AALBC Search
Teresa Kemp
Teresa Kemp NONE Teresa R. Kemp, a 5th-generation quilter and military historian, is a passionate advocate for cultural preservation and anti-human trafficking. She's a graduate of WVSU and DeVry Uni...
Ciara and Russell Wilson
Ciara and Russell Wilson MULTIPLE Founded by Russell Wilson and Ciara in 2014, the Why Not You Foundation is a nonprofit focused on fighting poverty through education and empowering youth. The founda...
Jean Besson
Jean Besson 0000000108983118 Jean Beason is a renowned researcher and author specializing in cultural history, kinship, gender, and ethnicity among other areas. She published a book on creolization a...
William Craft and Ellen Craft
William Craft and Ellen Craft MULTIPLE William and Ellen Craft, escaped slaves from Georgia, became famous fugitives in the 1840s. Disguised as a white man and his servant, they reached the North and...
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...
Pat Simmons
Pat Simmons 0000000055458378 Pat Simmons, a seasoned author with 10 years of experience and 30+ titles to her name, is a passionate genealogy sleuth who often casts her ancestors in her novels. She h...
Gigi Best
Gigi Best NONE Gigi Best, a prolific author, historian, and genealogist, is also the owner of Best Books & Rich Treasures. She possesses rich academic credentials and is a member of various historica...
Tanisia Moore
Tanisia Moore NONE Tanisia “Tee” Moore is an author who uses her writing to inspire and empower. Her picture books 'I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams' and 'When Black Girls Dream Big' promote strengt...
Rickey Fayne
Rickey Fayne NONE Rickey Fayne's writing embodies his Black, Southern, over-churched upbringing in order to reimagine and honor his ancestors' experiences. Rickey Fayne is a fiction writer from rural...
Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton 0000000031507112 Reverend Alfred Charles Sharpton, Jr. is a renowned civil rights leader, born in 1954. Called to ministry early on, he was ordained at 9 and later dedicated his life to a...
Erick S. Gray
Erick S. Gray NONE Erick S. Gray, an accomplished author since 1997, is known for his engaging mix of street style, comedy, and intricate plots. Born in Jamaica, Queens, his first book, Booty Call, w...
Tyler Merritt
Tyler Merritt NONE Tyler Merritt is a multi-talented actor, musician, comedian, and activist known for The Tyler Merritt Project. With a career spanning 20 years, he has worked in TV shows like ABC's...
Wanda Coleman
Wanda Coleman 0000000116780476 “I have yet to kill anyone—I have exhibited great restraint.” Wanda Coleman (1946-2013) was a renowned poet, former medical secretary, magazine editor,...
Neil Thompson
Neil Thompson 0000000109892699 Neil Thompson is an engineer, podcaster, and entrepreneur who focuses on science. His company, Teach the Geek, aids engineers and scientists in improving presentation s...
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...
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...
William C. Rhoden
William C. Rhoden NONE Author Rhoden delves into institutionalized racism in sports in his book, “Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete.” He traces African ...
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...
Harriet Jacobs
Harriet Jacobs 0000000121310444 Harriet Ann Jacobs, an escaped slave turned abolitionist speaker and reformer, authored “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” one of the first books highlighting th...
David Ruggles
David Ruggles 0000000078894447 David Ruggles was a pioneer in black activism, journalism, and entrepreneurship in the 1800s. He led 600+ slaves to freedom, including Frederick Douglass, and owned the...
Ira Berlin
Ira Berlin 0000000110814313 Dr. Ira Berlin was a renowned historian, professor at the University of Maryland, and past president of the Organization of American Historians. He authored award-winning ...
Josiah Henson
Josiah Henson 0000000082230213 Josiah Henson (1789-1883) was an author, abolitionist, and minister who escaped from slavery and founded a settlement in Upper Canada for fugitive slaves. His autobiogr...
Margaret Garner
Margaret Garner NONE Margaret Garner, a fugitive slave from Kentucky, killed one of her children rather than permit her to be returned to slavery. She drowned in a shipwreck as she was being ...
Kathy Lynne Marshall
Kathy Lynne Marshall NONE Kanika Marshall is an Afrocentric artist and author based in Sacramento, creating beautiful sculptures and pottery inspired by ancient cultures. She also writes genealogy bo...
Iyanla Vanzant
Iyanla Vanzant 0000000110419866 Iyanla Vanzant, a Yoruba priestess and spiritual life coach, overcame adversity to become a New York Times best-selling author and host of OWN's Iyanla: Fix My Life. H...
Chancellor Williams
Chancellor Williams NONE Dr. Chancellor James Williams (1898-1992) was a pivotal scholar in the study of Nile Valley Civilization. Born to former slaves, he became an acclaimed author, university pro...
Melinda Merritt
Melinda Merritt NONE Author Melinda Merritt, born in a small southern GA town, was known as the “miracle baby” after her birth defied medical expectations. Raised by three women known for their heali...
Kiran H. J. Dellimore
Kiran H. J. Dellimore NONE Kiran Dellimore, a scientist, inventor, and author based in Utrecht, has authored three books on diverse topics. A keen runner, squash player, and rock climber, he is curre...
Bernard O. Creamer
Bernard O. Creamer NONE Bernard O. Creamer, Jr. M.ED is an educator and advocate committed to uplifting Black youth through teaching them their history and culture. His work aims to connect children ...
Malik Canty
Malik Canty NONE Malik Canty, also known as the Word Bird, is a spiritual poet, teacher, and writer known for giving voice to the voiceless. He has performed at renowned venues including The Apollo T...
Hannah Durkin
Hannah Durkin NONE Dr. Hannah Durkin, a historian specializing in transatlantic slavery and African diasporic art, holds a Ph.D. in American Studies and has served at several universities. She advise...
Sidi
Sidi NONE Sidibe Ibrahima, known as Sidi, is a multilingual entrepreneur from Ivory Coast who started as a book vendor in Harlem. Now a well-known figure in New York's African American literary scene...
Stephannie Solomon
Stephannie Solomon NONE Stephannie Solomon, a Baltimore native and devout Christian, is a minister, author, educator, and founder of Conversations With The King Ministries. Her work spans from local ...
James Golden
James Golden NONE James Golden, aka “Bo Snerdley”, has a distinguished radio career spanning 30 years, notably as a call screener, producer, and engineer for the Rush Limbaugh show. Since 2001, he's ...
Paige Turner
Paige Turner NONE Paige Turner, a lifelong book lover, has over 15 years of marketing experience in Fortune 75 companies. Passionate about sharing ideas from books, she's been writing a weekly book r...
Ross Gay
Ross Gay 0000000040706017 Born in 1974, Ross Gay is a renowned author and editor, known for his books 'Against Which', 'Bringing the Shovel Down', and 'Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude'. He co-authored...
Gabriel Okara
Gabriel Okara 0000000109284773 Gabriel Okara, a self-taught Nigerian poet and novelist, is known for his multilingual poetry and award-winning piece 'The Call of the River Nun'. His works, characteri...
Mahogany L. Browne
Mahogany L. Browne NONE Mahogany L. Browne is an acclaimed writer, organizer, and educator, serving as the Artistic Director of Urban Word NYC. She's a recipient of multiple fellowships and is the au...
Bob Avakian
Bob Avakian 0000000066625450 Robert Bruce Avakian, born in 1943, is a prominent figure in US communism. Raised in Berkeley, California, he has led the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA since 1979. H...
Jill Robinson
Jill Robinson 0000000084555417 Jill Robinson, a marketing specialist and author, creates content for adult and teen audiences. Her work spans various publications and anthologies, including Dark Matt...
Patrisse Khan-Cullors
Patrisse Khan-Cullors 0000000486461392 Patrisse Khan-Cullors, an LA-based artist and freedom fighter, is known for co-founding Black Lives Matter and Dignity and Power Now. A Fulbright scholar and NA...
Albert Tate
Albert Tate 0000000117939653 Albert Tate, a Mississippi native, is a pastor, public speaker, and podcast host. He accepted his call to ministry at 21, graduated from Wesley Bible College, and is purs...
Kysha N. Brown
Kysha N. Brown NONE A college classmate and friend of Kysha Brown Robinson’s once said of her first impression of Brown: "I remember seeing this little girl sitting at the front of the ro...
Linda Addison and Alessandro Manzetti
Linda Addison and Alessandro Manzetti MULTIPLE Poets Linda D. Addison and Alessandro Manzetti have collaborated to create a unique poetry collection. The book, written across different time zones, fe...
James F. Daniels
James F. Daniels NONE James F. Daniels, author of 'Metamorphosis: From Cotton Picker to Community Leader', shares his journey from growing up as a sharecropper in the Jim Crow South to becoming a com...
Blair L.M. Kelley
Blair L.M. Kelley NONE Blair LM Kelley, Ph.D. is a renowned author, historian, and scholar of the African American experience. She is the seventh president of the National Humanities Center, the onl...
Sarah J. Heidelberg
Sarah J. Heidelberg NONE Kansas-born Sarah Jane Heidelberg, an artistic, music-loving author and tutor, runs her own publishing company, Ophelia Brown Publishing. Inspired by a childhood German tale,...
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....
Dana Canedy, Darcy Eveleigh, Damien Cave, and Rachel L. Swarns
Dana Canedy, Darcy Eveleigh, Damien Cave, and Rachel L. Swarns MULTIPLE Darcy Eveleigh, a photo editor at The New York Times, is the creator of “The Lively Morgue” blog. Dana Canedy, former senior ed...
J. Brinkley
J. Brinkley NONE Georgia-born Jonas Brinkley, a bestselling author and 2019 AAMBC nominee, honed his writing skills and diverse knowledge through college courses. Writing as J. Brinkley, he shares hi...
Shafika Burke
Shafika Burke NONE Shafika Burke, a 4th year English major at Medgar Evers College, was raised in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Originally interested in accounting, her passion shifted to literatur...
Glenda R. Taylor
Glenda R. Taylor 0000000034034410 Glenda R. Taylor is a blind author, scholar, critic and cultural historian who overcame her disability to intensify her studies. She holds a M.A. degree in History a...
Lalita Tademy
Lalita Tademy 0000000115872555 Lalita Tademy, a former VP at Sun Microsystems, left her corporate career to trace her family history and write. Born in Berkeley, California, she grew up in a southern...
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 ...
David J. Mason
David J. Mason NONE David J. Mason, digital publishing entrepreneur and founder of HMG ePublishing, is a seasoned executive with a deep interest in the history of his family and the Civil War. He's k...
Malla Nunn
Malla Nunn 0000000040740979 Malla Nunn, born in Swaziland, is an acclaimed author with two Edgar nominations and a RUSA Best Mystery Novel Award. She won the L.A. Times Book Prize and Josette Frank A...
Andreea Kindryd
Andreea Kindryd NONE Step into the captivating world of Andreea Kindryd (born February 19, 1939), where stories come alive with a vibrancy that’s truly unparalleled. As you embark on this journey th...
Harmonia Rosales
Harmonia Rosales NONE Since the genesis of her career, Harmonia Rosales’s main artistic concern has focused on Black female empowerment in Western culture, depicting and honoring the African diaspor...
Sean Anderson
Sean Anderson 0000000078343215 Sean Anderson, son of Jamaican immigrants, is a New York-based writer, educator, and youth advocate. His works reflect his unique experiences growing up in 80s NYC and ...
Dee Miller
Dee Miller NONE Dee Miller is a versatile “Closet Artist” and wordsmith known for her wide-ranging artwork, from serious depictions to graffiti art, and thought-provoking writings. She has self-publi...
Jacques Berlinerblau
Jacques Berlinerblau 0000000116451664 Jacques Berlinerblau is a professor of Jewish civilization at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He has published on a wide variety of issues rangin...
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...
Bernard N. Lee, Jr.
Bernard N. Lee, Jr. MULTIPLE Bernard N. Lee, Jr., also known as Bernie, is a former military kid whose childhood experiences shaped his memoir series, “A Look Back in Time.” He studied engineering an...
Tracie Howard
Tracie Howard NONE Tracie Howard, a former executive at notable companies, is an accomplished author known for her novel, 'Why Sleeping Dogs Lie'. She served on President Obama's 2008 Finance Committ...
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...
George Alexander
George Alexander 0000000074080876 George Alexander is the award-nominated founder of Galex Media Group, specializing in film and video production. Formerly an editor-at-large at Black Enterprise maga...
Jill Scott
Jill Scott 0000000071428662 Jill Scott, born April 4, 1972, rose from a humble upbringing in North Philly to become a successful R&B singer. Her debut album “Who Is Jill Scott” went double platinum i...
Barbara J. Satterfield
Barbara J. Satterfield NONE Barbara J. Satterfield is a celebrated children's book author and retired teacher from Los Angeles. Known for her books 'Tomias The Cat' and 'Answer Why For Mee Mee', she ...
Kirby Howell-Baptiste
Kirby Howell-Baptiste NONE Kirby Howell-Baptiste is a London-born actress, known for roles in Killing Eve, The Good Place, Barry, Why Women Kill, Veronica Mars and the 2021 films Cruella and Queenpin...
R.M. Johnson
R.M. Johnson NONE R.M. Johnson, a Chicago-born author and Army veteran, pursued a science degree and worked in healthcare while honing his writing skills. He's penned nine novels, including bestselle...
DK
DK NONE DK is an author who creates books to inspire curiosity and discovery about our world. Covering topics from first words to the Big Bang and city adventures, their books offer expert knowledge ...
Markus Redmond
Markus Redmond NONE Markus Redmond is an actor, director, screenwriter, and author. Known for his roles on Doogie Howser, M.D., NYPD Blue, Murder One, Mad About You, Angel, and Fight Club, he wrote ...
Terry Alford
Terry Alford 0000000058885607 Terry Alford is an award-winning author and historian specializing in American history, race relations, and the Civil War era. He earned a Ph.D. in history from Mississ...
Annette Gordon-Reed
Annette Gordon-Reed 0000000035723517 Annette Gordon-Reed, a professor of law and history, authored “Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy.” She delves into the complex and intim...
Lesa Cline-Ransome
Lesa Cline-Ransome NONE Lesa Cline-Ransome, a renowned picture book author, is known for her biography titles like “Satchel Paige”, “Before She Was Harriet”, and more. From Massachusetts, she's worke...
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...
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...
Marsha Hunt
Marsha Hunt 0000000117741647 Marsha Hunt, born 1946, is a British-based actress, singer, and novelist, best known for her role in the rock musical 'Hair'. She has written autobiographies and novels, ...
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass 0000000121171288 “Without Struggle… There Is No Progress!” —Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), born into slavery, was an influential abolit...
Mark Makabi
Mark Makabi NONE Mark Makabi is an accomplished author from Brockton, Massachusetts, who is passionate about education, justice, religion, and history. The seventh of ten children, Makabi founded Bit...
Neal Hall
Neal Hall 0000000050176742 Dr. Neal Hall, a poet and experienced ophthalmologist, challenges racial inequality in America despite his extensive education and career. His experiences, from studying at...
Anna J. Cooper
Anna J. Cooper 0000000116155726 Cooper was one of the last known survivors of legalized American slavery. Anna Julia Haywood Cooper (1858–1964) was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and spent her ...
Leo and Diane Dillon
Leo and Diane Dillon MULTIPLE “In terms of our art, it is virtually impossible to consider us separately,” During more than four decades of illustrating children’s books, two-time Caldeco...
David W. Marshall
David W. Marshall NONE Author David W. Marshall touches readers with his writings, reflecting his passion for American history and social justice. Born in Washington D.C., raised in Norfolk, Virginia...
Georgia A. Hill and Diane Proctor Reeder
Georgia A. Hill and Diane Proctor Reeder MULTIPLE Rev. Dr. Georgia A. Hill, writer for Our Daily Bread Publishing and pastor of LifeChurch Riverside, is deeply involved in women's ministry and Christ...
Laila Ibrahim
Laila Ibrahim NONE Laila Ibrahim, a full-time novelist, achieved fame with her book, Yellow Crocus, published in ten languages. Previously a preschool teacher and director, a birth doula, and a Direc...
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...
Yvonne Bynoe
Yvonne Bynoe NONE Yvonne Bynoe is an acclaimed author, cultural critic, and founder of the popular online art platform, @SHELOVESBLACKART. She made her curatorial debut in 2022, focusing on lost or e...
Linda Marsa
Linda Marsa NONE Linda Marsa is an award-winning investigative journalist. She is a former Los Angeles Times reporter and has written two books, Prescription for Profits, about the pharmaceutical in...
Connie Barrett
Connie Barrett NONE Connie Barrett, a single mother who explores her personal struggles through Reality Based Christian Fiction (RBCF), aims to redefine traditional scripture interpretations via doct...
Mari Evans
Mari Evans 0000000108875002 Mari Evans, born July 16, 1919, was a significant figure in the 1960s Black Arts Movement. She was a distinguished writer and educator, teaching at institutions like Corne...
Thomas Glave
Thomas Glave NONE Bronx-born author Thomas Glave, educated at Bowdoin College and Brown University, is recognized for his contribution to LGBT literature. A Fulbright Scholar, he co-founded Jamaica's...
Cheyenne Bryant
Cheyenne Bryant NONE Dr. Cheyenne Bryant is a renowned life coach and psychology expert dedicated to helping individuals break free from limitations and unlock their full potential. With years of ex...
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...
Fred W. Kennedy
Fred W. Kennedy 0000000062844912 Fred W. Kennedy is a former secondary school teacher and principal who has transitioned into writing Jamaican historical fiction. His latest work, “Huareo: Story of a...
Joan Morgan
Joan Morgan NONE Joan Morgan, born in 1965, is an acclaimed author and journalist, noted for her transformative work inspired by women's empowerment. Known for her career at The Village Voice, she ha...
Ida Green
Ida Green NONE Dr. Ida Greene, Ph.D., is a renowned author and inspirational speaker. She founded People Skills International and Our Place to promote self-esteem and empowerment. The organizations o...
Charreah K. Jackson
Charreah K. Jackson NONE Charreah K. Jackson is a globally recognized love and success coach, Essence Senior Editor, and author of Boss Bride. She's a certified family life educator known for her wor...
Tameka Fryer Brown
Tameka Fryer Brown NONE Tameka Fryer Brown, a Charlotte-based author, is known for her award-winning children's books. Her debut, “Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day,” sold over 100,000 copies. Her sec...