A family legacy
Hasan and Malcolm have many gifts, but one they cherish the most is the opportunity to build upon a vibrant family legacy that values and uplifts Hope and History. Hailing from a mother and family steeped in the Black Arts Movement of Atlanta, Hasan was raised by Alice Lovelace, legendary poet, activist, and educator. It was Alice who originally stoked his hunger for history, for truth, and for justice, values that he held closely as he weathered the impacts of disability, disenfranchisement, and poverty.
It was these same values that he eventually instilled in his son, Malcolm, born in Berea, Kentucky, the same small town that Hasan had come to in search of an affordable education. Throughout Malcolm’s childhood, he was steeped in the performance work of his father, whose original one-man show highlighting York of the Lewis and Clark expedition took him across the country.
Now, 26 years later, the cycle continues. Malcolm, after studying Theatre and Dance at Grinnell College, has embraced his father’s legacy of historical one-man performance, bringing into the practice his skills as a playwright, musician, and director.
Hasan Davis
Hope Dealer
Hasan Davis is an author, speaker, artist, and advocate whose work is rooted in hope, truth, and the power of story. Across more than 25 years of work with young people, families, and communities, he has helped audiences see that healing, history, and possibility belong together.
Hasan is a former Commissioner of Juvenile Justice for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and former Vice Chair of the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice. He is also the author of Written Off, The Journey of York, Human Writes, and The Race.
His leadership and creative work have been recognized through fellowships and honors, including the Rockefeller Foundation Next Generation Leadership Fellowship, the Annie E. Casey Foundation Children and Family Fellowship, the Council of State Governments Henry Toll Fellowship, the Education Trust Family Education Fellowship, and the South Arts Traditional Artist Fellowship.
Whether he is writing, performing, teaching, or speaking, Hasan brings honesty, compassion, and a hard-won sense of hope. At the heart of all he does is the belief that our stories matter, that overlooked people and places carry deep wisdom, and that even in the hardest chapters, hope can still be carried forward.
To find out more about Hasan’s work, go to https://www.hasandavis.com
Malcolm Davis
Malcolm Davis is a proud Affrilachian born and raised in Kentucky. He is a theatre practitioner, cultural organizer, and youth advocate whose work is rooted in story, place, and the belief that young people are leaders now.
As a young person, Malcolm was a Caux Scholar, a Telluride TASP Scholar, a youth board member of America’s Promise, and a youth advisor to the College Board. Those experiences helped shape his commitment to expanding opportunity for rural youth and youth of color.
Today, Malcolm carries that commitment into his work as an artist, facilitator, and advocate. He has worked with the YMCA, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the National Park Service, and he served for a year with Lead for America in Appalachian Kentucky. In 2023, he founded the Affrilachian Arts Institute to build Black arts infrastructure for a new generation of artists across Appalachia. He currently serves as a member of Alternate ROOTS and on the Steering Committee of the Waymakers Collective.
To find out more about Malcolm's work and storytelling go to https://www.affrilachianarts.org/