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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 ...
Virginia Deberry and Donna Grant
Virginia Deberry and Donna Grant MULTIPLE Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant are best friends turned successful authors, known for their enduring collaboration in African American fiction. Both started...
Lamar Giles
Lamar Giles 0000000514184709 L.R. Giles is a renowned author and speaker from Virginia, known for his commitment to diversity in publishing. A founding member of We Need Diverse Books, Giles made his...
Dorothy West
Dorothy West 0000000117719538 Dorothy West (1907-1998) was an active participant in the Harlem Renaissance and the last surviving member. Known for her short stories, she debuted with her novel 'The ...
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...
Virginia Hamilton
Virginia Hamilton 0000000114915488 Growing up on a small farm near Yellow Springs, Ohio, in the 1940s, Virginia Hamilton was lovingly embraced by the sights, sounds and smells of rural...
Cornel West
Cornel West 0000000123215424 Join us in a conversations with Cornel West, at Harvard Bookstore on March 8, 2021 Born on June 2, 1953, Dr. Cornel West is a highly esteemed intellectual and professor at...
Allen Bernard West
Allen Bernard West NONE Allen Bernard West is a decorated military veteran, former US Congressman, and notable contributor to media and policy organizations. His military legacy spans four generation...
Vernon Kitabu Turner
Vernon Kitabu Turner NONE Vernon “Kitabu” Turner, an African-American spiritual guru, Zen master, and martial artist, was raised Christian but became a Zen initiate after meeting master Nomura Roshi ...
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...
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...
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...
Virginia Black
Virginia Black 0000000112712687 Virginia Black is a California-born writer, now living in the Pacific Northwest. Known for her love of whiskey, loud music, and dark speculative fiction, she spends he...
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 ...
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...
Zora Neale Hurston and M. Genevieve West
Zora Neale Hurston and M. Genevieve West MULTIPLE "Zora Neale Hurston and M. Genevieve West are acclaimed authors renowned for their contributions to literature, with Hurston known for her work durin...
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 ...
Mervyn Morris
Mervyn Morris 0000000122796976 Born in 1937, Mervyn E. Morris is a renowned Jamaican poet and scholar. A Rhodes Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Creative Writing & West Indian Literature, he was the...
Edward P. Jones
Edward P. Jones 0000000109223233 Edward P. Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, was born and raised in Washington, D.C. and educated at Holy Cross College and the University of Virginia. Known for h...
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...
M. Genevieve West
M. Genevieve West NONE M. Genevieve West is an English Professor at Texas Woman’s University, renowned for her scholarly work on Zora Neale Hurston. She has contributed to esteemed academic journals ...
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...
Oludamini Ogunnaike
Oludamini Ogunnaike 0000000040827310 Oludamini Ogunnaike, PhD, is the Associate Professor of African Religious Thought and Democracy at the University of Virginia. His research examines the philosop...
Cornel West and Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
Cornel West and Eddie S. Glaude Jr. MULTIPLE Cornel West and Eddie S. Glaude Jr. are influential figures, renowned for their contributions in academia and social commentary. Cornel West (left), Eddie...
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Cornel West
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Cornel West MULTIPLE Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cornel West are renowned scholars and authors, contributing significantly to African-American literature and philosophy. Henr...
Tavis Smiley and Cornel West
Tavis Smiley and Cornel West MULTIPLE Tavis Smiley and Cornel West are two of the most prominent African American public intellectuals and media figures of the early 21st century. Through their co...
Michael West
Michael West 0000000108034086 Michael West, an enigmatic author, is believed to hail from an ancient, lost culture. Known for appearing only to tell stories, some speculate he is a symbol reflecting ...
Teodros Kiros with Cornel West
Teodros Kiros with Cornel West MULTIPLE Join us in a conversations with Cornel West, at Harvard Bookstore on March 8, 2021 Teodros Kiros is a professor at Berklee College of Music and a Dubois Fellow ...
Zora Neale Hurston, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., M. Genevieve West
Zora Neale Hurston, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., M. Genevieve West MULTIPLE Zora Neale Hurston, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and M. Genevieve West are influential authors whose work spans literature, critical s...
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 ...
Wyatt Tee Walker
Wyatt Tee Walker 0000000082666762 Rev. Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker was a pastor, civil rights leader, theologian, and historian, best known for his work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the SCLC. He hel...
Justene Hill Edwards
Justene Hill Edwards NONE Justene Hill Edwards is an associate professor of history at the University of Virginia. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. Justene Hill Edwards is an associate profess...
Daryl Cumber Dance
Daryl Cumber Dance 000000011473816X Dr. Daryl Cumber Dance is a Professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, is a Ford Foundation Fello...
Shannon Wright
Shannon Wright 0000000049194273 Shannon Wright, based in Richmond, Virginia, is an illustrator and cartoonist known for her work on books like “My Mommy Medicine” and “Twins.” She also designs cover ...
Kiki Petrosino
Kiki Petrosino NONE Kiki Petrosino, a Professor of Poetry at the University of Virginia, is the author of four poetry books, including “White Blood: a Lyric of Virginia.” Her work has been featured i...
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 ...
MaKshya Tolbert
MaKshya Tolbert NONE MaKshya Tolbert practices poetry and placemaking in Virginia, where her grandmother raised her. She is the 2025 Art in Library Spaces Artist-in-Residence at the University of Vi...
Melvin Patrick Ely
Melvin Patrick Ely 0000000030403653 Melvin Patrick Ely is an acclaimed author and historian specializing in African American and Southern history. His prize-winning book, 'Israel on the Appomattox', ...
John Holyfield
John Holyfield NONE John Holyfield is a renowned artist noted for his depictions of family, spirituality, and culture, showcasing a distinctive southern rural essence. He resides in Rosemont, West Vi...
Donda West and Karen Hunter
Donda West and Karen Hunter MULTIPLE Donda West and Karen Hunter are accomplished authors known for their insightful writings. Their work reflects their diverse experiences and perspectives, making t...
E. James West
E. James West NONE E. James West is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow specializing in American History at Northumbria University. E. James West is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in American History ...
Catherine Adel West
Catherine Adel West NONE Catherine Adel West, a journalism graduate from the University of Illinois, is a published author in several magazines and hails from Chicago. Her debut novel is Saving Ruby ...
Hilary Beckles
Hilary Beckles 0000000121479362 Sir Hilary McDonald Beckles, born in 1955, is a renowned Barbadian historian and the current vice-chancellor of the University of the West Indies. A specialist in Afro...
J. Michael Dash
J. Michael Dash 0000000081152794 Professor Jean Michael Dash (1948-2019) was a renowned scholar of Francophone Caribbean literature. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, and educated at the University of the...
Monica West
Monica West NONE Monica West, born in Cleveland, is an accomplished author and academic. She earned her BA from Duke University and MA and MFA from New York University and Iowa Writers’ Workshop resp...
John Anthony West
John Anthony West 0000000083802324 ”Egyptian civilization was not a development, it was a legacy.” John Anthony West was an American author, lecturer, and guide known for his Sphinx water ...
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...
Doris Payne
Doris Payne 0000000109107224 Doris Payne, born in Slab Fork, West Virginia, is the youngest of six and daughter of a coal miner. She is renowned for her six-decade career as an international jewel th...
Monda Raquel Webb
Monda Raquel Webb NONE Born in 1968, Monda Raquel Webb is an avid reader and writer who was influenced by notable authors like Zora Neale Hurston and James Baldwin. Raised in multiple states, she gra...
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...
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 ...
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-...
Robert Deane Pharr
Robert Deane Pharr 0000000063320993 “…I would let white people look at the black man as he lives when the white man is not looking or listening.” Robert Deane Pharr, born 1916, was ...
Janelle Washington
Janelle Washington NONE Janelle Washington, a self-taught paper cut artist from Virginia, has work in the Smithsonian National Museum and Downing-Gross Community Arts Center. She is a member of The G...
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...
Elizabeth Murphy Oliver
Elizabeth Murphy Oliver NONE Elizabeth Murphy Oliver Abney, former city editor and columnist for the Baltimore Afro-American and granddaughter of its founder, has died at 85. A respected journalist a...
Fanita Pendleton
Fanita Pendleton NONE Fanita “Moon†Pendleton, originally from Oakland, is a parole officer based in Norfolk, Virginia. She's an experienced criminal justice instructor with a Masters in Public A...
Christopher C. Bell Jr.
Christopher C. Bell Jr. NONE Chris Bell Jr., a Black poet, essayist, educationist, novelist, and retired army Major, holds a Doctorate in Education. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia during racial...
Tressie McMillan Cottom
Tressie McMillan Cottom 0000000459857682 Tressie McMillan Cottom, a sociology professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and author of “Lower Ed”, is renowned for her insights on for-profit educat...
Amy Watkins
Amy Watkins NONE Amy Watkins, an award-winning author and physician, is known for her fictional works addressing social issues. A former Navy physician, she now practices family medicine in Virginia....
Kamaryn Hunt
Kamaryn Hunt NONE Kamaryn Hunt, a Virginia native and Southern University graduate, is an emerging author inspired by her mother, La Jill Hunt. Known for her passion for reading, she also enjoys phot...
Kristen Green
Kristen Green NONE Kristen Green is a New York Times bestselling author and reporter, recognized for her non-fiction work. She has a 20-year writing career with newspapers like the Boston Globe. Gree...
Micah L. McCreary
Micah L. McCreary NONE Rev. Dr. Micah L. McCreary, from Detroit, Michigan, is the 12th president of New Brunswick Theological Seminary since 2017. He has degrees in Engineering, Divinity, and Counsel...
Tamara Mayo
Tamara Mayo NONE Tamara Mayo, a Virginia-native author, developed her love for reading at a young age. She moved to California at 19, where she pursued a writing career including ghostwriting and edi...
Nikki Grimes
Nikki Grimes 0000000029034029 Recipient of the 2022 Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award Nikki Grimes is a renowned author, poet, and journalist from Harlem, New York. Known for her children a...
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...
Kwesi Oginga
Kwesi Oginga NONE Kwesi Oginga, born in Guyana, is a renowned dramatist, author, and pastor. He wrote plays for Guyana's top festivals, directed plays for the president's birthday, and has penned sev...
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...
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...
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 ...
David Johnson and Michael O. West
David Johnson and Michael O. West MULTIPLE David Johnson taught history at the University of Calabar, Georgetown University, and The City College of the City University of New York. He attended the ...
Paulette A. Ramsay
Paulette A. Ramsay NONE Jamaican scholar, Paulette Ramsay, holds a Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of the West Indies. She has worked at Berry College in the USA and currently lectures at the Un...
Maysa Akbar
Maysa Akbar NONE Dr. Maysa Akbar is a certified child and adolescent psychologist specializing in trauma and multicultural counseling. She has over 15 years of clinical experience and is the Founder ...
Tomi Adeyemi
Tomi Adeyemi 0000000464681757 Tomi Adeyemi, a Nigerian-American author and creative writing coach, is known for her debut West African YA Fantasy novel “Children of Blood and Bone.” A Harvard graduat...
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...
Carter G. Woodson
Carter G. Woodson 0000000108766551 “Only when lions have historians will hunters cease being heroes.” —African Proverb Carter G. Woodson, the son of former slaves, became a renowned scholar, earning a...
Mark Green
Mark Green NONE Mark Green serves as Associate Director/General Manager of Lehman Performing Arts Center, Chairman of Artist Relations for The Hip-Hop Museum (THHM), and maintains ownership of Celebr...
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...
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...
Vladimir Lucien
Vladimir Lucien NONE Vladimir Lucien is an award-winning St. Lucian writer, known for his published works in notable journals and anthologies. His accolades include the Small Axe Prize 2013 and the O...
Rachel Renée Russell
Rachel Renée Russell 0000000116442848 “Black writers should not be typecast into having only black characters.”—Shonda Rhimes Rachel Renee Russell, attorney and bestselling author of...
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...