BlackCrosswords 1

“A leading voice in the crossword space and creator of the Essence and Ebony crosswords, Jan isn’t simply providing us with games to enjoy — she is resisting the narrative that Black stories aren’t worth telling.” (Phil Lewis, deputy editor at HuffPost and president of the Washington Association of Black Journalists, “A leading voice in the crossword space and creator of the Essence and Ebony crosswords, Jan isn’t simply providing us with games to enjoy — she is resisting the narrative that Black stories aren’t worth telling.”)

A self-professed “word nerd,” Jan Buckner Walker majored in journalism at Howard University, before graduating from the University of Pennsylvania Law School where she served on the prestigious Penn Law Review as an editor. After practicing law for several years, she conceived of the world’s first collaborative crossword puzzle, Kids Across Parents Down. In less than a year, Jan became the first African-American female syndicated cruciverbalist, and the puzzle became the #1 nationally syndicated family puzzle.

Jan soon launched BlackCrosswords. Following her work with Essence and Ebony magazines, she recognized that African-Americans have long felt disregarded by this American pastime, as mainstream crosswords historically have not focused significantly on the contributions of diverse people. In response to the worldwide demand from fans seeking more puzzles that reflect and celebrate the involvement — and often, dominance — of African-Americans in entertainment, sports, politics, literature, science and every walk of life, BlackCrosswords was born. (After all, why SHOULDN’T the answer to 1 Across be Beyoncé’s “Lemonade”!)

Jan now lives in the Chicago area with her husband and business partner Reginald.