Richard Dryden is a writer and DJ from Brooklyn, New York. He has written about music, fashion, and Black culture for outlets such as Complex, The FADER, AFROPUNK, Office, VICE, LargeUp, and Okayplayer, and has performed as DJ Treats at fundraisers, museums, galleries, and events featured in VOGUE. His love of building LEGO® sets led to writing about LEGO® and competing on LEGO Masters in 2021. He also works across the entertainment industry, from managing public relations at With Love PR to serving as an associate producer on the New York Jamaican dancehall documentary Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall, and has collaborated with the LEGO Group as a brand ambassador.Dave Kaleta is an award-winning LEGO® artist whose creations have appeared in books, museums, and fan conventions worldwide. His work has been featured by NPR, CNET, Business Insider, the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), and major LEGO® fan networks. With over 40 years of creative experience, Dave’s “Miniland Plus” character style brings emotional nuance and artistic depth to LEGO® portraiture.

"Awesome Black Creativity is a fun, entertaining merging of unexpected interests. It captures that irreplaceable feeling as a child of having your imagination sparked by something extraordinary, something unpredictable, that sends you down a path of curiosity for the rest of your life."—Joseph Patel, Academy Award-winning producer of Summer of Soul"This is an innovative vision of American music, using a children's toy to celebrate profound art."—Nelson George, Author and Filmmaker"With his latest tome, Richard Dryden built an epic, necessary bridge between culture and LEGO, brick by brick." —Noah Callahan-Bever, Chief Content Officer of COMPLEX "Nina Simone fought for Black people to see themselves clearly and to love what they saw. This book honors her and continues her work in the same breath."—Aaron Overfield - Archivist / Content Manager for the Estate and Charitable Trust of Nina Simone"This celebration of our icons, re-imagined in the coolest LEGO brick designs, reminds us that there’s no currency like creativity. It deserves a permanent spot on your coffee table!"—Mimi Valdés, Film and TV Producer (Piece By Piece, Hidden Figures, Harlem) "Few LEGO books have as much purpose and sincerity behind every page as Awesome Black Creativity. Dave Kaleta’s expressive portraits and Richard Dryden’s thoughtful essays celebrate 27 Black creatives whose work has profoundly shaped our culture. I recognized some of the names and delighted in learning about the lives, legacies and impact of the others. The book invites a second look at both the remarkable people it features and the LEGO builds that capture their stories."—Dave Schefcik, Editor-in-Chief, BrickNerd

• PrefaceIntroductionA: Alvin Ailey: Dancer, ChoreographerB: bell hooks: Author, Feminist, AcademicC: Colin Kaepernick: Civil Rights Activist, AthleteD: DJ Kool Herc: Founding Father of Hip-HopE: Ekow Nimako: SculptorF: Frederick McKinley Jones: InventorG: Gordon Parks: Photographer, Film Director, AuthorH: Halle Berry: Actor, DirectorI: Issa Rae: Actor, Screenwriter, ProducerJ: Janelle Monáe: Singer-Songwriter, Actor, AuthorK: Kehinde Wiley: PainterL: Leah Chase: Creole ChefM: Marsha "Pay It No Mind" Johnson: LGBTQ Activist, Performance ArtistN: Nina Simone: Singer-Songwriter, ActivistO: Oprah Winfrey: Host, Actor, PhilanthropistP: Philip Freelon: ArchitectQ: Questlove: Musician, Author, Film DirectorR: Ryan Coogler: Film Director, Screenwriter, ProducerS: Sidney Poitier: Actor, Film Director, DiplomatT: Toni Morrison: Novelist, ProfessorU: Usain Bolt: Athlete, Entrepreneur, Music ProducerV: Virgil Abloh: Fashion Designer, DJW: Williams Sisters: Athlete, Entrepreneur; Athlete, Fashion DesignerX: Xenobia Bailey: Textile ArtistY: Yasiin Bey: Rapper, Visual ArtistZ: Zora Neale Hurston: Author, AnthropologistAwesome Black Creativity ExhibitAcknowledgmentsReferencesAbout the Author and ArtistAbout the Editor

Richard Dryden is a writer and DJ from Brooklyn, New York. He has written about music, fashion, and Black culture for outlets such as Complex, The FADER, AFROPUNK, Office, VICE, LargeUp, and Okayplayer, and has performed as DJ Treats at fundraisers, museums, galleries, and events featured in VOGUE. His love of building LEGO® sets led to writing about LEGO® and competing on LEGO Masters in 2021. He also works across the entertainment industry, from managing public relations at With Love PR to serving as an associate producer on the New York Jamaican dancehall documentary Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall, and has collaborated with the LEGO Group as a brand ambassador.Dave Kaleta is an award-winning LEGO® artist whose creations have appeared in books, museums, and fan conventions worldwide. His work has been featured by NPR, CNET, Business Insider, the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), and major LEGO® fan networks. With over 40 years of creative experience, Dave’s “Miniland Plus” character style brings emotional nuance and artistic depth to LEGO® portraiture.

"Awesome Black Creativity is a fun, entertaining merging of unexpected interests. It captures that irreplaceable feeling as a child of having your imagination sparked by something extraordinary, something unpredictable, that sends you down a path of curiosity for the rest of your life."—Joseph Patel, Academy Award-winning producer of Summer of Soul"This is an innovative vision of American music, using a children's toy to celebrate profound art."—Nelson George, Author and Filmmaker"With his latest tome, Richard Dryden built an epic, necessary bridge between culture and LEGO, brick by brick." —Noah Callahan-Bever, Chief Content Officer of COMPLEX "Nina Simone fought for Black people to see themselves clearly and to love what they saw. This book honors her and continues her work in the same breath."—Aaron Overfield - Archivist / Content Manager for the Estate and Charitable Trust of Nina Simone"This celebration of our icons, re-imagined in the coolest LEGO brick designs, reminds us that there’s no currency like creativity. It deserves a permanent spot on your coffee table!"—Mimi Valdés, Film and TV Producer (Piece By Piece, Hidden Figures, Harlem) "Few LEGO books have as much purpose and sincerity behind every page as Awesome Black Creativity. Dave Kaleta’s expressive portraits and Richard Dryden’s thoughtful essays celebrate 27 Black creatives whose work has profoundly shaped our culture. I recognized some of the names and delighted in learning about the lives, legacies and impact of the others. The book invites a second look at both the remarkable people it features and the LEGO builds that capture their stories."—Dave Schefcik, Editor-in-Chief, BrickNerd

• PrefaceIntroductionA: Alvin Ailey: Dancer, ChoreographerB: bell hooks: Author, Feminist, AcademicC: Colin Kaepernick: Civil Rights Activist, AthleteD: DJ Kool Herc: Founding Father of Hip-HopE: Ekow Nimako: SculptorF: Frederick McKinley Jones: InventorG: Gordon Parks: Photographer, Film Director, AuthorH: Halle Berry: Actor, DirectorI: Issa Rae: Actor, Screenwriter, ProducerJ: Janelle Monáe: Singer-Songwriter, Actor, AuthorK: Kehinde Wiley: PainterL: Leah Chase: Creole ChefM: Marsha "Pay It No Mind" Johnson: LGBTQ Activist, Performance ArtistN: Nina Simone: Singer-Songwriter, ActivistO: Oprah Winfrey: Host, Actor, PhilanthropistP: Philip Freelon: ArchitectQ: Questlove: Musician, Author, Film DirectorR: Ryan Coogler: Film Director, Screenwriter, ProducerS: Sidney Poitier: Actor, Film Director, DiplomatT: Toni Morrison: Novelist, ProfessorU: Usain Bolt: Athlete, Entrepreneur, Music ProducerV: Virgil Abloh: Fashion Designer, DJW: Williams Sisters: Athlete, Entrepreneur; Athlete, Fashion DesignerX: Xenobia Bailey: Textile ArtistY: Yasiin Bey: Rapper, Visual ArtistZ: Zora Neale Hurston: Author, AnthropologistAwesome Black Creativity ExhibitAcknowledgmentsReferencesAbout the Author and ArtistAbout the Editor

Richard Dryden is a writer and DJ from Brooklyn, New York. He has written about music, fashion, and Black culture for outlets such as Complex, The FADER, AFROPUNK, Office, VICE, LargeUp, and Okayplayer, and has performed as DJ Treats at fundraisers, museums, galleries, and events featured in VOGUE. His love of building LEGO® sets led to writing about LEGO® and competing on LEGO Masters in 2021. He also works across the entertainment industry, from managing public relations at With Love PR to serving as an associate producer on the New York Jamaican dancehall documentary Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall, and has collaborated with the LEGO Group as a brand ambassador.Dave Kaleta is an award-winning LEGO® artist whose creations have appeared in books, museums, and fan conventions worldwide. His work has been featured by NPR, CNET, Business Insider, the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), and major LEGO® fan networks. With over 40 years of creative experience, Dave’s “Miniland Plus” character style brings emotional nuance and artistic depth to LEGO® portraiture.

"Awesome Black Creativity is a fun, entertaining merging of unexpected interests. It captures that irreplaceable feeling as a child of having your imagination sparked by something extraordinary, something unpredictable, that sends you down a path of curiosity for the rest of your life."—Joseph Patel, Academy Award-winning producer of Summer of Soul"This is an innovative vision of American music, using a children's toy to celebrate profound art."—Nelson George, Author and Filmmaker"With his latest tome, Richard Dryden built an epic, necessary bridge between culture and LEGO, brick by brick." —Noah Callahan-Bever, Chief Content Officer of COMPLEX "Nina Simone fought for Black people to see themselves clearly and to love what they saw. This book honors her and continues her work in the same breath."—Aaron Overfield - Archivist / Content Manager for the Estate and Charitable Trust of Nina Simone"This celebration of our icons, re-imagined in the coolest LEGO brick designs, reminds us that there’s no currency like creativity. It deserves a permanent spot on your coffee table!"—Mimi Valdés, Film and TV Producer (Piece By Piece, Hidden Figures, Harlem) "Few LEGO books have as much purpose and sincerity behind every page as Awesome Black Creativity. Dave Kaleta’s expressive portraits and Richard Dryden’s thoughtful essays celebrate 27 Black creatives whose work has profoundly shaped our culture. I recognized some of the names and delighted in learning about the lives, legacies and impact of the others. The book invites a second look at both the remarkable people it features and the LEGO builds that capture their stories."—Dave Schefcik, Editor-in-Chief, BrickNerd

• PrefaceIntroductionA: Alvin Ailey: Dancer, ChoreographerB: bell hooks: Author, Feminist, AcademicC: Colin Kaepernick: Civil Rights Activist, AthleteD: DJ Kool Herc: Founding Father of Hip-HopE: Ekow Nimako: SculptorF: Frederick McKinley Jones: InventorG: Gordon Parks: Photographer, Film Director, AuthorH: Halle Berry: Actor, DirectorI: Issa Rae: Actor, Screenwriter, ProducerJ: Janelle Monáe: Singer-Songwriter, Actor, AuthorK: Kehinde Wiley: PainterL: Leah Chase: Creole ChefM: Marsha "Pay It No Mind" Johnson: LGBTQ Activist, Performance ArtistN: Nina Simone: Singer-Songwriter, ActivistO: Oprah Winfrey: Host, Actor, PhilanthropistP: Philip Freelon: ArchitectQ: Questlove: Musician, Author, Film DirectorR: Ryan Coogler: Film Director, Screenwriter, ProducerS: Sidney Poitier: Actor, Film Director, DiplomatT: Toni Morrison: Novelist, ProfessorU: Usain Bolt: Athlete, Entrepreneur, Music ProducerV: Virgil Abloh: Fashion Designer, DJW: Williams Sisters: Athlete, Entrepreneur; Athlete, Fashion DesignerX: Xenobia Bailey: Textile ArtistY: Yasiin Bey: Rapper, Visual ArtistZ: Zora Neale Hurston: Author, AnthropologistAwesome Black Creativity ExhibitAcknowledgmentsReferencesAbout the Author and ArtistAbout the Editor