Born April 27, 1945, August Wilson was an award-winning playwright. was well known for his plays Fences, The Piano Lesson, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. August Wilson passed away in 2005. Other plays are:
365 Black Books Marilyn Nelson Sunday
Happy birthday Marilyn Nelson! Born April 26, Marilyn Nelson is an award-winning children’s and young adult poet, author, and professor. Here are just a few of her award winning books:
365 Black Books Brian Gilmore Saturday
Brian G. Gilmore is a poet, writer, and professor. He is the author of five books:
365 Black Books Fun Friday with a classic and some books from the 2025 BOTB booklist
Today, it’s about having fun on a Friday. Starting with:
Book 1: Water, Water a classic by Eloise Greenfield; illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Book 2: Soggy Like Cush Cush by Karly Pierre; illustrated by Kristen Uroda.
Book 3: Black Diamond Kings by Charles R. Smith; illustrated Adrian Brandon
Book 4: Under the Neon Lights by Arriel Vinson
365 Black Books Charles R. Johnson Thursday
Happy birthday Charles R. Johnson! Born April 23, Charles R. Johnson is an award-winning author, McArthur Fellow, and professor. His novel, Middle Passage, won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1990. Here are a few of his notable novels:
365 Black Books Bryan Washington Wednesday
Happy birthday Bryan Washington! Born April 22, Bryan is an award winning author of a few novels. His novels focus on the intersectionality of identity, culture, and relationships.
365 Black Books April Langley Tuesday
I attended a booksigning at Detroit Public Library. April C. E. Langley, Associate Professor and Chair of African American studies at the University of South Carolina and Associate Professor emerita of English and Black studies at the University of Missouri–Columbia, wrote a book titled: Depoliticizing the Word Through Poetry and Preaching. She focuses on three women, Phillis Wheatley, Maria W. Stewart, and Jarena Lee, and examines their speeches, poetry, and other written works through the lens of Afrofuturism and Sankofa. I was truly fascinated by her talk: the depth of her research and how she examined these women works through so many different lenses.
365 Black Books Javaka Steptoe Monday
Belated birthday wishes Javaka Steptoe! Born April 19, Javaka Steptoe is an award winning children’s book illustrator/artist. Here are just a few of his notable works:
365 Black Books Etheridge Knight Sunday
Born April 19, 1931, Etheridge Knight was a powerful poet during the Black Arts movement. He passed away in 1991. Here are a few of his notable works:
365 Black Books 2025 BCALA Best of the Best Black Books (BOTB) Saturday
The 2025 BCALA BOTB has been published and is now ready to be released.
Book 1: Prek-4: Dream A Dress, Dream a Poem by Nancy Johnson James; illustrated by Diana Ejaita
Book 2: 5-8: The True Story of Vanilla by Ann Richards; illustrated by Arden Taylor
Book 3: 9-12: Nic Blake and The Remarkables: The House of Anansi by Angie Thomas
The CamaraIfe Maktaba 