London Ladd is a visual historian whose art speaks where words fall short. With every brushstroke, he honors the strength, struggles, and triumphs of Black heroes and cultural icons.
He is a multi-nominated NAACP Image Award candidate and the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the State University of New York. His celebrated works include Oprah: The Little Speaker, March On!, and his most recent books—My Hair Is a Story (2024) and A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story (2025), which received the 2025 BCALA & School Library Journal Award for Nonfiction at ALA in Philadelphia.
When London steps into a classroom or onto a festival stage, children don’t just watch—they feel. His live illustrations and storytelling reveal that art is both beauty and activism.
“Art is our memory. It’s the voice of those who paved the way,” says London Ladd.
London Ladd doesn’t just illustrate history—he awakens it.