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MK Asante is a best-selling author, award-winning filmmaker, recording artist, and distinguished professor who the Los Angeles Times calls “One of America’s best storytellers.”
He is the author of five books including the bestselling "Buck: A Memoir," which was praised by Maya Angelou as “A story of surviving and thriving with passion, compassion, wit, and style.” His latest book, "Nephew: A Memoir in 4-Part Harmony," is forthcoming (Amistad/HarperCollins, May 21, 2024).
Asante studied at SOAS University of London, earned a B.A. from Lafayette College, and an M.F.A. from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television.
He is the founder of Wonderful Sound Studios, a creative studio whose work has reached over 250 million viewers. Asante co-wrote the 2021 NBA Finals broadcast opens on ABC directed by Academy Award-winning director Spike Lee. In 2023, he wrote the official Monday Night Football anthem, “In the Air Tonight,” performed by Grammy-winning artist Chris Stapleton, Julie Blackman Santana, and Snoop Dogg.
Asante has lectured at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, as well as hundreds of other universities. He has toured in over 50 countries and was awarded the Key to the City of Dallas, Texas. He is featured in A Changing America, a permanent video exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Asante has been featured on hundreds of media outlets including the Today Show and The Breakfast Club. Hailed by CNN as “a master storyteller and major creative force”, he has published essays in the New York Times and USA Today. His inspirational story “The Blank Page” is featured in the #1 New York Times best-seller, Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Asante Executive Produced and Hosted the award-winning Snap original shows "While Black with MK Asante" and "Free Tuition with MK Asante."
Asante was appointed Distinguished Professor-in-Residence at the MICA Business School in Gujarat, India. He is currently a tenured professor of Cinematic Arts and Sciences at Morgan State University where he is the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award.
Videos
Speech Topics
Fade to Black: Camera as a Weapon
As professor of film at Morgan State University and an expert for the State Department’s American Documentary Showcase, MK Asante discusses independent filmmaking and his travels throughout Africa training filmmakers and shooting footage. This lecture includes highlights of his film, The Black Candle (2008), co-written and narrated by Maya Angelou.
It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop
Inspired by his book of the same name, MK Asante explores the role hip-hop plays in today’s culture. Drawing on insightful anecdotes, rap lyrics, and personal conversations with hip hop icons and youth around the world, MK Asante dives into the urgent social and political issues surrounding the past, present and future of the subculture.
It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop
Inspired by his book of the same name, MK Asante explores the role hip-hop plays in today’s culture. Drawing on insightful anecdotes, rap lyrics, and personal conversations with hip hop icons and youth around the world, MK Asante dives into the urgent social and political issues surrounding the past, present and future of the subculture.
How a Blank Page Became BUCK
MK Asante illuminates the stories behind his memoir: an unforgettable coming-of-age story about one brilliant, rebellious boy’s journey through the wilds of contemporary urban America, and how he overcame the odds he was born into. Drawing on his own life, Asante inspires audiences to seek out the healing, redemptive power of art, education and personal inspiration.
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