Literary Library

Langston Hughes

February 1, 1902 - May 22, 1967African-American poet, playwright, novelist, columnist and social activistAuthor of "The Weary Blues", "Not Withou...

Carter G. Woodson

December 19, 1875 - April 3, 1950African-American historian, author and journalistAuthor of "A Century of Negro Migration", "The History of the Ne...

Ossie Davis

December 18, 1917 - February 4, 2005African-American actor, director, writer and activistAuthor of "Purlie Victorious", "Escape to Freedom: The St...

Marc Lamont Hill

December 17, 1978 - African-American academic, author, professor, activist, news commentary and television personalityAuthor of "The Classroom and...

William Cooper Nell

December 16, 1816 - May 25, 1874African-American abolitionist, journalist, publisher and writerAuthor of "Services of Colored Americans in the War...

E. B. Lewis

December 16, 1956 - African-American illustrator of children's booksIllustrator of "Talkin' About Bessie" (written by Nikki Grimes), "Coming On Hom...

Barbara Smith

December 16, 1946 - African-American lesbian feminist, socialist, scholar, lecturer, editor and publisherAuthor of "Toward a Black Feminist Criti...

Donald Goines

December 15, 1936 - October 21, 1994African-American novelistAuthor of "Dopefiend", "Black Girl Lost" and "Crime Partners"Also wrote under the pseu...

Stanley Crouch

December 14, 1945 - September 16, 2020African-American poet, music and cultural critic, columnist, novelist and biographerAuthor of "The All-Americ...

Carolyn M. Rodgers

December 14, 1940 - April 2, 2010African-American poet, essayist, critic and publisherAuthor of "Blackbird in a Cage", "Songs of a Blackbird" and "...

William R. Patterson

December 12, 1975 - African-American financial consultant, public speaker and authorAuthor of "The Baron Son" and "Nauki Barona"

Ralph Richard Banks

December 11, 1964 - African-American law professor and authorAuthor of "Is Marriage for White People? How the African American Marriage Decline Aff...