Biography
W. Kamau Bell is a sociopolitical comedian who is the host and executive producer of the Emmy Award winning CNN docu-series United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell. On June 26th he makes his Netflix debut with a new stand-up comedy special, Private School Negro. Kamau has a book with the easy-to-remember title 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. Kamau has hosted three critically acclaimed podcasts: Kamau Right Now!, Politically Re-Active, and Denzel Washington is The Greatest Actor of All Time Period. Kamau is on the advisory board of Hollaback! and Donors Choose and is the ACLU Celebrity Ambassador for Racial Justice. The New York Times called Kamau “the most promising new talent in political comedy in many years.” Kamau has been nominated for multiple NAACP Image Awards and a GLAAD award, and he was featured on Conde Nast’s ‘Daring 25’ list for 2016. The SF Weekly called Kamau “smart, stylish, and very much in the mold of politically outspoken comedians like Dave Chappelle,” though he was mostly just excited that they called him “handsome.” The New Yorker said, “Bell’s gimmick is intersectional progressivism: he treats racial, gay, and women’s issues as inseparable.” Kamau is also known for his criminally short-lived FX & FXX comedy series, Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. Kamau still finds time to travel to college campuses around the country, performing his his one man show that inspired Totally Biased, The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour. Kamau’s writing has been featured in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, CNN.com, Salon, The LA Review of Books, The Establishment. (One time, on his website, Kamau wrote about getting kicked out of The Elmwood Cafe in Berkeley on his birthday because they thought he was harassing his wife. Listen to his appearance on This American Life for all the details.) Kamau’s debut as a director will happen this fall with the release of the A+E documentary Culture Shock: Chris Rock’s Bring The Pain.
Speech Topics
Totally Biased, The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour
Videos
Frequently Asked Questions
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You can inquire about W. Kamau Bell's availability or get a customized quote by contacting Key Speakers directly. Our team will help you determine fit, logistics, and budget options for your upcoming event.What is W. Kamau Bell's speaking fee?
The typical range for W. Kamau Bell's speaking fee is $63,000–$111,000. The low end of the fee range represents their standard virtual fee. The high end of the fee range represents their standard fee for a US-based in-person speaking engagement. Appearances which require an extended schedule of activities or international travel will possibly exceed this fee range. Speaker fees update frequently. To receive a personalized quote for W. Kamau Bell to speak at your event, please consult with a Key Speakers advisor for up to date information and assistance.What factors influence the speaker's fee?
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We provide a comprehensive service that takes the guesswork out of hiring a speaker — from speaker selection to logistics to post-event feedback. We know you have lots of responsibilities on top of finding and coordinating event speakers, so having a committed and proactive partner on your side that is an expert with the talent booking process is crucial. Every time you book a speaker with Key, your dedicated events manager will support you throughout the entire planning process. We help you negotiate contractual details such as speaker fees and travel terms so that you end up with the most favorable deal. With our highly communicative booking and proposal model, you'll never be left in the dark with the status of your speaker. To put it simply, Key Speakers is your one-stop resource for finding, booking and managing speakers for your event.
Speakers Like W. Kamau Bell
Angela Davis
Angela Y. Davis is professor emerita of history of consciousness and feminist studies at University of California, Santa Cruz. An activist, writer, and lecturer, her work focuses on prisons, police, abolition, and the related intersections of race, gender, and class. She is the author of many books, from Angela Davis: An Autobiography to Freedom Is a Constant Struggle. Her most recent books are, Abolition.Feminism.Now., written with Gina Dent, Erica Meiners and Beth Richie, and a collection of essays entitled Abolition: Politics, Practices, Promises, Vol 1.
Fee Range: $30,000–$60,000
Travels From: CA
Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu
As the daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Naomi Tutu struggled to find her own place in the world. As a human rights advocate, she pulls from her personal challenges of growing up black and female in apartheid South Africa. Her professional experience ranges from being a development consultant in West Africa, to a program coordinator for race and gender-based violence in education at the African Gender Institute at the University of Cape Town. In addition, Tutu has taught at the University of Hartford and Brevard College in North Carolina. She also leads workshops on conflict resolution and racism. In addition to speaking, Tutu is a consultant for the Spiritual Alliance to Stop Intimate Violence (SAIV), founded by renowned author Riane Eisler and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Betty Williams, and the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa (FHSSA). Audiences are captivated by her story growing up in apartheid South Africa and moved by her message of healing and wholeness.
Fee Range: $12,500–$15,000
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