James McBride
New York Times Best-Selling Author & Musician
James McBride
New York Times Best-Selling Author & Musician
Biography
James McBride is a New York Times bestselling author, musician, and screenwriter whose work explores identity, history, and the American experience with depth and originality. His landmark memoir, The Color of Water, spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list and remains an American classic, widely taught in schools and universities. Blending personal narrative with cultural history, McBride has built a body of work that bridges race, heritage, and storytelling in ways that resonate across generations.
His debut novel, Miracle at St. Anna, was adapted into a major motion picture directed by Spike Lee, for which McBride also wrote the screenplay, and he later co-wrote Lee’s Red Hook Summer. His novel The Good Lord Bird, about abolitionist John Brown, won the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction and was adapted into a Showtime series starring Ethan Hawke. His novel Deacon King Kong, set in 1969 Brooklyn, became a New York Times bestseller, earned widespread critical acclaim, and was named a favorite book of the year by both Oprah Winfrey and President Barack Obama.
His most recent novel, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, is a sweeping story of small-town secrets, community, and resilience. A runaway New York Times bestseller, it was named one of the best books of the year by NPR, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, TIME, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, further cementing McBride’s place as one of the most important literary voices of his time.
In addition to his books, McBride has had a distinguished career in journalism, serving as a staff writer for The Boston Globe, People Magazine, and The Washington Post, with work also appearing in Essence, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times. His National Geographic piece “Hip Hop Planet” is widely regarded as a definitive exploration of African American music and culture.
A gifted musician and composer, McBride has toured as a saxophonist with jazz legend Jimmy Scott and written songs for artists including Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr., and Gary Burton, as well as for the PBS character Barney. He received the Stephen Sondheim Award and the Richard Rodgers Foundation Horizon Award for his musical Bo-Bos, co-written with playwright Ed Shockley, and his “Riffin’ and Pontificatin’” tour was featured in a nationally televised documentary.
McBride is a native New Yorker and a graduate of New York City public schools. He studied composition at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University at age 22. He holds several honorary doctorates and serves as a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University. In 2016, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama for his profound contributions to American literature and his ability to illuminate the complexities of race and identity through storytelling.
A dynamic and engaging speaker, McBride brings together storytelling, music, and history to create unforgettable experiences for audiences. Whether speaking about writing, race, creativity, or the power of community, he connects with audiences through humor, insight, and authenticity. James McBride works in partnership with APB Speakers for speaking engagements worldwide.
Speaker Videos
The Good Lord Bird
The Story of James McBride
James McBride Presentation
That’s the America I Live in
This is a Nation of Immigrants
The Truth is in the Music
Speech Topics
The Stories That Bind Us: Memory, Community & the Search for Justice
What holds a community together when the world around it feels divided? James McBride invites audiences into the richly layered world of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, where Jewish and Black communities live side by side and ordinary people are faced with extraordinary moral choices. Through his signature blend of storytelling, history, and lived experience, McBride explores how individuals confront injustice, protect one another, and build unlikely alliances that ripple across generations. At the heart of this talk is a powerful reflection on memory—how it shapes identity, preserves truth, and connects us in ways we often overlook. With warmth, humor, and deep insight, McBride challenges audiences to reconsider the stories we inherit and the ones we choose to carry forward, revealing how storytelling itself can be both an act of resistance and a path toward healing.
Audiences will learn:
How storytelling preserves history and builds empathy across differences
The power of community in confronting injustice and protecting the vulnerable
Why the stories we carry shape both personal identity and collective responsibility
The Good Lord Bird: Faith, Freedom & the Fight Against Slavery
What does it take to stand against injustice when the cost is everything? James McBride brings to life the story of John Brown, the radical abolitionist whose 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry helped ignite the Civil War and force a nation to confront the reality of slavery. Drawing from his National Book Award–winning novel The Good Lord Bird, McBride reexamines Brown not just as a historical figure, but as a complex man driven by faith, conviction, and an unyielding sense of moral urgency. Blending powerful storytelling with gospel and spiritual music from the era, he creates an immersive experience that captures both the pain and the hope of a defining moment in American history. With insight, humor, and emotional depth, McBride challenges audiences to reflect on the role of courage, belief, and action in the ongoing fight for justice.
Audiences will learn:
The historical significance of John Brown and his role in shaping the path to the Civil War
How faith and moral conviction have driven movements for justice throughout history
Why storytelling and music can deepen our understanding of America’s past and present
The Color of Water: Identity, Belonging & Becoming
Who are you when the world tries to define you? James McBride explores the deeply personal and universal journey of identity through the lens of his bestselling memoir The Color of Water. Drawing from his experience growing up in a multiracial family, McBride reflects on what it means to navigate difference, embrace complexity, and find a sense of belonging in a world that often demands simple labels. With honesty, warmth, and humor, he shares lessons about forgiveness, resilience, and the power of understanding one’s past as a path toward growth. This talk challenges audiences to think more deeply about identity—not as a limitation, but as a source of strength, empathy, and possibility.
Audiences will learn:
How embracing identity can foster confidence, empathy, and personal growth
Why failure and forgiveness are essential to moving forward
The importance of curiosity, kindness, and self-direction in shaping one’s path
Improvising Success: What Jazz Teaches Us About Leadership, Creativity & Teamwork
The best leaders don’t follow a script—they learn how to improvise. James McBride draws on his career as both a bestselling author and professional jazz musician to reveal how the core principles of jazz can transform the way we lead, collaborate, and think. From improvisation and creative risk-taking to deep listening and trust, McBride shows how great musicians—and great teams—adapt in real time while staying grounded in a shared vision. Blending storytelling, humor, and live musical performance alongside a band of accomplished jazz artists, this dynamic program brings these lessons to life in an unforgettable way. The result is an engaging and energizing experience that leaves audiences rethinking how they approach leadership, innovation, and success.
Audiences will learn:
How improvisation and adaptability drive creativity and effective leadership
Why collaboration, trust, and listening are essential to high-performing teams
How to apply creative thinking to solve problems and navigate uncertainty
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