SORAC 2000: Molefi Asante, Keynote Speaker
Dr. Molefi Kete Asante is Professor, Department of African American Studies at Temple University, the premier center of graduate training in African American Studies. Considered by his peers to be one of the most distinguished contemporary scholars, Asante is the author or editor of 43 books, the latest being Ancient Egyptian Philosophers; Scream of Blood; The African American Atlas; The Afrocentric Idea; Malcolm X as Cultural Hero.
He has published more scholarly books than any contemporary African author and has recently been recognized as one of the ten most widely cited African Americans. In addition, Black Issues in Higher Education recognized him as one of the most influential leaders in the last 15 years. Dr. Asante received his Ph.D. from UCLA at the age of 26 and was appointed a full professor at the age of 30 at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He came to Temple University in 1984 where he created the first Ph.D. Program in African American Studies. In addition, he has been the director of more than sixty Ph.D’s. He has written more than 200 articles for journals and magazines and is the founder of the theory of Afrocentricity. Indeed, his books, Afrocentricity; The Afrocentric Idea; and Kemet, Afrocentricity and Knowledge are the key works in his field.
Sought after as a speaker and consultant, nationally and internationally, Asante was born in Valdosta, Ga., one of sixteen children. He is a poet, dramatist, and a painter. His work on African culture and philosophy has been cited by journals such as the Journal of Black Studies, Imliotep, Journal of Communication, Western Journal of Black Studies, and Afrocentric Scholar. Recently the Utne Magazine called him one of the “100 Leading Thinkers” in America and Asante was recommended in a survey as one of the 25 influential African male leaders of the last two hundred years. In April of this year Dr. Asante was prominently featured in the TNT documentary Faces of Evil. He has also appeared on programs such as: Nightline, Nighttalk, BET, Macnell-Lehrer News Hour, Today Show, the Tony Brown Show, Night Watch, Like It Is and 60 Minutes.
Dr. Asante is the founding editor of the Journal of Black Studies and was the President of the Student NonViolent Coordinating Committee chapter at UCLA in the 1960’s. In 1995 he was made a traditional king, Nana Okru Asante Peasah, Kyldomhene of Tafo, in Ghana. Dr. Asante has been or is presently a consultant for the school districts of Detroit, New York, Trenton, Baltimore, Camden, Cleveland, the Virgin Islands, New Orleans, and Gary, Indiana for rewriting curricula. His African American History book is the only high school text of its kind written by an African American. An activist scholar he believes it is not enough to know, one must act to humanize the world.
ASANTE’S BOOKS
- Asante, Molefi Kete, Ancient Egyptian Philosophers: From Imhotep to Akhenaten. Chicago: African American Images, 2000.
- Asante, Molefi Kete, The Painful Demise of Eurocentrism. Trenton: Africa World Press, 2000.
- Asante, Molefi Kete, African American Atlas. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1999
- Asante, Molefi Kete, Scream of Blood: Desettlerism in Southern Africa. Princeton: Sungai Books, 1999.
- Asante, Molefi Kete, The Afrocentric Idea. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1998. (Revised and Expanded)
- Asante, Molefi Kete and Renee Muntaqim, African American Names. Maywood, N.J.: Peoples Publishing Group, 1997.
- Asante, Molefi Kete and Abu Abarry, eds., The African Intellectual Heritage. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1996
- Asante, Molefi Kete, Love Dance. Princeton: Sungai Publishers, 1996.
- Asante, Molefi Kete, African American History: A Journey Of Liberation. Maywood, N.J.: Peoples Publishing Group, 1995.
- Asante, Molefi Kete, In Their Faces: Responses To Alternatives To Afrocentrism. Philadelphia: Institute For Advanced Afrocentric Theory, 1994.
- Asante, Molefi Kete, Malcolm X As Cultural Hero And Other Afrocentric Essays. Trenton: Africa World Press, 1993. (In Press)
- Asante, Molefi Kete, Classical Africa. Maywood, N.J.: Peoples Publishing Group, 1994.
- Ziegler, Dhyana and Molefi Kete Asante, Thunder And Silence: The Media In Africa. Trenton: Africa World Press, 1991.
- Asante, Molefi Kete, The Book Of African Names. Trenton: Africa World Press, 1991.
- Asante, Molefi Kete, Historical And Cultural Atlas Of African Americans. New York: Macmillan Company, 1991 (Co-Author Mark Mattson, Temple).
- Asante, Molefi Kete, Kemet, Afrocentricity, And Knowledge. Trenton: Africa World Press, 1990.
- Asante, Molefi Kete, and W. Gudykunst, eds., Handbook Of Intercultural And InterNational Communication. Newbury Park, Ca.: Sage Publications, 1989.
- Asante, Molefi Kete, Umfundalai: Afrocentric Rite Of Passage. Philadelphia: National Afrocentric Institute, 1989
- Asante, Molefi Kete, The Afrocentric Idea. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1987. Asante, Molefi Kete, Afrocentricity. Trenton: Africa World Press, 1987 (Third Edition)
- Asante, Molefi Kete and Kariamu Welsh Asante, eds., African Culture: The Rhythms Of Unity. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1985.
- Asante, Molefi Kete, Research In Mass Communication: A Guide To Practice. Harare: ZIMCO, 1982
- Asante, Molefi Kete, African Myths: New Frames Of Reference. Harare: ZIMCO, 1982
- Asante, Molefi Kete, et. al., Media Training Needs In Zimbabwe. Harare: Mass Media Trust and Friedrich Naumann Foundation, 1982
- Asante, Molefi Kete, ed., International Press Seminar Proceedings. Harare: Ranche House, 1982
- Asante, Molefi and A. Sarr Vandi, eds., Contemporary Black Thought. Beverly Hills:Sage Publications, 1980
- Asante, Molefi Kete, Afrocentricity: The Theory Of Social Change. Buffalo: Ainulefi Publishing Co., 1980; Second edition, 1985
- Asante, Molefi Kete, B. Newmark, and C. Blake, eds., Handbook Of Intercultural Communication. Beverly Hills: Sage Publicatins, 1979
- Cassata, Mary and Molefi Kete Asante, Mass Communication: Principles And Practices. New York: Macmillan Publishers, 1979
- Asante, Molefi Kete, and Kariamu Welsh, A Guide To African And African American Art And Antiquities. Buffalo: Museum of African and African American Art, 1979
- Asante, Molefi Kete, Epic In Search Of African Kings. Buffalo: Amulefi Publishing Co., 1978.
- Cassata, Mary, and Molefi Kete Asante, eds., The Social Uses Of Mass Communication. Buffalo: SUNY Communication Research Center, 1977.
- Asante, Molefi Kete and J. Frye, Contemporary Public Communication. New York: Harper and Row, 1976.
- Newmark, Eileen and Molefi Kete Asante, Intercultural Communication: Theory Into Practice. Washington: Speech Communication Association, 1976
- Asante, Molefi Kete, African And Afro-American Communication Continuities. Buffalo: SUNY Center for International Affairs, 1975
- Asante, Molefi Kete, (Under the name Arthur L. Smith) Transracial Communication. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1973
- Asante, Molefi Kete, (Under the name Arthur L. Smith) Language, Communication, And Rhetoric In Black America. New York: Harper and Row, 1972
- Asante, Molefi Kete (A.L. Smith), Anne Allen, and Deluvina Hernandez, How To Talk To People Of Other Races. Los Angeles: Transcultural Education Foundation, 1971
- Asante, Molefi Kete (A.L. Smith), and Steve Robb, eds., The Voice Of Black Rhetoric. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1971
- Asante, Molefi Kete (A.L. Smith), Toward Transracial Communication. Los Angeles: UCLA Center for Afro-American Studies, 1970
- Rich, Andrea, and Molefi Kete Asante (A.L. Smith). Rhetoric Of Revolution. Durham: Moore Publishing Company, 1970
- Asante, Molefi Kete (A.L. Smith), The Rhetoric Of Black Revolution. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1969
- Asante, Molefi Kete (A.L.Smith), Break Of Dawn. Philadelphia: Dorrance Company, 1964