“It doesn't do any good to just be on the side of black people. The funnier comedic position is to be on the side of oppressed people in general.” PeopleSidesBlackPositionBlack PeopleOppressedComedic Author:W. Kamau Bell
“I think a lot of people get into stand-up to be the center of attention, which is perfectly legitimate. But I think I got in there to be heard.” PeopleThinkingAttentionHeardCenter Of Attention Author:W. Kamau Bell
“When I was a teenager, black pride became newly popular again. Suddenly a lot of black people were wearing the fake kente cloth and red black and green and Bob Marley. That was sort of my window into finding my own identity as a black person.” PeoplePersonsBlackMy OwnIdentityPrideFindingsRedWindowGreenTeenagerFakeBlack PeopleBobBlack PersonMarleyBlack Pride Author:W. Kamau Bell
“There is a linear way in which black comedians are expected to talk about race by all audiences - black people are like this, white people are like this - and it really is hard to break through that. I never was doing it that way.” PeopleWayHardBlackWhiteRaceBreakAudienceExpectedComedianBlack PeopleLinearBreak Through Author:W. Kamau Bell
“I'm most biased about how white people have to learn to shut up when the conversation of racism comes up. White people have to learn to listen. Whether they agree with what they're hearing or not, they have to know to shut up and listen.” PeopleKnowsWhiteConversationRacismAgreeCome UpHearingShut UpBiased Author:W. Kamau Bell
“You might not agree with something, but it doesn't mean you don't need to listen to it. White people have to accept that they don't always know about racism.” PeopleKnowsNeedsMeanMightWhiteAcceptingRacismAgree Author:W. Kamau Bell
“As a person of color, you're in a PhD level racism class, every day. Every day, I'm in a deep racism seminar. And I'm not saying that white people aren't taking that class, but they don't show up that often and they're auditing it.” PeoplePersonsShowsWhiteLevelsClassColorRacismSeminarsPhds Author:W. Kamau Bell
“The idea we have of prison is a scary place that also houses crazy people. And, to me, it was like, none of these guys were scary. They may have done things that are violent or scary, but these are not people that I feel nervous being around, and it feels like to me that we're wasting these men's lives in prison.” PeopleDoneGuyHouseCrazyPrisonScaryViolentNervousCrazy People Author:W. Kamau Bell
“Portland is often trumpeted as being one of America's coolest, hippest cities. I've been to Portland many times, and I'm always like, "Yeah it's cool and hip, but also, where are all the black people? Why is this city so cool and hip, and also keeping the black people away?"” PeopleBlackBlack People Author:W. Kamau Bell
