PROJECT BLACK EXCELLENCE

    Langston Hughes

  • Born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri
  • Died on May 22, 1967
  • A leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance, known for his poetry, plays, and essays that celebrated Black life and culture
  • Famous works include "The Weary Blues," "Montage of a Dream Deferred," and "Not Without Laughter"

    Booker T. Washington

  • Born on April 5, 1856, in Hale's Ford, Virginia
  • Died on November 14, 1915
  • Prominent educator, orator, and author who advocated for Black self-reliance and vocational education
  • Best known for his autobiography "Up from Slavery"

    Toni Morrison

  • Born on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio
  • Died on August 5, 2019
  • First African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature
  • Renowned for novels like "Beloved," "The Bluest Eye," and "Song of Solomon"

    Alice Walker

  • Born on February 9, 1944, in Eatonton, Georgia
  • Best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Color Purple"
  • A writer and activist, her works explore themes of race, gender, and social justice

    Octavia Butler

  • Born on June 22, 1947, in Pasadena, California
  • Died on February 24, 2006
  • Pioneering African American science fiction writer
  • Notable works include "Kindred," "Parable of the Sower," and "Dawn"

    Terry McMillan

  • Born on October 18, 1951, in Port Huron, Michigan
  • Known for her contemporary fiction exploring Black women's experiences
  • Famous works include "Waiting to Exhale" and "How Stella Got Her Groove Back"

    Angie Thomas

  • Born on September 20, 1988, in Jackson, Mississippi
  • Best known for her debut novel "The Hate U Give," which became a bestseller and was adapted into a film
  • Her books address themes of racism, police brutality, and identity

    Tomi Adeyemi

  • Born on August 1, 1993
  • Nigerian-American author known for her West African-inspired fantasy series
  • Best known for "Children of Blood and Bone" and "Children of Virtue and Vengeance"

    Alex Haley

  • Born on August 11, 1921, in Ithaca, New York
  • Died on February 10, 1992
  • Best known for "Roots: The Saga of an American Family," which traces his ancestry from Africa to America
  • Won a Pulitzer Prize for "Roots," which was later adapted into a groundbreaking TV miniseries

    Oyinkan Braithwaite

  • Born on June 21, 1988, in Lagos, Nigeria
  • Best known for her debut novel "My Sister, the Serial Killer," a darkly comedic thriller

    James Baldwin

  • Born on August 2, 1924, in Harlem, New York
  • Died on December 1, 1987
  • One of the most influential Black authors and activists of the 20th century
  • Known for works like "Go Tell It on the Mountain," "The Fire Next Time," and "If Beale Street Could Talk"

    Dorothy Roberts

  • Born on March 28, 1956
  • A legal scholar and author known for her groundbreaking work on race, gender, and reproductive justice
  • Best known for "Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty"