Black Writers® holds the distinct honor of being the pioneer in bringing together Black writers online. Founded in 1998, Black Writers became the first literary arts association to organize online for writers of the African diaspora. The African American Online Writers Guild, as it was originally known, was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in Texas. It grew to more than 7,000 members worldwide in the first three years, long before the internet began booming.

Although the nonprofit was dissolved some years later, the community remained connected, hosting conferences and retreats across the U.S. and continuing to share opportunities with its network. Despite the popularity of writers’ groups on certain social network channels, demand for the return of the original online community for Black writers continued to grow year after year. In 2020, the organization returned with a renewed commitment to supporting members as the Black Writers Collective.