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-{{ovation.company}}INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP: Do the Work with Kate Schatz and W. Kamau Bell
In this uplifting and interactive workshop, bestselling co-authors W. KAMAU BELL and Kate Schatz share the origin of their New York Times bestselling Do the Work!: An Anti-Racist Activity Book, the goals of the book, and lead the audience through some of the books transformative activities. Bell and Schatz bring joy, laughter, and levity to anti-racism work, and inspire audiences to listen, show up, and do better.
Off-Screen Cultural Commentary
In his captivating keynote address, W. KAMAU BELL, a renowned cultural commentator, skillfully navigates the intricate landscape of American culture, infusing humor and insight to unravel complex social issues. Attendees can expect an engaging and thought-provoking exploration that encourages reflection and dialogue as Bell invites them to join a dynamic conversation on the ever-evolving tapestry of contemporary American life.
The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour
Just like skinny jeans, superhero movies, and celebrity weight loss, racism continues to make a comeback. Luckily for us, W. KAMAU BELL is here to make (non)sense of all of it all. "The Curve" is a comedic, topical exploration of the current state of America's racism, combined with a little (unknown) history, a little Powerpoint, and a whole bunch of Kamau. And because racism is always attacking in new ways and from new angles, Kamau attacks back by constantly adding new material. "The Curve" is a seamless mix of stand-up comedy, video and audio clips, personal stories, knowledge-dropping, and solo theatrical performance.
Do The Work: An Anti-Racist How-To for Allies
W. KAMAU BELL has been talking about race in America on his CNN show, in his podcasts and in his books. Now he offers a guide for anyone interested in doing the work. With his disarming humor, Bell offers friendly conversation, challenging quizzes, and facts to those who want to leverage their privilege for good. Bell knows that many well intentioned people have read the books, donated and marched, but are stuck with what to do next. This talk by Bell and his writing partner Kate Schatz helps those people take the next steps. This talk is funny, smart, serious, and - most importantly - approachable.
Kamau Bell is the cultural commentator shaping our political landscape
KAMAU BELL stands out as a compelling cultural commentator, using his wit and insight to dissect complex social issues with humor and depth. Across his many creative projects, from his Emmy Award-winning United Shades of America on CNN to his New York Times bestseller Do the Work, Bell fearlessly explores various facets of American culture, shedding light on diverse perspectives often overlooked in mainstream discourse. His ability to navigate sensitive topics with empathy and authenticity allows him to bridge gaps and spark meaningful conversations on race, identity, and societal norms. Bell's contributions as a cultural commentator resonate for their thought-provoking nature, encouraging audiences to reflect on and engage with the multifaceted tapestry of contemporary American life today.
Watch W. Kamau Bell speak at the MLK Jr. Memorial Library >>
W. Kamau Bell’s new family-friendly documentary ‘1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed’ explores race in America
Emmy and Peabody winner W. KAMAU BELL has released a new HBO documentary 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed that explores what it means to grow up mixed-race in America. Filmed in Bell’s beloved Bay Area, the family-friendly documentary features his children and their friends, speaking authentically about their experience. As Bell shares in an op-ed for SFGATE: ”Many of the kids talked about feeling comfortable being mixed race and how they didn’t see themselves as being half one thing and half another thing. They saw themselves as 100% of each race. And Myles — who is Filipino and Black — said, ‘I’m 1000% a person’.” As Bell dove deeper into these poignant conversations with his subjects, he learned a valuable lesson – “not only are these kids capable of nuanced conversations about race and racism, but they are also capable of shining through all that noise to be individuals.”
Creative and artful storyteller W. Kamau Bell has launched Who Knows Best Productions to continue is award-winning work
Award-winning filmmaker, sociopolitical comedian, and New York Times bestselling author W. KAMAU BELL has launched a new production company, Who Knows Best Productions, and inked an overall deal with Boardwalk Pictures. Bell and Boardwalk partnered on the critically acclaimed four-part documentary We Need to Talk About Cosby, which won a Peabody Award. Bell’s new production company will focus on “fostering a diverse creative community and telling revolutionary non-fiction stories by any medium necessary.”
In a statement, a Boardwalk Pictures executive explained why Bell and his new company make a good match: “Kamau is a creative and artful storyteller who sees the full picture: humor, injustice, nuance. He understands the power of sharing a compelling narrative for broad audiences, and we are thrilled to partner with him to further amplify the community and the stories that are so special to him.”
A sociopolitical comedian, W. Kamau Bell brings both seriousness and levity to the subjects of race, social justice, and equity - making the conversation accessible to every audience
Emmy-winning host and executive producer of CNN’s United Shades of America, W. KAMAU BELL is a sociopolitical comedian on race, social justice, and equity who brings both a seriousness and levity to the subjects making them available to every audience. In The Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour, the standup comedian makes (non)sense of race and racism in America. Throughout his work, Bell tackles some of the nation's most longstanding complex issues, in a way that only a brilliant political comedian and social commentator can.
Called “the most promising new talent in political comedy in many years” by The New York Times, Kamau is the person you want to speak with your team and support them with being more open, active, and engaged with pressing social issues of our time.
W. Kamau Bell is a stand-up comedian, director, producer, husband, and dad. For seven seasons, he was the host and executive producer of the five-time Emmy Award-winning CNN docu-series United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell. In 2023, he won an Emmy for his HBO documentary 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed. He also won a Peabody Award for his 2022 Showtime docu-series We Need to Talk About Cosby. He is the co-author of the New York Times bestselling book Do the Work!: An Anti-Racist Activity Book and the author of The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6' 4", African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama's Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian. His newest writing project is the substack newsletter, Who's With Me? His comedy special, Private School Negro, is available on Netflix. Kamau is on the board of directors for DonorsChoose, a nonprofit that helps teachers raise money for class projects, and Live Free, a nonprofit dedicated to ending gun violence, mass incarceration, and mass criminalization. Kamau is also the ACLU’s Celebrity Ambassador for Racial Justice. In 2023, Kamau and his wife Melissa Hudson Bell co-founded Who Knows Best Productions, a media production company in Oakland, CA. He cares too much and sleeps too little.