Mo Yaa Akoma Asumang is a Ghanaian-German actress, filmmaker, television presenter, and a strong force against racism in Germany and beyond. Asumang, born and raised in Germany, was sent to an orphanage when she was only five weeks old. She was later adopted and raised by both her foster parents and her white grandmother. Mo would begin a successful television career in 1996, taking on roles from television presenter to producer, actress and director.
The real defining moment for her activism against racism took place in the mid-2000’s when she was threatened by the German white supremacist group, the White Aryan Rebels. She went on to produce and direct the documentary, Roots Germania, in 2007 in which she took on a personal journey of self-identification by meeting with her father in Ghana, her mother in Germany and the leader of the neo-Nazi nationalist party, the National Democratic Party of Germany.
Since then, she has been involved in organizations and events that have encouraged intercultural integration and racial equality. The 2010 documentary directed by her, Road to Rainbow, investigated South Africa’s racial position–exploring the realities of a post-apartheid South Africa and the social and cultural hurdles still left.
When she’s not behind the camera and making thoughtful documentaries, Mo would be infront of the camera as an actress. She had the amazing opportunity to play former United States Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, in Roman Polanski’s 2010 movie, The Ghost Writer, in which she starred alongside heavy hitters like Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor.
For her great work and continued activism, Asumang has received such awards as Adler Award for "Best Media Entertainer" in 2006 and 2010 and the Adolf Grimme Awards nomination for the documentary, Roots Germania, in 2008.
Wherever you find Mo Asumang, whether in front of or behind the camera, it is certain that she is devoted to fighting against Racial injustices around the world.
