AALBC Search
Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh 0000000117591917 Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh (1944-1987), was a prominent Jamaican musician and activist. Raised in Trench Town, his musical skills were honed in church choir ...
Kimberly R. Lock
Kimberly R. Lock NONE Kimberly Rochelle Lock is a multitalented individual, known for her advanced academic abilities and musical prowess. She began pre-college courses at 11, was a state spelling be...
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...
Kinshasha Holman Conwill and Paul Gardullo
Kinshasha Holman Conwill and Paul Gardullo MULTIPLE Kinshasha Holman Conwill serves as the deputy director of NMAAHC and ex-director of the Studio Museum in Harlem. Paul Gardullo is a historian, cura...
Robert O’Hara
Robert O’Hara 0000000055345883 Playwright and director Robert O'Hara is known for his award-winning works, including the Helen Hayes Award-winning play 'Antebellum'. He revamped 'The Wiz' for its rev...
Fred Lee Hord
Fred Lee Hord NONE Dr. Fred Lee Hord, born in 1941, is the founder and Executive Director of the Association for Black Culture Centers. He's a professor at Knox College and Director of its Africana S...
Denisha Jones and Jesse Hagopian
Denisha Jones and Jesse Hagopian MULTIPLE Denisha Jones, a member of the national Black Lives Matter at School committee, is an activist and advocate for education justice. She is the Director of the...
Terry E. Hill
Terry E. Hill NONE Terry E. Hill, a renowned author compared to E. Lynn Harris and Eric Jerome Dickey, has a rich background in social services, spanning over 15 years. A native of Southern Californi...
Brent K. Ashabranner
Brent K. Ashabranner 0000000110762541 Brent K. Ashabranner, born 1921, has vast international experience, working with U.S. foreign assistance programs and the Ford Foundation. He served as director ...
Jill Watts
Jill Watts 0000000036116073 Jill Watts is an Associate History Professor at California State University, San Marcos. She has held roles as the Director of the History Department and Co-Director of th...
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice 000000011071227X Dr. Condoleezza Rice is the Tad and Dianne Taube Director of the Hoover Institution and a Senior Fellow on Public Policy. She is the Denning Professor in Global Bu...
Betty J. Dopson
Betty J. Dopson NONE Betty J. Dopson is a cultural activist, administrator, and organizer with a degree in Communications Arts and Sciences. She served as the Director of Public Relations at Harlem H...
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...
Karen Baicker
Karen Baicker NONE Karen Baicker is a publisher at Scholastic, developing programs for communities in need. She has served as Director of Community Affairs and Editorial Director of Professional Deve...
Tai Allen
Tai Allen NONE Tai Allen, a renowned Brooklyn-based creative director, poet, and musician, has excelled in multiple disciplines. His poetry and music have gained recognition from notable publications...
Augustus G. Parker III
Augustus G. Parker III NONE Dr. Augustus Garland Parker III is a renowned obstetrician from Columbus, Ohio. He has served both Ohio and North Carolina communities, contributing significantly to women...
Souleymane Bachir Diagne and Jean-Loup Amselle
Souleymane Bachir Diagne and Jean-Loup Amselle MULTIPLE Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University, is renowned for his ...
Shani M. King
Shani M. King NONE Shani Mahiri King, law professor and director of the Center on Children and Families at the University of Florida. Also an Associate Director of the Center on Race and Race Relatio...
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman NONE Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D., is the Executive Director at the Hurston Wright Foundation, former Director at Montgomery Community Media, and a successful playwright who...
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...
Damilare Kuku
Damilare Kuku NONE Damilare Kuku is a multi-talented Nigerian author, known for her bestseller story collection, Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad. She has experience in radio, scripts, film, and a...
Tina McElroy Ansa
Tina McElroy Ansa 0000000116428851 Tina McElroy Ansa (November 18, 1949 – September 10, 2024) stories and essays have appeared in several anthologies. She lived with her husband, Joneé ...
Bessel van der Kolk
Bessel van der Kolk 0000000110059709 Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., is the founder of the Trauma Center in Brookline, MA, a psychiatry professor at Boston University, and director of the National Complex...
Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks 0000000122842071 Gordon Parks (1912-2006) was a self-taught photographer who rose from poverty to become a pioneering African American film director, writer, and composer. Notably, he di...
Margaret Busby
Margaret Busby 0000000384780261 Margaret Busby, UK's youngest and first black female publisher, co-founded Allison & Busby Ltd and was a director at Earthscan Publications. An award-winning writer, e...
Kevin McGruder
Kevin McGruder 0000000071766805 Kevin McGruder is an Assistant Professor of History at Antioch College with interests in African American institutions, urban history, and gay and lesbian history. He ...
Eriq La Salle
Eriq La Salle 0000000078409843 Eriq La Salle, an actor, director, writer, and producer, is known for his role as Dr. Peter Benton on NBC's ER, earning him multiple award nominations and wins. With a ...
Tash Hawthorne
Tash Hawthorne NONE Tash Hawthorne is a versatile writer renowned for her contemporary novels and stage plays. She received the “Best New Author” award from Black Pearl Magazine and has worked with m...
Ilyasah Shabazz
Ilyasah Shabazz 000000004150744X Ilyasah Al-Shabazz, community organizer, activist, and daughter of Malcolm X, advocates for at-risk youth and interfaith dialogue. She's developed programs promoting ...
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...
Jay Manuel
Jay Manuel NONE TV personality Jay Manuel is celebrated for his roles as a Fashion Correspondent, Host, Judge, Creative Director, and Executive Producer on popular television shows over 20 years. He'...
Kevin Young
Kevin Young 0000000109530225 Kevin Young, born in 1970, is a renowned poet and teacher influenced by Hughes, Berryman, Dickinson, and Basquiat. A Harvard graduate, Young authored multiple poetry book...
Andrew Young
Andrew Young 0000000109181731 Andrew Jackson Young Jr. is an American politician, diplomat, and activist born on March 12, 1932. He started as a pastor, became a civil rights leader, and served as th...
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 ...
Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele 0000000401925080 Jordan Peele, born in 1979, is an acclaimed American writer, director, and producer. Notably, his debut film, Get Out (2017), won an Academy Award for Best Original Scre...
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...
Steve Parke
Steve Parke 0000000121259052 Prince’s Former Art Director Steve Parke is an award-winning illustrator, designer, and photographer. He worked for Prince for 13 years as his in-house art director...
Quraysh Ali Lansana
Quraysh Ali Lansana NONE Quraysh Ali Lansana is a prolific author, educator, and radio producer based in Tulsa. He has written 23 books spanning poetry, nonfiction, and children's literature. Lansana...
Bebe Moore Campbell
Bebe Moore Campbell 0000000121422163 Elizabeth Bebe Moore Campbell Gordon was an accomplished author with three New York Times bestsellers and a NAACP Image Award for literature. She was a commentato...
Robbie Montgomery
Robbie Montgomery NONE Robbie Montgomery, “Miss Robbie,” is a former professional singer who worked with Ike Turner and other notable artists before opening a soul food restaurant, Sweetie Pie's, in ...
D-Knowledge
D-Knowledge NONE Writer/Performer Dr. Derrick Gilbert, PhD, a/k/a poet D-Knowledge, lost his battle with liver disease on Sunday morning, November 1, 2015. He was 45. Straddling the worlds of enter...
Michele Andrea Bowen
Michele Andrea Bowen NONE Michele Andrea Bowen, a St. Louis native and Durham, NC resident, is a prolific author with degrees in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling Education, US History, and Public ...
Patricia Haley
Patricia Haley NONE Patricia Haley, a Stanford-educated engineer and University of Chicago MBA, writes faith-based fiction that glorifies God and offers hope. She also reviews books for QBR, is a Del...
Jeffrey Colvin
Jeffrey Colvin NONE Jeffrey Colvin, a US Marine Corps veteran and graduate of the US Naval Academy, Harvard, and Columbia University, is a prominent fiction writer featured in multiple publications. ...
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...
Kevin Lewis
Kevin Lewis 0000000030894966 Kevin Lewis loves recognizing that bouncy, busy brown sugar baby spirit, especially when he sees it in the fans of his popular picture book favorites Chugga Chugga Choo-...
Sandra A. Ottey
Sandra A. Ottey NONE Sandra A. Ottey, born in Kingston, Jamaica, is a US-based author known for 'Jamerican Connection' and its sequel. She holds a bachelor's degree from Medgar Evers College and a ma...
Timbaland and Veronica Chambers
Timbaland and Veronica Chambers MULTIPLE Timothy Z. Mosley, known as Timbaland, is a renowned music producer, part of hip-hop duo Timbaland & Magoo, and CEO of Mosley Music Group. Veronica Chambers, ...
Solomon Jones
Solomon Jones NONE Solomon Jones is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist, and community advocate who overcame adversity to succeed. He began his career writing articles while living in a sh...
Tajuana “TJ” Butler
Tajuana “TJ” Butler NONE Tajuana “TJ” Butler-Jackson, founder of Lavelle Publishing, is honing her skills as an actor and director. She's completed her first short film and lives in Indianapolis with...
Ousmane Sembène
Ousmane Sembène 0000000120171534 “Father of African Film” Ousmane Sembène (1923-2007) was a renowned Senegalese director, producer, and writer. Often recognized as the “father of African ...
Tony Rose
Tony Rose 000000005879297X AALBC Mourns the Passing of Tony Rose Tony Rose (October 11, 1950 – May 27, 2025) was the Publisher and CEO of Amber Communications Group, Inc. the nation’s large...
Michael Warr
Michael Warr 0000000046890548 Michael Warr, born in 1955, is an award-winning author from Baton Rouge, LA, notable for his work 'Tracing Poetic Memory'. He serves as the deputy director of the Museum...
Jamia Wilson
Jamia Wilson 0000000498926775 Jamia Wilson is the executive director and publisher at the Feminist Press. Jamia Wilson is the executive director and publisher of the Feminist Press.
Tsitsi Dangarembga
Tsitsi Dangarembga 0000000116802380 Tsitsi Dangarembga is an award-winning author known for her novel, Nervous Conditions, and a director at the Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa Trus...
Cheryl Willis Hudson
Cheryl Willis Hudson 0000000037209335 Cheryl Willis Hudson, editorial director of Just Us Books, focuses on publishing Black interest books for children. Co-founder of the company in 1988, she's a re...
Joanne V. Gabbin
Joanne V. Gabbin 0000000110367197 Dr. Joanne Veal Gabbin is a professor at James Madison University, executive director of the Furious Flower Poetry Center, and editor of African American poetry. She...
Bryan Stevenson
Bryan Stevenson 0000000457338264 Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative and NYU law professor, is renowned for advocating for the poor and people of color. He's won relie...
Randee St. Nicholas
Randee St. Nicholas NONE Randee St. Nicholas is a renowned LA-based photographer, designer, and director, celebrated globally for her work with eminent musicians and actors. Randee St. Nicholas is an...
Chet’la Sebree
Chet’la Sebree 0000000501001520 Chet’la Sebree, a poet, editor, and educator, holds an MFA from American University. She joined Bucknell University as an assistant professor and Director for the Stad...
Jeanette Davis
Jeanette Davis NONE Jeanette Davis, a Summa Cum Laude graduate from Morgan State University, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism. She also served as the Music Director and On-A...
Tony Hillery
Tony Hillery NONE Tony Hillery, founder and executive director of Harlem Grown, began his journey in 2011, transforming a vacant lot in Harlem into a thriving urban farm. He is based in New York and ...
John Ridley
John Ridley 0000000114963631 John Ridley is an award-winning American screenwriter, film director, and novelist. Best known for “12 Years a Slave” and the series “American Crime,” his latest work is ...
Wanjiku Wa Ngugi
Wanjiku Wa Ngugi NONE Wanjikũ Wa Ngũgĩ, author of 'The Fall of Saints', is a former director of the Helsinki African Film Festival. Her short stories and essays are featured in various publications i...
Katheryn Russell-Brown
Katheryn Russell-Brown 0000000110004863 Katheryn Russell-Brown, author of award-winning book 'Little Melba and Her Big Trombone', is a Law professor and director of the Center for the Study of Race a...
Edmund Abaka
Edmund Abaka 0000000033905018 Edmund Abaka, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of History and Director of the Africana Studies Program at the University of Miami. Edmund Abaka, Ph.D. is Associate Profe...
Anais Granofsky
Anais Granofsky NONE Anais Granofsky is a multifaceted Canadian talent known as an actress, screenwriter, producer, and director. She's notably recognized for her role as Lucy Fernandez in “Degrassi”...
Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu
Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu MULTIPLE Desmond Mpilo Tutu, former Archbishop Emeritus of Southern Africa (1931-2021), and his daughter Reverend Mpho A. Tutu, who is the executive director of The Desmond...
Brian Jones
Brian Jones 0000000061168545 Brian Jones is the esteemed Director of The New York Public Library's Center for Educators and Schools. Brian Jones is the Director of The New York Public Library’s Cente...
Leisl Adams
Leisl Adams NONE Leisl Adams is a talented director and storyboard artist, best known for authoring and illustrating the young adult graphic novel, Batter Royale. Leisl Adams is a director, storyboar...
Joyce A. Brown
Joyce A. Brown NONE Joyce A. Brown, motivational speaker and author, uses her creative energy to address women's challenges. With roots in Rockford, Illinois, her professional journey spans Peoria an...
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 ...
Idris Goodwin
Idris Goodwin NONE Idris Goodwin is a celebrated storyteller across various mediums. He's presently the Artistic Director at Seattle Children's Theater, creating impactful content for all ages. Idris...
Javon Johnson
Javon Johnson NONE Javon Johnson is an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and director of African diaspora studies. He authored 'Killing Poetry' (2017) and is a renowned spok...
Spike Lee
Spike Lee 000000012321398X "Spike Lee, born March 20, 1957, is a renowned film director, producer, writer, and actor. He's known for his major studio films, and his contributions to aspiring filmmake...
Ezra Edmond
Ezra Edmond NONE Ezra Edmond is a debut author, illustrator, and director, known for his animated short, Blewish. When not creating, he enjoys traveling, exploring new cuisines, storytelling, and spe...
Joshua Bloom
Joshua Bloom 0000000118873342 Joshua Bloom is Director of the Social Movements Lab and faculty in Sociology at University of Pittsburgh, where he studies the dynamics of insurgent practice and social...
Anthony Asadullah Samad
Anthony Asadullah Samad NONE Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad is a renowned columnist, scholar, and author of three best-selling books. He's an Associate Professor of Political Science at East Los Angeles...
Anthony Browder
Anthony Browder NONE Anthony T. Browder, a cultural historian, artist, and educational consultant, is renowned for his extensive research on ancient Egyptian history and culture. A founder of IKG Cul...
Isis Asare
Isis Asare NONE Isis Asare is the CEO/Founder of Sistah Scifi, the first Black-owned US bookstore focused on science fiction and fantasy in the US. She also serves as Exec. Director of Aunt Lute Book...
Benny Andrews
Benny Andrews 0000000066753102 Benny Andrews (1930-2006) was an American painter, printmaker, and educator known for his expressionist style. Born and raised in Georgia, he was the first in his famil...
Gillian Berry
Gillian Berry NONE Dr. Gillian Berry, an expert in clinical social work with over 25 years of experience, is known for her innovative methods. Crediting her skills to her grandfather's indigenous phi...
Bernette Ford
Bernette Ford 0000000038486553 Bernette Ford, founder of COLOR-BRIDGE BOOKS, was a renowned children's book packager and consultant, and an advocate for diversity in children's literature. She held s...
Patrick M. Oliver
Patrick M. Oliver NONE Patrick Oliver is a program manager and literary consultant promoting literacy as empowerment. He hosts Literary Nation Talk Radio, is a publisher and editor, and has worked in...
Jeff Johnson
Jeff Johnson NONE Jeff Johnson is a decorated journalist and communication specialist, now President of JIJ Communications. Co-founder and CEO of Elite Voices Speakers, he's a regular on TheRoot.com ...
Brook Susan Parker
Brook Susan Parker NONE Dr. Brook Bello (formerly brook susan parker), CEO/Executive Director, and Founder of More Too Life, Inc. and Living Above the Noise Center in Florida. She is a #Champion fro...
Nathan Huggins
Nathan Huggins 0000000110473299 Nathan Irvin Huggins (1927-1989) was a renowned historian, author, and educator specializing in African-American studies. He served as the W. E. B. Du Bois Professor a...
Diana Murray
Diana Murray NONE Diana Murray, award-winning poet and former art director at Theory, transitioned from graphic design to writing. Known for her impressive sock collection, she now resides in a subur...
O.T. Begho
O.T. Begho NONE Oyehmi T. Begho is an experienced educator and consultant with expertise in emerging technologies. He holds degrees in Computer Science and ICT in Education. Known for his innovative ...
Cain Hope Felder
Cain Hope Felder 0000000082494921 Cain Hope Felder, a professor at Howard University, is known for his groundbreaking study in New Testament Language and Literature. He's the founder of the Biblical ...
John S. Mbiti
John S. Mbiti 0000000110268607 “The Father of Contemporary African Theology... Canon John Samuel Mbiti, a Kenyan-born Anglican priest, is a renowned theologian, educator, and author. Formerly a...
Robert G. Barnes
Robert G. Barnes NONE Dr. Robert and Rosemary Barnes are coauthors, conference speakers, and experts on marriage and family issues. Robert is executive director of Sheridan House Family Ministries an...
Susan Moore
Susan Moore 0000000081813898 Rev. Dr. Susan Moore is a seasoned pastor, teacher, and author with a 36-year career focused on urban America's challenges. Ordained in 1983, she has served as a communit...
Gabriel Tolliver and Reggie Osse
Gabriel Tolliver and Reggie Osse MULTIPLE Reggie Ossé, a former entertainment lawyer at Def Jam Records, is experienced in recording, publishing, and management agreements. He later retired and auth...
Casey Curry
Casey Curry NONE Casey Curry, Director of Creative Writing at a fine arts school in Tampa, has a rich life experience of moving 13 times due to her husband's military career. A mother of four, she en...
Rory Noland
Rory Noland 0000000055829589 Rory Noland is the director of Heart of the Artist Ministries, a worship leader at the Transforming Center, and the Head of Worship at Nebraska Christian College. He ment...
Tia Williams
Tia Williams 0000000037585947 Tia Williams, hailed as a style insider, is a renowned novelist known for her candid style. She's a veteran beauty editor with experience at top magazines, creator of aw...
Charmaine R. Parker
Charmaine R. Parker NONE Charmaine R. Parker, author of 'The Trophy Wives' and 'The Next Phase of Life', is a journalist turned publishing director for Strebor Books under Atria/Simon & Schuster. Ori...
Linda Janet Holmes
Linda Janet Holmes 0000000036823341 Linda Janet Holmes is an accomplished writer, scholar, and women's health activist. Known for her work on African American midwifery practices, she has also author...
Catherine Mann
Catherine Mann 0000000121252993 Catherine Mann is a USA Today bestselling author and RITA Award winner who has written over 60 contemporary romance books. A former theater school director with degree...