LAWRENCE C. ROSS, JR. is rapidly becoming an important writer of African American literature. He has written three books, including The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities (Kensington Books), The Ways of Black Folks: A Year in the Life of a People (Kensington Books: January 2003), and Friends With Benefits (Kensington Books: September 2005).

The Divine Nine is a multiple Los Angeles Times, Essence, and Blackboard bestseller. In both hard cover and trade paper, The Divine Nine is in its seventh printing with over 50,000 copies sold to date. It also remains on the Amazon.com African American studies bestsellers list, and for the past year has been the #1 best selling book among African American college students. The Ways of Black Folks was published with an initial run of 20,000 in its first printing. Friends With Benefits was picked as a main selection by Doubleday’s Black Expressions book club.

Educated at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of California at Los Angeles, Ross received a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA. Prior to his writing career, Ross was president of two businesses: Avalon Catering and RBG Online. With Avalon Catering, Ross was one of the youngest vendors ever for the University of California system, and with RBG Online, Ross established the first African American owned Internet service provider system on the West Coast.

Ross has been writing on African American subjects since 1995. He began his writing career with a syndicated column for the National Newspaper Publisher Association. Delivered to 200 newspapers nationwide, his weekly "Black Web" column explained the Internet to African American readers. In 1997, he was named managing editor of Rap Sheet magazine, one of the first hip hop publications in the country. This was also the same year that Ross began writing The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities.

Ross has lectured at over two hundred and fifty universities, as he is universally recognized as an expert in the field of African American fraternities and sororities. He has appeared on National Public Radio, Good Morning Atlanta, and has been interviewed in Ebony, Savoy, Essence, the Los Angeles Times, Africana.com, and the London Times, among others.

Beginning in the Fall 2005, Ross begins graduate work at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. He will be pursuing his Master of Fine Arts degree in screenwriting. Ross currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife April and their six-year old son Langston. Ross is also a proud brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.