Final answer:
Sapphire is the author of the novel "Push", which includes the character Precious Jones based on her experiences as a teacher in Harlem.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author of the 1996 novel "Push", which features the character of Precious Jones, a teacher in Harlem, is Sapphire. While this character is indeed based on girls the author encountered while teaching in Harlem, she is not a creation of Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, or Richard Wright, but rather of the writer Sapphire (Ramona Lofton). It is important for students studying literature to recognize Sapphire's contribution to the genre and her distinct narrative, separate from the other esteemed African-American authors mentioned here.