Emmy & Peabody Award-Winning Sociopolitical Comedian, Filmmaker & Author; Host of CNN's "United Shades of America"
W. Kamau Bell Biography
W. Kamau Bell is a sociopolitical comedian, filmmaker, author, and television host recognized for his work in American comedy and documentary storytelling. Before his television breakthrough, Bell was known for the FX comedy series "Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell," which received nominations for both an NAACP Award and a GLAAD Award. Earlier in his career, Bell developed his perspective through his one-man show, "The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour," performed on college campuses nationwide.
For seven seasons, Bell served as host and executive producer of the five-time Emmy Award-winning CNN docuseries "United Shades of America." The series follows Bell as he explores communities across the United States, examining social justice issues such as Indigenous rights, segregation, and public discourse around "woke" culture. The show earned Bell a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality Program and multiple Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program as executive producer.
Bell's filmmaking includes the Showtime docuseries "We Need to Talk About Cosby," which won a Peabody Award, the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Nonfiction Series, and the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Television Documentary or Special. He also received an Emmy Award and a Television Academy Honors award for the HBO documentary "1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed." As a stand-up comedian, Bell has released two comedy specials: "Private School Negro" on Netflix and "Semi-Prominent Negro" on Showtime.
As an author, Bell coauthored the New York Times bestselling book "Do the Work: An Antiracist Activity Book" and wrote "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 writing has appeared in Time, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, and Salon. Bell also contributed a chapter to Michael Lewis' book Who is Government?, based on his Washington Post article and short documentary "The Rookie."
In addition to his creative work, Bell is involved in civic engagement as the ACLU's artist ambassador for racial justice and host of the ACLU podcast "At Liberty." He serves on the board of directors for DonorsChoose and Live Free, organizations focused on education and social justice. Bell and his wife, Melissa Hudson Bell, co-founded Who Knows Best Productions, a media production company based in Oakland, California. Across his work in comedy, documentary, and writing, Bell addresses issues of race, culture, and social justice in American society.
W. Kamau Bell Speaking Topics
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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, campus speaker 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.
W. Kamau Bell Videos
W. Kamau Bell | Having Nuanced Conversations About Cosby's Legacy
Director W. Kamau Bell discusses unpacking Bill Cosby’s complicated legacy in “We Need to Talk About Cosby.” #DailyShow
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How do I book W. Kamau Bell to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like W. Kamau Bell for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for W. Kamau Bell, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for W. Kamau Bell or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for W. Kamau Bell
Speaking fees for W. Kamau Bell, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book W. Kamau Bell are available upon request for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire W. Kamau Bell, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does W. Kamau Bell speak about?
W. Kamau Bell is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Anti-Racism, Black Heritage, Black History Month, Celebrity, Civil Rights, College, Comedian, Diversity & Inclusion, Entertainment, Liberal, Political, Social Activism, Social Justice, Social Media -
Where does W. Kamau Bell travel from?
W. Kamau Bell generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is W. Kamau Bell’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like W. Kamau Bell for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book W. Kamau Bell for your next private or corporate function. -
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AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host W. Kamau Bell or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
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W. Kamau Bell is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour. The estimated speaking fee range to book W. Kamau Bell for your event is available upon request. W. Kamau Bell generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Van Jones, Hill Harper, Hari Kondabolu, Baratunde Thurston and Trevor Noah. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling W. Kamau Bell for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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