M. K. Asante | |
---|---|
Born | Harare, Zimbabwe | November 3, 1982
Occupation |
|
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television University of London, SOAS Lafayette College |
Genre | Memoir, creative nonfiction, poetry, hip-hop, African-American literature, documentary |
Notable works | Buck: A Memoir ; While Black with MK Asante |
Parents | Molefi Kete Asante and Kariamu Welsh |
YouTube information | |
Channel | |
Subscribers | 66,100 [1] |
Total views | 31.9 million [1] |
Last updated: 19 March 2024 |
M. K. Asante (born November 3, 1982) is an American author, filmmaker, recording artist, and professor. He is the author of the 2013 best-selling memoir Buck: A Memoir . [2] [3]
Asante was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and raised in Philadelphia. He is the son of scholar Molefi Kete Asante and choreographer Kariamu Welsh.
Asante is a graduate of The Crefeld School in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. [4]
He studied film and literature at SOAS University of London. He earned a BA in Africana Studies and English from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, and a MFA in screenwriting from UCLA School of Theater Film and Television. [5]
Asante is the author of five books, most notably Buck: A Memoir , a 2013 memoir about his turbulent youth in Philadelphia.
Buck was selected as a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection was named to The Washington Post 's bestseller list in 2014 and 2015. [6] [7] It was included on the In the Margins Book List in 2014. [8] Poet Maya Angelou, who mentored Asante, described Buck as "a story of surviving and thriving with passion, compassion, wit, and style." [9]
Publishers Weekly announced that Asante's second memoir, Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony, would be published by HarperCollins / Amistad Press with an on-sale date of May 21, 2024. [10] Reviewing Nephew, Kirkus Reviews wrote: “This innovative memoir offers provocative commentary on how Black Americans have sung—and might yet sing—their paths to freedom. Passionate, moving, spirited reflections on art’s therapeutic potency.” [11]
Asante is a Sundance Institute Feature Film Fellow for the movie adaptation of his memoir Buck.
Asante wrote and produced the 2005 documentary 500 Years Later , a documentary about slavery which received the Breaking the Chains Award from UNESCO.
Asante directed and produced The Black Candle (2012), a documentary about Kwanzaa, co-written and narrated by Maya Angelou.
Asante co-wrote the broadcast opening short films for the 2021 NBA Finals on ABC directed by Spike Lee.
Asante has delivered Distinguished Lectures at Yale University, Vanderbilt University, and Southern Methodist University. He has delivered commencement addresses at UCLA, University of Wisconsin, Arizona State University, Vassar College, and Harvard University.
Asante is featured in Changing America: 1968 and Beyond, a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Asante has written essays on art, Hip Hop, technology, and culture for USA Today , [12] The Huffington Post , [13] San Francisco Chronicle , [14] and The New York Times . [15]
Asante is featured on the song "Bangers", along with Halo, from the album Indie 500 by Talib Kweli and 9th Wonder. In their review of the album, Pitchfork noted that "Asante captures the vibe nicely." [16]
Asante is the founder of Wonderful Sound Studios.
As a songwriter, Asante wrote the lyrics for the 2023-2024 official Monday Night Football anthem, "In the Air Tonight", a cover of song of the same name by Phil Collins, performed by Snoop Dogg, Chris Stapleton, and Cindy Blackman Santana.
At age 23, Asante joined the faculty of Morgan State University. He received tenure three years later, at age 26. [17] He is currently an associate professor of creative writing and film in the Department of English and Language Arts. [18] In 2017, he was appointed to Distinguished Professor-in-Residence at the MICA (Institute of Strategic Marketing and Communication) in India. [19]
He is the recipient of the 2021 Morgan State University Distinguished Achievement Award.
Asante is the host and co-executive producer of While Black with MK Asante , a docuseries produced by Snapchat. [20] While Black with MK Asante takes the stories of America's black youth and gives them a platform in the smartphones of millions of America's teens. [21] While Black with MK Asante has nearly 17 million viewers. [22]
On November 30, 2020, he performed and debuted "We the Eagles" on ESPN's Monday Night Football for a live audience of 11.4 million viewers. [23]
On May 29, 2021, he performed and debuted "Skate or D.I.E." at the 2021 Dew Tour Skateboarding Olympic qualifier on NBC.
On October 11, 2021, he co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the introduction to ESPN's Monday Night Football Week 5 game featuring the Indianapolis Colts vs. the Baltimore Ravens. In the introduction, Asante is backed by the Morgan State University Marching Band; the introduction was viewed by 11.4 million people. [24]
Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West and Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966. 21st century estimates of how many Americans celebrate Kwanzaa are varied, from as few as a half a million to as many as 12 million.
Maya Angelou was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou's series of seven autobiographies focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a 1969 autobiography describing the young and early years of American writer and poet Maya Angelou. The first in a seven-volume series, it is a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome racism and trauma. The book begins when three-year-old Maya and her older brother are sent to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their grandmother and ends when Maya becomes a mother at the age of 16. In the course of Caged Bird, Maya transforms from a victim of racism with an inferiority complex into a self-possessed, dignified young woman capable of responding to prejudice.
Ursula Desire Rucker is an American spoken word recording artist. Rucker is known for a diverse repertoire, and for using techniques that catch her listeners' attention.
ITVS is a service in the United States which funds and presents documentaries on public television through distribution by PBS and American Public Television, new media projects on the Internet, and the weekly series Independent Lens on PBS. Aside from Independent Lens, ITVS funded and produced films for more than 40 television hours per year on the PBS series POV, Frontline, American Masters and American Experience. Some ITVS programs are produced along with organizations like Latino Public Broadcasting and KQED.
Khnum Muata Ibomu, better known by his stage name stic.man and more recently as stic, is an American rapper, activist and author known for his work as one half of the political hip hop duo dead prez with M-1.
500 Years Later is a 2005 independent documentary film directed by Owen 'Alik Shahadah and written by M. K. Asante, Jr. It has won five international film festival awards in the category of Best Documentary, including the UNESCO "Breaking the Chains" award. It has won other awards including Best Documentary at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, Best Documentary at the Bridgetown Film Festival in Barbados, Best Film at the International Black Cinema Film Festival in Berlin, and Best International Documentary at the Harlem International Film Festival in New York.
Kiri Laurelle Davis is an American filmmaker based in New York City. Her first documentary, A Girl Like Me (2005), made while enrolled at Reel Works Teen Filmmaking, received significant news coverage.
Maggie Van Ostrand is an American humorist best known for her newspaper column which appears in the United States, Mexico and Canada. She is also known within the entertainment industry for ghostwriting satire and stand-up comedy, and ghosting for television sitcoms.
Amma Asante is a British filmmaker, screenwriter, former actress, and Chancellor at Norwich University of the Arts, who was born in London, England, to parents from Ghana. Her love for the film industry started when she received her first role in BBC's children's television drama series Grange Hill. Asante wrote and produced the 1998 BBC Two television series Brothers and Sisters, starring David Oyelowo. She was a childhood friend of model Naomi Campbell, whom she met when they were seven years old.
The Black Candle is a documentary film about Kwanzaa directed by M. K. Asante and narrated by Maya Angelou. The film premiered on cable television on Starz on November, 2012.
Treva Etienne is an English actor and filmmaker.
"On the Pulse of Morning" is a poem by writer and poet Maya Angelou that she read at the first inauguration of President Bill Clinton on January 20, 1993. With her public recitation, Angelou became the second poet in history to read a poem at a presidential inauguration, and the first African American and woman. Angelou's audio recording of the poem won the 1994 Grammy Award in the "Best Spoken Word" category, resulting in more fame and recognition for her previous works, and broadening her appeal.
Good Hair is a 2009 American documentary film directed by Jeff Stilson and produced by Chris Rock Productions and HBO Films, starring and narrated by comedian Chris Rock. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2009, Good Hair had a limited release to theaters in the United States by Roadside Attractions on October 9, 2009, and opened across the country on October 23.
And Still I Rise is author Maya Angelou's third volume of poetry, published by Random House in 1978. It was published during one of the most productive periods in Angelou's career; she had written three autobiographies and published two other volumes of poetry up to that point. Angelou considered herself a poet and a playwright, but was best known for her seven autobiographies, especially her first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, although her poetry has also been successful. She began, early in her writing career, alternating the publication of an autobiography and a volume of poetry.
Janet Mock is an American writer, television producer, and transgender rights activist. Her debut book, the memoir Redefining Realness, became a New York Times bestseller. She is a contributing editor for Marie Claire and a former staff editor of People magazine's website.
Mom & Me & Mom (2013) is the seventh and final book in author Maya Angelou's series of autobiographies. The book was published shortly before Mother's Day and Angelou's 85th birthday. It focuses, for the first time in her books, on Angelou's relationship with her mother, Vivian Baxter. The book explains Baxter's behavior, especially Baxter's abandonment of Angelou and Angelou's older brother when they were young children, and fills in "what are possibly the final blanks in Angelou's eventful life". The book also chronicles Angelou's reunion and reconciliation with Baxter.
Buck is a memoir by MK Asante, published by Random House/Spiegel & Grau. Buck tells the story of MK's youth growing up in Philadelphia from the perspective of MK as a teenager. Buck illustrates Asante's struggles with the disintegration of his family and the city's urban decay. Buck is often described as inspirational because it details Asante's discovery of his talent for writing at 16 and his decision to pursue it as a career. The paperback edition of Buck made The Washington Post Bestseller List in 2014 and 2015.
Mr. Soul! is a 2018 American documentary film produced, written and directed by documentary filmmaker Melissa Haizlip. The film was co-produced by Doug Blush and co-directed by Sam Pollard. The film tells the story of Ellis Haizlip, the producer and host of SOUL!, the music-and-talk program that aired on public television from 1968 to 1973 and aimed at a Black audience. It was released in 2018 and has since received 21 filmmaking awards. Attorney Chaz Ebert, record executive Ron Gillyard, producer and director Stan Lathan, producer Rishi Rajani, producer Stephanie T. Rance, actor Blair Underwood and screenwriter, producer and actress Lena Waithe are the executive producers of the film.
{{cite web}}
: More than one of |work=
and |website=
specified (help)