M.K. Asante, Jr. is an 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 is the recipient of the 2009 Langston Hughes Award. His 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 other books are the award-winning poetry collections, Beautiful. And Ugly Too and Like Water Running Off My Back, winner of the Jean Corrie Prize from the Academy of American Poets. He wrote and produced the film 500 Years Later, winner of five international awards including the Breaking the Chains award from the United Nations. He wrote and directed The Black Candle, an award-winning film narrated by Maya Angelou. Asante studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, earned his BA from Lafayette College, and an MFA from the UCLA School of Film and Television. He is a professor of film and creative writing at Morgan State University. You can learn more at his website: www.mkasante.com.