AALBC Search
June Cross
June Cross NONE June Cross is a two-time Emmy and duPont-Columbia Journalism award-winning documentary television producer and professor at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism. Known for her 199...
Betty DeRamus
Betty DeRamus NONE Betty DeRamus is an award-winning journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist known for her nonfiction books on slavery and post-slavery era. Her works, “Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories f...
t’ai freedom ford
t’ai freedom ford NONE t’ai freedom ford is a NYC high school English teacher, Cave Canem Fellow, and award-winning poet. She has been published in numerous reviews and anthologies, and is an editor ...
Hester Bass
Hester Bass NONE Hester Bass, an award-winning author, was influenced by her upbringing near Atlanta and time in Mississippi. Her diverse experiences, from singing in a rock band to appearing on game...
Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer 0000000072528286 “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.” —Fannie Lou Hamer Fannie Lou Hamer was a significant civil rights leader and voting rights activist. ...
Yvette Moore
Yvette Moore NONE Yvette Moore is a Brooklyn-based author and publisher known for “Freedom Songs” and “Just Sketching.” She runs Jubilee Year Communications and serves as the communication director f...
Susie King Taylor
Susie King Taylor 0000000084839030 Susan Taylor Baker King, born into slavery in 1848, overcame adversity to become a teacher, nurse, and author. Despite education restrictions, she attended secret s...
Carole Boston Weatherford
Carole Boston Weatherford 0000000042539806 Carole Boston Weatherford, a New York Times best-selling author, has written over 50 books, earning multiple awards including three Caldecott Honors and two...
Orlando Patterson
Orlando Patterson 0000000108859301 Orlando Patterson, a leading cultural and historical sociologist, is renowned for his insights on liberty, freedom, and race. A Jamaican-born American, Patterson's ...
April Ryan
April Ryan 0000000437119582 April Ryan is a White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks since the Clinton era and a CNN political analyst. She has been featured in numerous renowned p...
Ron Kavanaugh
Ron Kavanaugh NONE Ron Kavanaugh is a literary activist who founded Mosaic Books and the Literary Freedom Project (LFP), a non-profit supporting the literary arts. Through LFP, he launched Mosaic Lit...
Elizabeth Keckley
Elizabeth Keckley 0000000057594701 Elizabeth Keckley, born a slave in 1818, bought her freedom and became a leading figure in Washington society as a dressmaker and confidante to Mary Todd Lincoln. L...
Suzan Johnson Cook
Suzan Johnson Cook 0000000027574363 Rev. Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook, also known as Dr. Sujay, is a prominent figure in religious freedom, serving as the former US Ambassador-at-Large for International...
Solomon Northup
Solomon Northup 0000000374327420 Born free, Solomon Northup was kidnapped into slavery in 1841, enduring this for 12 years in Louisiana. Regaining his freedom in 1853, he penned the memoir “Twelve Ye...
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. MULTIPLE Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Nobel laureate, was a key figure in the nonviolent civil rights movement and one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. A ...
Brian W. Smith
Brian W. Smith NONE Brian W. Smith, an award-winning author of 15 novels and former U.S. Army member, turned full-time author after being laid off. His personal trauma inspired his first novel, leadi...
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 ...
Deesha Philyaw
Deesha Philyaw 0000000401543576 Deesha Philyaw, co-author of Co-Parenting 101, is known for her notable work on race, parenting, gender, and culture. Her writing has been featured in renowned publica...
Lisa Nichols
Lisa Nichols 0000000040781340 What are your goals? Perhaps you’d like to create healthier, more fulfilling relationships, stabilize your finances and live abundantly, build supreme self...
Marc Favreau
Marc Favreau 000000007403815X Marc Favreau is a renowned author known for works like “Crash: The Great Depression” and “Spies: The Secret Showdown”, and co-editor of “Remembering Slavery.” He is also...
Joel A. Freeman
Joel A. Freeman NONE Dr. Joel A. Freeman is a former NBA mentor, co-author of 'Return To Glory', and Black History expert. He has also worked as a Secret Service chaplain and conducted training event...
Billy Carson
Billy Carson NONE Billy Carson, born in 1971, is the CEO of 4BiddenKnowledge Inc, and bestselling author of works like “The Compendium Of The Emerald Tablets.” He runs a conscious streaming TV networ...
John Koehler
John Koehler NONE John L. Koehler, author of 'Stasi: The Untold Story of the East German Secret Police', is a former journalist for the Associated Press and U.S. Army Intelligence Officer. He advised...
Tolá Okogwu
Tolá Okogwu 0000000496748610 Tọlá Okogwu is a British-Nigerian author, journalist, and hair care educator. Known for her picture book series 'Daddy Do My Hair?' and the 'Aziza's Secret Fairy Door' se...
David Nicholson
David Nicholson NONE David Nicholson, former editor and book reviewer for the Washington Post Book World, is the author of “Flying Home: Seven Stories of the Secret City.” He's a University of the Di...
Michael Beckwith
Michael Beckwith 0000000110546515 Michael Beckwith is a New Thought minister, author, and founder of Agape International Spiritual Center. He co-founded the Association for Global New Thought and fea...
Dana Bari
Dana Bari NONE Dana Bari is a romance author whose love of storytelling grew from years of reading romance and historical fiction—and from a desire to see more stories that reflect her own stage of ...
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...
Robin D. G. Kelley
Robin D. G. Kelley 0000000109206628 Robin D. G. Kelley is a History professor at UCLA and author of notable books like Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination and Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Commun...
Jason Poole
Jason Poole NONE Jason Conrad Poole, a proud father from Washington, DC, was wrongfully sentenced to 21 years for a drug violation in 1996. Regaining his freedom in 2008, Poole's story showcases resi...
Catherine Clinton
Catherine Clinton 0000000110842429 Catherine Clinton, educated at Harvard, Sussex, and Princeton, is a renowned author known for her works on U.S. history including 'Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freed...
Teri Ijeoma
Teri Ijeoma NONE Teri Ijeoma is a globally recognized financial educator, trading expert, and bestselling course creator dedicated to helping individuals build a freedom-based lifestyle through trad...
Kellie Carter Jackson
Kellie Carter Jackson NONE Kellie Carter Jackson, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Wellesley College and author of the award-nominated book, Force and Freedom. She resides in S...
Belinda Rochelle
Belinda Rochelle NONE Belinda Rochelle is a notable author known for her works on civil rights and women's issues, including “Witnesses to Freedom.” She also has experience as a lobbyist for women's ...
Rod Brown
Rod Brown NONE Rod Brown is a fine artist and the illustrator of We Troubled the Waters and Freedom’s a-Callin’ Me, both by Ntozake Shange, as well as From Slave Ship to Freedom Road by Julius Leste...
Rosheena Beek
Rosheena Beek NONE Rosheena Beek (1969-2019) was a successful author and bookstore owner known for her best-selling book, “I Find It So Hard.” Her works, including the popular second edition “Mommy S...
Sean Qualls
Sean Qualls NONE Sean Qualls is a renowned Brooklyn-based author, artist, and children's book illustrator. Known for his work on 'Dizzy' and 'Freedom Song', Qualls' illustrations also feature in maga...
Michele Wood
Michele Wood 0000000384420661 Michele Wood is a minister and award-winning author known for her vivid illustrations and use of Christian symbolism. Her accolades include the American Book Award, the ...
Ellen Levine
Ellen Levine 0000000115622847 Author Ellen Levine is captivated by tales of justice and extraordinary feats by ordinary people, like Henry “Box” Brown's escape as depicted in The Underground Railroad...
Rhonda M. Lawson
Rhonda M. Lawson NONE Rhonda M. Lawson, an award-winning author and Army journalist, serves as a master sergeant and station manager in Belgium. An acclaimed veteran, she began her journalism career ...
Marian Wright Edelman
Marian Wright Edelman 0000000082813240 Marian Wright Edelman is a renowned American children's rights activist and the founder of the Children's Defense Fund. She is the recipient of numerous awards ...
Demoine Kinney
Demoine Kinney NONE Demoine Kinney is a pastor, Air Force veteran, actor, comedian, and self-taught saxophonist known for his positive messages and unique style. Noted for his role in The Avengers, h...
Larry Dane Brimner
Larry Dane Brimner 0000000082811384 Larry Dane Brimner, born 1949, is an award-winning author known for his innovative non-fiction for young readers. He won the 2018 Robert F. Sibert Award for his bo...
Patricia Reid-Merritt
Patricia Reid-Merritt NONE Dr. Patricia Reid-Merritt is a distinguished professor at Richard Stockton College, founder of Afro-One Dance, Drama and Drum Theatre, and an award-winning social worker. K...
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...
Helen Elaine Lee
Helen Elaine Lee NONE Helen Elaine Lee is a Harvard-educated author known for her novels “The Serpent’s Gift” and “Water Marked.” As a professor at MIT, she directs the Women’s & Gender Studies Progr...
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...
Erica Armstrong Dunbar
Erica Armstrong Dunbar 0000000385592537 Erica Armstrong Dunbar is a Professor of Black Studies and History at the University of Delaware and a distinguished lecturer. She was the first director of Af...
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...
Frank J. Webb
Frank J. Webb 0000000047077954 Francis (Frank) J. Webb (1828-1894) was an African American journalist from Philadelphia. He contributed to Freedom's Journal, the first African American-published news...
Frank C. Matthews
Frank C. Matthews NONE Frank C. Matthews grew up with aspirations of one day becoming a household name as an NBA Superstar. His dream took a detour. The lure of the streets and its fast money too...
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass 0000000121171288 “Without Struggle… There Is No Progress!” —Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), born into slavery, was an influential abolit...
Ebony Glenn
Ebony Glenn NONE Ebony Glenn is an Atlanta-based illustrator known for whimsical art that brings joy and magic. She illustrated award-winning books like Mommy’s Khimar, Not Quite Snow White, Beacon t...
Kwame Mbalia
Kwame Mbalia 0000000501737490 Kwame Mbalia, previously a part-time pharmaceutical calibration tech, is now a full-time writer and father. Kwame Mbalia is a husband, father, writer, a New York Times b...
Rita Lorraine Hubbard
Rita Lorraine Hubbard NONE Rita Lorraine Hubbard is a renowned author of nonfiction books for adults and children, including the award-winning 'Hammering for Freedom'. She also manages the children's...
Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson NONE Katherine Johnson was a renowned NASA mathematician instrumental in the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. Her work earned her numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal...
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...
Kelly Harris-DeBerry
Kelly Harris-DeBerry NONE Kelly Harris-DeBerry is an award-winning poet and the author of Freedom Knows My Name. Known for her gift to bring poems to life by using her voice as an instrument, audienc...
Jeff Edwards
Jeff Edwards 0000000379483254 Rev. Dr. Jefferson Edwards, a senior pastor and founder of the Freedom Christian Center Church in Missouri, is a renowned author and international minister with over 43 ...
Brian Keith Harris II
Brian Keith Harris II NONE Brian Keith Harris II is an acclaimed educator and speaker, renowned for advancing education for black and brown children. He founded Cultivating Young Kings and Sons of Fr...
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu 0000000108644191 Desmond Mpilo Tutu, former Archbishop of Southern Africa, was a renowned advocate for justice and racial reconciliation. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and the Pr...
Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen
Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen MULTIPLE Bruce Springsteen, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and recipient of 20 Grammy Awards, is the acclaimed author of NYT bestseller “Born to Run.” Honored with an ...
Sara Rzeszutek
Sara Rzeszutek NONE Sara Rzeszutek, an associate history professor at St. Francis College, is a noteworthy contributor to books exploring the Civil Rights Movement and the contributions of James and ...
Jarvis Jay Masters
Jarvis Jay Masters 0000000033485674 Jarvis Jay Masters, a San Quentin inmate since 19, is an award-winning author known for “Finding Freedom.” Convicted for conspiracy in a guard's murder, his case i...
Therese Taylor-Stinson
Therese Taylor-Stinson NONE Therese Taylor-Stinson, an ordained deacon, writer, and spiritual director, graduated from the Shalem Institute. The founding member of the Spiritual Directors of Color Ne...
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz 0000000082809671 Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz is an Oklahoma-born author and activist known for her commitment to social justice and the Indigenous movement. Winner of the 2017 Lannan Cu...
Janelle Lenore
Janelle Lenore NONE Janelle Lenore is a multifaceted author and entrepreneur from Washington D.C. Influenced by her upbringing in “Chocolate City,” she pursues life with purpose, aiming to promote fi...
Itah Sadu
Itah Sadu NONE Itah Sadu, an award-winning author and bookstore owner, is known for sharing diverse oral traditions and creating youth programs. She's a founder of several initiatives like the Emanci...
Marilyn Nelson
Marilyn Nelson 0000000081267022 Marilyn Nelson, former Poet Laureate of Connecticut, is a three-time National Book Award Finalist, Annisfield-Wolf Award winner, and author of acclaimed titles like 'T...
Tamika D. Mallory
Tamika D. Mallory NONE Tamika D. Mallory, born in 1980, is a globally recognized civil rights activist, co-founder of Until Freedom and the Women's March, and author of 'State of Emergency'. She was ...
Robert F. Williams and Mabel R. Williams
Robert F. Williams and Mabel R. Williams MULTIPLE Born in Jim Crow-era Monroe, North Carolina, Robert F. Williams and Mabel R. Williams were the state’s most legendary African American freedom fight...
Olaudah Equiano
Olaudah Equiano 0000000110225228 Olaudah Equiano (1745-1797) was a freed slave and influential abolitionist. His autobiography, published in 1789, played a crucial role in ending the African slave tr...
Allison Matulli
Allison Matulli NONE Allison Matulli is a Fulbright Global Scholar, Fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum, Award-Winning Florida International University Faculty Excellence 2025, legal...
Rosa Guy
Rosa Guy 0000000111564547 Rosa Guy, born in Trinidad in 1925, was an influential Harlem-based writer and activist. A co-founder of the Harlem Writer's Guild, she was also a member of the Black nation...
Brad Meltzer
Brad Meltzer 000000011669085X Brad Meltzer is a #1 NY Times bestselling author known for his thriller novels and non-fiction works, such as “The Inner Circle” and “Heroes For My Son.” He's also an Ei...
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...
Lowell Hawthorne
Lowell Hawthorne NONE Lowell Hawthorne, born in Jamaica, moved to the U.S. in 1981 and worked as an accountant while studying at Bronx Community College. In 1989, he, his wife, and siblings establish...
Laila Lalami
Laila Lalami 0000000036068972 Laila Lalami, a prolific author and creative writing professor at the University of California, has penned award-winning novels including 'The Moor’s Account'. She's a r...
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...
Lynda Jones Mubarak
Lynda Jones Mubarak NONE Dr. Lynda Jones Mubarak, a native Texan and passionate educator, has dedicated her life to teaching and writing. Known for her works that promote personal growth, she's also ...
Eleanora E. Tate
Eleanora E. Tate 0000000067159869 Eleanora E. Tate is an acclaimed author and educator known for her stories celebrating community life. Her first novel, Just an Overnight Guest, was adapted into a T...
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, ...
Shaniqka Thomas
Shaniqka Thomas NONE Shaniqka Thomas is a trustworthy individual known for keeping secrets and offering non-judgmental advice. Her animated personality and genuine approachability have fueled her pas...
Freddi Williams Evans
Freddi Williams Evans 0000000034100692 Freddi Williams Evans is an award-winning author and former arts educator. She's recognized for her book “Congo Square: African Roots in New Orleans” and her ad...
C. N. Phillips
C. N. Phillips NONE C. N. Phillips, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, is a renowned author known for her gritty series, The Last Kings. Signed to Carl Weber’s Urban Books, her storytelling finesse has ear...
Jesse Byrd
Jesse Byrd NONE Jesse Byrd, Jr., an award-winning author and former Google project worker, used his basketball skills to fund his education at UC Santa Barbara. Known for his debut novel, King Pengui...
Elizabeth Atkins
Elizabeth Atkins NONE Elizabeth Ann Atkins, best-selling author, actress, TV host, and award-winning journalist, uses her multimedia platform to inspire others to reach their potential. An advocate f...
J.D. Mason
J.D. Mason NONE J.D. Mason is a distinguished author with over a decade of professional writing. She self-published her debut novel twice before signing with a NYC publisher. Her work, featuring a po...
SLMN
SLMN NONE SLMN is a writing duo known for combating global issues and producing films. They have worked on humanitarian projects in developing nations, served on peacekeeping forces, and campaigned a...
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...
P. Djèlí Clark
P. Djèlí Clark 0000000509439754 Phenderson Djèlà Clark, born in New York and raised in Houston and Trinidad and Tobago, is an award-winning author known for his novellas The Black God’s Drums and T...
Patricia Raybon
Patricia Raybon 0000000067719627 Patricia Raybon is an award-winning author and essayist known for her works on faith, race, and grace. Her books include the Christopher Award-winning memoir 'My Firs...
Keith Lee Johnson
Keith Lee Johnson NONE Keith Lee Johnson, an accomplished author of various genres, is best known for his Little Black Girl Lost series. His writing journey began at Owens Community College after a c...
Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström
Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström 0000000403172043 Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström is an acclaimed author, speaker, and photographer. Her work has been featured in major publications worldwide and she has received num...
Natasha Bowen
Natasha Bowen NONE Natasha Bowen, a New York Times bestselling author, teacher, and mother, is of Nigerian and Welsh descent. She studied English and creative writing at Bath Spa University and has a...
David F. Walker
David F. Walker 0000000071165663 David F. Walker is a celebrated comic book writer, author, filmmaker, and scholar. He's known for his award-winning comic 'Shaft' and YA series 'The Adventures of Dar...
Lauren Ling Brown
Lauren Ling Brown NONE Lauren Ling Brown is an author and editor based in Los Angeles, California. Brown identifies as multiracial, with African American and Asian heritage. She has spoken about how ...
Lakita Wilson
Lakita Wilson NONE Lakita was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland. A 2017 recipient of SCBWI's Emerging Voices Award, Lakita received her MFA in writing for childr...