CSU-Pueblo Speakers Series continues with political comedian
Release Date: January 17, 2014
Press Release
PUEBLO – The 2013-2014 Distinguished Speakers Series at Colorado State University-Pueblo will resume next week with the first of two speakers. The 2013-14 series will conclude on Feb. 26 with retired Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Agent Tony Mendez, the inspiration for the award winning film, Argo.
Political comedian W. Kamau Bell will present, W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in about an Hour, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22 in Hoag Recital Hall. Students receive free admission through payment of student fees. Tickets are available for $8 in advance or at the door.
A socio-political comedian, community activist, and former late night TV host, Bell was tagged by the New York Times as “the most promising new talent in political comedy in many years.” His Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell premiered in January of 2013 to critical. The show was nominated for “Best Talk Series” at the 2012 NAACP Image Awards and Salon.com listed Kamau on their “Sexiest Men of 2012” list, calling the show “surreptitiously revolutionary in its effortless diversity and humanism.”
In 2010, Kamau released his second stand up album, Face Full of Flour, which was named one of the Top 10 Best Comedy Albums of the year by iTunes and Punchline Magazine. His first album One Nig Only was released in 2007. Also in 2007 he developed his one-man show The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About An Hour, which received rave reviews from audiences, critics, and industry insiders.
He is a founding member of the stand-up comedy collective “Laughter Against the Machine,” which, using fan-funding via Kickstarter, toured some of the most politically charged states in the country in 2011 shooting a documentary that explores what role comedy plays in the revolution. Kamau co-hosts the podcast The Field Negro’s Guide to Arts & Culture with Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, writes the blog “Kamau’s Komedy Korner” for the San Francisco Weekly, and sits on the board of The Applied Research Center, a racial justice think tank and home for media and activism. He has been featured on several of the biggest comedy podcasts including WTF with Marc Maron, Comedy & Everything Else, Citizen Radio, The Sound of Young America, and Jordan, Jesse, GO!, and is a regular correspondent on The War Room on Current TV.
The Distinguished Speakers Series features eminent national or international speakers who contribute to current thought in social or political activities, in the arts and sciences, or other realm of contemporary significance by individuals who have distinguished themselves in their fields. The series is co-sponsored by the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership, the Student Fee Governing Board, the Associated Students’ Government, and the Diversity Resource Center.
For more information, call the Office of Student Life at 719.549.2687.
Colorado State University - Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students.
