AALBC Search
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ta-Nehisi Coates 0000000036544350 “I’ve been wondering who might fill the intellectual void that plagued me after James Baldwin died…clearly it is Ta-Nehisi Coates.” —To...
Cornelius Eady
Cornelius Eady 0000000025783225 Cornelius Eady is a renowned poet and author of eight books, including award-winning “Victims of the Latest Dance Craze.” He co-founded the Cave Canem workshop for Afr...
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...
Alice Walker
Alice Walker 0000000114547953 “…a genius of African-American literature.” Alice Walker, born 1944 in Georgia, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for her novel, “The Color Purp...
Ousmane K. Power-Greene
Ousmane K. Power-Greene NONE Ousmane K. Power-Greene, Africana Studies Chair at Clark University, is the author of “Against Wind and Tide.” His work features in “The Harlem Renaissance Revisited” and...
Electa Rome Parks
Electa Rome Parks NONE Electa Rome Parks is a successful self-published author known for best-selling novels like The Ties That Bind and Loose Ends. After initially self-publishing through her own co...
Sam Greenlee
Sam Greenlee 000000005809192X Samuel Greenlee, best known for his novel “The Spook Who Sat by the Door”, was a writer and former USIA officer. Born in Chicago, he served in the military, worked in po...
Diane McKinney-Whetstone
Diane McKinney-Whetstone 000000006771958X Diane McKinney-Whetstone, acclaimed author of eight novels, tells stories of Philadelphia communities. Her latest novel, Lazaretto, was released in 2016. She...
Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells 0000000083935290 Ida B. Wells, born a slave in 1862, was an influential African-American journalist, editor, suffragist, and early Civil Rights leader. Notable for her documentation of l...
Stubbs
Stubbs 0000000109147509 OHIO PLAYER Coming Of Age… When I was nine-years-old, I’d known early on in my heart that I was my own man. While most of my friends in Cleveland were running to ...
Karla FC Holloway
Karla FC Holloway NONE Karla FC Holloway, Ph.D., is a Duke University Professor Emerita specializing in African American literary studies, bioethics, gender, and law. She has authored eight books on ...
Lawrence Jackson
Lawrence Jackson 000000004075078X Lawrence Jackson, former White House Photographer for President Obama for eight years, now operates a photography business in Washington, DC, where he resides with h...
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 ...
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...
Brittany Jackson
Brittany Jackson NONE Brittany “Bea” Jackson, an award-winning illustrator and alumni of the College for Creative Studies, is renowned for her work in children's book illustration, specifically “Hair...
Kellye Garrett
Kellye Garrett NONE Kellye Garrett, award-winning author of “Like a Sister” and “Hollywood Homicide”, is known for her thrilling mystery novels. Prior to writing, she spent eight years in Hollywood, ...
Ronald Angelo Johnson and Ousmane K. Power-Greene
Ronald Angelo Johnson and Ousmane K. Power-Greene MULTIPLE Ronald Angelo Johnson and Ousmane K. Power-Greene are prominent authors, known for their extensive contributions to literature and their pro...
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 ...
Jean “Binta” Breeze
Jean “Binta” Breeze 0000000025335932 Jean “Binta” Breeze (1956–2021) was a renowned Jamaican poet who published eight books and performed globally. She first gained recognition in 1985 at the Inter...
Historical Research Department of the Nation of Islam
Historical Research Department of the Nation of Islam NONE This author explores the historical relationship between Black and Jewish communities, claiming that Black leaders advocating for economic a...
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...
Phil Allen Jr.
Phil Allen Jr. NONE Phil Allen Jr. is a pastor, poet, justice advocate, and former NCAA athlete. He's a full-time pastor in California, PhD candidate at Fuller Theological Seminary, and author of two...
Bill Pinkney
Bill Pinkney 0000000033679583 Captain Bill Pinkney, born in Chicago's Bronzeville, was a US Navy Vet and Coast Guard licensed Master of Steam, Power, and Sail vessels. He held diverse roles such as a...
Jewelle Gomez
Jewelle Gomez 0000000081931974 Jewelle Gomez is a Cape Verdean/Wampanoag/Ioway novelist, poet, and cultural worker. She authored eight books, including the first Black Lesbian vampire novel, The Gild...
Malcolm X
Malcolm X 0000000121348258 Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965), born Malcolm Little, was a Muslim minister and human rights activist. Malcolm was born i...
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...
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...
Fred Beauford
Fred Beauford NONE Fred Beauford is a prolific novelist, essayist, and editor, known for his eight novels, memoir, essay collections, and contributions to notable literary series. He's also the found...
Larry Linwell Rowe
Larry Linwell Rowe NONE Larry Linwell Rowe is a lawyer, historian, and former West Virginia legislator with degrees from West Virginia University. Based in Old Malden, he's known for his research on ...
James H. Cone
James H. Cone 0000000381571755 James Hal Cone (1938-2018) was a renowned theologian known for advocating black theology and black liberation theology. His seminal work, Black Theology and Black Power...
ReShonda Tate
ReShonda Tate 0000000116441757 ReShonda Tate is a former reporter and national bestselling author of 21 titles including both adult and teen novels. She's also an executive producer for film adaptati...
Susan Straight
Susan Straight 0000000118784526 Acclaimed author of eight novels, including 'Highwire Moon' and 'A Million Nightingales'. Recognized with the Robert Kirsch Award, O. Henry Prize, and a Guggenheim Fel...
Kekla Magoon
Kekla Magoon 0000000040185776 Kekla Magoon, an award-winning author of eight YA novels, including The Rock and the River and X: A Novel, also pens non-fiction on historical topics. She's won an NAACP...
Tim Todd
Tim Todd NONE Tim Todd is a prolific author and executive writer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He specializes in banking history, with eight books published, including a study on Americ...
Stanley Gazemba
Stanley Gazemba 0000000045040728 Stanley Gazemba, born 1974 in Kenya, is a renowned author of three novels and eight children's books, with his work recognized by the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for fiction....
Ronin Ro
Ronin Ro 0000000035931519 Ronin Ro, a New York City-based author, began his career writing for Dance Music Report and The Source, eventually contributing to renowned publications like Rolling Stone a...
T.R. Simon
T.R. Simon NONE T.R. Simon is an acclaimed author renowned for “Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground” and co-author of award-winning “Zora and Me” with Victoria Bond. Also co-authored “Oskar and the Eight ...
Michael H. Cottman
Michael H. Cottman NONE Michael H. Cottman is an acclaimed author and journalist, having served with NBCU Academy and as Editorial Manager of NBCBLK. A former reporter for leading publications like T...
MBridges
MBridges NONE MBridges, a passionate author since first grade, has diversified writing expertise in poetry, song lyrics, and short stories. Having eight manuscripts, the debut novel 'Are You Satisfie...
Blair Underwood
Blair Underwood 0000000114403642 Blair Underwood is a two-time Golden Globe and Tony nominee and an Emmy, Grammy, and eight-time NAACP Image Award-winning actor, director, and producer. Strong>Blair...
Pretty Vee
Pretty Vee NONE Vena "Pretty Vee" Excell is a multi-talented comedian, actress, and philanthropist. She has been a regular cast member on Nick Cannon's Wild 'N Out for eight seasons, showcasing her v...
Salome Thomas-El
Salome Thomas-El NONE Salome Thomas-EL, born in Philadelphia, has been a transformative teacher and chess coach since 1987, leading his students to become Eight-Time National Chess Champions. He hold...
Bernadette Y. Connor
Bernadette Y. Connor NONE Bernadette Y. Connor, a former AT&T communications technician, turned adversity into opportunity, becoming a successful author. Despite facing personal tragedy and health is...
Robyn C. Spencer
Robyn C. Spencer 0000000117365645 Robyn C. Spencer is a historian and Associate Professor at Lehman College, CUNY. She specializes in post-WWII social protest, urban and working-class radicalism, and...
Johanna Sparrow
Johanna Sparrow NONE “Sometimes your tragedy is your best feature.” Antoinette M. Watkins, pen name Johanna Sparrow, is an experienced author of over 31 books ranging from children's liter...
Sharon G. Flake
Sharon G. Flake 0000000116203265 Sharon Flake is a University of Pittsburgh graduate with a degree in English. She has rich experience working with youth in shelters and foster care, and spent 18 yea...
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...
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 ...
Harlow Giles Unger
Harlow Giles Unger 0000000109206513 Harlow Giles Unger is a seasoned journalist, historian, and educator, with over 27 published books focusing on American education and Revolutionary War leaders. A ...
John Baldwin West
John Baldwin West NONE Dr. John Baldwin West was a renowned African American pulp detective fiction writer in the 1950s. He authored six novels featuring private investigator Rocky Steele, with most ...
Sheryl K. Carkhum-Lord
Sheryl K. Carkhum-Lord NONE Sheryl K. Carkhum-Lord's novel is inspired by the story of the model for Charles Cordier's 1851 sculpture, “The African Venus.” The book explores the history of slavery in...
Wil Clay
Wil Clay NONE Wil Clay, a renowned artist, began his journey in art at a young age. He studied at prestigious art institutions before establishing studios in Providence and Houston. Initially focusin...
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...
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...
R. Marie Griffith and Barbara D. Savage
R. Marie Griffith and Barbara D. Savage MULTIPLE R. Marie Griffith R. Marie Griffith is the John C. Danforth Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis, w...
Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige 000000006310393X Mary J. Blige, born in 1971, is a globally recognized singer, songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur. She has won nine Grammy Awards, an Emmy, and multiple honors, inclu...
Jerry Craft
Jerry Craft 000000050467371X Jerry Craft is a renowned cartoonist, children's book illustrator, and a graduate from the School of Visual Arts. Known for his comic strip Mama's Boyz, he's one of the f...
Morrie Turner
Morrie Turner 0000000021272073 Morris “Morrie” Turner (1923-2014) was an American cartoonist known for creating Wee Pals, the first American syndicated comic strip featuring an integrated cast. Raise...
Jacob Stroyer
Jacob Stroyer 0000000028767095 Source: Jacob Stroyer, My Life in the South (enlarged edition; Salem, Mass., 1898) – Download a pdf version of My Life in the South One of fifteen children,...
Crystal Allen
Crystal Allen 0000000114492278 Crystal Allen, born in Germany and raised in Indiana, is a prolific author and inspirational figure in the education system. She conducts writing workshops globally, en...
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...
Arturo Alfonso Schomburg
Arturo Alfonso Schomburg 0000000111353723 Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, born in Puerto Rico, was an Afro-Puerto Rican author, researcher, and activist who made significant contributions to the Harlem Ren...
Gwynne Forster
Gwynne Forster NONE Gwynne Forster (1922-2015) was a renowned and award-winning author, known for her romance and general fiction novels. Her work, featured in Black Expressions Magazine, earned her ...
Aisha Hall
Aisha Hall NONE Incarcerated author Aisha Hall uses her strength and talent to influence urban fiction, despite serving a 10+ year sentence for wire fraud. With eight novels written from prison, two ...
Lewis Kelley
Lewis Kelley NONE Lewis Kelley, a dedicated family man and grandfather, is a former lieutenant of the Denver Fire Department and US Army veteran. He has two sons, a standup comedian and a musician/ac...
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...
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...
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...
Na’im Akbar
Na’im Akbar 0000000028849621 "Black People in America have a much greater inner power than they realize, but they must re-discover themselves in order to use it." Dr. Na’im Akbar has be...
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...
Robert Greene
Robert Greene 000000010883135X Robert Greene, born May 14, 1959, is a renowned author known for his international bestsellers on strategy, power, and seduction, including 'The 48 Laws of Power', 'The...
Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley 0000000121244897 Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753-1784) was the first published African-American female poet, originally enslaved but later emancipated by the Wheatley family. Despite her d...
Gerry Wright
Gerry Wright NONE Gerry Wright is a former professional basketball player and author. After earning All-American honors in high school and playing basketball at the University of Southern California ...
Janis F. Kearney
Janis F. Kearney 0000000046272264 Janis F. Kearney is a celebrated author, journalist, and publisher. Known for her role as a personal diarist to President Clinton, Kearney has made significant contr...
William “Damani” Keene and Carole “Ife” Keene
William “Damani” Keene and Carole “Ife” Keene MULTIPLE William “Damani” Keene and Carole “Ife” Keene, a couple with a long history together, have turned to historical fiction to tell the captivating ...
Kwame Ture
Kwame Ture 0000000368554192 Kwame Ture, previously Stokely Carmichael, was a pivotal figure in the civil rights and Black Power movements. He led the SNCC and served as the Honorary Prime Minister of...
Rasheed Newson
Rasheed Newson NONE Rasheed grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is the eldest of three children. He showed an early interest in reading poetry and fiction. Nikki Giovanni and Kurt Vonnegut were am...
Charles W. Chesnutt
Charles W. Chesnutt 0000000120998195 1928 winner of the NAACP’s Spingarn Award for Highest achievement by a black American Charles Waddell Chesnutt (1858-1932) was a prominent African-American a...
Jim Brown
Jim Brown 0000000072514239 James Nathaniel Brown, born February 17, 1936, is a former American football player and actor. Renowned for his time as a fullback with the Cleveland Browns (1957-1965), he...
Monica Anderson
Monica Anderson 000000006312663X Monica “Dr. Moe” Anderson, DDS, is an accomplished author, motivational speaker, and dental surgeon. She penned the Essence bestseller 'When A Sistah’s Fed Up' and is...
Charles L. Blockson
Charles L. Blockson 0000000082151240 Charles L. Blockson, a renowned black studies scholar and author, amassed one of the world's largest private collections of African American history. His signific...
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...
Ebony Dawn
Ebony Dawn NONE Ebony Dawn, also known as Pat Ebron, is a Newark native writer with a romantic perspective on life, influenced by old movies and diverse music. She has written plays, children's stori...
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...
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...
Robert Hayden
Robert Hayden 0000000114660665 Hayden was Named U.S. Poet Laureate for (1976–1978) Robert Hayden (1913-1980) was a renowned African-American poet, essayist, and educator. He was the first Africa...
Eugene B. Redmond
Eugene B. Redmond 0000000117637604 Eugene B. Redmond, an American poet and academic, is renowned for his connection to the Black Arts Movement. A St. Louis native, Redmond earned degrees from Souther...
K. Reshay
K. Reshay NONE K. Reshay is a versatile author, poet, and playwright, known for her thought-provoking book series 'Appearances'. She is the Founder of Me Time Book Club, aimed at promoting literacy a...
Stephen L. Carter
Stephen L. Carter 0000000114553253 Stephen L. Carter, a distinguished Yale Law professor with 30 years of experience, is an acclaimed author of seven nonfiction works and three bestselling novels. Bo...
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...
Ronnie Sidney, II
Ronnie Sidney, II MULTIPLE Ronnie Sidney, II, MSW, is a Virginia-based therapist, entrepreneur, speaker, author, and social advocate with a passion for social justice and youth work. Despite early ac...
Ron Howell
Ron Howell NONE Ron Howell is a seasoned journalist and Associate Professor of Journalism at Brooklyn College with a focus on the Caribbean, Latin America, and NYC. He has written for Newsday, Associ...
Hugh Holton
Hugh Holton NONE Hubert “Hugh” Holton, son of a police officer, was a prolific author who passed away in 2001. Raised in Woodlawn, he attended Saint Anselm elementary school and Mount Carmel high sch...
Walter Milton, Jr. and Joel A. Freeman
Walter Milton, Jr. and Joel A. Freeman MULTIPLE Dr. Walter Milton, Jr., a native of Rochester, NY, holds a Doctorate in leadership and policy. He's a published author, former school superintendent, a...
Marla Gibbs
Marla Gibbs 0000000078401868 Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, five-time Emmy-nominated actress Marla Gibbs (born June 14, 1931) wears many hats: mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, actor, entrepr...
Lucy Terry
Lucy Terry NONE Lucy Terry Prince, born in West Africa (1730-1821), was a poet, storyteller, and activist known for being the first African American woman to compose a poem. Kidnapped and sold into s...
Tara Sullivan
Tara Sullivan NONE Tara Sullivan, born in Calcutta and raised across South America and the Caribbean, is a global-minded author with a dual Master's degree in Non-Profit Management and International ...
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...
William W. Sales Jr.
William W. Sales Jr. NONE William W. Sales, Jr., an Associate Professor at Seton Hall University, is an acknowledged expert on Malcolm X, authoring two books and numerous articles on the subject. A v...
Alek Wek
Alek Wek 0000000078788484 Alek Wek, a globally renowned model, was scouted at 19 in London. She's known for her work with top designers like Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld, and her iconic Elle covers. Born ...