AALBC Search
William July and Jamey Lacy July
William July and Jamey Lacy July MULTIPLE Dr. William July & Jamey Lacy July, a married author duo, penned “A Husband, A Wife, & An Illness,” reflecting on their experience and challenges living with...
William July II
William July II NONE Dr. William July, II is an award winning author and lecturer popular for his candid approach to relationship and self-transformation issues of today. He has ...
Eric July
Eric July NONE Eric Dewayne July (born April 17, 1990) is a comic book writer, entrepreneur, musician, and media personality. He is the founder of Rippaverse Publishing, an independent comic book co...
Melissa Sweet
Melissa Sweet 0000000072677126 Melissa Sweet is a prolific illustrator and New York Times bestselling author. Her work spans over 100 books, magazines, and greeting cards. She is a two-time Caldecott...
Cynthia Manick
Cynthia Manick NONE Cynthia Manick's poetry collection, No Sweet Without Brine, is a celebration of self-love and culture. Through lyrical expressions, she explores daily life, familial bonds, and so...
Lisa Watson
Lisa Watson NONE Lisa Watson is a national bestselling author based in Washington D.C., known for her work in diverse romance genres. Her debut novel was nominated for Best Contemporary Fiction, and ...
Susan D. Peters
Susan D. Peters NONE Susan D. Peters, a Chicago native and DePaul University graduate, lived in Liberia for 11 years. Her experiences during the Liberian Civil War inspired her award-winning memoir, ...
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...
Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas 0000000121012885 “My father was a mulatto, my grandfather was a Negro, and my great-grandfather a monkey. You see, Sir, my family starts where yours ends.” Alexandre Dumas,...
Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka 0000000122837862 Winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature Wole Soyinka, born July 13, 1934, is the first Black Nobel Laureate in Literature, awarded in 1986 for his work that fashions...
Ashley Bryan
Ashley Bryan 0000000063847832 Ashley Bryan (1923-2022) was a celebrated illustrator, recognized for his contributions to children's literature. His accolades include the Coretta Scott King—Virginia...
Pura Belpré
Pura Belpré 0000000059534075 Pura Belpré was a notable author born on February 2, 1899, and passed away on July 1, 1982. She made significant contributions to literature throughout her lifetime. Pur...
Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby 0000000107880184 “Far From Finished” Born on July 12, 1937, Bill Cosby is an influential comedian, actor, and philanthropist. He and his wife, Camille, have four daughters, all ...
Amy Jacques Garvey
Amy Jacques Garvey 0000000078290141 Amy Euphemia Jacques Garvey was a Jamaican-born journalist, activist and wife of Marcus Garvey. Born on December 31, 1895, she was one of the 20th century's pionee...
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela 0000000121447715 Nelson Mandela, born July 18, 1918, was South Africa's first black President from 1994-1999, and ANC party President from 1991-1997. After 27 years in prison, he was r...
Assata Shakur
Assata Shakur 0000000083645007 AALBC Mourns the Passing of Assata Shakur 9/25/2025 Assata Shakur, also known as JoAnne Chesimard, was a prominent activist born on July 16, 1947, in Jamaica Queens, New...
Charlie Murphy
Charlie Murphy 0000000114942873 Born on July 12, 1959, Charles Quinton Murphy, Jr. grew up in Roosevelt, Long Island. He served in the U.S. Navy before following his brother Eddie into show business....
Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart 0000000081598956 Kevin Hart, born July 6, 1979, is a record-breaking comedian and actor from Philadelphia. Known for his unique style, he tours like a rockstar, performing in over 100 stad...
Francis Ray
Francis Ray 0000000110715606 Francis Ray (1944-2013) was a celebrated Texas-based author and school nurse practitioner. Known for her bestsellers in Blackboard and Essence Magazine, her work includes...
C.T. Vivian
C.T. Vivian 0000000114902644 Dr. C.T. Vivian was a civil rights leader, known for working with Martin Luther King Jr., and for developing VISION, an educational program that helped 700 Alabama studen...
Tia Mowry
Tia Mowry 0000000117697252 Tia Mowry-Hardrict, born July 6, 1978, is renowned for her roles in TV series “Sister, Sister”, “The Game”, “Tia & Tamera”, and “Family Reunion.” A two-time NAACP Image Awa...
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Malcolm-Jamal Warner 0000000072500865 AALBC Mourns the Passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, July 20, 2025 Malcolm-Jamal Warner (August 18, 1970 – July 20, 2025) was an American actor, musician and po...
Henry Dumas
Henry Dumas 0000000110288296 Henry Dumas (1934-1968) was a celebrated writer and poet who greatly influenced American literature despite his premature death. Born in Arkansas, Dumas later moved to Ne...
Kayla Perrin
Kayla Perrin NONE Kayla Perrin, a USA TODAY and Essence bestselling author, is known for her mainstream and romance novels. Her first novel, Again, My Love, made it on Ingram's Top 50 Most Requested ...
Melissa Abraham
Melissa Abraham NONE Melissa Abraham, a London-based writer of Ghanaian heritage, creates picture books and also serves as a trained children's counsellor. She enjoys art, tea, and indulging in sweet...
W. Caleb McDaniel
W. Caleb McDaniel 0000000375916227 W. Caleb McDaniel is a History Associate Professor at Rice University and magister of Duncan College. His 2019 book, Sweet Taste of Liberty, won the 2020 Pulitzer P...
Wil Haygood
Wil Haygood 0000000384391645 Wil Haygood, a Guggenheim fellow and cultural historian, is renowned for his iconic biographies and work for the Washington Post. His notable books include the New York T...
Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin Van Peebles 000000038553859X Melvin Van Peebles, founding father of Black American cinema, was a multi-talented artist known for directing, writing, and acting in groundbreaking films. He was ...
Delaney Diamond
Delaney Diamond NONE Delaney Diamond, a USA Today Bestselling author, pens sweet and passionate romance novels. Originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands, she now resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Apart fro...
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...
Karyn Parsons
Karyn Parsons 0000000119324302 Karyn Parsons, famed for her role as Hilary Banks on NBC's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, is the founder of Sweet Blackberry, a celebrated children's animation series showcas...
Daka Hermon
Daka Hermon NONE Tennessee-born Daka Hermon, a fantasy author and entertainment industry professional, is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Now living in Ca...
Rose McGee
Rose McGee NONE Rose McGee, founder of “Sweet Potato Comfort Pie,” is known for nurturing relationships across the U.S through pie delivery. Recognized by major media outlets for her community work p...
Luvon Roberson
Luvon Roberson NONE Luvon Roberson is a versatile writer recognized for her poetry, flash fiction, and ethnographic fiction. She actively reports on the literary world and contributes to community bu...
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...
Albert “Prodigy” Johnson
Albert “Prodigy” Johnson NONE Albert “Prodigy” Johnson was a globally recognized rapper, part of the duo Mobb Deep. Known for his reality-based music, he sold millions of albums worldwide. Prodigy al...
Walter Dean Myers
Walter Dean Myers 0000000108718912 Walter Dean Myers, born August 12, 1937, was an award-winning author from Harlem, known for his dedication to children and young adult literature. He received numer...
Nicole Dennis-Benn
Nicole Dennis-Benn 000000050158667X Nicole Dennis-Benn, an acclaimed author and Lambda Literary Award winner, is renowned for her debut novel 'Here Comes the Sun' which has received multiple accolade...
LaChelle Weaver
LaChelle Weaver NONE LaChelle Weaver, a bestselling author from North Carolina, contributed to Brown Girls Books' award-nominated anthology, The Dating Game. An English graduate with a passion for st...
June Jordan
June Jordan 0000000114793687 June Millicent Jordan (1936-2002) was a renowned poet, activist, teacher, and essayist, known for her influential voice in liberation. A professor at UC Berkeley, she dir...
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...
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...
James Haskins
James Haskins 0000000109303938 James Haskins (1941-2005) was a celebrated author of over 100 books for adults and children, focusing on African American achievements, African history, and culture. Hi...
B. Smith
B. Smith 0000000045066151 Barbara Elaine Smith (1949-2020) was a former fashion model and the first African-American woman on Mademoiselle’s cover. She also starred in TV commercials and served as a ...
Christine Pauls
Christine Pauls NONE Christine Pauls, from Wilmington, DE, is an accomplished author of novels including her latest release “One Good Thing” (2017). Besides being a writer, she's an accountant in the...
Paschal Beverly Randolph
Paschal Beverly Randolph 0000000080818187 The Mystical Black Genius Time Erased Paschal Beverly Randolph was a key figure in African-American history, renowned for his work as an author, spiritual lea...
Floyd Cooper
Floyd Cooper 0000000063165049 Floyd Cooper (1956-2021) was a celebrated illustrator, recipient of 4 Coretta Scott King Honors, and 10 ALA Notables. From Oklahoma, he pursued his career in NYC post hi...
Bill Murray
Bill Murray 0000000117750359 Bill Murray, a renowned comic artist and illustrator, started at Johnson Publishing Company before founding BAM Productions in 1985. He works with Real Times Media and ha...
Samarra St. Hilaire
Samarra St. Hilaire NONE Samarra St. Hilaire Samarra St. Hilaire is a pediatric occupational therapist and author. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, she now resides in Orlando, Florida, with her fa...
Frantz Fanon
Frantz Fanon 0000000120981385 A critically acclaimed biography of Fanon was published in 2024: The Rebel’s Clinic Born in 1925, Frantz Fanon was a pivotal figure in the African independence stru...
Steve Cannon
Steve Cannon 0000000363821597 Steve Cannon (1935-2019) was a key figure in the Black Arts Movement and a prominent Black writer from New Orleans. He moved to NYC in 1962, where he engaged in literary...
James Alan McPherson
James Alan McPherson 0000000110837574 1st Black writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. James Alan McPherson, born on September 16, 1943, was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer for F...
John A. Williams
John A. Williams 0000000081606231 “…arguably the finest African-American novelist of his generation.” John Alfred Williams (1925-2015), a renowned author and professor, had a distin...
Neely Daggett
Neely Daggett NONE Neely Daggett, an Iranian American artist, born in Missouri (1982) and raised in Chicago, now resides in Portland, Oregon. She possesses degrees in psychology and graphic design. A...
John Lewis
John Lewis 0000000114586629 Born to sharecroppers, John Robert Lewis became a key figure in the US Civil Rights Movement. As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and a speaker at...
Quincy Troupe
Quincy Troupe 0000000376418772 Quincy Troupe, born in 1939, is an award-winning author, recognized for his poetry, children's books, and non-fiction works. His notable titles include a memoir of Earl...
Thomas Sayers Ellis
Thomas Sayers Ellis 0000000052292843 AALBC Mourns Thomas Sayers Ellis Passing July 17, 2025 Thomas Sayers Ellis is a poet, photographer, and educator. He co-founded the Dark Room Collective, promoting...
N. H. Senzai
N. H. Senzai NONE Naheed Hasnat Senzai grew up speaking two languages while navigating two cultures—and enjoying the best of both cuisines, from tandoori chicken to hot dogs on the Fourth of July. B...
Eric Jerome Dickey
Eric Jerome Dickey 0000000063940201 Born and raised in Memphis, TN, the author graduated from the University of Memphis and worked various jobs before becoming a stand-up comedian and actor. He's als...
Warren L. Maye
Warren L. Maye NONE Warren L. Maye is the Editor in Chief of SACONNECTS and a prolific author, having co-written books with his wife and authored others independently. He's a member of ASME, EPA, and...
Ben Okri
Ben Okri 0000000121401864 Ben Okri, an award-winning poet and novelist, was born to an Igbo mother and Urhobo father in Nigeria. He had his early education in London, furthered his studies in England...
Gwendolyn Bennett
Gwendolyn Bennett 0000000041133249 Gwendolyn B. Bennett was an influential American artist, writer, and journalist during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in 1902, she contributed to Opportunity, publish...
Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe 0000000087759773 Arthur Ashe, born in 1943, was the first and only African-American male tennis player to win the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and the Australian Open, with three Grand Slam titl...
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson 0000000110665899 Curtis James Jackson III, known as 50 Cent, is a renowned rapper, actor, and entrepreneur, raised in South Jamaica, Queens. Overcoming early life struggles a...
Ralph Ginzburg
Ralph Ginzburg 0000000115071504 Ralph Ginzburg, born October 28, 1929, was an esteemed author, editor, publisher, and photo-journalist specializing in erotica and art. Infamously convicted in 1963 fo...
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...
E.J. Josey
E.J. Josey NONE E.J. Josey was a distinguished professor at the University of Pittsburgh and an influential figure in international librarianship, recognized with numerous awards. He served as presid...
Ted Joans
Ted Joans 0000000081560413 “Jazz is my religion.” Theodore “Ted” Joans was an acclaimed jazz poet, surrealist, trumpeter, and painter, known for his avant-garde work and criticism of compe...
Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe
Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe 0000000083215402 Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, born in 1951, is a renowned artist with exhibitions worldwide, including at MoMA and the Whitney. Her work has been featured in Life,...
Louis Emanuel Lomax
Louis Emanuel Lomax 000000010988746X Dr. Louis Emanuel Lomax, born in 1922, was the first African-American TV journalist and a Yale Ph.D. graduate. Known for co-producing a documentary about the Nati...
Karl Nova
Karl Nova 0000000048878796 Karl Nova, a London and Lagos raised musician and author, uses rap and spoken word poetry to voice his unique experiences of nonconformity and personal growth. Known for hi...
Judy Allen Dodson
Judy Allen Dodson NONE Judy Allen Dodson is an award-winning librarian, archivist, and children's author dedicated to teaching Black History through stories of unsung heroes. She serves as a regional...
Alice Dunbar-Nelson
Alice Dunbar-Nelson 0000000081179540 Check out Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson (1875-1935) was an acclaimed American journalist, political act...
Walter White
Walter White 0000000081462565 “I am a Negro. My skin is white, my eyes are blue, my hair is blond. The traits of my race are nowhere visible upon me.” Explore A.J. Baime's 2022 autobiograp...
Véronique Tadjo
Véronique Tadjo 0000000081825936 Véronique Tadjo, an Ivorian poet, novelist, academic, and artist, holds a doctorate in Black American Literature and Civilization. She served as the head of the Fren...
Bill Duke
Bill Duke 0000000063023892 Actor, Director, and Producer Bill Duke has over 40 years of Hollywood experience, known for his roles in “Predator,” “X-Men 3,” and currently in HBO Max's “No Sudden Move....
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall 0000000082322775 Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) was a prominent civil rights activist and the first African-American Supreme Court Justice. Notably, he served as Associate Justice fr...
Bessie Head
Bessie Head 0000000108556853 Bessie Head (1937-1986), born in South Africa but renowned as one of Botswana's most influential writers, produced novels, short fiction, and autobiographical works. Her ...
Zanele Muholi
Zanele Muholi 0000000120987488 Zanele Muholi, born 1972, is a South African visual activist and award-winning photographer. They are the co-founder of the Forum for the Empowerment of Women and found...
Anne Spencer
Anne Spencer 0000000458445176 Anne Bannister Spencer was a lauded American poet, civil rights activist, and librarian during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in 1882, she was the first African-American w...
Randall Robinson
Randall Robinson 0000000108663122 Randall Robinson (1941-2023) was a best-selling author and founder of TransAfrica. Known for his books such as 'An Unbroken Agony' and 'The Debt', he was a public ad...
Samuel R. Delany
Samuel R. Delany 0000000109208949 Samuel R. Delany, a renowned author of science fiction and nonfiction, is known for works like Dhalgren and The Mad Man. A former English and Creative Writing profes...
Cheryl Robinson
Cheryl Robinson NONE Cheryl Robinson, a Detroit-born author, transformed her life from a career in marketing to writing. She began with self-publishing, before transitioning to Penguin Books' imprint...
T. Friday
T. Friday NONE T. Friday, a Detroit native and mother of five, found her passion for reading at an early age. After a life-altering event in 2016, she pursued her dream of writing. Now an author of o...
Samuel D. Proctor
Samuel D. Proctor NONE Samuel DeWitt Proctor (1921-1997) was a prominent African American minister, educator, and humanitarian, known for his significant contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. S...
Rain Pryor
Rain Pryor 000000004618407X Rain Pryor (born July 16, 1968) was a regular on the hit ABC series Head of the Class, starred in the Showtime series Rude Awakening, and created the award-winning one-wo...
Winnie Harlow
Winnie Harlow NONE Winnie Harlow (born Chantelle Whitney Brown-Young in July 27, 1994) is a Canadian fashion model, actress, entrepreneur, and advocate best known for challenging conventional beauty...
Dan Jakana
Dan Jakana NONE Dan Jakana was born on July 4, 1955, in Kampala, Uganda, where he attended both elementary and high school. In 1973, he enrolled in the University of Texas at El Paso College of Busi...
Lorenzo Thomas
Lorenzo Thomas 0000000051283785 Lorenzo Thomas was a poet whose work was deeply tied to BAM’s literary and political sensibilities. Lorenzo Thomas (August 31, 1944 – July 4, 2005) was a poet wh...
Will Calhoun
Will Calhoun 0000000055519767 William “Will” Calhoun (born July 22, 1964) is a two-time Grammy Award–winning drummer, composer, producer, educator, and member of the groundbreaking rock band Living ...
Arouni
Arouni NONE Lynette Arouni (1915-1996) was a respected painter and illustrator, known for her bold, impressionistic style. Born in Montana, she worked in California, Montana, and France, and was the ...
Ashley Franklin
Ashley Franklin NONE Ashley Franklin, author of the debut picture book 'Not Quite Snow White', published by Harper Collins in 2019. She holds an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Dela...
Ed Bullins
Ed Bullins 0000000108602549 Ed Bullins (1935-2021) was a renowned figure in American theater, significantly contributing to African American drama during the Black Arts Movement. A playwright, poet, ...
Herman Cain
Herman Cain 0000000030322618 Herman Cain, born in 1945, was a business executive, writer, and Tea Party activist. After educational pursuits in mathematics and computer science, he rose to executive ...
Hisani P. Dubose
Hisani P. Dubose NONE “The Best Black Director of 2005” —Kam Williams Hisani DuBose is a Seton Hall University graduate, former dancer and singer turned screenwriter. She's directed ...
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...
Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka 0000000446460520 Amiri Baraka, also known as LeRoi Jones, was a prolific 20th-century African American writer, poet, and Obie-winning playwright. Known for works such as “Blues People” a...
Bill Withers
Bill Withers 000000006309931X Bill Withers was a singer-songwriter and musician. He received numerous awards in his lifetime and won three GRAMMY Awards. William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 &...