced literary agent with ove...
Jeffery Renard Allen
Jeffery Renard Allen 0000000114593327 Jeffery Renard Allen, an award-winning author of poetry, short stories, and novels, is known for his celebrated novel, 'Rails Under My Back'. He's a fellow at pr...
Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Brooks 0000000081816650 Brooks was U.S. Consultant in Poetry, 1985-1986 (title was changed to U.S. Poet Laureate in 1986) Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks (1917-2000) was an influential African-Am...
Kelvin Bodley
Kelvin Bodley NONE Kelvin D. Bodley, a Chicago native and now Florida resident, is a social change advocate, author, and Minister of the Gospel. He served as the Special Assistant to Mayor Anthony Gr...
Mariame Kaba
Mariame Kaba 0000000512367579 Mariame Kaba is a justice advocate, educator, and founder of Project NIA, aimed at ending youth incarceration. She's a researcher at Interrupting Criminalization at the ...
Yolanda Joe
Yolanda Joe NONE Yolanda Joe, a Yale and Columbia Journalism graduate, is a bestselling author known for novels like My Fine Lady. A former TV and radio producer, Joe also writes mysteries as Ardella...
Calvin Stovall Jr.
Calvin Stovall Jr. NONE Calvin Stovall Jr.’s interest in Black history began early, sparked by a large book of historically influential African Americans that his mother gave him. While in elementar...
Meredith Davis and Rebeka Uwitonze
Meredith Davis and Rebeka Uwitonze MULTIPLE Meredith Davis, a former bookstore worker and children's book writers' society founder from Austin, Texas, holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. ...
Angela S. Medearis
Angela S. Medearis NONE Angela Shelf Medearis combines a general love for children‘s literature with a particular attention to the reading needs of young African Americans. “I write the kinds ...
Leon Forrest
Leon Forrest 0000000078313585 Leon Richard Forrest, born in Chicago, was a novelist, journalist, and former Public Information Officer for the US Army. He taught at Northwestern University for over 2...
Michelle Rhnea Yisrael
Michelle Rhnea Yisrael NONE Michelle Rhnea Yisrael is an empowering educator with 30+ years of experience. With advanced degrees in English and Online Teaching, she's served as a district leader, dir...
Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.
Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. MULTIPLE Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., a Philadelphia native, is a respected theologian and pastor. After serving in the military, he completed his higher education at How...
Edward Kelsey Moore
Edward Kelsey Moore 0000000376833028 Edward Kelsey Moore is a renowned author and cellist based in Chicago. His debut novel was a NY Times bestseller and his short fiction has gained recognition, par...
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...
Nichole L. Shields
Nichole L. Shields NONE Nichole L. Shields (1969-2009) was a celebrated poet and essayist, renowned for her impactful story-telling as a black woman. She was a two-time Gwendolyn Brooks poetry winner...
Herbert G. McCann
Herbert G. McCann NONE Herbert G. McCann, an Associated Press sports and business writer, is a former Chicago Defender editor and collaborator of Alfred Duckett, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speechwr...
David Anthony Geary
David Anthony Geary NONE David Anthony Geary, a versatile artist with a 25-year career in mediums such as painting, sculpture, and photography. Trained at Xavier University, his work is showcased in ...
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...
Keith Mosley
Keith Mosley NONE Keith Mosley is the author of Dying Eyes Don’t Lie about a Chicago detective who uses his shamanic powers to see through the eyes of the dead to solve difficult murder cases. Keith ...
University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff
University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff NONE The University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff represents the collective judgment of Press editors past and present, going back to 1892.
DuEwa M. Frazier
DuEwa M. Frazier NONE DuEwa Frazier is an accomplished writer, educator, and poet, renowned for her literary contributions and educational initiatives. Born in Brooklyn and raised in St. Louis, she f...
Wayétu Moore
Wayétu Moore 0000000474741880 Wayétu Moore is the founder of One Moore Book, a non-profit publishing culturally relevant books to promote literacy in countries with low rates. She opened her first b...
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...
Hilary Beard
Hilary Beard NONE Hilary Beard has been a book collaboration specialist helping leaders, visionaries, creatives, and gamechangers amplify their voice to empower humanity for more than 20 years. The ...
Itah Sadu
Itah Sadu NONE Itah Sadu, an award-winning author and bookstore owner, is known for sharing diverse oral traditions and creating youth programs. She's a founder of several initiatives like the Emanci...
Harvey Stein, Herb Boyd, and Miss Rosen
Harvey Stein, Herb Boyd, and Miss Rosen MULTIPLE Harvey Stein, Herb Boyd, and Miss Rosen are renowned authors. Stein, captured during a book signing at Rizzoli Bookstore in 2013, collaborates with Bo...
Aimée Felone
Aimée Felone NONE Aimée Felone, Founder and Managing Director of Knights Of, a multi-award-winning inclusive children's publisher, focuses on amplifying underrepresented voices. Her team, primarily w...
Kosoko Jackson
Kosoko Jackson NONE Kosoko Jackson is a vocal champion of diversity in YA literature, the author of YA novels featuring African American queer protagonists, and a sensitivity reader for Big Five Publ...
Clara Villarosa
Clara Villarosa 0000000060242379 Clara Villarosa, a celebrated entrepreneur and business coach, founded Hue-Man Experience Bookstore in Denver and New York. She's also co-founder of Villarosa Media, ...
Danielle Jackson
Danielle Jackson 0000000485185680 Danielle Jackson, a contemporary romance author and avid reader, balances her love for books with hosting a podcast and coordinating author events at an indie bookst...
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...
camika c. spencer
camika c. spencer NONE Camika C. Spencer, a Dallas native, is a best-selling author known for her unique storytelling. After studying broadcasting, she discovered her writing talent at Black Images B...
R. Gregory Christie
R. Gregory Christie 000000011492849X R. Gregory Christie is a seasoned commercial artist with over 20 years of experience. He's illustrated 50+ children's books, designed album covers and worked with...
Louise Borden
Louise Borden 0000000067578502 Louise Borden, a Cincinnati native, is a history enthusiast turned writer and speaker, inspired by her grandmother's love for history. Prior to writing, she worked in e...