M.K. Asante, Jr. is a professor, award-winning author, and filmmaker who the Philadelphia Inquirer calls "a rare, remarkable talent that brings to mind the great artists of the Harlem Renaissance."

The author of three celebrated books, Asante’s latest book, It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop, was hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “an empowering book that moves you to action and to question status quo America.” His second book, Beautiful. And Ugly Too, prompted Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Charles Fuller to call Asante "one of the most important writers of his generation." Asante's first book, Like Water Running Off My Back, won the Academy of American Poets Jean Corrie Prize for its title piece.

An internationally-acclaimed filmmaker, Asante recently wrote, directed and produced "The Black Candle," a film narrated by renowned poet Maya Angelou. He also wrote and produced the film "500 Years Later;" winner of Best Documentary at the Pan African Film Festival; Best Documentary at the Bridgetown Film Festival; Best Film at the Black Berlin Film Festival; Best International Documentary at the Harlem International Film Festival; and the Breaking the Chains award from UNESCO.

Asante has written for USA Today, Tampa Tribune, Black Arts Quarterly, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among others. He has contributed to dozens of books including The Encyclopedia of Black Studies and Books: Over a Century of the Greatest Books.

Asante studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, earned his BA from Lafayette College, and an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA's School of Film and Television. Born in Zimbabwe and raised in Philadelphia, Asante has shared his work in Africa, Europe, South America, the Caribbean, and more than 100 colleges and universities in the United States. In addition, Asante has appeared as a guest on numerous international TV and radio programs.

Asante is a professor of creative writing and film in the Department of English and Language Arts at Morgan State University.