Laurie Kilmartin and Onika McLean visit friends and discuss Laurie's new comedy special: Cis Woke Grief Slut, dark comedy, and protection from doxing with host Marina Franklin. Onika McLean, born in North Carolina, and raised in East New York Brooklyn, is a single mother of two, legal professional, and a sharp comedian whose no-nonsense perspective on life, love, single motherhood, and her mid life crisis is taking the comedy arena by storm. She was the fan favorite on Bravo Television's, The Single’s Project. She is the winner of the Sloshed Comedy Competition and the Rising Stars Comedy Competition in London. Onika performs regularly at LOL and Times Square and passed at Comic Strip Live and has Dangerfield's, New York Comedy Club, New York Stand, Broadway Comedy, Village Underground, and the. She runs a monthly show entitled Cosmic Comedy.   Laurie Kilmartin is stand up comedian and an Emmy-nominated, WGA award-winning comedy writer. She was a staff writer for all 11 years of CONAN on TBS, and has performed standup on CONAN, Late Late Show w/James Corden, and Comedy Central. She was a Top 10 finalist on season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing, and has been a guest on Marc Maron's WTF 3 times. She is the author of Dead People Sck, a comedic memoir about grief, and Shitty Mom- NY Times bestselling comedy about parenting. Her special 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad, was named Vulture 's Top Ten Comedy Specials of 2016. In 2022, she was a guest in the “Comedy” episdoe of Hillary Clinton’s 2022 Apple TV series Gutsy. Her new special “Cis Woke Grief Slut,” taped at Hollywood’s El Portal Theater, will be available on all platforms in January, 2024. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Laurie became interested in trying standup after seeing one too male comics talk about women. Even in San Francisco, the early 90s lineups were stacked with men lazily stereotyping approximately half the people in the audience. Laurie distinctly remembers sitting through a comedy showcase, thinking, “I don’t like shopping, and I don’t go to the bathroom in pairs.” Her need to try standup came from an intense desire to tell her own story, instead of hearing it being told to her by a dude. After a successful first time onstage, Laurie moved back in with her parents, bought a Chevy Blazer and started driving to gigs over the West. By the time she donated the Blazer to KCRW, there were over 500,000 miles on the odometer. She has worked one nighters, comedy clubs, casinos and wars. In fact, she performed for troops in both Iraq wars, including a New Year’s Eve show at one of Saddam Hussein’s occupied palaces. After ten years of basing herself inNorCal, she relocated to New York City in 1999. In 2003, she added TV writing to her resume, with her first staff job on Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. She moved onto “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” tried her hand at daytime on “The Bonnie Hunt Show” before being hired as a monologue writer on “CONAN,” for its entire 11 year run on TBS. In 2006, she became a mom, and in 2009, a single mom.In 2014, she famously (or infamously) live-tweeted jokes her father’s hospice passing from lung cancer, and in 2020, she did the same after her mother was hospitalized with COVID. From these literal cremated ashes came her comedy special and second book (“45 Jokes About My Dead Dad” and “Dead People Suck”), and the 3rd titular element of her new special “Cis Woke Grief Slut.” Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

The Gossiping Heifers visit friends and discuss Micheles new book "Breaking Free" , a guide and workbook for women trying to escape a narcissistic relationship and more with host Marina Franklin. The Gossiping Heifers- Michele and Rochele are the dynamic duo behind the wildly entertaining podcast, "The Gossiping Heifers." With a flair for humor and a knack for keeping listeners engaged, these two sisters bring a fresh and hilarious perspective to the world of current events, celebrity gossip, and everyday life. Listeners can expect a rollercoaster ride through the latest news headlines, celebrity scandals, and everything in between. Whether it's discussing the ins and outs of politics, sharing dating stories that will have you in stitches, or offering valuable tips on navigating the complexities of modern life, Michele and Rochele leave no stone unturned. What sets "The Gossiping Heifers" apart is their ability to blend insightful commentary with rib-tickling humor. Each week, they invite special guests from the entertainment industry, adding even more spice to their already spicy show. Whether you're seeking a good laugh or looking for some practical advice, Michele and Rochele have got you covered. Tune in to "The Gossiping Heifers" for a dose of laughter, lively discussions, and an unfiltered take on the world's hottest topics. You won't want to miss a single episode of this dynamic podcast duo. Check out Michele's new book: "Breaking Free" , a guide and workbook for women trying to escape a narcissistic relationship by Michele. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Ashima Franklin and Leighann Lord visit friends and discuss why parents can not be friends with their kids, the tiktoker who went viral for living in a storage unit, and giving yourself and elder parents grace.  Ashima Franklin Originally from Alabama, Ashima Franklin has a “girl next door” personality that mixes with her no holds barred delivery to form a hilarious comedy routine that’s inspired by her real-world situations as a working “Baby Momma”. Ashima rose to fame after appearances on Showtime’s “Kattpacalypse,” having toured the country with comedian Katt Williams on the Conspiracy Theory & Development Spurt tours, and also from Bounce TVs “From the String.” She was also a writer for Russell Simmons All Def Digital which offers over 2.2 million subscribers and counting. Leighann Lord is a seasoned standup comedian who has appeared on HBO's Def Comedy All Star Jam, Comedy Central, The View, Netflix, and Showtime’s Even More Funny Women of a Certain Age. She has performed for the troops and her Dry Bar Comedy special has had over one million views. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

The Ridshare Queen Deanna Dixon and Vanessa Fraction visit friends and discuss different perspectives on success and more with host Marina Franklin. Deanna Dixon, renowned as the Rideshare Queen, has woven an extraordinary narrative as an esteemed background vocalist for icons like Beyoncé, Kanye West, and Monica. However, her journey took a transformative turn when she chose to relinquish the glitz of Hollywood and prioritize her daughter's well-being. This decision led her to become a full-time rideshare driver in Atlanta, where her exceptional ability to forge deep connections with passengers soon took center stage. Capturing these magical, unscripted moments on TikTok, her impromptu musical performances and heart-to-heart conversations garnered over 4.9 million viewers across platforms. Notably, industry titans such as Chance the Rapper and Rihanna recognized her unparalleled talent, solidifying her status as a rising star. This transition from the spotlight to the everyday sphere, driven by her devotion to her daughter and the desire to surround Her family highlights Deanna's resilience and authenticity. In stepping away from Hollywood, she unknowingly crafted unexpected enchantment, proving that the most remarkable stories unfold in the most unassuming of ways. Vanessa Fraction is a talented and hilarious comedian, actress, and writer who has made her mark in various forms of entertainment. She can currently be heard as a co-host on the Nappy Boy Radio Podcast hosted by Tpain and seen in the movie Praise This on Peacock. Vanessa can also be seen guest hosting on the entertainment news show Dish Nation. As a stand-up comedian, Vanessa has performed on Def Comedy Jam , Laff Mobs Laff Tracks , and more. Her writing credits include Raven's Home , 106 & Park , and The Mo'Nique Show. Additionally, she has appeared in the film Barber Shop 2 and television shows Last Call, Mann & Wife (BounceTV), Comedy KnockOuts (TruTV) and Tales (BET) Not only is Vanessa "Action" Fraction a talented entertainer, but she is also a certified self-defense instructor. She teaches her unique class called Kicks & Comedy, combining her love for humor with her passion for empowering others through self-defense. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Suzette Simon and Ashima Franklin visit Friends and discuss advocating for your breast health, securing health aid, touring with Katt Williams and more with host Marina Franklin!  Suzette Simon is the founder of NYLaughs, a New York-based nonprofit that produces free comedy events in public spaces to inspire audiences, enrich the lives of New Yorkers, and connect people through humor. It Also works to deepen an appreciation of the art of Stand Up Comedy, a unique NY cultural asset.    She is also the creator of an awareness campaign called #StrongBlackBoobs, which aims to increase breast health awareness and heighten self-esteem among breast cancer patients of color through humor-filled posts.  Ashima Franklin Originally from Alabama, Ashima Franklin has a “girl next door” personality that mixes with her no holds barred delivery to form a hilarious comedy routine that’s inspired by her real-world situations as a working “Baby Momma”. Ashima rose to fame after appearances on Showtime’s “Kattpacalypse,” having toured the country with comedian Katt Williams on the Conspiracy Theory & Development Spurt tours, and also from Bounce TVs “From the String.” She was also a writer for Russell Simmons All Def Digital which offers over 2.2 million subscribers and counting. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Hollie Harper and Nonye Brown-West discuss the fallout from the Katt Williams Interview, Tariji P. Henson's fight for The Color Purple cast, T.D. Jakes and more with host Marina Franklin.  Hollie Harper is a comedy nerd from South Jersey. She is currently the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Hella Late! with Hollie Harper was recently in the 2021 NYC Web Fest where she was nominated as Best Actress. Hollie was a semi-finalist in the 2019 NBC Standup Competition and has been featured on NY1, and in Black Enterprise Magazine, Thrive Global, Confessional Magazine and Black San Diego Magazine. Her popular sketch comedy show AMERICAN CANDY has played the Comic Strip, Gotham Comedy Club, BAM Café as well as the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Time Out Chicago named them one of the five groups to watch. Hollie is a regular host for West Side Comedy Club in NYC and works with Gold Comedy and Stand Up Girls, two programs that empower young women by teaching them standup comedy. She was recently the talent coordinator and casting for “Blood Lassi” on Spotify, written by Pratima Mani, and moderated the panel for the Emmy Award winning, WOC editing team of Black Lady Sketch Show for The Black TV and Film Collective. She is also the Creative Consultant for the very successful Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Nonye Brown-West  is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Vanessa Fraction, Pat Brown, and Kenice Mobley visit friends and discuss diversity attack, quantifying your resolution, Rudy Giuliani's attack on Georgia election workers, and more with host Marina Franklin.  Vanessa Fraction is a talented and hilarious comedian, actress, and writer who has made her mark in various forms of entertainment. She can currently be heard as a co-host on the Nappy Boy Radio Podcast hosted by Tpain and seen in the movie Praise This on Peacock. Vanessa can also be seen guest hosting on the entertainment news show Dish Nation. As a stand-up comedian, Vanessa has performed on Def Comedy Jam , Laff Mobs Laff Tracks , and more. Her writing credits include Raven's Home , 106 & Park , and The Mo'Nique Show. Additionally, she has appeared in the film Barber Shop 2 and television shows Last Call, Mann & Wife (BounceTV), Comedy KnockOuts (TruTV) and Tales (BET) Not only is Vanessa "Action" Fraction a talented entertainer, but she is also a certified self-defense instructor. She teaches her unique class called Kicks & Comedy, combining her love for humor with her passion for empowering others through self-defense. Kenice Mobley performs stand up comedy around the world and recently made her late-night debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. She appears regularly on SiriusXM and is a Finalist in the StandUp NBC Competition. This year, Kenice worked on the BET Awards and By Us For Us, a sketch comedy series presented by Color of Change. She hosts Complexify on ViceNews, Love About Town, an interview and relationship podcast, and Make Yourself Cry, available on Planet Scum. Pat Brown Sex Tape Released now available on YouTube at Pat Brown Comedy,  Tours with Tracy Morgan, writer for VMA’s, ESPy and NFL Honors  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.    

We love it so much we aired it twice! Listen to favorite episode with Sarah Cooper, Zainab Johnson and Erica Switzer join friends and discuss Sarah's new book: "Foolish", Zainab's new comedy special: "Hijab's Off", and young star Erica Switzer.  Sarah Cooper is a writer and comedian with millions of followers across social media. She's the author of How to Be Successful without Hurting Men's Feelings and 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings, as well as the star of the hit Netflix comedy special, Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine. Cooper built her comedy career in between working for companies like Yahoo! and Google, where she was fed free lunches and lots of material. She has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Vanity Fair and countless others. Cooper's debut memoir, Foolish: Tales of Assimilation, Determination, and Humiliation will be released October 3, 2023 from Dutton Books Zainab Johnson is a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer quickly being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen.  Zainab is currently a series regular on the Amazon Original hit series titled "Upload" from Greg Daniels and stars in her very first One Hour Comedy Special "Hijabs Off" premiering worldwide October 24th only on Amazon Prime video.  Erica Switzer As seen on Roast Battle Chicago, Las Locas Comedy and Hot 5, Chicagoland’s Erica Switzer is “Your bougie jet-setting auntie who twerks to NPR.” A divorce and failed rebound in Shanghai, China led to her “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” moment in July 2017. Co-founder of Shanghai’s Blackout Comedy and founder of Hei Now Comedy, Erica became the 1st Black comedian to perform in Mongolia at the 2019 Silk Road International Comedy Festival. She has featured for The Comedy Cellar's Simeon Goodson, Laugh Factory's Mateen Stewart, and America's Got Talent's Justin Rivera. A 2020 Flappers Comedy Club Soup-or-Bowl winner, festival appearances include the World Series of Comedy, Laugh Riot Grrrl Festival, and Burbank Comedy Festival's Best of Fest. 2022 festival appearances include Chicago's World Comedy Expo and NYC’s Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest, producing "Erica Switzer & Friends" there in 2023. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Janus Adams and Africa Miranda visit Friends and discuss how segregation in education still remain, the lack of school funding in New York City, Brown Vs. Board Of Education and more with host Marina Franklin.   Africa Miranda - In the span of her 15-year career, Africa Miranda has been an actress, a model, a host, an author, a beautypreneur and a digital personality. Most importantly, she’s been a student of life. As the face and spokesperson for brands like Refinery 29, Macy’s, TJ Maxx and Kia Motors Africa had the opportunity to travel and see the world. Traveling taught her who she is and fueled the creative passions that allowed her to connect with and empower women everywhere. Boston-born and Alabama-raised, Africa grew up wondering what the world outside her backyard looked like. As a graduate of Alabama State University, she learned to bring the world to her using education and creative expression. This wonderment flourished into a deeply-rooted desire to travel the world. From Seoul to the South of France, Africa’s life didn’t truly begin until she left the comfort of the things she knew. Travel taught her the magic of losing yourself right before you find yourself. In 2016, Africa launched her skincare line, Beauty by Africa Miranda to commemorate the incredible experiences she has on her travels and share them with you. From her ultra-hydrating Luminous Body Mist,  inspired by the French Riviera to her aloe vera-rich Hydra Essence Complexion Mist which is a love letter to her time in Curaçao – the highly-praised product line takes your skin on an incredible journey around the globe. Africa’s skincare line and media brand has garnered acclaim from publications like EBONY.com, Essence.com, BET.com, Yahoo Lifestyle, Rolling Out, Vanity Fair and Womensweardaily.com. Her growing following on Instagram and Twitter allows Africa to connect with thousands of women all over the world. With such a successful and active career, over the years Africa received a swell of questions about navigating life as a public figure and personal brand. Her inbox full of career questions lead to the release of her 2018 book, Step Up, Step Out and Shine. Through its pages, Africa teaches readers  how to leverage social media to create their own global brands. Africa’s most recent adventure, in partnership with Facebook Watch, was the opportunity to host and executive produce her very own show – The Africa Miranda Show. Here, she invites her viewers to join in as she chats with a few favorite friends and some incredible creators. They touch on topics about everything from beauty and travel to paving a career path that suits your passion. Dedicated to empowering other women to step intentionally into the media space – Africa is helping a new generation of creators reach their highest potential through her media workshop, Media Mastery Workshop and training course Shine Media Training. Dr. Janus Adams - Emmy Award-winning journalist, historian, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of eleven books, Dr. Janus Adams is the host of public radio’s “The Janus Adams Show” and podcast.  A frequent on-air guest, she has appeared on ABC, BET, CBS, CNN, Fox News, NBC’s The Today Show, and NPR’s All Things Considered. With more than 500 articles, essays and columns to her credit, her work has been featured in Essence and Ms. Magazines, The New York Times, Newsday, USA Today, and The Washington Post.  Her syndicated column ran in the Hearst Newspapers for sixteen years.  Her commentary has been broadcast on CBS and NPR, and published in the Huffington Post.  Her book, Glory Days: 365 Inspired Moments in African American History, was licensed by McDonald’s and reached more than 3 million readers. A pioneer of issue-oriented African-American and women’s programming she has hosted her own radio and television talk shows for more than ten years.  Her series, “Milestones in African-American Business History,” ran on public radio’s Marketplace. Her 19-hour International Women’s Day marathon broadcasts brought her to NPR as the network’s first National Arts Correspondent and opened the New York News Bureau. An entrepreneur, as founder of BackPax (a children’s publishing company) and Harambee (the first national book club for African American literature), she changed the publishing landscape for authors and audiences. A dynamic speaker and passionate storyteller, she is known for her unique perspectives on current events through the lens of history. Indeed, Dr. Adams has been engaged by history and culture since childhood. A northern school desegregation pioneer at 8, she was one of the four children selected to break New York’s de facto segregation in the public schools in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education.  A classically-trained pianist, she is a graduate of New York’s High School of Performing Arts.  Her master’s is the nation’s first graduate degree in Black Studies.  Her doctoral chair was author and composer Shirley Graham Du Bois (widow of Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, the “Father of Pan-Africanism” and co-founder of the NAACP). Her honors include Doctor of Humane Letters degrees from Shaw University and the State University of New York. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Von Decarlo and Nonye Brown-West visit friends and discuss whether  celebrities like Beyonce have a responsibility to speak about injustice and more with host Marina Franklin.  Von Decarlo is a New York-bred stand-up comedian, producer, writer, and actress who has appeared in worldwide ad campaigns and national commercials for Disney, GNC, Match, and Carnival Cruise lines. She performed in Montreal for Kevin Hart's LOL Network as well as the Lil' Rel and Friends show at the Just For Laughs comedy festival, and most recently in Australia for the Human Kind Festival. Additional appearances include HBO's Pause with Sam Jay, Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks on Tru TV and HBO Max, CNN's year-end wrap-up special, The Jerry O'Connell Show on FOX, BET, BuzzFeed, The Breakfast Club, Angela Yee's Lip Service, Sirius XM’s Urban View and NBA channel, In Godfrey We Trust Podcast, and more. Von Decarlo is the Executive Producer of the documentary Killing Is Easy on Comedy Central as well as the producer of three posthumous comedy albums, Mr. P, Unreleased, and The Lost Files. Her debut comedy album, A Draggable Offense, is available on all major platforms, and can be heard on the She So Funny and Laugh Out Loud radio stations on Sirius XM. Look out for Von Decarlo in the upcoming RomCom, Switch Up, and in the indie film, Salesman, currently on Amazon Prime.   Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Jason Andors and Jenny Saldaña visit friends and express their love for the Dominican Republic, Emerging talent in the Dominican Republic helps profile, Hot Travel Spot, Jason's builds a home for an Dominican elder and more.  Jenny Saldaña is an award winning playwright, actor and comedian. She is also a 17 year breast cancer survivor and advocate. Jenny published her first book, Master First Dater: Second to None (available on Amazon) Jason Andors has appeared on HBO’s Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, Showtime’s White Boyz in the Hood (which he also associate-produced), Comics Unleashed , Showtime at the Apollo (a guest artist), BET’s Comic View, Gotham Comedy Live, and many more! He recently won a Latino award at the Latino Premios for “TikToker Of The Year” and is one of the principal actors in a Dominican film that just came out called “La Soga 3”. Why a Latino award and Dominican film? Because in 2015 he went viral on social media as a Dominican character named “El Tiguere Vacano”.  “El Tiguere Vacano” is a proud Dominican from a neighborhood called Villa Mella who loves his country more than anyone. This character has been Jason’s main focus since he went viral. El Tiguere Vacano has been seen on Dominicana’s Got Talent, Raymond y Miguel” (basically the SNL of the Dominican Republic), Mananero, Jochy Santos “El Mismo Golpe”, Esta Noche Mariasela, Las Hijos de Tuta, four shows on the the radio network “Alofoke” called Esto no Es Radio Show, Open Mic, Finanzas de Humor, and Tuveralio, Boca de Piano, Carlos Sanchez’s podcast “A Sigun”, Dime AVE, Extremo Extremo, Buena Noche, and many more! He has also been written up in the popular newspaper “El Diario Libre” and other newspapers as well. This year he was finally able to make one of his dreams come true and start his own foundation in the Dominican Republic for kids in need called “Fundacion Jason Andors JAJA.” Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf        

Keith Robinson and Zainab Johnson visit Friends Like Us and discuss Keith Robinson's new Netflix Comedy Taping, Zainab Johnson's Amazon's Comedy Special: Hijabs Off, and lessons from life's interuptions.  Zainab Johnson is a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer quickly being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen.  Zainab is currently a series regular on the Amazon Original hit series titled "Upload" from Greg Daniels and stars in her very first One Hour Comedy Special "Hijabs Off" available NOW only on Prime Video. Keith Robinson, the comedic sensation born and raised in Philadelphia, has become an enduring legend in the heart of New York City’s comedy circuit. Renowned for his sharp wit and uproarious humor, Robinson’s career boasts a rich tapestry of accomplishments. He’s graced the stages of HBO’s iconic “Def Comedy Jam,” delighted audiences on MTV, VH1, and charmed viewers on shows like “The Chelsea Lately Show” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” With his infectious laughter and keen observational humor, he’s a true master of the craft. Beyond the stage, Keith Robinson’s talent transcends into the world of cinema, with memorable roles in hit movies such as “Trainwreck” and “King of Staten Island.” His unique brand of comedy, marked by its authenticity and relatability, continues to captivate fans and cement his status as a comedic icon in New York and beyond. Please join him for the taping of his upcoming Netflix special on Dec. 19th in NYC at Sony Hall! Go to sonyhall.com for tickets! Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf        

Dana Frank and Kaneeze Surka visit friends and discuss the importance of legacy, Dana as Real Estate Mogul/Change-Maker/Philanthropist, Getting Up and On It, Menopause, and more with host Marina Franklin.. Dana Frank is an accomplished businesswoman who manages several hundred residents for TD Frank Family Properties, keeping the business that her parents started in the 1950s alive and thriving. With grace and wit, she has taken the  business world by storm to challenge continuing issues of gender and racial discrimination in real estate and banking.  In her upcoming debut novel, Get Up And Get On It, Dana reveals the formula for creating generational wealth while taking the reader through a dark humor roller coaster ride filled with human experiences everyone can relate to. Dana’s passion for writing doesn’t begin or end with novels, though. Her blog, MenopauseBarbees, is a safe haven for women of all walks of life, approaching topics of aging, dating, and what it means to be a woman in the 21 st century with humor, compassion, and a wealth of lived experience. She devotes her time to philanthropic pursuits. Serving on multiple advisory boards for Seattle-based organizations, Dana finds purpose in serving her community. By supporting at-risk youth, her work focuses on guiding the rising stars of Seattle towards collaboration to motivate political change for socioeconomic equity in marginalized communities. Kaneez Surka has produced and performed in her Netflix Special, 'Ladies Up', Netflix's 'Comedy Premium League,' and Amazon Prime Video's Improv specials, 'Something From Nothing' and 'Improv All Stars - Games Night.' Kaneez is also known for her comedic acting. Her short film, 'The Shaila(s)' was selected for the Voot Select Film Festival. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Vanessa Fraction and Subhah Agarwal visit Friends and discuss Social Media Comics, Grammy Nominated Gospel Singer On A Plane, The Perfect Proposal, and Scholastic Books Backlash with host Marina Franklin. Subhah Agarwal has brought an honesty to her comedy that will leave you saying "I didn't need to know that." Subhah has written for Netflix’s “Arsenio Hall” limited series, the "Plan B" movie on Hulu," and The Jim Jefferies Show"on Comedy Central, amongst others. You can also catch her jokes live at stand up comedy clubs across the country. If you don't want to leave your couch, you can see her late night debut on NBC's "A Little Late With Lilly Singh." She's also appeared on season three of HBO's "Westworld", "General Hospital," TruTv's sketch comedy "Friends of the People", and as herself on MTV2, Comedy Central, and Gotham Comedy Live. Vanessa Fraction -Vanessa Fraction is a talented and hilarious comedian, actress, and writer who has made her mark in various forms of entertainment. She can currently be heard as a co-host on the Nappy Boy Radio Podcast hosted by Tpain and seen in the movie Praise This on Peacock. Vanessa can also be seen guest hosting on the entertainment news show Dish Nation. As a stand-up comedian, Vanessa has performed on Def Comedy Jam , Laff Mobs Laff Tracks , and more. Her writing credits include Raven's Home , 106 & Park , and The Mo'Nique Show. Additionally, she has appeared in the film Barber Shop 2 and television shows Last Call, Mann & Wife (BounceTV), Comedy KnockOuts (TruTV) and Tales (BET) Not only is Vanessa "Action" Fraction a talented entertainer, but she is also a certified self-defense instructor. She teaches her unique class called Kicks & Comedy, combining her love for humor with her passion for empowering others through self-defense. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Jeff Leach and Nonye Brown-West visit Friends Like Us and discuss Jeff Leach's Comedy Spectacular, Processing Loss and more with host Marina Franklin.  Jeff Leach- Born and bred out of the character-rich East End of London, Jeff cut his teeth in the world of showbiz first as an international DJ and Producer playing at clubs and major festivals throughout Europe and remixing dance tracks for Island Records and Ministry Of Sound. After years on stage performing as a theatrical actor with institutions as globally recognized as the Royal Shakespeare Company he fell into a career on-screen as a BBC television presenter. During those formative first years on television, Leach worked for many other major networks including ITV, Channel 4, ABC, Virgin Media and Current TV, hosting shows as wide-ranging as youth chat formats, live music festivals, addition therapy series and a couple of award-winning immersive documentaries. He also hosted and produced his own series for London Live entitled Jeff Leach +1 about the most bizarre nightlife activities on offer in the capital. His other accolades include hosting or guest appearing on Big Brother’s Big Mouth, Comic Relief’s Naughty Bits, Fake Reaction and NBC Sports. Check out Jeff Leach Presents: A Comedy Spectacular. With over 205,418 views!  Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Prachi Gupta and Nimesh Patel Visit friends and discuss Prachi's highly acclaimed book: "They Called Us Exceptional", Nimesh's new comedy special: "Lucky Left", mental health in the South Asian community and more. Prachi Gupta is an award-winning writer based in New York. They Called Us Exceptional is her debut memoir. She was a senior reporter at Jezebel and co-host of Jezebel's former politics podcast, Big Time Dicks. She won a 2020 Writers Guild Award for her investigative essay, "Stories About My Brother," which was also named one of the best essays of 2019 by Longform and Longreads.  Prior to Jezebel, Prachi covered the 2016 election for Cosmopolitan.com, where she "set the standard" for interviews with Ivanka Trump, per Media Matters; interviewed former First Lady Michelle Obama on her first solo trip to the Middle East; and traveled to Jordan to report on the refugee crisis. She has also written for the Atlantic, the Washington Post Magazine, Salon, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar. Her reporting on data privacy and discrimination for Marie Claire was included in 2021's Best American Magazine Writing.                   Her new debut memoir THEY CALLED US EXCEPTIONAL is available now. The Washington Post calls it “Vulnerable and courageous…Gupta’s resilience and her hope to be fully seen are an inspiration in both personal and political terms.” —The Washington Post Nimesh Patel is a comedian and Emmy-nominated writer based in New York City, where he has performed standup comedy for 10+ years. He is currently a writer on NBC’s late night show “A Little Late with Lilly Singh. In standup, he is a regular at New York’s famed Comedy Cellar, has appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers, and has opened for Chris Rock & Aziz Ansari. His first writing job came after Chris Rock saw him perform standup and hired him directly to write for The Academy Awards in 2016. Since then, he has written for Saturday Night Live, The White House Correspondents Dinner, & Awkwafina, and was a producer for “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.” He has two specials available on You Tube Thank You China with over 1.7 million views and Lucky Left a comedy special that documents his diagnosis with testicular cancer. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf        

Shannon Jones and Yadira Harrison visit Friends and discuss the importance of making cool stuff with friends in business, working with some of the world’s biggest and most recognizable brands, diversity in marketing, and work-life balance. Shannon Simpson Jones Co-founder, verb. Shannon Simpson Jones is co-founder of Verb, a marketing consultancy that is redefining how consumers experience and interact with brands. Verb gives brands a new type of partner, providing a holistic approach to integrated and experiential campaigns, brand partnerships and proprietary platforms. At Verb, Shannon leads a diverse bi-coastal team, working with clients including Netflix, Everlane and Amazon. Shannon is a natural-born leader; inspiring her team to reach new heights and deliver for clients by staying ahead of the curve on industry trends. She also has exceptional business leadership skills - Shannon co-founded Verb just over two years ago, and she has already been on some of the industry’s largest stages including SXSW, Fast Co Innovation Festival and CultureCon. Additionally, Shannon was named to the 2019 AdAge 40 Under 40 and the AdWeek Creative 100 with co-founder Yadira Harrison.   An avid seeker of innovation, Shannon has continued to keep her clients and her team on top of the latest trends in culture and entertainment. She is especially skilled in identifying key business challenges brands face and prioritizing and managing resources to solve them. Utilizing these skill sets, Shannon has also been working to build a platform in the death care industry to support people with end of life planning. Shannon is originally from Baltimore, Maryland and now resides in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and son. She is also a proud alum of the University of Maryland College Park. Yadira Noelle Harrison is a creative marketer and experiential expert who offers leadership and thoughtful solutions to brands. For nearly 20 years, she has led marketing strategy and execution for iconic and groundbreaking events, while also forging partnerships and developing innovative concepts for content, social media and programming.  Yadira is co-founder of Verb, a creative consultancy + agency developing brand experiences, partnerships, campaigns and proprietary platforms for brands such as Airbnb, HBO, FX, Lyft, Netflix and Everlane. She has been featured in Ad Age, Entrepreneur Magazine, Campaign US, Digiday and recognized as an inspiring Agency Leader on Adweek’s ‘Creative 100’ list. Before founding Verb with her longtime business partner Shannon Jones, Yadira was Vice President at creative agency Civic Entertainment Group, where she led Airbnb and eBay on numerous activations and proprietary franchises including Airbnb Open, Airbnb Haus @ Sundance Film Festival and On The Run with eBay Motors. Prior to, she led the Advertising & Partnership Marketing team at Macy’s Parade & Entertainment Group pushing for digital and social integration, new art direction and large-scale promotional ideas to increase brand equity for Macy’s annual events. Yadira is originally from Arlington, Texas and now resides in Los Angeles. She is also a proud alum of Syracuse University, an obnoxious lover of Formula 1 and a karaoke assassin. (No really, she was once told she performed Bruno Mars better than Bruno Mars, LOL). Yadira Harrison and Shannon Jones: two marketing masterminds who have taken the industry by storm with their dynamic and innovative approach to brand experiences. As co-founders of verb, their creative consultancy + agency offers a holistic and thoughtful approach to solving business challenges, working with some of the world’s biggest and most recognizable brands like Airbnb (Barbie Dreamhouse, Home Alone, Bad Bunny Tour Truck), HBO (I May Destroy, In Treatment), and Netflix (Orange is the New Black, TUDUM). Yadira brings over 20 years of experience in creative marketing and experiential events, having led groundbreaking events and partnerships for leading brands like Macy’s Parade & Branded Entertainment, Airbnb, and eBay. Meanwhile, Shannon is an avid seeker of innovation and has worked in marketing agencies for nearly 20 years, specializing in sports, entertainment, and talent endorsement deals across properties like NCAA Final Four, IMG Fashion Week, and Cirque du Soleil. Together, with their bi-coastal team, verb offers a wealth of experience and passion to their clients. They’re dedicated to inspiring brands to reach new heights and stay ahead of industry trends, earning recognition from Ad Age, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Adweek’s ‘Creative 100’ list. They’ve also graced some of the industry’s most prestigious stages at SXSW, Fast Co Innovation Festival, and CultureCon. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf    

Aparna Nancherla and Alvin Irby Visit friends and take a deep dive into the imposter syndrome and how funding for Black Organizations are held under a microscope.  Aparna Nancherla is a comedian and general silly billy. Her sense of humor is dry, existential, and absurd, with notes of uncalled-for whimsy. Think a wine you didn’t order. Her forthcoming book, Unreliable Narrator: Me, Myself and Impostor Syndrome (Viking), is currently available for pre-order via Penguin Random House and will be released on September 19, 2023. You can hear Aparna as the voice of Moon on Fox’s The Great North, or have heard her as the voice of Hollyhock on Bojack Horseman. You can currently watch Aparna in The Drop on Hulu or as Dr. Pocha on Lopez vs. Lopez (NBC). You may have watched Aparna as Grace the belabored HR rep on the critically-acclaimed Comedy Central show, Corporate. She also has a half-hour special on the second season of The Standups on Netflix, as well as appearances on Late Night with Stephen Colbert on CBS and Two Dope Queens on HBO. Other acting credits include A Simple Favor, Modern Love, Bob’s Burgers, Crashing, Master of None, and Inside Amy Schumer. She’s written for Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell and Late Night with Seth Meyers, as well as Mythic Quest on Apple+. Aparna was also named one of “The 50 Funniest People Right Now” by Rolling Stone. In 2019, she was in a Super Bowl commercial with Michael Bublé for sparkling water neé seltzer. In 2016, she released her debut album, Just Putting It Out There, on Tig Notaro’s label, Bentzen Ball Records, and recorded a half hour special for Comedy Central. She was also chosen as one of Variety’s “Top 10 Comics to Watch” that year. Aparna currently lives in Los Angeles if you can even imagine.  Watch the absurdist web series Womanhood Aparna made with bright light Jo Firestone for Refinery29. Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, international speaker, comedian, and author. He is Founder and Chief Reading Inspirer at Barbershop Books, a literacy program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers. His work connecting reading to male-centered spaces and involving men in boys’ early reading experiences earned him the National Book Foundation’s 2017 Innovations in Reading Prize. Irby’s popular TED Talk "How to inspire every child to be a lifelong reader," has been viewed over 1 million times. Irby’s nationally-recognized cultural competency workshops help school districts, library systems, and education organizations create relevant and engaging learning experiences for all students. His Diversity & Inclusion trainings have been described as informative, inspiring, engaging, and humorous. Ir by helps educators better understand and address the systemic and personal challenges that inhibit children’s intrinsic motivation to read and learn. His debut children’s book, Gross Greg, combines Irby’s passion for early literacy and comedy. Gross Greg is a laugh-out-loud story that captures the hilariously gross behavior of kids everywhere. As a stand up comedian, Irby's fresh perspective and smart brand of humor shine through in his comedy album "Really Dense." His clever social commentary and funny observations have not gone unnoticed. Irby won the Clean Comedy Showcase at the 2019 San Diego Comedy Festival and won 2nd place at NYC’s 2019 Laughing Devil Comedy Festival. One of the highlights of Irby’s comedy career was being selected as a national finalist for the StandUp NBC competition and performing at the legendary Hollywood Improv in Los Angeles. Alvin Irby holds a Masters of Science (MS) in Childhood Education from Bank Street Graduate School of Education, a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, and a Bachelors of Arts (BA) in Sociology from Grinnell College. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Sarah Cooper, Zainab Johnson and Erica Switzer join friends and discuss Sarah's new book: "Foolish", Zainab's new comedy special: "Hijab's Off", and young star Erica Switzer.  Sarah Cooper is a writer and comedian with millions of followers across social media. She's the author of How to Be Successful without Hurting Men's Feelings and 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings, as well as the star of the hit Netflix comedy special, Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine. Cooper built her comedy career in between working for companies like Yahoo! and Google, where she was fed free lunches and lots of material. She has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Vanity Fair and countless others. Cooper's debut memoir, Foolish: Tales of Assimilation, Determination, and Humiliation will be released October 3, 2023 from Dutton Books Zainab Johnson is a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer quickly being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen.  Zainab is currently a series regular on the Amazon Original hit series titled "Upload" from Greg Daniels and stars in her very first One Hour Comedy Special "Hijabs Off" premiering worldwide October 24th only on Amazon Prime video.  Erica Switzer As seen on Roast Battle Chicago, Las Locas Comedy and Hot 5, Chicagoland’s Erica Switzer is “Your bougie jet-setting auntie who twerks to NPR.” A divorce and failed rebound in Shanghai, China led to her “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” moment in July 2017. Co-founder of Shanghai’s Blackout Comedy and founder of Hei Now Comedy, Erica became the 1st Black comedian to perform in Mongolia at the 2019 Silk Road International Comedy Festival. She has featured for The Comedy Cellar's Simeon Goodson, Laugh Factory's Mateen Stewart, and America's Got Talent's Justin Rivera. A 2020 Flappers Comedy Club Soup-or-Bowl winner, festival appearances include the World Series of Comedy, Laugh Riot Grrrl Festival, and Burbank Comedy Festival's Best of Fest. 2022 festival appearances include Chicago's World Comedy Expo and NYC’s Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest, producing "Erica Switzer & Friends" there in 2023. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.    

Those Gossiping Heifers (Michelle and Rocky) join Mia Jackson to gossip on this week's Friends Like Us Podcast with host Marina Franklin.  Gossiping Heifers/Michele and Rochele are the dynamic duo behind the wildly entertaining podcast, "The Gossiping Heifers." With a flair for humor and a knack for keeping listeners engaged, these two sisters bring a fresh and hilarious perspective to the world of current events, celebrity gossip, and everyday life. Listeners can expect a rollercoaster ride through the latest news headlines, celebrity scandals, and everything in between. Whether it's discussing the ins and outs of politics, sharing dating stories that will have you in stitches, or offering valuable tips on navigating the complexities of modern life, Michele and Rochele leave no stone unturned. What sets "The Gossiping Heifers" apart is their ability to blend insightful commentary with rib-tickling humor. Each week, they invite special guests from the entertainment industry, adding even more spice to their already spicy show. Whether you're seeking a good laugh or looking for some practical advice, Michele and Rochele have got you covered. Tune in to "The Gossiping Heifers" for a dose of laughter, lively discussions, and an unfiltered take on the world's hottest topics. You won't want to miss a single episode of this dynamic podcast duo Mia Jackson is a bonafide Georgia peach (that's Georgian for “native”). In 2017, she was selected as a New Face by the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and Atlanta's Creative Loafing named her the Critic's Choice Best Stand-Up in the city. She has toured nationally with Amy Schumer and is a featured comic at festivals and clubs across the country. Her first stand up special aired in October 2018 as part of Unprotected Sets on EPIX. Mia has appeared on NickMom's Night Out, Viceland, Comedy Central's This Week at the Comedy Cellar and was a semi-finalist on Season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing. Her Comedy Central half hour special debuted in November 20 Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Kevin A. Walton and Lady Carol Causieestko visit Friends Like Us and discuss suicide prevention,  Subverting Toxic Masculinity by alligninging with inner spirit and more with host Marina Franklin. Kevin Walton is a Spiritual Leader, Transformation Specialist, and Activational Speaker who has led thousands of students and initiates around the globe on a powerful journey of access into the greater depth and capacity of the Self, Creation, and Authentic Expression.  Through the founding of his spiritual practice and life path entitled “Creatorhood: The Art of Living From Truth,” he has established an operating system that supports and directs a more sustainable and comprehensive embodiment within our life experience through a greater understanding and utilization of Spiritual Connectivity, Conscious Awareness, Personal Evolution, Emotional Intelligence, Masculine/Feminine Principles of Energy, Relational Dynamics, Multidimensional Comprehension, and Community Development. Kevin is the founder of the Light Beings Ministry and Community, a Central Leader and Pillar Facilitator in the Sacred Sons Men’s Organization and Movement, a co-founder of Unified We Stand, and a co-owner of Level Up Film Studio. Kevin A. Walton has recently become a familiar face on the BET Network through his series regular role as Aaron Carter on the number 1 cable hit television series “Sistas” written and directed by Tyler Perry, now in its 5th season, and through his leading role as Matthew Reynolds on the BET Original Film “Twice Bitten”. Kevin quickly made a name for himself in the South Florida acting scene with several independent films as a lead or co-star and in powerful portrayals in roles such as Cyrus in “Loving The Bad Man”, Dutch in NatGeo’s “Locked Up Abroad”, and as an actor and stunt performer on USA’s Original Series “Burn Notice”.  He had a feature role as Bob Cooper in “Step Up Revolution” the 4th installment of the franchise and he received great acclaim for his dynamic portrayal of Dwight in the Ground Up & Rising's theatre production of "The Recommendation" that saw a beautiful dance of intensity, humor, and menacing spontaneity.  Kevin’s range as an actor been recognized from his scene presentations of Shakespeare’s Othello, Macbeth, and Hamlet and after a series of more dramatic roles, in the film "Playin' For Love" Kevin revealed a more comedic side of himself in the character of Carvel 'Cooty' Larson which he delivered flawlessly alongside the guidance of Robert Townsend. Lady Carol Causieestko : The Lady, is a fierce advocate for social change, a vibrant businesswoman, style icon, costumer/clothier,  former model, internationally-trained makeup artist, and mother of two. She is the Founder and Director of Inner Makeup Enterprises (InnerMe)LLC,  and is known to many as the empowering facilitator for her signature The Return of the Lady (ROTL) tea party seminars. ROTL is a unique platform focusing on bridging the gap across relationships (e.g. familial, romantic, etc.) by facilitating healthy discussions centered on a variety of inter- and intra-personal topics including, but not limited to, mental and sexual health, intimate partner/sexual violence, and teen pregnancy with a modern touch of social etiquette. Additionally, The Lady is the creator and facilitator of The Return of the Gentle Man, a global mental wellness symposium where men of all identities and socio-economic groups can speak openly and honestly about issues that affect them. ROTG is a transformational and informational forum that travels the country challenging and encouraging men to have intimate and honest dialogues that diminishes stereotypes associated with toxic masculinity. The discussions will emboldened healthy conversations --free from judgment of participants' health conditions, sexual/gender diversities, and/or lifestyle preferences.  The Lady is also the owner of The Lady's Dressing Room, a high end vintage and luxury resale/rental boutique. She is an International Life coach and is developing her own docu-series, allowing the viewer to take a proverbial walk in her fabulous shoes and witness the wins, the challenges, and the whimsy of a unique real life super-sheroe..."The Lady."  Lady will be speaking about Youth Mental Health at the UN at the United Nations Platform. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.      

NoorJehan Tourte and Hajar Yazdiha visit friends and discuss the misuse of Dr. Kings Words , immigrant communities indebted to the Civil Rights movement, Hasan Minhaj and more with host Marina Franklin. Hajar Yazdiha is an Assistant Professor of Sociology, faculty affiliate of the Equity Research Institute, and a CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar (2023-2025). Dr. Yazdiha received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and is a former Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow and Turpanjian Postdoctoral Fellow of the Chair in Civil Society and Social Change. Dr. Yazdiha's research examines the mechanisms underlying the politics of inclusion and exclusion as they shape ethno-racial identities, intergroup relations, and political culture.In addition to award-winning articles, she is the author of the new book, The Struggle for the People’s King: How Politics Transforms the Memory of the Civil Rights Movement (Princeton University Press). Through her research, Dr. Yazdiha works to understand how systems of inequality become entrenched and how groups develop strategies to resist, contest, and manifest alternative futures. NooJehan Tourte After unexpectedly making it to the semi-finals of the 2022 Sports Illustrated Swim Search Competition,NoorJehan Tourte has made it her mission to get women excited about the prospect of falling on their faces, over and over, if it means they are making their one life on this earth count. She believed that becoming a Sports Illustrated model would represent the culmination of a lifetime spent searching for her true identity, but the experience helped her realize that her childhood dream was not only to be a cover model, but also a role model, one who empowers ladies to show the world every side, from every angle, unapologetically. Amidst the multitude of societal pressures put on women to conform, she wants to reassure her fellow females that living the life you painstakingly cultivated for yourself is worth even the worst of days, the worst of moments. Because wouldn’t you rather stumble living life, than squander it standing still?  NoorJehan is currently a Group Senior Vice President Brand Strategist at healthcare advertising agency AREA 23. Prior to working in advertising, she was a U.S. Brand Marketer at Pfizer and a healthcare consultant at PwC. She holds an MBA from Columbia University and an MPH from UCLA. She has a passion for storytelling that is universal, and believes this can be done if we all lead with empathy. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Onika Mclean and Nonye Brown-West visit friends and discuss how they all need that fire lit to get a win, Coco Gauff's win, flipping 45 the bird in Iowa, and more with host Marina Franklin.  Onika McLean, born in North Carolina, and raised in East New York Brooklyn, is a single mother of two, legal professional, and a sharp comedian whose no-nonsense perspective on life, love, single motherhood, and her mid life crisis is taking the comedy arena by storm. She was the fan favorite on Bravo Television's, The Single’s Project. She is the winner of the Sloshed Comedy Competition and the Rising Stars Comedy Competition in London.Onika performs regularly at LOL and Times Square and passed at Comic Strip Live and has Dangerfield's, New York Comedy Club, New York Stand, Broadway Comedy, Village Underground, and the. She runs a monthly show entitled Cosmic Comedy.  Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Von Decarlo and Ant Pruitt visit Friends Like Us and discuss the good, the bad, and the grey of artificial intelligence with host Marina Franklin.  Ant Pruitt Freelance digital content creator. What does this mean? I'm someone that not only loves to snap photographs, but I also enjoy shooting video and writing. When I'm not capturing freelance content, I'm performing my daily duties as a host, producer and community manager at TWiT TV, the podcast network focused on providing news around the world of consumer technology and geek culture.  Von Decarlo is a New York-bred stand-up comedian, producer, writer, and actress who has appeared in worldwide ad campaigns and national commercials for Disney, GNC, Match, and Carnival Cruise lines. She performed in Montreal for Kevin Hart's LOL Network as well as the Lil' Rel and Friends show at the Just For Laughs comedy festival, and most recently in Australia for the Human Kind Festival. Additional appearances include HBO's Pause with Sam Jay, Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks on Tru TV and HBO Max, CNN's year-end wrap-up special, The Jerry O'Connell Show on FOX, BET, BuzzFeed, The Breakfast Club, Angela Yee's Lip Service, Sirius XM’s Urban View and NBA channel, In Godfrey We Trust Podcast, and more. Von Decarlo is the Executive Producer of the documentary Killing Is Easy on Comedy Central as well as the producer of three posthumous comedy albums, Mr. P, Unreleased, and The Lost Files. Her debut comedy album, A Draggable Offense, is available on all major platforms, and can be heard on the She So Funny and Laugh Out Loud radio stations on Sirius XM.  Look out for Von Decarlo in the upcoming RomCom, Switch Up, and in the indie film, Salesman, currently on Amazon Prime. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Francesca Hogi and Calise Hawkins visit Friends Like US and discuss possibilities for a better romantic future with host Marina Franklin. Francesca Hogi is a coach, speaker, writer, and podcaster. As a love coach, she teaches single people how to transcend their romantic challenges and find true love. As a life coach, she teaches rebels and seekers to truly love their lives. Francesca also teaches people about personal branding, community building, and marketing. Calise Hawkins is a stand-up comedian and writer. She has performed her standup on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon , Nick Mom’s Night Out and she was a cast member of Oxygen’s Funny Girls. She has written for Comedy Central’s @midnight , Hood Adjacent with James Davis, HBO's That Damn Michael Che, and  Hulu's Everything's Trash.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Kiana Webb and Hoodo Hersi visit friends and discuss owning our story, doing things in unity to advance all apects of life, how our value is not determined by historical past, and more with host Marina Franklin.  Kiana Webb, one of the most successful women in business and community-focused philanthropy in the US, had a revelation. She felt that she had seemingly reached the pinnacle of her career, yet she felt unfulfilled.  Kiana embarked on a journey of self-discovery, determining that she wanted more for herself, her life, and for others. While on this path, Kiana created Glorious Arisings, a source of tools and resources to help people get to the next level wherever they are; and to let go of what is no longer serving them. Part of Glorious Arisings’ offerings includes Perfect World Visions, a session to help envision your goals and aspirations, KEY-EO, a curriculum to help entrepreneurs strive and succeed, and much more. Hoodo Hersi is currently writing on A24/Amazon’s Untitled Ramy Youssef Animated show. Since being selected as a New Face: Canada at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, and being selected as one of CBC’s 15 Comics to Watch, Hoodo has performed in clubs and festivals all over Canada and the United States, including the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and the BBC World Service Montreal Comedy Show where both of her performances aired on the CBC, She was also selected as an Audible New Voice at SF Sketchfest, and performed with Hasan Minhaj, Lil Rel Howery, Chris Redd, Gina Yashere, Roy Wood Jr., Nicole Byer, and Maria Bamford, among others. She also had the distinct honors of hosting the TEDxToronto Conference and featuring in Sephora’s national “Get Lippie” lipstick campaign in partnership with Fashion Magazine, where she was profiled as one of the three Female Comedians Taking Canada by Storm Right Now. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.      

This week Zainab Johnson and Abbi Crutchfield join Friends Like Us and discuss the hardship brought on by the WGA/SAG strike, Billy Porter selling his house, and how the Alabama riverboat brawl sparked a cultural moment with host Marina Franklin.  Zainab Johnson, a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer is quickly being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen. Zainab was named one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics To Watch, she is one of the host for Netflix's show "100 Humans", she can be seen as a series regular on the hit Amazon series from Greg Daniels a half hour comedy titled “Upload”, and she made her first late night stand up appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers.  Aside from her many breakout performances on shows like NBC’s Last Comic Standing and her viral standup clips she is a regular at the Comedy Store in LA and the Comedy Cellar in NY. Abbi Crutchfield has been seen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS, and Broad City on Comedy Central. She was a host on You Can Do Better on TruTV, and the host of Up Early Tonight on Hulu. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.    

Rob Eschmann and DC Benney discuss how Rob's new book, "When The Hoods Come Off" , chaotic giveaway in Union Square, DC Benny's new comedy hour on YouTube, and how the use of social media challenges racism and racist narratives with host Marina Franklin. Rob Eschmann Dr. Eschmann is a writer, educator, filmmaker, and scholar from Chicago. He is a proud product of the Chicago Public Schools and received his PhD from the University of Chicago in 2017. He writes on educational inequality, community violence, racism, social media, and youth wellbeing. His research seeks to uncover individual, group, and intuitional-level barriers to racial and economic equity, and he pays special attention to the heroic efforts everyday people make to combat those barriers. For Dr. Eschmann, this work is a part of the freedom struggle. The function of racism is to reproduce racial inequality, but in the 21st Century the devices of racism are often hidden behind color-neutral laws or friendly interactions. Highlighting the mechanisms of racism, therefore, can demonstrate the continuing significance of race, raise consciousness, and promote and strengthen resistance efforts. Dr. Eschmann is an avid reader and re-reader of fantasy fiction who uses his children as a justification for his continued interest in young-adult fiction and regular trips to the comic book store. In terms of creative endeavors, Dr. Eschmann has co-written and directed several short films for the 48 Hour Film Project Film Festival, and has written and workshopped fiction since his days as a graduate student. He is currently in the midst of his first novel project.  *Dr. Eschmann’s first book, When the Hood Comes Off: Racism and Resistance in the Digital Age, is an engaging and comprehensive exploration of the ways technology and online communication are changing how we experience, understand, and respond to racism, both online and in-person. You can buy it now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever books are sold. D.C. Benny’s story-telling style of comedy has delighted audiences over his thirty-five years as a New York-based performer. His third appearance on NBC's  “Showtime At The Apollo” has over eighteen million Youtube views, he has 4 stand up specials including Comedy Central Presents, Dry Bar, was a season finalist on both seasons 2 and 8 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. He's been featured in John Singleton’s “Illegal Tender”, "Freedomland" with Samuel Jackson and Julianne Moore, "Love Walked In" with Terrance Stamp, "Where God Left His Shoes" with John Leguizamo, recurred on the soap opera “As The World Turns” and appeared in many national commercials such as the Budweiser "How You Doin’?” campaign.  He co-hosted the story-telling podcast, "Tall But True", with Cash Cab's Ben Bailey, was a cast member on ABC"s Supermarket Sweep with Leslie Jones and currently plays "Bart" on Amy Schumer's series Life and Beth on Hulu. His writing has been published in New York Magazine, Mystery Tribune, Heeb Magazine, Narratively, and The New York Observer. He currently lives in Long Island's North Fork, where he teaches comedic storytelling and runs a beach rental business with his wife at www.bungalowouteast.com.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Hollie Harper and Tracee Loran discuss Sag's Indie film waiver, black history on social media, Sinead O'Connor and more with host Marina Franklin.  Hollie Harper is a comedy nerd from South Jersey. She is currently the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Hella Late! with Hollie Harper was recently in the 2021 NYC Web Fest where she was nominated as Best Actress. Hollie was a semi-finalist in the 2019 NBC Standup Competition and has been featured on NY1, and in Black Enterprise Magazine, Thrive Global, Confessional Magazine and Black San Diego Magazine. Her popular sketch comedy show AMERICAN CANDY has played the Comic Strip, Gotham Comedy Club, BAM Café as well as the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Time Out Chicago named them one of the five groups to watch. Hollie is a regular host for West Side Comedy Club in NYC and works with Gold Comedy and Stand Up Girls, two programs that empower young women by teaching them standup comedy. She was recently the talent coordinator and casting for “Blood Lassi” on Spotify, written by Pratima Mani, and moderated the panel for the Emmy Award winning, WOC editing team of Black Lady Sketch Show for The Black TV and Film Collective. She is also the Creative Consultant for the very successful Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Tracee Loran is a New York-based writer, TV host, and actress. She hosted and penned a very popular Internet show called TV Quickie with Nikki. Later, she worked as an on-air reporter for ESPN Mobile, covering major sporting events like the Super Bowl, Wimbledon, and MLB League Division Series. Tracee was previously commissioned by HBO to create a multi-platform campaign for its’ digital on demand service HBOGo. The campaign featured Queen Sugar’s Rutina Wesley and the late Michael K. Williams. Tracee has also appeared in several national television commercials for global brands such as FedEx, HBO, AT&T, and Arby’s. Tracee’s popular web series Black History Baddies has garnered over a million views since debuting in 2021. Fun fact: Tracee has never eaten at Red Lobster. No cheddar biscuits for her. Sorry, Black Twitter.  And, she has never ever seen, "It's a Wonderful Life." She intends to keep it that way. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Chuck Nice and Nonye Brown-West join friends and discuss the surge in labor strikes, the generational divide, San Francisco's downtown is a wake up call and more with host Marina Franklin. Chuck Nice is a respected veteran of stand-up comedy with a rich history in entertainment. For years, Chuck has been busy making a name for himself across all mediums, including radio, television, and digital media. Recently, Chuck was delighted to deliver a TED Talk, on the main stage of the Vancouver conference, regarding the unintended consequence of future tech and human interaction. Currently, he is the co-host of Star Talk with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson and the host of Brain Games on the Road on Disney+/Nat Geo. Chuck has also hosted How to Buy Like Mega Millionaire and Home Strange Home on HGTV, as well as appearing in Adam Sandler’s The Day Of, Kevin Can Wait, and many other film and TV projects. No matter how busy, Chuck still finds time to rock the stage most weekends in NYC. Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Vanessa Fraction and Kenice Mobley visit Friends Like Us and argue wether they would stop for a white baby, late at night, on an Alabama road and more with host Marina Franklin!  Vanessa Fraction  is the high-spirited, outrageously funny co-host of Nappy Boy Radio Podcast hosted by rapper and producer T-Pain. She also guest hosts on the entertainment news television series Dish Nation (FOX) and can be seen in Universal Pictures’ cinematic musical, Praise This written and directed by Tina Gordon, produced by Will Packer, Tim Story, James Lopez, and Sharla Sumpter. From her unique brand of comedy that’s both witty and unapologetically honest, Fraction’s hilarious stand-up sets never fail to deliver sharp commentary on everyday life, relationships, and the struggles of being a successful black woman. Her ability to effortlessly weave these topics into a cohesive storyline that perfectly illustrates her point is what makes her stand out from other comics. Fraction’s comedy is relatable and incredibly funny, with an edge that allows her to push boundaries. She’s the kind of comedian who will make you laugh until your face hurts while making you think about the issues at hand. With a storied history of industry wins, Fraction was an analyst for the Comedy Hype News show and periodic face on Windy City Live (Chicago), she is also a recurring favorite as a crowd warmer for numerous shows, including Dancing With Myself, America’s Got Talent: Extreme, Black Girls Rock, The Soul Train Awards, BET Her: Fights Breast Cancer, Sunday's Best and The Ms. Pat Show. As an actress, Fraction’s appearances in television and film also include Last Call (Bounce TV), Comedy Knockout (truTV), Tales (BET), a returning role on Bounce TV’s Mann and Wife, Kim Field’s Holiday Love: The Rebirth (TV One), Kevin Hart's Celebrity Game Face (E!), and the lighthearted comedy Squatter’s Rights.  From Def Comedy Jam (HBO) to NickMom Night Out (Nick Jr.) to Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks (truTV), 1st Amendment Standup (STARZ), Mike Epps Live at Club Nokia, Just for Laughs Montreal Festival (2008, 2018), and Just For Laughs Chicago (2013), Fraction’s bold and clever stand-up has been a welcomed highlight on these and other showcases. The demand for her comedic brilliance has garnered opportunities to perform abroad touring the UK and performing for the U.S. troops in Germany, Japan, and South Korea. After performing on The Monique Show, a year later she was offered her first writing gig. Fraction’s versatility as a writer blossomed on shows like Raven’s Home (Disney), The Arsenio Hall Show (CBS), the Triumph Awards (Bounce TV), and 106 & Park (BET). Fraction’s passionate take on women’s freedoms and rights to empowerment stretches beyond the stage. She is a certified self-defense instructor, and her branded style of teaching, Kicks & Comedy, equips women with life-saving self-defense skills and lifts spirits by infusing comedy. Vanessa’s mission is to empower her audience to overcome their struggles while laughing at hers. Kenice Mobley performs stand up comedy around the world and recently made her late-night debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. She appears regularly on SiriusXM and is a Finalist in the StandUp NBC Competition. This year, Kenice worked on the BET Awards and By Us For Us, a sketch comedy series presented by Color of Change. She hosts Complexify on ViceNews, Love About Town, an interview and relationship podcast, and Make Yourself Cry, available on Planet Scum. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.    

Favorite episode with Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham and Nonye Brown-West for your summer listening! Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham is a museum professional with over 15 years experience in the field. She has worked at the New-York Historical Society, Brooklyn Museum, 9/11 Museum and Memorial, and African American Museum in Philadelphia. Stephanie’s advocacy aligns with Museum Hue, an organization she co-founded and serves as Director. She built the first online directory and mapping of museums centering Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color across the US. It is an invaluable resource that deepens public knowledge and understanding of art, history, and culture. Stephanie is currently working on a larger Cultural Mapping project specific to New York City with support from NYC’s Department of Cultural Affairs. As a 2018 United Nations Human Rights fellow, she applies the UN’s ratification of cultural rights to her work to call for greater recognition and representation in the arts ecosystem. Stephanie received the Americans for the Arts 2019 American Express Emerging Leader Award for her work. She recently hosted and produced On Display, a show for WNET’s ALL ARTS Network that focuses on ways museums are addressing societal issues that resulted from intersecting histories and connects to contemporary life. Each episode covers various topics from immigration to incarceration. Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Favorite Episode For Your Summer Listening with The Seated Nurse, Andrea Dalzell and Jeanne Sparrow! Andrea Dalzell is a phenomenal and passionate Registered Nurse, a highly active Healthcare Advocate, Disability Rights Influencer, and most importantly, a strong Survivor! Andrea Dalzell was born and raised in the heart of the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn, New York. At the early age of five, Andrea was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord that causes pain, muscle weakness and paralysis and was using a wheelchair full-time by age 12. Although this diagnosis was very critical, Andrea let absolutely nothing get in the way of being all that she could be. Jeanne Sparrow is a 7-time Emmy-winning television host, radio personality on V103 Chicago (Saturdays 6am-12pm) and host of her podcast, Fearless Authenticity with Jeanne Sparrow. Jeanne serves as a graduate faculty instructor in communication at Northwestern University and is an award-winning speaker and consultant who helps people and organizations find more success by delivering their unique, authentic value through visionary leadership and inspiring speaking. She’s finishing her book, “Fearless Authenticity: Insider Secrets to Lead Better, Sell More and Speak Sensationally,” expected in late 2024 from McGraw Hill. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Rick Younger, Veniece Antoinette, and Marc Theobald visit Friends Like Us and discuss what WGA writers want, picket line etiquette, policing of black joy and more with host Marina Franklin.  Rick Younger is an actor, comedian, and singer originally from Baltimore, MD. Television appearances include "AXS TV'S Gotham Comedy Live" and "It's Showtime at the Apollo." Rick also toured nationally with the Broadway musical RENT. You've undoubtedly seen him in numerous national television commercials, the Woody Allen Amazon Series, "Crisis in Six Scenes" and guest spots on HBO's "Girls," "Blue Bloods" and "Law & Order: SVU." Film credits include Ordinary World and Morning Glory. Rick’s latest comedy album, "Fried Chicken and White Bread," is available on iTunes. Veniece Antoinette is a Podcaster, Content Creator, and Entrepreneur. Veniece found herself on her first podcast, Talk Hvy, in 2014, and went on to start her own podcast in 2016 called Sip & Spill. After obtaining her Master's Degree in TV and Media Management she went on to work with the Glass Entertainment Group Production Company to help successfully produce one of largest podcasts on Apple, "Confronting OJ Simpson '' getting over 7 millions listeners in its first season; and then started her business, Podcasting and Media Group, LLC to help small business owners and independent podcasters launch their podcasts! Marc Theobald is a stand-up, writer, and producer known for The Last O.G. (2018), Delocated (2018), and the 2019 ESPY Awards. He has performed in a number of New York's hot spots, including the "New York Comedy Club", "Catch a Rising Star", "Stand-Up New York", and "Uptown Comedy Club", He also has been featured on "Comic View" and "The Chappelle Show". True to form, Theobald keeps the crowd in stitches with his sketch artist talents and physical style. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Shalita Grant from Netflix's "You" and TK Dutes visit friends and discuss natural hair freedom, how to treat 4C Hair with Four Natural Hair Care, the CROWN Act and more with host Marina Franklin.   Shalita Grant, a Tony-nominated actress, made headlines when she courageously left a popular TV show due to her struggle with traction alopecia and hair damage, which affected her in front of millions of viewers. Determined to find a solution, she developed a groundbreaking plant-based hair treatment that addressed her own complex type 4 hair issues. This led her to establish Four Naturals Hair in her dining room in Toluca Lake, California in 2019, which has now expanded into a nationwide salon and home care treatment system. With its plant-based active ingredients, the Four Naturals Treatment has become a transformative solution for textured hair, allowing Shalita's characters to look their best. Through her brand, she has empowered her clients, lovingly called Curlfriends, to experience newfound freedom and confidence with their type 4 hair, whether on vacation or in their daily lives. Shalita's commitment to healing and uplifting Black women has also extended to developing a patent-pending textured hair detangling technique that brings pain-free and stress-free experiences to both mothers and their children. Despite her own hair struggles, Shalita chose to rise above and make a positive impact in the industry, while finding joy in her personal life with her partner, former MMA World Champion Jessica Aguilar, and their three dogs in Puebla, Mexico. Keisha "TK" Dutes is a self professed "Rich Auntie" and a visual artist. You can find her experiments all over her IG page. She loves exploring the full potential of audio. Her experience spans terrestrial radio (WBAI-NY) , online (TK in The AM/Bondfire Radio), podcast (Buzzfeed's Thirst Aid Kit, Hear to Slay, etc) and audio drama, from W.E.B DuBois' The Comet, The Weeksvile Project, to Take Me To The Water - a 2020 Sarah Award winning piece for art history podcast, Accession. The first project under her new company Philo's Future Media is Open World, a podcast anthology about better futures through science and tech in partnership with Rose Eveleth and Flash Forward Presents. It has been featured in The Bello Collective's 100 Outstanding podcasts of 2020 and listed as a Top Podcast of 2020 by Spotify. TK spreads the gospel of radio/podcasting through workshops, mentorship, public speaking, and was listed on Current.org's "Black Talents in Public Media You Should Know.". She also serves on the board of the Association of Independents in Radio. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Matteo Lane and Pat Brown visit Friends and discuss Matteo's new self-owned comedy special, the problems with Media on LGBTQIA2S+ issues, gender neutral bathing suits and more with host Marina Franklin.  Matteo Lane Named one of Variety's Top Ten Comics to Watch, stand-up comedian Matteo Lane performs to sold-out crowds all over the world. Matteo's meteoric rise is reflected in his constantly expanding fanbase, with over 2.5 million followers across social media. He has shared the stage with the likes of Chelsea Handler, Aziz Ansari, Hasan Minhaj, and Bob the Drag Queen, and is currently on an international theater tour, THE AL DENTE TOUR. Matteo can be seen in Netflix's queer stand-up special STAND OUT as well as THE COMEDY LINEUP and has been a guest on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!, THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT, and LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS. A skilled artist and pasta aficionado, Matteo has also painted a mural for the Obamas' headquarters in Chicago and trained as an opera singer in Rome. New Special on YouTube: Mateo Lane: Hair Plugs and Heartaches Pat Brown has been seen on CBS’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Fuse’s Uproarious, Axis’s Gotham Live, NBC’s Comic’s Unleashed and BET‘s ComicView, TVOne’s made for TV movie-WHITE WATER, the independent film SOMEBODIES, and the web series UNREQUITED. Pat has won both the Las Vegas Comedy Festival and the She Devil Competition. She has been featured in Time Out Magazine, After-Ellen, Splitsider and Punchline Magazine. Her critically acclaimed album “The Pat Brown Sex-Tape” has been described as “provocative and conceptual” by Laugh and is streaming on all platforms. You can watch her set on Two Dope Queens on HBO! Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Mugga and Sara Contreras visit Friends Like Us and discuss Netflix's "Manifest", The 123yr old virgin, New York's Lack Of School Diversity, Hot Flashes and more with host Marina Franklin. Mugga is an American actress and comedian who was born and raised in Brooklyn. She is known for her roles as Dolores in The First Purge, Reema Pell in Orange Is The New Black, and NBC’s Manifest as Bethany.  Sara Contreras, a top female comedian, actor, and writer since 1995—and one of Showtime’s 2008 ALMA-nominated (Best Comedy Special) Original Latin Divas of Comedy. Sara has performed for the troops in Iraq as part of the USO tour. She has been tapped to open for El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico, the iconic salsa band, in 2022 for their 60th-anniversary world tour. She was selected as one of the 22 top Comedians to watch in 2022. Her hilarious one-woman show, F.R.E.A.K. of Nature is premiering in 2022 around the country. Sara was a featured radio personality for the WRKS 98.7 Kiss Morning Show and has been a featured comedian for nationally syndicated radio personalities Luis Jimenez and Wendy Williams. Sara has performed at the New York Comedy, Marshalls Women in Comedy, Urban Comedy, and the Toyota Comedy Festivals. She has been critically acclaimed for her work with the N.Y.-based “Sistas Doing Comedy,” D.C.-based “DiverCity,” and the L.A.-based “Hot & Spicy Tamales” comedy troupes. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Lisa Willis and Nonye Brown-West visit friends and discuss the banning of Amanda Gorman's poem, Supporting black poetry, and advocating for black art with host Marina Franklin. Lisa Willis serves as the Executive Director of Cave Canem. She is a passionate artistic administrator with 20 years of experience managing multi-disciplinary projects in the non-profit and commercial arts sectors. She has held various consulting and management roles in development, programming, and operations for New York Live Arts, home of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Contemporaneous, Thresh, Heidi Latsky Dance, Brian Sanders’ JUNK, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Mann, and JazzReach. In 2020 she co-founded The LynList, a curated listserv and grant writing support service for NYC area individual artists and small non-profit arts groups. Prior to her shift into fundraising, she was the founding Operations Manager for CAMI Music, establishing and managing its daily administrative protocols in addition to overseeing the touring and managerial logistics for Lang Lang, Tan Dun, Savion Glover, American Ballet Theatre, Cirque Eloize, and the Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández. Lisa holds a B.A. in Music Composition and Theory from New York University and a background of training in ballet and modern dance. Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Hollie Harper, Joanna Briley, and Chaundra Daniels visit Friends Like Us and discuss the importance of black women in comedy, The Black Women In Comedy Laff Fest For Juneteenth and more with host Marina Franklin. Hollie Harper is a comedy nerd from South Jersey. She is currently the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Hella Late! with Hollie Harper was recently in the 2021 NYC Web Fest where she was nominated as Best Actress. Hollie was a semi-finalist in the 2019 NBC Standup Competition and has been featured on NY1, and in Black Enterprise Magazine, Thrive Global, Confessional Magazine and Black San Diego Magazine. Her popular sketch comedy show AMERICAN CANDY has played the Comic Strip, Gotham Comedy Club, BAM Café as well as the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Time Out Chicago named them one of the five groups to watch. Hollie is a regular host for West Side Comedy Club in NYC and works with Gold Comedy and Stand Up Girls, two programs that empower young women by teaching them standup comedy. She was recently the talent coordinator and casting for “Blood Lassi” on Spotify, written by Pratima Mani, and moderated the panel for the Emmy Award winning, WOC editing team of Black Lady Sketch Show for The Black TV and Film Collective. She is also the Creative Consultant for the very successful Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Joanna Briley Brooklyn born, Connecticut raised. Hilarity ensued. Joanna’s work for the MTA made her one of the friendliest Token Booth Clerks and her love of stand up and being a token booth clerk aka Station Agent, allowed her to write and produce “Swipe This: My Life in Transit!” to critical acclaim. Joanna is also the proud creator of the Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest which was created in 2018 and will have her fourth festival this June 14th-June 18th 2023 in various venues throughout NYC.  Chaundra Daniels is currently the Director of Career Services at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology providing guidance and structure for a range of student services offered by career services and overseeing all office operations on career development strategies. She is a former Project Manager working on career development projects for Fortune 500 companies such as Colgate, the Federal Reserve Bank, McDonald's, Pepsi,  Starbucks, and Verizon. Chaundra is the Principal Consultant of  Monarch Productions, LLC, a boutique consulting firm that provides coaching and consulting sessions, workshops, and speaking engagements for individuals and businesses. Known as “The Humor Consultant”, Chaundra is an enthusiastic and resourceful communicator. The Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships & Planning for the 4th Annual Black Women in Comedy Festival, Chaundra is also the producer of the BFF (Beautiful, Fabulous, and Funny) Comedy Show,  a monthly comedy residency that donates partial proceeds to the designated benefactor, TechCore2, a Philadelphia based STEM program whose mission is to empower youth through tech industry training to build confidence and to pursue a technology career path.  She is often sought out to facilitate presentations and host events. An effective communicator,  she uses humor as a tool, offering a unique communication style with the ability to successfully engage and motivate audiences through critical thinking.  She has a fond appreciation of butterflies and uses their symbolic nature of “transformation” as part of her message providing inspiration to her audiences. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Tina Wells, Dean Edwards, and Bret Raybould visit friends and discuss work-life harmony, race relations, well being, The positive impact of black female entrepeneurs and more with host Marina Franklin. Tina Wells is a business strategist, advisor, author, and the founder of RLVNT Media, a multimedia content venture that brings culture-shifting storytelling and beloved products to market through innovative partnerships. In 2023, her acclaimed “Elevation Approach,” a framework for finding work-life harmony that she developed while confronting her own professional and personal burnout, expanded with a book and corresponding product line available at Target stores nationwide. Wells is also author of the bestselling tween fiction series Honest June, Mackenzie Blue, and The Zee Files, as well as the marketing handbook Chasing Youth Culture and Getting It Right. An entrepreneur who launched a successful market research company at age 16, Wells has been recognized by Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, Essence’s 40 Under 40, the American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Achievement, and more. Dean Edwards is an American actor, comedian and writer. Most notably recognized for his two year tenure as a cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, Edwards is best known for his multitude of remarkable celebrity impressions that include Denzel Washington, Dave Chappelle, Jay-Z, Mo’Nique, Chris Rock, 50 Cent, and Eddie Murphy. Recently, Dean showcased his amazing talents in his first comedy special, Netflix’s Tiffany Haddish Presents: THEY READY, Season 2. Bret Raybould is a New York City comedian with an ever-expanding BCU (Bret Cinematic Universe).Currently, he is co-starring in the off-Broadway production of Race: The Movie: The Play, for which he won Best Script and Best Actor for at the NY Theater Festival. The show has been called by critics "Mel Brooks for the modern era" and sold-out its opening night. Tickets for it can be purchased at RaceTheMovieThePlay.com.  In November of 2020, he released his debut hour comedy special “Bret Raybould Retires From Comedy.” The accompanying comedy album version of it debuted at #1 on the iTunes comedy charts and had its worldwide premiere on SiriusXM’s premier comedy channel RawDog Radio. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Natalie Brasington and Exavier Pope visit friends and discuss the defunding of Harlem Schools, how Jordan Neely's life should have mattered, and more with host Marina Franklin.  Natalie Brasington is a multimedia producer, content creator, director, strategist, and media programming developer passionate about seeing the magic in everyone. She specializes in building media programs for social service agencies, nonprofits, and community groups through her hybrid media production company and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, With & About Projects.  Before founding With & About Projects, Natalie photographed celebrities, entertainers, athletes, and CEOs for advertisements, national networks, and global brands, produced photo shoots for world-renowned clients like Grey Advertising, BBDO, Viacom, and New Wave Entertainment, among others, produced award-winning short films, and produced and directed short and feature-length documentary films. Uniquely equipped with a media background and nonprofit training in youth trauma, creative workshop facilitation, interviewing techniques, and anti-oppression alignment, Natalie realized she could lend her varied expertise and insight to important causes.  Natalie is dedicated to leveraging the power of media to problem-solve by challenging assumptions, shifting narratives, and building platforms where communities can celebrate their innate gifts. Her maker process is unique in that she works consciously to flip power dynamics and deliberately center media subjects as co-collaborators and art directors of their own stories. Her professional background spanning the worlds of celebrity entertainment, advertising, social change storytelling, and nonprofit program development allows her to forge unlikely partnerships. Natalie founded her company on the premise that the social justice, nonprofit, and mainstream entertainment sectors can and should have a much more symbiotic relationship. She is a committed member of the Harlem community, and her life's pride and joy are her amazing family and Ukrainian heritage. Natalie loves people fiercely and believes that community is everything and that there is no such thing as other people's children. She's an absurd human who loves talking to strangers so much that she built a whole career around this impulse. Natalie has held many different job titles, but the most important, fulfilling, joyful one is "mom.” Exavier B. Pope I, Esq. is an award-winning attorney, Legal & Cultural Contributor to ESPN Las Vegas, and host of SuitUP News, a news magazine & variety program focusing on politics, law, social justice, and sports. Exavier is also a Fortune 500 speaker, yoga instructor, and vegan chef.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Vanessa Fraction, Mia Jackson, and Akeem Woods visit Friends Like Us for a hilarious take on hot topics! Vanessa Fraction: Action Fraction is a fitting handle for the intelligent and hilarious stand-up comedian, actor, writer, television personality, and women’s empowerment advocate Vanessa Fraction. A mother of two, working at the phone company in 2001, Vanessa Fraction hit the stage of a popular open mic at The Cotton Club, Chicago to sing backup for a co-worker. Performing the gig with a few girlfriends from church, they weren't great, but Fraction decided that night, she wanted to be on stage. She went back the next week to do a comedy set and got booked for a show. Two years later she landed the role of Monisha in Barbershop 2: Back in Business. Currently, Fraction is the high-spirited, outrageously funny co-host of Nappy Boy Radio Podcast hosted by rapper and producer T-Pain. She also guest hosts on the entertainment news television series Dish Nation (FOX) and can be seen in Universal Pictures’ cinematic musical, Praise This written and directed by Tina Gordon, produced by Will Packer, Tim Story, James Lopez, and Sharla Sumpter. From Def Comedy Jam (HBO) to NickMom Night Out (Nick Jr.) to Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks (truTV), 1st Amendment Standup (STARZ), Mike Epps Live at Club Nokia, Just for Laughs Montreal Festival (2008, 2018), and Just For Laughs Chicago (2013), Fraction’s bold and clever stand-up has been a welcomed highlight on these and other showcases. The demand for her comedic brilliance has garnered opportunities to perform abroad touring the UK and performing for the U.S. troops in Germany, Japan, and South Korea. After performing on The Monique Show, a year later she was offered her first writing gig. Fraction’s versatility as a writer blossomed on shows like Raven’s Home (Disney), The Arsenio Hall Show (CBS), the Triumph Awards (Bounce TV), and 106 & Park (BET). Fraction’s passionate take on women’s freedoms and rights to empowerment stretches beyond the stage. She is a certified self-defense instructor, and her branded style of teaching, Kicks & Comedy, equips women with life-saving self-defense skills and lifts spirits by infusing comedy. Vanessa's mission is to empower her audience to overcome their struggles while laughing at hers. Akeem Woods is the funny little brother you always (never) wanted — his comedy style will have you on the edge of your seat reeling from laughter! No topic is safe from discussion, whether it be the KKK or the hardships of growing up poor. Akeem is a regular at the Comedy Cellar in NYC, was a semi-finalist on Stand Up NBC, has been seen on Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, and just recently made his television debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden! Currently, you can find Akeem working on a new show for BET and at clubs and colleges all over the country. Mia Jackson is a bonafide Georgia peach (that's Georgian for “native”). In 2017, she was selected as a New Face by the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and Atlanta's Creative Loafing named her the Critic's Choice Best Stand-Up in the city. She has toured nationally with Amy Schumer and is a featured comic at festivals and clubs across the country. Her first stand up special aired in October 2018 as part of Unprotected Sets on EPIX. Mia has appeared on NickMom's Night Out, Viceland, Comedy Central's This Week at the Comedy Cellar and was a semi-finalist on Season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing. Her Comedy Central half hour special debuted in November 2019. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham and Nonye Brown-West discuss funding of museums centering on People Of Color across the United States.  Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham is a museum professional with over 15 years experience in the field. She has worked at the New-York Historical Society, Brooklyn Museum, 9/11 Museum and Memorial, and African American Museum in Philadelphia. Stephanie’s advocacy aligns with Museum Hue, an organization she co-founded and serves as Director. She built the first online directory and mapping of museums centering Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color across the US. It is an invaluable resource that deepens public knowledge and understanding of art, history, and culture. Stephanie is currently working on a larger Cultural Mapping project specific to New York City with support from NYC’s Department of Cultural Affairs. As a 2018 United Nations Human Rights fellow, she applies the UN’s ratification of cultural rights to her work to call for greater recognition and representation in the arts ecosystem. Stephanie received the Americans for the Arts 2019 American Express Emerging Leader Award for her work. She recently hosted and produced On Display, a show for WNET’s ALL ARTS Network that focuses on ways museums are addressing societal issues that resulted from intersecting histories and connects to contemporary life. Each episode covers various topics from immigration to incarceration. Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Andrea Dalzell and Jeanne Sparrow visit friends and discuss the role of caregiver, Cities that ignore Americans with Disabilities, and the Tsunami in Nurse care.  Andrea Dalzell is a phenomenal and passionate Registered Nurse, a highly active Healthcare Advocate, Disability Rights Influencer, and most importantly, a strong Survivor! Andrea Dalzell was born and raised in the heart of the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn, New York. At the early age of five, Andrea was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord that causes pain, muscle weakness and paralysis and was using a wheelchair full-time by age 12. Although this diagnosis was very critical, Andrea let absolutely nothing get in the way of being all that she could be. Jeanne Sparrow is a 7-time Emmy-winning television host, radio personality on V103 Chicago (Saturdays 6am-12pm) and host of her podcast, Fearless Authenticity with Jeanne Sparrow. Jeanne serves as a graduate faculty instructor in communication at Northwestern University and is an award-winning speaker and consultant who helps people and organizations find more success by delivering their unique, authentic value through visionary leadership and inspiring speaking. She’s finishing her book, “Fearless Authenticity: Insider Secrets to Lead Better, Sell More and Speak Sensationally,” expected in late 2024 from McGraw Hill. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.      

Latanya Mapp Frett and Sabrina Revell visit friends and discuss "The Everyday Feminist", "The Crossover" for Disney+, black women's new bodily autonomy.  Latanya Mapp Frett [she/her/hers] is author of The Everyday Feminist and President and CEO of Global Fund for Women. She serves on the Board of Directors for Global Fund for Women and Global Fund for Women UK, as well as Oxfam, and Management Sciences for Health (MSH). Global Fund for Women offers flexible feminist funding and support to create meaningful change that will last beyond our lifetimes. Since its founding, Global Fund for Women has supported over 5,000 grassroots organizations in 175 countries. Mapp Frett was an Executive Director of the Emmy-nominated Fundamental Film series from Global Fund for Women. Latanya Mapp Frett teaches at Columbia University and sits on several commissions and advisory boards. She started her career interning with the NAACP, served as a delegate to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, and continues to fight for the human rights of women. Sabrina Revelle is an accomplished actor, currently starring in "The Crossover" for Disney+. The LeBron James produced series is based on the bestselling novel of the same name and released to wide acclaim on April 5th. She can also be seen in her current recurring role on the popular CW series "All American: Homecoming," airing its second season. Sabrina is also known for her memorable roles in Netflix's "Zac & Mia" and Hulu's "Champaign ILL," among others. A Philadelphia native, Sabrina trained at the UK-based Identity School of Acting and now resides in Los Angeles. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons, Gina Brillon, and Hollie Harper visit Friends Like Us and discuss sexual liberation, maternal health care week, and more with host Marina Franklin. Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons is an award-winning associate professor of counseling psychology at the University of Kentucky, where she studies sexual wellness and liberation. She is the host of F*ck the System: A Sexual Liberation Podcast and How to Love a Human, a liberation podcast that asks people with multiple marginalized identities what the world would be like if it loved them. She has published over 50 research articles and has been featured in the Huffington Post, the APA Monitor, Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, Blavity, Cosmopolitan, and the New York Times. Gina Brillon was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. The Puerto Rican actress, comedian, writer and mom has been a standup comic since she was 17 years old. Her 1-hour special Gina Brillon: The Floor is Lava won a 2021 Gracie Award, is nominated for an Imagen Award, and is available on Amazon Prime Video, along with her first special, Pacifically Speaking. Her 1/2 hour special Easily Offended was one of the top shows from the Entre Nos franchise on HBO Latino, and streams on all HBO Digital Platforms. She was a finalist on America's Got Talent Season 16, and has made appearances on HBO Max’s HA Festival: The Art of Comedy, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, E!’s Chelsea Lately, The View, Late Night with Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel Live. You have seen her on Kevin Can Wait on CBS and The Conners on ABC. ​​Hollie Harper is a comedy nerd from South Jersey. She is currently the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Hella Late! with Hollie Harper was recently in the 2021 NYC Web Fest where she was nominated as Best Actress. Hollie was a semi-finalist in the 2019 NBC Standup Competition and has been featured on NY1, and in Black Enterprise Magazine, Thrive Global, Confessional Magazine and Black San Diego Magazine. Her popular sketch comedy show AMERICAN CANDY has played the Comic Strip, Gotham Comedy Club, BAM Café as well as the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Time Out Chicago named them one of the five groups to watch. Hollie is a regular host for West Side Comedy Club in NYC and works with Gold Comedy and Stand Up Girls, two programs that empower young women by teaching them standup comedy. She was recently the talent coordinator and casting for “Blood Lassi” on Spotify, written by Pratima Mani, and moderated the panel for the Emmy Award winning, WOC editing team of Black Lady Sketch Show for The Black TV and Film Collective. She is also the Creative Consultant for the very successful Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.   ​​

Diandra Lyle and Nonye Brown-West visit Friends and discuss the success of black nostalgia on Peacock, the arrest of Jonathan Majors, AI may be taking over Hollywood, and more with host Marina Franklin.   Diandra Lyle is an American actress currently appearing in Disney Channel's Secrets of Sulphur Springs, the upcoming 2nd season of Bel-Air on Peacock, and NBC’s reboot of Quantum Leap. She has also starred in Apple TV’s Beauty and the Baller, recurred on Paramount Network’s American Woman and on NCIS, and has had roles in Shameless, Bones, A24’s Moonbase 8 and General Hospital, among other shows. On the film front, she has appeared in Foster Boy, starring Matthew Modine and Always A Bridesmaid, among others. Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch , as well as NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Watch out for Nonye performing in your city! Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Krystyna Hutchinson and Kaneez Surka visit friends and talk about cancel culture, intimate conversations to make sex better,  freezing eggs and more with host Marina Franklin. Krystyna Hutchinson is an internationally touring stand-up comedian, actress and writer based in New York City. Krystyna and her comedy partner, Corinne Fisher, co-host the critically acclaimed GUYS WE F*CKED: The Anti Slut-Shaming Podcast in addition to co-writing their book, FCKED: Being Sexually Explorative and Self-Confident in a World That’s Screwed, published by Harper One. The duo has also shared the TEDx Stage and are currently in development to produce, write and star in a sitcom with Lionsgate and FOX. Krystyna has performed as a featured comedian on Comedy Central’s This Is Not Happening, has appeared on Netflix’s Master of None, TRUTV’s Laff Tracks, and has been written up in Vogue, The New York Times, Mother Jones, and The Huffington Post to name a few. Kaneez Surka is a Comedian, Producer and Actor. She is known for being one of the pioneers of the Indian comedy scene and has produced and performed in her comedy specials 'Ladies Up' and 'Comedy Premium League,' on Netflix and 'Something From Nothing' and 'Improv All Stars' on Amazon Prime video.  Kaneez moved to New York in 2022 to continue doing comedy. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Francesca Hogi and Jenny Saldana visit Friends and discuss dating, finding love within, and how to get the most out of dating apps with host Marina Franklin.  Francesca Hogi is a coach, speaker, writer, and podcaster. As a love coach, she teaches single people how to transcend their romantic challenges and find true love. As a life coach, she teaches rebels and seekers to truly love their lives. Francesca also teaches people about personal branding, community building, and marketing. Jenny Saldaña is an award winning playwright, actor and comedian. She is also a 17 year breast cancer survivor and advocate. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.    

Meme Simpson and Brittany Carney visit friends and talk about ageist comedy reviews, the defunding of education and more with host Marina Franklin. Brittany Carney began standup comedy in Washington, DC. She now lives in New York, where she regularly performs at the Comedy Cellar, Union Hall, and other clubs/alternative venues around the city. Brittany’s staff writing experience includes Season 2 of That Damn Michael Che on HBO Max and Season 2 of Teenage Euthanasia on Adult Swim. Her Comedy Central: Featuring set aired in February, 2021 and is available here. Brittany has opened for headliners including Gary Gulman, Colin Quinn, Moshe Kasher, Chris Gethard, and Jessica Kirson. MeMe Simpson is a writer, comedian, and producer who has performed at The Laugh Factory, The Comedy Store, The Comic Strip, and the Apollo Theater. She currently hosts Laugh Gas, a virtual comedy showcase. This June, she is headlining the Black Women In Comedy Laff Fest.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.    

Janus Adams and Africa Miranda visit Friends and discuss how segregation in education still remain, the lack of school funding in New York City, Brown Vs. Board Of Education and more with host Marina Franklin.   Africa Miranda - In the span of her 15-year career, Africa Miranda has been an actress, a model, a host, an author, a beautypreneur and a digital personality. Most importantly, she’s been a student of life. As the face and spokesperson for brands like Refinery 29, Macy’s, TJ Maxx and Kia Motors Africa had the opportunity to travel and see the world. Traveling taught her who she is and fueled the creative passions that allowed her to connect with and empower women everywhere. Boston-born and Alabama-raised, Africa grew up wondering what the world outside her backyard looked like. As a graduate of Alabama State University, she learned to bring the world to her using education and creative expression. This wonderment flourished into a deeply-rooted desire to travel the world. From Seoul to the South of France, Africa’s life didn’t truly begin until she left the comfort of the things she knew. Travel taught her the magic of losing yourself right before you find yourself. In 2016, Africa launched her skincare line, Beauty by Africa Miranda to commemorate the incredible experiences she has on her travels and share them with you. From her ultra-hydrating Luminous Body Mist,  inspired by the French Riviera to her aloe vera-rich Hydra Essence Complexion Mist which is a love letter to her time in Curaçao – the highly-praised product line takes your skin on an incredible journey around the globe. Africa’s skincare line and media brand has garnered acclaim from publications like EBONY.com, Essence.com, BET.com, Yahoo Lifestyle, Rolling Out, Vanity Fair and Womensweardaily.com. Her growing following on Instagram and Twitter allows Africa to connect with thousands of women all over the world. With such a successful and active career, over the years Africa received a swell of questions about navigating life as a public figure and personal brand. Her inbox full of career questions lead to the release of her 2018 book, Step Up, Step Out and Shine. Through its pages, Africa teaches readers  how to leverage social media to create their own global brands. Africa’s most recent adventure, in partnership with Facebook Watch, was the opportunity to host and executive produce her very own show – The Africa Miranda Show. Here, she invites her viewers to join in as she chats with a few favorite friends and some incredible creators. They touch on topics about everything from beauty and travel to paving a career path that suits your passion. Dedicated to empowering other women to step intentionally into the media space – Africa is helping a new generation of creators reach their highest potential through her media workshop, Media Mastery Workshop and training course Shine Media Training. Dr. Janus Adams - Emmy Award-winning journalist, historian, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of eleven books, Dr. Janus Adams is the host of public radio’s “The Janus Adams Show” and podcast.  A frequent on-air guest, she has appeared on ABC, BET, CBS, CNN, Fox News, NBC’s The Today Show, and NPR’s All Things Considered. With more than 500 articles, essays and columns to her credit, her work has been featured in Essence and Ms. Magazines, The New York Times, Newsday, USA Today, and The Washington Post.  Her syndicated column ran in the Hearst Newspapers for sixteen years.  Her commentary has been broadcast on CBS and NPR, and published in the Huffington Post.  Her book, Glory Days: 365 Inspired Moments in African American History, was licensed by McDonald’s and reached more than 3 million readers. A pioneer of issue-oriented African-American and women’s programming she has hosted her own radio and television talk shows for more than ten years.  Her series, “Milestones in African-American Business History,” ran on public radio’s Marketplace. Her 19-hour International Women’s Day marathon broadcasts brought her to NPR as the network’s first National Arts Correspondent and opened the New York News Bureau. An entrepreneur, as founder of BackPax (a children’s publishing company) and Harambee (the first national book club for African American literature), she changed the publishing landscape for authors and audiences. A dynamic speaker and passionate storyteller, she is known for her unique perspectives on current events through the lens of history. Indeed, Dr. Adams has been engaged by history and culture since childhood. A northern school desegregation pioneer at 8, she was one of the four children selected to break New York’s de facto segregation in the public schools in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education.  A classically-trained pianist, she is a graduate of New York’s High School of Performing Arts.  Her master’s is the nation’s first graduate degree in Black Studies.  Her doctoral chair was author and composer Shirley Graham Du Bois (widow of Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, the “Father of Pan-Africanism” and co-founder of the NAACP). Her honors include Doctor of Humane Letters degrees from Shaw University and the State University of New York. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.    

Subhah Agarwal and Nonye Brown-West visit Friends and discuss Bings artificial intelligence, the dangers of AI, How Cancel Culture Works For White Guys, affordable housing and more with host Marina Franklin. Subhah Agarwal has brought an honesty to her comedy that is refreshing, and at times a bit disturbing... but in a good way. Trust me. Subhah has written for the "Plan B" movie on Hulu," and The Jim Jefferies Show"on Comedy Central, amongst others. You can also catch her jokes live at stand up comedy clubs across the country. If you don't want to leave your couch, you can see her late night debut on NBC's "A Little Late With Lilly Singh." She's also appeared on season three of HBO's "Westworld", on TruTv's sketch comedy "Friends of the People", and as herself on MTV2, Comedy Central, and Gotham Comedy Live.  Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Marc Theobald and Von Decarlo visit friends and discuss judgmental preachers, protecting black lives, new data on childbirth for black families, justice for Emmett Till, and more with host Marina Franklin.   Marc Theobald is a stand-up, writer, and producer known for The Last O.G. (2021), Delocated (2018), and the 2019 ESPY Awards. He has performed in a number of New York's hot spots, including the "New York Comedy Club", "Catch a Rising Star", "Stand-Up New York", and "Uptown Comedy Club", He also has been featured on "Comic View" and "The Chappelle Show". True to form, Theobald keeps the crowd in stitches with his sketch artist talents and physical style.  Von Decarlo is a New York bred stand up comedian, producer, writer, and actress with global ad campaigns, and national commercials for Disney, GNC, Match, and Carnival Cruise Lines. She performed in Montreal at the Just For Laughs comedy festival for Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, as well as, the Lil’ Rel and Friends show. She has been a featured comedian on HBO’s Pause with Sam Jay, Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks on Tru TV and HBO Max, CNN’s talking head year end wrap up special, The Jerry O’Connell Show on FOX, BET, Buzz Feed, FOX Soul, The Breakfast Club, Angela Yee’s Lip Service, and more!  Additionally, she was the first woman, and first comedian to host her own show on the Sirius XM NBA channel. Von Decarlo is the Executive Producer of the documentary Killing Is Easy on Comedy Central as well as the producer of three posthumous comedy albums, Mr. P, Unreleased, and The Lost Files. Her debut comedy album, A Draggable Offense, is available on all major platforms, and can be heard on the She So Funny and Laugh Out Loud radio stations on Sirius XM. Look out for Von Decarlo in the upcoming RomCom film, Switch Up, and in the indie film, Salesman, currently on Amazon Prime. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf    

Yamaneika Saunders and Kyle Grooms visit Friends to talk about Florida's problem with everything but Ron Desantis, Healthy Vegan eating and more with host Marina Franklin! Yamaneika Saunders is stand-up comedian, writer, and actor known for her work as a panelist on "The Meredith Vierira Show" and lead roles on Oxygen’s "Funny Girls" and Comedy Central’s "In Security." Yam has appeared on HBO’s "Crashing," truTV’s "Comedy Knockout" and "Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks," Comedy Central’s "Broad City," The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," and "This is Not Happening." Yam has also been featured on TV Land’s "The Jim Gaffigan Show," A&E’s "Black and White," NBC’s "Last Comic Standing," and as a recurring correspondent on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon." Yamaneika has performed stand-up at the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal, "The Half Hour" on Comedy Central, and filmed a half-hour special as part of the comedy showcase "The Degenerates" for Netflix. She currently stars on Comedy Central’s "This Week at the Comedy Cellar," VH1’s "Talk 30 to Me," Bravo’s "Kandi Koated Nights," and most recently as a writer and performer in the Jeff Ross Netflix original series "Historical Rants," which premiered in May. You can listen to her weekly on her hit podcast Rantin and Ravin. Yamaneika also voices the therapist character on "Flatbush Misdemeanors" and was cast in Amy Schumer’s "Life with Bet." Saunders is currently a staff writer for "That Damn Michael Che." Kyle Grooms is a veteran comedian with multiple appearances on VH1, NBC, BET, CBS, HBO,  the famed Chappelle Show,  the film, ”I Feel Pretty” with Amy Schumer, and his own, half-hour special on Comedy Central. In 2019, Kyle suffered a seizure, which led to emergency brain surgery. However, he did not let that detour him. In 2020 he released a standup special that documented his ordeal. “Kyle Grooms: Brain Humor” is receiving stellar reviews Amazon Prime.  His first album, “The Legend of the Jersey Devil,” was named one of iTunes “Top 100 Comedy albums of 2009”. He was also voted “Best Comedian of 2018” by Miami News-Times. Kyle delivers an honest and intelligent view of the world while giving an intimate look into his own life experiences growing up in the American melting pot. With his many accomplishments as Comedian, Actor, and writer, he continues to perform at some of the top comedy clubs in the world including, Gotham, The Comedy Cellar, the Comic strip, and Carolineʼs in New York. Laugh Factory, Improv, Comedy Store, Los Angeles. Borgata Casino, Atlantic City. The Stand, Scotland. Kung Fu Komedy, China. Comedy Masala, Singapore and Pakistan.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Lisa Renee Pitts and Abbi Crutchfield visit Friends and discuss the banning of authors like Toni Morrison, Parenting challenges for today's parent, work place affairs and more with Marina Franklin.  Lisa Renee Pitts is an award winning actress and voice over artist. Broadway credit includes the Pulitzer Prize winning & Tony nominated play Sweat by Lynn Nottage. Notable Off-Broadway and Regional Theater credits include; The Father opposite actor Alfred Molina ;Tiny Beautiful Things and Doubt (Critics Circle Award) ; A Raisin in the Sun (NAACP Theater Award Nominee),  & Intimate Apparel (Critics Circle Award) .  Television and Film roles include: Dr. Dre’s mother, Verna, in Straight Outta Compton (Dir. F. Gary Gray) Stephen King's "The Stand" based on his best selling novel by the same name; True to the Game 1, 2  & 3 adapted from the popular urban romance novels by Teri Woods ; and Baselines; a new pilot coming from (Actor/Dir Nate Parker) As a multi-award winning voice over artist, Lisa's work can be heard in audio movies, national radio spots and most notable in well over 100 titles, narrating your favorite genres for publishing houses including Audible, Simon & Schuster, Random House and Recorded Books just to name a few. Up next, Lisa will appear in Anna Deveare Smiths seminal play "Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, CA.  The play explores the human impact of the LA Riots, following the verdict in the Rodney King beating. A  native New Yorker, now residing in Los Angeles, CA, Lisa holds a BFA degree from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Abbi Crutchfield has been seen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS, Broad City on Comedy Central, and she hosted You Can Do Better on TruTV. Her jokes on Twitter are consistently featured on best of lists by publications such as Paste Magazine and The Huffington Post. She has trained at the renowned Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre, taught at the People’s Improv Theater, and she tours nationally with her stand-up. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Zainab Johnson and Dawn B visit friends and discuss Florida Blocking AP African American Studies, Tech Lay Offs, why we continue to compare excellent black women, and more with host Marina Franklin. Zainab Johnson, a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer is quickly being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen. In 2019, Zainab was named one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics To Watch. She was one of the hosts for Netflix's show "100 Humans". You can also catch her as Aleesha on the Amazon Prime comedy series "Upload". Zainab made her first late night stand up appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, and has also had appearances on HBO’s All Def Comedy (2017), NBC’s Last Comic Standing (2014), Arsenio (2014), BET’s Comic View (2014), AXSTV’s Gotham Comedy Live! She starred in the web series titled Avant-Guardians. Zainab is a regular at the Improv Comedy Club in LA and the Comedy Cellar in NY, and has performed in the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival as one of the 2014 New Faces of Comedy and returned numerous times since.   Dawn Boatman “Dawn B” is a comedian, host, actress, and radio personality. Hailing from Chicago Il., Dawn B began her career over 20 years ago performing at local comedy clubs and bars around the country and internationally. She joined an improvisational group called "The Forgotten City".   Dawn B honed her comedic career when she decided to move to the east coast while working for the clothing company Sean John as a district merchandiser. She later moved to New York City and performed at clubs like Caroline’s and The Improv. Dawn B started traveling internationally and performing for the military.  She has told jokes in Japan, the United Kingdom, and Haiti. Dawn B’s raw talent and quick wit for comedy, has always been in her soul. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

This week on friends Professor Christina Greer and Erin Jackson visit friends and talk on MLK's woke speech you don't hear, Mayor Adams, that corrupt republican party, and more!  Erin Jackson is one of the fastest-rising comedians in New York City. She works nightly in the city’s top comedy clubs and most recently made her Netflix debut on Season 2 of Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready. She currently writes for the hit Netflix show, The Upshaws, and has appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers, CONAN, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, This Week at the Comedy Cellar, and Last Comic Standing. Erin co-hosted three seasons of Exhale, a panel talk series on the ASPiRE television network, and has been a panelist on sports and pop-culture programs on MSNBC, NFL Network and VH-1. Her comedy album, Grudgery, was released in 2018 and debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Erin is a proud alumna of Howard University and a die-hard fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. Christina Greer is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University - Lincoln Center (Manhattan) campus. Her research and teaching focus on American politics, Black ethnic politics, campaigns and elections, and public opinion. Prof. Greer's book Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream (Oxford University Press) investigates the increasingly ethnically diverse black populations in the US from Africa and the Caribbean. She finds that both ethnicity and a shared racial identity matter and also affect the policy choices and preferences for black groups. Professor Greer is currently working on a manuscript detailing the political contributions of Barbara Jordan, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Stacey Abrams. She recently co-edited Black Politics in Transition, which explores gentrification, suburbanization, and immigration of Blacks in America. She is a member of the board of The Tenement Museum in NYC,  The Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT, Community Change in Washington, DC, and serves on the Advisory Board at Tufts University. She is a frequent political commentator on several media outlets, primarily MSNBC, WNYC, and NY1, and is often quoted in media outlets such as the NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, and the AP. She is the co-host of the New York centered podcast FAQ-NYC, is a political analyst at thegrio.com and host of the podcast quiz show The Blackest Questions at thegrio.com, is a frequent author and narrator for the TedEd educational series, and also writes a weekly column for The Amsterdam News, one of the oldest black newspapers in the U.S. Prof. Greer received her BA from Tufts University and her MA, MPhil, and PhD in Political Science from Columbia University.   Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Mia Jackson and Hollie Harper visit Friends and talk about changing the voice in our head, body shaming, and how Mayor Adams cut funding to libraries.  Mia Jackson is a bonafide Georgia peach (that's Georgian for “native”). In 2017, she was selected as a New Face by the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and Atlanta's Creative Loafing named her the Critic's Choice Best Stand-Up in the city. She has toured nationally with Amy Schumer and is a featured comic at festivals and clubs across the country. Her first stand up special aired in October 2018 as part of Unprotected Sets on EPIX. Mia has appeared on NickMom's Night Out, Viceland, Comedy Central's This Week at the Comedy Cellar and was a semi-finalist on Season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing. Her Comedy Central half hour special debuted in November 2019. Hollie Harper is a comedy nerd from South Jersey. She is currently the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Hella Late! with Hollie Harper was recently in the 2021 NYC Web Fest where she was nominated as Best Actress. Hollie was a semi-finalist in the 2019 NBC Standup Competition and has been featured on NY1, and in Black Enterprise Magazine, Thrive Global, Confessional Magazine and Black San Diego Magazine. Her popular sketch comedy show AMERICAN CANDY has played the Comic Strip, Gotham Comedy Club, BAM Café as well as the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Time Out Chicago named them one of the five groups to watch. Hollie is a regular host for West Side Comedy Club in NYC and works with Gold Comedy and Stand Up Girls, two programs that empower young women by teaching them standup comedy. She was recently the talent coordinator and casting for “Blood Lassi” on Spotify, written by Pratima Mani, and moderated the panel for the Emmy Award winning, WOC editing team of Black Lady Sketch Show for The Black TV and Film Collective. She is also the Creative Consultant for the very successful Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Barber Shop Book's founder Alvin Irvy and Nonye Brown-West visit and discuss the importance of literacy in today's youth, personal stories of education placement and more with host Marina Franklin.  Alvin Irby is a former kindergarten teacher turned award-winning social entrepreneur, international speaker, comedian, and author. He is Founder and Chief Reading Inspirer at Barbershop Books, a literacy program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers. His work connecting reading to male-centered spaces and involving men in boys’ early reading experiences earned him the National Book Foundation’s 2017 Innovations in Reading Prize. Irby’s popular TED Talk "How to inspire every child to be a lifelong reader," has been viewed over 1 million times. Irby’s nationally-recognized cultural competency workshops help school districts, library systems, and education organizations create relevant and engaging learning experiences for all students. His Diversity & Inclusion trainings have been described as informative, inspiring, engaging, and humorous. Ir by helps educators better understand and address the systemic and personal challenges that inhibit children’s intrinsic motivation to read and learn. His debut children’s book, Gross Greg, combines Irby’s passion for early literacy and comedy. Gross Greg is a laugh-out-loud story that captures the hilariously gross behavior of kids everywhere. As a stand up comedian, Irby's fresh perspective and smart brand of humor shine through in his comedy album "Really Dense." His clever social commentary and funny observations have not gone unnoticed. Irby won the Clean Comedy Showcase at the 2019 San Diego Comedy Festival and won 2nd place at NYC’s 2019 Laughing Devil Comedy Festival. One of the highlights of Irby’s comedy career was being selected as a national finalist for the StandUp NBC competition and performing at the legendary Hollywood Improv in Los Angeles. Alvin Irby holds a Masters of Science (MS) in Childhood Education from Bank Street Graduate School of Education, a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, and a Bachelors of Arts (BA) in Sociology from Grinnell College. Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play.   Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Favorite Episode of 2022! Lessons from a Mutha, Auntie, and Bestie with Bevy Smith! Bevy Smith, Joyelle Johnson, and Zainab Johnson visit Friends Like Us and discuss how it gets greater later and other Bevelations with host Marina Franklin!   Bevy Smith Quintessential Harlem girl, life-long New Yorker and Gracie Award Winner Bevy Smith is the host of Sirius XM’s “Bevelations” on Radio Andy.  Once a wildly successful luxury fashion publishing exec, Bevy shifted her professional goals over a decade ago to pursue a life in front of the camera. A pop culture aficionado and fashion expert, Bevy served as moderator of Bravo TV’s revolutionary “Fashion Queens," and was a former co-host on the nationally syndicated “Page Six TV.”  Bevy continues to be part of “The Wendy Williams Show’s Style Squad.” Her memoir Bevelations: Lessons from a Mutha, Auntie, Bestie is available where books are sold. Joyelle Nicole Johnson is a Brooklyn-based stand-up comedian, writer, and actress. She made her network TV debut on Late Night with Seth Meyers and most recently performed as the warm-up act for Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act. She wrote for the final season of Broad City, and has performed on Comedy Central’s digital series Comics to Watch, Wyatt Cenac’s Night Train for Seeso, Laff Tracks for TruTV as well as being a panelist for Refinery 29/Facebook Watch’s After After Party and MTV News. And while transitioning to the headliner that she is today she regularly features for Hannibal Buress and has opened for Dave Chappelle, Maria Bamford & Russell Peters. She also combines her dream of comedy and activism by touring with Daily Show creator Lizz Winstead’s Lady Parts Justice League. Her comedy special Love Joy on Peacock has been nominated for the Critic’s Choice Award Best Comedy Special. Zainab Johnson , a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer is quickly being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen. In 2019, Zainab was named one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics To Watch. Recently, she was one of the hosts for Netflix's new show "100 Humans". You can also catch her as Aleesha on the Amazon Prime comedy series "Upload". Zainab made her first late night stand up appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, and has also had appearances on HBO’s All Def Comedy (2017), NBC’s Last Comic Standing (2014), Arsenio (2014), BET’s Comic View (2014), AXSTV’s Gotham Comedy Live! She also just recently starred in a new web series titled Avant-Guardians. Zainab is a regular at the Improv Comedy Club in LA and the Comedy Cellar in NY, and has performed in the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival as one of the 2014 New Faces of Comedy and returned numerous times since.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

A favorite episode in 2022! Listen to our golden episode now! Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson and Maijia Digiorgio visit Friends and have that real talk about race and food shaming with host Marina Franklin. Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson is currently Professor and Chair of American Studies at the University of Maryland College Park. She is also author of the award-winning Building Houses out of Chicken Legs: Black Women, Food, and Power, a groundbreaking study that explores the nexus between food, gender, race, class, and power in the United States. Her forthcoming book, Eating While Black: Real Talk on Food Shaming and Policing in America, examines anti-Black racism in and around our food lives. She is a cultural studies expert who combines design thinking, qualitative assessment methods, (including interviews, focus groups, observations and record reviews), oral history and material culture to foster social and systemic change. She has consulted for a number of historical and cultural heritage sites, public and private sector organizations, and provided numerous keynote addresses on race and culture. A proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Dr. Williams-Forson holds her bachelor's degree in English, African-American Studies/Women’s Studies from the University of Virginia. She earned her master’s and doctorate in American Studies (with a certificate in Women’s Studies) from the University of Maryland College Park. Maija DiGiorgio is a comedian, actor, writer, radio personality, filmmaker, musician, and a NY-to-LA transplant. In her first year of doing stand-up comedy, she took the comedy world by storm while taping five national TV appearances, which included her receiving a standing ovation at NBC’s “Live from the Apollo”. Her hour special for Comedy Dynamics titled “Maija! Maija! Maija!,” recorded at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC, is on Amazon Prime. Her Dry Bar Special “Maija Pinion” is currently airing on Amazon Prime and AppleTV has already reached over six million views on the web. Since her impressive start in comedy, DiGiorgio has performed at a wide array of notable venues and events throughout the world—including New York City’s Beacon Theater, the New Orleans’ Essence Festival, and Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival—as well as on TV performances across most major networks—including HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam,” NBC’s “Comics Unleashed,” Fox’s “Laughs” and the “Uncontrolled Comedy Hour,” and BET’s “Comic View.” Through her work, she has had the opportunity to perform alongside many industry standouts, including Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, Dane Cook, Wanda Sykes, Mike Epps, and Tracy Morgan. DiGiorgio has been described as “Fantastic!” by Dave Chappelle and has been referred to as “A f**king star!” by Bill Burr.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

This week on friends Vanessa Fraction and Kenice Mobley visit friends and discuss Brittney Griner swap, Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Patti LaBelle concert scare and more with host Marina Franklin.  Kenice Mobley performs stand up comedy around the world and recently made her late-night debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. She appears regularly on SiriusXM and is a Finalist in the StandUp NBC Competition. This year, Kenice worked on the BET Awards and By Us For Us, a sketch comedy series presented by Color of Change. She hosts Complexify on ViceNews, Love About Town, an interview and relationship podcast, and Make Yourself Cry, available on Planet Scum. Her new album : “Follow up questions” is available on all platforms right now!  Vanessa Fraction: Currently, Ms. Fraction is a Co-host with THE NAPPY BOY RADIO PODCAST hosted by; Rapper, Producer TPAIN. She is also an Analyst for THE COMEDY HYPE NEWS SHOW. Additionally, Vanessa (aka Action Fraction) is a certified Self-Defense instructor and teaches a class, “Kicks & Comedy”, That empowers women with life-saving self-defense skills and lifts spirits by infusing comedy.   Born in St. Louis and raised in Chicago, this mother of two has over a decade of experience captivating fans around the world with her one of a kind storytelling talent. Whether you see her on stage, television or hear her on the radio, Vanessa is on a mission to empower her audience to overcome their struggles while laughing at hers. These can be hilarious tales of being a single mother paying child support or revealing anecdotes on the battle of being a strong, successful black woman. Her television credits include appearances on Comedy Knock Out and Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks (TruTV), Tales (BET), and a  recurring role on BounceTV’s Mann and Wife. Vanessa’s hilarious and bold stand-up comedy has been showcased on many shows such as HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, 1st Amendment Standup (STARZ) and Mike Epps Live at Club Nokia. As a writer she has worked on The Arsenio Hall Show (CBS), 106 & Park and The Mo’Nique Show (BET). Her film roles include Barber Shop 2: Back in Business and Kim Field’s Holiday Love: The Rebirth. Her quick wit and sharp humor is featured when she guests hosts on entertainment shows like DishNation (FOX) When you "do the math" Vanessa Fraction equals One Very Funny Lady! Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Comedians David Kau and Gilli Apter visit friends and discuss comedy in South Africa, the danger of Kanye, Ramaphosa's scandal explained and more! David Kau- South African comedian who first gained mainstream exposure through the television comedy series The Pure Monate Show - which he co-created and produced - in 2003. Born in Maokeng near Kroonstad in the Free State province, Kau matriculated from Meridian College, Pretoria, in 1994. The following year he began a Performers' Diploma in Speech and Drama at the University of Cape Town, graduating in 1998. In the same year he performed at his first major comedy event - the Smirnoff International Comedy Festival. He returned to the festival the following year, touring from Cape Town to Durban. Since then he has headlined numerous comedy festivals and performed his own comedy specials. He also co-created and hosted the stand-up comedy show Blacks Only. In 2006 he was the host of the 3rd Channel O Music Video Awards. The following year he was a co-presenter of Nelson Mandela's 46664 concert. In 2008 he was the recipient of the inaugural Mzansi Star Comedian award at the first annual Stars of Mzansi Awards. His competitors in the category were Loyiso Gola, Marc Lottering and Krijay Govender. David hosted and judged of the SABC1 reality talent show So You Think You're Funny! He also co-created and hosted the stand-up comedy show Blacks Only – at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg back in 2004, which hasgone on to be the biggest comedy brand in the country, and 13 years later it is a staple in the entertainment landscape of South Africa. It has since featured local and International comedians Capone, Dwayne Perkins, Ruben Paul, Marina Franklin, and Trevor Noah, with David Kau hosting. Jimmy Carr made a surprise appearance at the show a few years ago. He was the host of the 3rd Channel O Music Video Awards and the following year he was a co-presenter of Nelson Mandela's 46664 concert. Most recent credits: SA Cricket Awards 2022 May, Savanna Comedy Central Comedy show Dec 2021, Nedbank SA Open Golf 2020, 2021 - Nelson Mandela Foundation Golf day 2022 April, MC and Comedy- Kirsty Watts Foundation Golf day (Comedy) 20th May 2022.  Gilli Apter is an award-winning filmmaker, TV comedy writer and mainly - comedian, from South Africa. Gilli has recently toured extensively throughout Europe and the UK, as well as Canada, Australia and Norway, hosting the comedy show, Story Party. In 2022 Gilli performed in LA and New York, ultimately heading to London where she is currently a regular face on the comedy circuit as well as the host of the weekly show, Story Party (storyparty.co). In 2018 Gilli was selected by Trevor Noah to film a short special as part of his Nationwild show for South Africa's streaming service, Showmax and in 2022 she filmed a short special for the Netflix show, Only Jokes Allowed. Both are currently available to watch. Gilli has recently had to end her writing career because she got some bad bitch nails and as a result, can no longer type. All jokes written prior to this event in 2022, will be her last. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Jenny Saldana is a writer, actress, and stand-up comedian and a Breast Cancer Rock STAR and all around hotness. She wrote, produced and starred in Happy Cancer Chick, a web series inspired by her own battle with breast cancer. She recently appeared in HBO’s High Maintenance. Her video series, The Little Brown Girl Show can be found on Youtube and Facebook Live. Hollie Harper is a comedy nerd from South Jersey. She is currently the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Hella Late! with Hollie Harper was recently in the 2021 NYC Web Fest where she was nominated as Best Actress. Hollie was a semi-finalist in the 2019 NBC Standup Competition and has been featured on NY1, and in Black Enterprise Magazine, Thrive Global, Confessional Magazine and Black San Diego Magazine. Her popular sketch comedy show AMERICAN CANDY has played the Comic Strip, Gotham Comedy Club, BAM Café as well as the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Time Out Chicago named them one of the five groups to watch. Hollie is a regular host for West Side Comedy Club in NYC and works with Gold Comedy and Stand Up Girls, two programs that empower young women by teaching them standup comedy. She was recently the talent coordinator and casting for “Blood Lassi” on Spotify, written by Pratima Mani, and moderated the panel for the Emmy Award winning, WOC editing team of Black Lady Sketch Show for The Black TV and Film Collective. She is also the Creative Consultant for the very successful Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Dr Rae Wynn-Grant from the Going Wild Podcast visits Friends Like Us and discusses representation in science, adventures as a wildlife conservationist, why we should not bag leaves and more. Golden Episode! Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is a wildlife ecologist who researches how human activity influences the behavior of wild animals. As an active scientist, she spends long periods in the wilderness tracking and observing black and grizzly bears in the western United States, and African lions in rural Kenya and Tanzania. Her wildlife exploration and media work has taken her to six of seven continents and over 25 countries. A native Californian, Wynn-Grant attributes her interest in wildlife and conservation from the nature shows she watched on television as a child, and today she uses media to increase representation of Black scientists and explorers. Wynn-Grant received her BS in Environmental Studies from Emory University, her MS in Environmental Studies from Yale University, and her PhD in Ecology and Evolution from Columbia University. She is a faculty member at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at University of California at Santa Barbara. Wynn-Grant envisions a near-future where the outdoors is a safe, equitably accessible, and positively transformative space for all people. She is a scientist, conservationist, equity and justice advocate, and storyteller. Her podcast PBS' Going Wild With Dr. Rae Wynn Grant.  Veniece Antoinette is a Podcaster, Content Creator, and Entrepreneur. Veniece found herself on her first podcast, Talk Hvy, in 2014, and went on to start her own podcast in 2016 called Sip & Spill. After obtaining her Master's Degree in TV and Media Management she went on to work with the Glass Entertainment Group Production Company to help successfully produce one of largest podcasts on Apple, "Confronting OJ Simpson '' getting over 7 millions listeners in its first season; and then started her business, Podcasting and Media Group, LLC to help small business owners and independent podcasters launch their podcasts! Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Zainab Johnson, Simeon Goodson, and Nonye Brown-West visit Friends and discuss the black men feeling ignored by politicians, only fans need security, Black Muslim inclusion and more with host Marina Franklin. Zainab Johnson, a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer is quickly being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen. Zainab was named one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics To Watch in 2019, she hosted one of the host for Netflix's "100 Humans", she can be seen as a series regular on the new upcoming series from Greg Daniels a half hour comedy titled “Upload” an Amazon original, and she made her first late night stand up appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers.  Zainab had a breakout appearance on HBO’s All Def Comedy (2017) and has made appearances on NBC’s Last Comic Standing (2014), Arsenio (2014), BET’s Comic View (2014), AXSTV’s Gotham Comedy Live! and starred in a new web series titled Avant-Guardians.  She is a regular at the Improv Comedy Club in LA and the Comedy Cellar in NY.  Zainab has performed in the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival as one of the 2014 New Faces of Comedy and returned numerous times since.  She also had a breakout performance at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in 2018. Check her out in Season three in Upload! Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Simeon Goodson is a native of Brooklyn, NY who has been performing stand-up comedy since 2004. Beginning his career in New York City, he has since relocated numerous times around the world, performing and producing in a variety of countries and venues. These include Caroline's on Broadway in Times Square, The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. In addition, he has performed across the United States with the "Comedy's Best Kept Secret Tour" and as the opening act on the Hannibal Burress "Comedy Camisado Tour". In August 2015, Simeon moved with his family to the United Arab Emirates. Diving head first into the local comedy scene, he was the winner of the Dubai Comedy Festival’s Beat the Gong contest that year and in 2017 filmed for Comedy Central Arabia’s Stand Up al Wagif Seasons 2&3. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Marilka Vélez  - As senior vice president & senior director of marketing, Marilka Vélez is responsible for leading company-wide marketing and branding efforts at Associated Bank. Marilka has nearly 20 years of e-commerce, branding and design experience. In the community, Marilka is the Board Chair of the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee. Her work with the fund aligns her passion for equity, education and opportunity for women with an organization that finds and creates those opportunities in Milwaukee. Marilka has been recognized as 2021 Milwaukee Business Journal 40 Under 40 for her commitment to inclusive leadership both in the workplace and community. She holds a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and Spanish from Mount Mary University and is pursuing an MBA through the Marquette Graduate School of Management with an anticipated graduation of December 2023. Marilka started as Chair of the Board of Directors in January 2021. It was a time of uncertainty though Marilka lead with confidence. She consistently helps Board Directors strategize and navigate to advance the organizational mission. She remains committed to enhancing the brand, expanding the number of supporters, and encouraging more people to get engaged on their own journey of advancing equity for women. Lisa Attonito started as Executive Director of the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee on November 1, 2016. Lisa has extensive experience in organizational management, board governance, staff development, budget creation and oversight, along with brand development and engagement. Her career includes senior positions with several well-known, best in class nonprofit organizations. She has a growth mindset and believes strongly in building brand experiences that reflect the culture and mission of the entity, while supporting the strategic goals. Her track record of sales includes consistent success and a dynamic network that is fueled by sound project management and good communication. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. She is married to Ercan Ornek and together they have two sons, Anthony, and Michael. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Genelle Williams has been working steadily as a Lead or Series Regular currently playing Lucy on 3 seasons of the NBC series Family Law. She can also be seen in the feature film Spiral (Lionsgate) playing the role of Lisa Banks alongside Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson. Select credits include: Delia’s Gone (eOne) in the role of Delia alongside Marisa Tomei and Stephan James, Bitten (Space, 2 seasons), Remedy (Global, 2 season) alongside Enrico Colantoni and Patrick McKenna, and Warehouse 13 (SyFy, 4 seasons) with Eddie McClintock. Genelle can soon be seen as the lead role of Reilly in the Lifetime movie Christmas on Mistletoe Lake. Genelle received a Gemini Nomination (2007) for Doomstown – Best Performance in a Lead Role, Dramatic Program or Mini-Series. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Kenice Mobley performs stand up comedy around the world and recently made her late-night debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. She appears regularly on SiriusXM and is a Finalist in the StandUp NBC Competition. This year, Kenice worked on the BET Awards and By Us For Us, a sketch comedy series presented by Color of Change. She hosts Complexify on ViceNews, Love About Town, an interview and relationship podcast, and Make Yourself Cry, available on Planet Scum. Veniece Antoinette is a Podcaster, Content Creator, and Entrepreneur. Veniece found herself on her first podcast, Talk Hvy, in 2014, and went on to start her own podcast in 2016 called Sip & Spill. After obtaining her Master's Degree in TV and Media Management she went on to work with the Glass Entertainment Group Production Company to help successfully produce one of largest podcasts on Apple, "Confronting OJ Simpson '' getting over 7 millions listeners in its first season; and then started her business, Podcasting and Media Group, LLC to help small business owners and independent podcasters launch their podcasts! Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Pamela Villa Kundu has a varied career path and background. She started out her career at JP Morgan in a coveted role but left three years later to serve her community. Pam was recently a Bloomberg Public Health Fellow at Johns Hopkins. She is also the Director of Development for a non-profit in New York City that focuses on a range of youth justice issues. BronxConnect has helped thousands of young people avoid jail time, while equipping them with the tools to avoid future crime. Pam is Mexican-American and currently raising twins with her husband in Miami FL. She continues to work remotely for BronxConnect. In her spare time, Pam invests in real estate, tries to spend time in nature, and creates content on Tik Tok.  Suzette Simon is the founder of NYLaughs, a New York-based nonprofit that produces free comedy events in public spaces to inspire audiences, enrich the lives of New Yorkers, connect them through humor while deepening an appreciation of stand up comedy as a unique NYC cultural asset.  Diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in January 2020, the Manhattan-based producer is now using laughter in her battle with the disease to raise awareness of the impact breast cancer — which kills Black women at a 42 percent higher rate than white women — has on the Black community. Suzette recently launched her awareness initiative called #STRONGBLACKBOOBS as a place to go for the intersection of her own breast cancer journey, information, comedy, self-esteem boosting, and support for communities of color. She is the self-appointed “Master of #CancerBadAssery” and considers herself to be in the running to be “America’s Next Top Cancer Survivor.” She hopes that being a #CancerBadass might shake things up and save black lives. She looks forward to reshaping Black Boob leadership and dominating boobs, cancer, and the whole world (in a good way, of course!) one fun-filled post at a time. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Taurea Vision Avant is a computer science graduate from Hampton University. She is an author of more than 15+ books and the latest include “The 10k Book", “Don’t Go Broke Trying to Be a Business Owner“ and "How Not To Be A Broke Author”. She has been featured on ABC, Fox, CBS, and more! In 2009 she founded Show Your Success LLS where she has helped more than 5000+ speakers, coaches, and network marketers to write profitable books to grow their business. In 2019 she took her business to the next level by creating The Book Profis Club™ which is a club designed to help authors promote, profit, and perform. In 2020, Taurea was able to also add the title of TEDx speaker to her resume where she was one of the first to ever do a virtual TEDx conference as a speaker. Her goal for this year is to help more than 1000 authors to generate more than $10,000+ per month. Shauna Lane is a New York City based actor and comedian known for her goofy, lovable characters and comedy.  As an actor she has been in several national commercials and is in the feature film Creedmoria on Netflix.  As a comedian she has appeared on Comedy Central, MTV, and Sirius XM. Shauna studied acting with the legendary Wynn Handman and has graced the stages of the New York Comedy Festival, The 10,000 Laughs Festival in Minneapolis, The Ct. Comedy Festival and the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal.  She was the co-host of The Gone Girls Podcast (free on iTunes) from 2016-2020 and ran a monthly comedy show at New York Comedy Club called "We Share A Void."  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Evelyn Alsultany is an Associate Professor in the Department of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. Alsultany is the author of Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion (New York University Press, 2022) and Arabs and Muslims in the Media: Race and Representation after 9/11 (New York University Press, 2012), and co-editor of Arab and Arab American Feminisms: Gender, Violence, and Belonging (Syracuse University Press, 2011) and Between the Middle East and the Americas: The Cultural Politics of Diaspora (University of Michigan Press, 2013). She is the guest curator of the Arab American National Museum’s online exhibit, Reclaiming Identity: Dismantling Arab Stereotypes (www.arabstereotypes.org). In 2017, she collaborated with colleagues at other universities to create the #IslamophobiaIsRacism Online Syllabus. She teaches courses on media representations, U.S. cultural and racial politics, and Arab and Muslim Americans. Prior to her position at USC, Alsultany was an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and an Associate Professor in the Department of American Culture at the University of Michigan where she co-founded and directed the Arab and Muslim American Studies (AMAS) program. Professor Alsultany is a leading expert on the history of representations of Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. media. She has served as a consultant for Hollywood studios on how to better represent Muslim characters. She co-authored the Obeidi-Alsultany Test to help Hollywood improve representations of Muslims and has a podcast, “Muslims As Seen on TV.” She has published op-eds in The Washington Post, Newsweek, and the Chicago Reporter. Ashley Ray is the most famous bisexual solo polyamorous black queer comedian, actor, and writer currently based in Los Angeles. In 2021, she was featured in Bust for her “whip smart TV criticism.” And yes, she’s also famous for smoking pot. In 2022, Ashley wrote on Adult Swim’s, ALABAMA JACKSON created by Donald Faison. Ashley was selected as one of HBO Max’s Queer Comics to Watch for 2021 and filmed a digital special for the platform. That same year she did a sold out hour at Union Hall in NY and debuted a new hour at The Yard Theater in Los Angeles. She hosts High Gear Comedy, a monthly live show with Barbara Gray at The Airliner in LA. Ashley is the host of the popular podcast ‘TV I Say with Ashley Ray’ which was featured in the New York Times as a 2021 Podcast Worth Checking Out.” She’s also been a guest on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me and Seth Rogen’s Storytime. She is also known for her viral Shaun King video and post. Her newsletter about TV, pop culture and life as a solo poly bisexual dream babe was named "One of the Best 2020 Newsletters to Subscribe to That Will Keep You Informed and Entertained" by Marie Claire. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf    

Kaye Singleton and Nonye Brown-West visit Friends Like Us and discuss creating your own seat at the table with host Marina Franklin. Kaye Singleton is an award-winning writer, producer, and actress that is well on her way to making her own footprint in this industry, or as the much-respected Tyler Perry would say, created her own seat at the table. As a multi-faceted creative talent, she is committed to telling culturally authentic stories for, about, and that explore, the beautifully diverse experiences of Black Women. To date, as an actress she has taken on a variety of roles on hit shows and films. She's best known for her series regular role beginning in Season 3 of Tyler Perry's The Oval on BET as Simone, the beautiful, smart, and cunning wife of the Vice President of the United States, and her Six Season recurring role as the long-suffering, loyal - but problematic - "Josie" on Saints & Sinners, BounceTV's #1 Show. She's also had memorable roles on Sistas (BET), Claws (TNT), Don't Waste Your Pretty (TV One), Tales (BET), American Soul (BET), and Dumplin (Netflix).  In 2020, Kaye secured her first production deal as a first-time Showrunner and Creator for the highly-rated anthology series - Covenant'' which premiered on October 14th, 2021 on AMC's allblk. Covenant's unique take on bible stories is a stand out for the network as it's quoted to "create a world of thrilling, suspenseful drama where characters and stories of the bible are thrust into a vicious dystopia of present-day, real-life situations. Each episode will reimagine a classic story as it would take place in the modern world - challenging viewers to examine how sacred lessons of faith and love fit into today's society. Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Hillary Holley and Mike Britt Vist Friends and discuss how tight polls in Georgia mean that Stacey Abrams could win, calling out Ron Desantos for human trafficking and more with host Marina Franklin. Hillary Holley: is the Executive Director of Care in Action, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group dedicated to fighting for dignity and fairness for the millions of domestic workers in the United States, most of whom are women of color and immigrant women. Hillary is a proud Georgia native who has dedicated over half of her 30 years working in Georgia’s movement spaces, including helping to launch and working on the historic 2018 Stacey Abrams campaign. Prior to joining Care in Action, Hillary served as Director of Organizing and Strategic Advisor at Fair Fight Action, winning Georgia in 2020 and installing a Democratic federal trifecta. Hillary also serves on the boards of Emerge Georgia and States United PAC, an organization dedicated to supporting states’ voter protection efforts. Mike Britt is a Brooklyn, NY-born stand-up comedian. He got his start at the Uptown Comedy Club in Harlem. Since then, He has appeared on Comedy Central Presents, BET's Comic View, VH1's Best Week Ever, and The Bad Boys of Comedy. In 2015, he's now known as the "singer" of the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt theme song. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Vladimir Caamano and Hollie Harper visit Friends and discuss what it means to have Queen behavior in tense moments and more with host Marina Franklin. Vladimir Caamano - With the name “Vladimir,” few people expect a Dominican from The Bronx to take the stage. His comedic style is the fruit of an immigrant Dominican family living in the cultural mecca that is New York City and is described as an elegant combination of urban grit and intellect. He began polishing his wit in the concrete jungles of The Bronx and Washington Heights and after graduating from Wesleyan University launched into Stand Up Comedy. After his stand out performance at Just for Laughs (JFL) in 2015, Vlad entered into a put pilot development deal to co-write, and star in a pilot based off of his comedy for NBC with Bill Lawrence and WB supervising. Vlad co-wrote the script with UNDATEABLE writer, Adam Styzikiel and recently shot the pilot directed by Phill Lewis. Vlad was the only one of his New Faces class to be chosen to perform as part of the CW Gala hosted by Howie Mandel. In 2016, Vlad was named one of the Top 10 Comics to Watch by Variety and was honored at JFL. In 2017 Vlad made his late-night standup debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and performed again at the prestigious Just for Laughs Gala hosted by Lilly Singh. Vlad has been seen on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Marvel’s Runaways, and NBC’s Superstore. He is currently developing television shows with top comedy producers and networks. Hollie Harper is a comedy nerd from South Jersey. She is currently the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Hella Late! with Hollie Harper was recently in the 2021 NYC Web Fest where she was nominated as Best Actress.Hollie was a semi-finalist in the 2019 NBC Standup Competition and has been featured on NY1, and in Black Enterprise Magazine, Thrive Global, Confessional Magazine and Black San Diego Magazine. Her popular sketch comedy show AMERICAN CANDY has played the Comic Strip, Gotham Comedy Club, BAM Café as well as the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Time Out Chicago named them one of the five groups to watch. Hollie is a regular host for West Side Comedy Club in NYC and works with Gold Comedy and Stand Up Girls, two programs that empower young women by teaching them standup comedy. She was recently the talent coordinator and casting for “Blood Lassi” on Spotify, written by Pratima Mani, and moderated the panel for the Emmy Award winning, WOC editing team of Black Lady Sketch Show for The Black TV and Film Collective. She is also the Creative Consultant for the very successful Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Pat Brown, Vanessa Fraction, and Onika McLean visit Friends and discuss protection of children. Onika McLean, born in North Carolina, and raised in East New York Brooklyn, is a single mother of two, legal professional, and a sharp comedian whose no-nonsense perspective on life, love, single motherhood, and her mid life crisis is taking the comedy arena by storm. She was the fan favorite on Bravo Television's, The Single’s Project. She is the winner of the Sloshed Comedy Competition and the Rising Stars Comedy Competition in London. Onika performs regularly at LOL and Times Square and passed at Comic Strip Live and has Dangerfield's, New York Comedy Club, New York Stand, Broadway Comedy, Village Underground, and the. She runs a monthly show entitled Cosmic Comedy. Vanessa Fraction: Currently, Ms. Fraction is a Co-host with THE NAPPY BOY RADIO PODCAST hosted by; Rapper, Producer TPAIN. She is also an Analyst for THE COMEDY HYPE NEWS SHOW. Additionally, Vanessa (aka Action Fraction) is a certified Self-Defense instructor and teaches a class, “Kicks & Comedy”, That empowers women with life-saving self-defense skills and lifts spirits by infusing comedy.  Born in St. Louis and raised in Chicago, this mother of two has over a decade of experience captivating fans around the world with her one of a kind storytelling talent. Whether you see her on stage, television or hear her on the radio, Vanessa is on a mission to empower her audience to overcome their struggles while laughing at hers. These can be hilarious tales of being a single mother paying child support or revealing anecdotes on the battle of being a strong, successful black woman. Her television credits include appearances on Comedy Knock Out and Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks (TruTV), Tales (BET), and a  recurring role on BounceTV’s Mann and Wife. Vanessa’s hilarious and bold stand-up comedy has been showcased on many shows such as HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, 1st Amendment Standup (STARZ) and Mike Epps Live at Club Nokia. As a writer she has worked on The Arsenio Hall Show (CBS), 106 & Park and The Mo’Nique Show (BET). Her film roles include Barber Shop 2: Back in Business and Kim Field’s Holiday Love: The Rebirth. Her quick wit and sharp humor is featured when she guests hosts on entertainment shows like DishNation (FOX) When you "do the math" Vanessa Fraction equals One Very Funny Lady! Pat Brown has been seen on CBS’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Fuse’s Uproarious, Axis’s Gotham Live, NBC’s Comic’s Unleashed and BET‘s ComicView, TVOne’s made for TV movie-WHITE WATER, the independent film SOMEBODIES, and the web series UNREQUITED. Pat has won both the Las Vegas Comedy Festival and the She Devil Competition. She has been featured in Time Out Magazine, After-Ellen, Splitsider and Punchline Magazine. Her critically acclaimed album “The Pat Brown Sex-Tape” has been described as “provocative and conceptual” by Laugh and is streaming on all platforms. You can watch her set on Two Dope Queens on HBO! Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson and Maijia Digiorgio visit Friends and have that real talk about race and food shaming with host Marina Franklin. Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson is currently Professor and Chair of American Studies at the University of Maryland College Park. She is also author of the award-winning Building Houses out of Chicken Legs: Black Women, Food, and Power, a groundbreaking study that explores the nexus between food, gender, race, class, and power in the United States. Her forthcoming book, Eating While Black: Real Talk on Food Shaming and Policing in America, examines anti-Black racism in and around our food lives. She is a cultural studies expert who combines design thinking, qualitative assessment methods, (including interviews, focus groups, observations and record reviews), oral history and material culture to foster social and systemic change. She has consulted for a number of historical and cultural heritage sites, public and private sector organizations, and provided numerous keynote addresses on race and culture. A proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Dr. Williams-Forson holds her bachelor's degree in English, African-American Studies/Women’s Studies from the University of Virginia. She earned her master’s and doctorate in American Studies (with a certificate in Women’s Studies) from the University of Maryland College Park. Maija DiGiorgio is a comedian, actor, writer, radio personality, filmmaker, musician, and a NY-to-LA transplant. In her first year of doing stand-up comedy, she took the comedy world by storm while taping five national TV appearances, which included her receiving a standing ovation at NBC’s “Live from the Apollo”. Her hour special for Comedy Dynamics titled “Maija! Maija! Maija!,” recorded at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC, is on Amazon Prime. Her Dry Bar Special “Maija Pinion” is currently airing on Amazon Prime and AppleTV has already reached over six million views on the web. Since her impressive start in comedy, DiGiorgio has performed at a wide array of notable venues and events throughout the world—including New York City’s Beacon Theater, the New Orleans’ Essence Festival, and Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival—as well as on TV performances across most major networks—including HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam,” NBC’s “Comics Unleashed,” Fox’s “Laughs” and the “Uncontrolled Comedy Hour,” and BET’s “Comic View.” Through her work, she has had the opportunity to perform alongside many industry standouts, including Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, Dane Cook, Wanda Sykes, Mike Epps, and Tracy Morgan. DiGiorgio has been described as “Fantastic!” by Dave Chappelle and has been referred to as “A f**king star!” by Bill Burr.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Adria Ross and Nitika Chopra visit Friends Like Us and discuss how to take care of self with host Marina Franklin. Adria Ross is the owner of Lillie Mae Handmade Aromatherapy Products LLC based in Memphis, Tennessee and Brooklyn, New York. She is a Certified Aromatherapist specializing in the cultivation of plant-based and fragranced products. Lillie Mae’s products are all-natural and free of genetically modified organisms, parabens, and sulfates. The line includes body creams, hair hydration, candles, bath bombs, salts, lip balms, and so much more! Adria handcrafts all products with focal points rooted in integrity, quality, and consistency. Most importantly, she hopes to preserve the knowledge created by our ancestors and return to embracing the healing power of natural extracts. Lillie Mae Handmade Aromatherapy Products was created on July 27, 2016. Adria, was inspired to create the company after a two-week vacation in Zanzibar, Africa. During her trip, she spent several days harvesting a rare seaweed with a community of courageous female entrepreneurs. Their insight on women empowerment, networking within the community and cultivating quality products created a lasting impact. After returning to New York, Adria enrolled in the New York Institute of Aromatic Studies, where she intensely studied the power and purpose of essential oils. She soon realized that their healing properties were desperately needed in a society crippled with inequities, injustices, and oppression. Each product was crafted with the purpose that healing can only happen if we alone, “Take Time for Ourselves.” Nitika Chopra: Nitika Chopra is the founder of Chronicon, a media and events company, dedicated to elevating the lives of those living with a chronic illness. Nitika was diagnosed with psoriasis at the age of 10 and psoriatic arthritis at the age of 19 and lived over 17 years of her life being defined by her conditions. In 2010 she decided to take all of the lessons her health journey had taught her and use it to help others with the creation of her online magazine Bella Life. Since the start of her entrepreneurial journey Nitika has hosted her own TV talk show on Z Living called Naturally Beautiful, hosted over 40 events with hundreds of guests in attendance and has created dynamic partnerships with over 150 brands in the wellness space.  After 10 years in event creation, Nitika launched Chronicon in the fall of 2019, focused on those living with a chronic illness. The event sold out, had over 2,000 livestream viewers, high-level brand sponsors and has been growing ever since. Now, Nitika is excited to announce that Chronicon is expanding online with The Chronicon Community, a new, accessible online space with inspiration, advocacy, and empowerment for chronically ill folks across the globe to connect. Nitika is also the host of The Point of Pain podcast which is available wherever you enjoy your podcasts. Follow her for daily inspiration @NitikaChopra + @ChroniconOfficial. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Memo Salazar visits Friends Like Us for a one-on-one interview on affordable housing, land rights, Sesame Street for refugee children and more with host Marina Franklin. Memo Salazar Memo Salazar is a Mexican-born filmmaker, writer, and activist… and a longtime resident of Queens, New York. As a director, his work ranges from Public Enemy music videos to Elmo tackling homelessness on Sesame Street. He has collaborated with theoretical physicist Brian Greene on a Ted Talk, won 3 Emmy awards, and produced an animated series for Rohingya refugee children exiled from their home country of Burma. As an activist, he is a recipient of Arena’s Five Borough Future fellowship and the 2019 Queens Latinx leadership award for his community work. He has co-run the Sunnyside CSA since 2007 and is now the co-chair of the newly created Western Queens CLT, which aims to bring truly affordable housing and community-owned land ownership to New York City. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Chuck Nice and Sean Donnelly visit friends and talk about real biases with AI, Breonna Taylor, and how liberal hollywood is anything but liberal with host Marina Franklin Sean Donnelly: ​​When he’s not catching a nap with his bulldog, Rickles, Sean can be found headlining clubs and festivals all over the country. He has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan and NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Sean co-hosts the podcast My Dumb Friends with fellow comedian Dan St. Germain on the All Things Comedy network. He released his debut comedy album “Manual Labor Face” in 2015 on Comedy Central Records. Sean has been featured on the truTV series World’s Dumbest and Almost Genius as well as Adam Devine’s House Party, The Half Hour, Broad City, and Inside Amy Schumer on Comedy Central, Amazon’s Alpha House, GSN’s Lie Detectors, Limitless on CBS, and Billions on Showtime. Chuck Nice: Chuck Nice is a Philadelphia native and a 18 year veteran of stand up comedy with a rich history in television and radio. For eight years he provided comic relief to the Radio Chick show, bringing the funny to New York’s radio air waves. From that time until present, Chuck has been equally busy making a name for himself on the small screen. He is the host of Buy Like A Mega Millionaire on HGTV, The Juice on Veria Living and The Hot Ten on Centric. Chuck is seen regularly on the Today Show, has guest hosted Joy Behar’s Say Anything and Co-hosted The View. Chuck maintains his radio presence as the co-host of Star Talk Radio with Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson where he provides humorous commentary on one his favorite subjects...science. He’s the host of ‘Brain Games: On The Road’ on Disney+ -  In each episode, host Chuck Nice and show pits two neighborly teams of 4 players against each other in a series of entertaining games designed for endless at home play-along and breezy Brainiac takeaway. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

C. Zawadi Morris is an award-winning journalist and a Chicago native who moved to Brooklyn in 1997. Ms. Morris holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration (and a minor in Spanish) from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. She has worked as the bilingual communications director for Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (NY-12), a senior account executive for Shandwick Public Affairs and Cohn & Wolf Public Relations, and a news editor at AOL’s Bed-Stuy Patch. In December 2013, under The Original Media Group, Zawadi launched The Brooklyn Reader, an online news source covering the neighborhoods of Central Brooklyn. In her free time, Zawadi loves baking, hiking, dancing, hanging out on the beach and getting as far away from the Internet as possible. She also likes to design and sew and in 2004 was named one of Brooklyn’s Top-20 Designers by NRG Magazine. Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card, now available for streaming on Vudu, Apple, Amazon, and Google Play. Nina Kharoufeh is a SiriusXM radio producer, and comedian, a journalist, and all around unstoppable force determined to break stereotypes surrounding Muslim women and see her name in headlines for the big moves that she is making. She is the author of the book "I'm a Princess To" which is about a young Muslim who wears a hijab and is just trying to live a normal life. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Leighann Lord: Leighann Lord is a veteran standup comedian who has appeared on HBO, Comedy Central, The View, and is a former co-host of the Emmy-nominated StarTalk with Neil de Grasse Tyson. She has performed for the troops in the Middle East and is a recipient of the AHA Humanist Arts Award. Leighann can be seen in her recent Dry Bar comedy special, I Mean Business and Showtime's Even More Funny Women of a Certain Age. She is the author of several humor books including: Dict Jokes and Real Women Do it Standing Up, available on Amazon.  Jenna Bond is a writer who is shaped by the niche and obscure lives of the fading New York City. Discovered through her weekly essays on baby adult fails and her sardonic view of American values, her screen work ranges from RUN THE WORLD (Starz) to the live special OUR SHARED FUTURE for the Smithsonian. Originally cutting her teeth at Savoy, Heart&Soul, and Honey magazines and on downtown velvet rope party lines, she became an aide in Bill Clinton’s post-presidential chief of staff office before joining his writing team—crafting his speeches, correspondence and eulogies, and undeservingly sitting on the stage of Rosa Parks’ funeral. This role sparked a career anchored along Harlem’s 125th Street working at the Apollo Theater, curating at Maysles Cinema and consulting for Chef Marcus Samuelsson. And she’s co-hosted fundraisers at the Met Museum, intermittently managed the Suzi Lori Parks Band, and produced Soho comedy shows for Village comics. Known for her book parties and spades games, Jenna is a graduate of Wellesley College and Upright Citizens Brigade. She recently elevated from bon-vivanting as an art world groupie to serving as a 2022 Visiting Critic for the Wassaic Project. She serves on the board of Harlem Stage. Keith Price: Comedian, Actor, Writer, radio personality, Keith Price is a dynamic and diverse comic energy who brings every aspect of himself to the stage for the purpose of laughter and understanding.   He was the first out, African-American personality on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.  He produces and performs in comedy shows in and outside of New York City.  He also is the host and executive producer of his own podcast, Keith Price’s Curtain Call available on Broadway World,  ITunes, Google Play Music, as well as, MOCHAA with Bobby Rivers   Being the first generation American son of Honduran immigrants, growing up gay in Texas, and seeking comedic glory in NYC is enough for any sitcom.  His first one man show, EBONY CHUNKY LOVE: Bitch Can’t Get a Date!” is the subject of an award winning documentary of the same name.  His follow up second show, Heartaches and Hardons, was a circuit hit, and he is currently working on the 3rd installment of Ebony Chunky Love. ​ Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

This week on Friends Like Us we talk with Autumn Rowe, Zainab Johnson, and Erin Jackson about unsafe abortions, children activist and more with host Marina Franklin. Autumn Rowe is on the heels of celebrating her Grammy Award WIN for ‘Best Album’ with Jon Batiste at the 64th Grammy Awards (where she was nominated for four awards)!! Autumn co-wrote five of the album’s 13 tracks—she has received nominations for “Record of the Year” for “Freedom” (a track she also co-produced); “Album of The Year” for WE ARE; “Best Traditional R&B Performance” for “I Need You” and “Best R&B Album” for WE ARE. Additionally, her Diana Ross single “I Still Believe” has recently been remixed by Purple Disco and is burning up the charts!    The legendary songwriter and woman of color has collaborated with some of music’s biggest name such as Dua Lipa, Pitbull, Zendaya, Ava Max, The Knocks, Leona Lewis, Tori Kelly and Kali Uchis! Autumn also wrote the dance anthem behind the 2011 FIFA World Cup “Happiness” featuring Alexis Jordan! Rowe isn’t just a talent songwriter, but also a celebrated vocal coach. She has appeared on season 2 of The X Factor, and as the only vocal coach on America’s Got Talent for five years, between the show’s eight and twelfth seasons. As if all of this wasn’t enough to keep her busy, Rowe is a talented DJ who studied at Scratch Academy.   Her time as an accomplished songwriter has given her a platform to speak as an activist for songwriters. As a Black and Jewish songwriter with a primary focus on the fight against racism and antisemitism, telling BBC Newsbeat in June 2020; "The fact is I am a black person, I can also be a Jewish person, I can also be a woman and a vegan, but no matter what, you can't take away from me that I'm a black person and you cannot take away my experience."   Autumn also serves on the board of SONA (Songwriters of North America) and is an active advocate for music creators.   Zainab Johnson, a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer is quickly being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen. Zainab was named one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics To Watch in 2019, she hosted one of the host for Netflix's new show "100 Humans", she can be seen as a series regular on Greg Daniels half hour comedy, “Upload”, an Amazon original series. Zainab made her first late night stand up appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers.  Zainab had a breakout appearance on HBO’s All Def Comedy (2017) and has made appearances on NBC’s Last Comic Standing (2014), Arsenio (2014), BET’s Comic View (2014), AXSTV’s Gotham Comedy Live! and just recently starred in a new web series titled Avant-Guardians.  She is a regular at the Improv Comedy Club in LA and the Comedy Cellar in NY.  Zainab has performed in the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival as one of the 2014 New Faces of Comedy and returned numerous times since.  She also had a breakout performance at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in 2018. Irene Bremis is a Veteran NYC-based stand-up comedian, writer, actress, and radio personality. Irene co-hosted alongside John Fugelsang on his SXM show Tell Me Everything- which featured A-listers and had her own podcast with actress Jennifer Esposito called #suckittt. Irene is currently also co-hosting a podcast with comedian/writer ‘TV’s Frank,’ Frank Conniff (MST3K) called Mother May I Podcast with Frank & Irene- featuring comics, actors, authors, And politicians. She is co-starring in the comedy Black Magic For White Boys and Poundcake on Amazon, Hulu, Tubi, and other streaming platforms. Her short film, Astoria Had A Little Lamb recently opened the LES FILM FESTIVAL. Irene regularly headlines clubs/venues Nationwide. She was a contributing writer for Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack on Tru TV. And appeared in a sketch with Rachel Dratch for The Shorty Awards, also featuring Alec Baldwin & Taylor Swift. Irene’s album Unladylike is available on all platforms and is currently spinning regularly on Sirius XM. She recently taped her debut Comedy Special. She is a fitness instructor and trainer who has worked civilians and celebrities alike.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Erin Jackson is one of the fastest-rising comedians in New York City. She works nightly in the city’s top comedy clubs and most recently made her Netflix debut on Season 2 of Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready. She currently writes for the hit Netflix show, The Upshaws, and has appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers, CONAN, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, This Week at the Comedy Cellar, and Last Comic Standing. Erin co-hosted three seasons of Exhale, a panel talk series on the ASPiRE television network, and has been a panelist on sports and pop-culture programs on MSNBC, NFL Network and VH-1. Her comedy album, Grudgery, was released in 2018 and debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes comedy charts. Erin is a proud alumna of Howard University and a die-hard fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. Subhah Agarwal has brought an honesty to her comedy that is refreshing, and at times a bit disturbing... but in a good way. Trust me. Subhah has written for the "Plan B" movie on Hulu," and The Jim Jefferies Show"on Comedy Central, amongst others. You can also catch her jokes live at stand up comedy clubs across the country. If you don't want to leave your couch, you can see her late night debut on NBC's "A Little Late With Lilly Singh." She's also appeared on season three of HBO's "Westworld", on TruTv's sketch comedy "Friends of the People", and as herself on MTV2, Comedy Central, and Gotham Comedy Live.  Mia Jackson is a bonafide Georgia peach (that's Georgian for “native”). In 2017, she was selected as a New Face by the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and Atlanta's Creative Loafing named her the Critic's Choice Best Stand-Up in the city. She has toured nationally with Amy Schumer and is a featured comic at festivals and clubs across the country. Her first stand up special aired in October 2018 as part of Unprotected Sets on EPIX. Mia has appeared on NickMom's Night Out, Viceland, Comedy Central's This Week at the Comedy Cellar and was a semi-finalist on Season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing. Her Comedy Central half hour special debuted in November 2019. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Hitha Palepu:  Hitha Palepu is a consummate multi-hyphenate. She is an entrepreneur, investor, author, and speaker. She is the CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals and a partner in Adama Ventures, focused on investments in women-founded and women-focused companies. She is the author of We’re Speaking: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris(Little, Brown Spark) and How To Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip (Clarkson Potter). #5SmartReads is her Webby-honored news curation that reaches over 82,000 accounts. Her Instagram content uplifts and informs her community of over 57,000 followers. Hitha is a sought-after speaker on the topics of entrepreneurship, investing, parenting-work juggle, and on diversity and inclusion. In 2021, she has delivered the keynote address to the ILPA’s W.E.L.L. Summit and been a panelist at events hosted by Beam Therapeutics, Everywomen in Tech, HelloNeighbor, and The 4th Floor. Hitha’s 2022 speaking engagements include serving as emcee and moderator of three Thread Count Summits hosted for Taco Bell executives & franchisees, delivering a keynote address at WNORTH’s 2022 Summit, and speaking on the closing keynote panel for the Female Founders Collective Summit. Her upcoming engagements include the WIN Summit, and Black Tech Week. Hitha is an experienced moderator for book launches and author events. Events included the book launch for the New York Times Bestseller *HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style* by Elizabeth Holmes, *Meet You In The Middle* by Devon Daniels, *She’s Unlikeable* by Aparna Shewakramani, and *The Modern Loss Handbook* by Rebecca Soffer. Hollie Harper is a comedy nerd from South Jersey. She is currently the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Hella Late! with Hollie Harper was recently in the 2021 NYC Web Fest where she was nominated as Best Actress.Hollie was a semi-finalist in the 2019 NBC Standup Competition and has been featured on NY1, and in Black Enterprise Magazine, Thrive Global, Confessional Magazine and Black San Diego Magazine. Her popular sketch comedy show AMERICAN CANDY has played the Comic Strip, Gotham Comedy Club, BAM Café as well as the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Time Out Chicago named them one of the five groups to watch. Hollie is a regular host for West Side Comedy Club in NYC and works with Gold Comedy and Stand Up Girls, two programs that empower young women by teaching them standup comedy. She was recently the talent coordinator and casting for “Blood Lassi” on Spotify, written by Pratima Mani, and moderated the panel for the Emmy Award winning, WOC editing team of Black Lady Sketch Show for The Black TV and Film Collective. She is also the Creative Consultant for the very successful Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

This week's episode is to promote our fans only Patreon Page. Plus everyone is away this holiday! Listen to close friends Shauna Lane and I  talking about things women are too afraid to say out loud... and more.  Shauna Lane is a New York City based actor and comedian known for her goofy, lovable characters and comedy.  As an actor she has been in several national commercials and is in the feature film Creedmoria on Netflix.  As a comedian she has appeared on Comedy Central, MTV, and Sirius XM. Shauna studied acting with the legendary Wynn Handman and has graced the stages of the New York Comedy Festival, The 10,000 Laughs Festival in Minneapolis, The Ct. Comedy Festival and the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal.  She was the co-host of The Gone Girls Podcast (free on iTunes) from 2016-2020 and ran a monthly comedy show at New York Comedy Club called "We Share A Void."  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Amanda Seales With an uncanny knack for taking serious topics (racism, rape culture, sexism, police brutality, etc.) and with humor, making them relatable and interesting, she combines intellectual wit, silliness, and a pop culture obsession to create her unique style of smart funny content for the stage and screens. Amanda Seales is a comedian and creative visionary with a Master’s in African American studies from Columbia University. Seamlessly blending humor and intellect her unique style of smart funny content spans various genres across the entertainment and multi-media landscape. She is best known for her iconic role as, “Tiffany DuBois” of HBO’s Insecure, her debut stand up comedy special, “I Be Knowin”, as a former cohost on daytime talk show, “The Real”, host of NBCs “Bring the Funny,” and the host/writer of the groundbreaking 2020 BET Awards. She speaks truth to change via her wildly popular instagram @AmandaSeales, weekly podcast, “Small Doses”, and book by the same name. Centering community building in her comedy, she is also the creator/host of the touring variety game show, “Smart Funny & Black” and of “Smart Funny & Black Radio” on Kevin Hart’s LOL Network on SiriusXM. Always an advocate for Black voices, she founded Smart Funny & Black Productions to produce and create art as edu-tainment across the media landscape by any joke necessary. A Jedi Khaleesi with a patronus that’s a Black Panther with wings, Amanda Seales continues to keep audiences laughing, thinking, and living in their truth! And you can now get more from her at  Amandaverse.com and you can see her live on her new tour: “Black Outside". Christina Greer is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University - Lincoln Center (Manhattan) campus. Her research and teaching focus on American politics, Black ethnic politics, campaigns and elections, and public opinion. Prof. Greer's book Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream (Oxford University Press) investigates the increasingly ethnically diverse black populations in the US from Africa and the Caribbean. She finds that both ethnicity and a shared racial identity matter and also affect the policy choices and preferences for black groups. Professor Greer is currently working on a manuscript detailing the political contributions of Barbara Jordan, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Stacey Abrams. She recently co-edited Black Politics in Transition, which explores gentrification, suburbanization, and immigration of Blacks in America. She is a member of the board of The Tenement Museum in NYC,  The Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT, Community Change in Washington, DC, and serves on the Advisory Board at Tufts University. She is a frequent political commentator on several media outlets, primarily MSNBC, WNYC, and NY1, and is often quoted in media outlets such as the NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, and the AP. She is the co-host of the New York centered podcast FAQ-NYC, is a political analyst at thegrio.com, is a frequent author and narrator for the TedEd educational series, and also writes a weekly column for The Amsterdam News, one of the oldest black newspapers in the U.S. Prof. Greer received her BA from Tufts University and her MA, MPhil, and PhD in Political Science from Columbia University. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Godfrey, Loren Lott, and Jenny Saldana visit Friends Like Us and discuss social media, Monique, and black representation in Disney Spaces with host Marina Franklin!   GODFREY is one of the hottest comedians on the circuit. Growing up in Chicago, he constantly got in trouble for misbehaving and being an all-around class clown. Godfrey's Nigerian parents unknowingly encouraged his bad behavior by showing him classic comedy films from an early age. While performing impressions of his college football teammates, Godfrey realized his irreverent style of comedy might be more than just a hobby.. As one of the most dominant forces in the comedy circuit, Godfrey has been seen on stages from New York and Los Angeles to Dubai. Along with his own one-hour special on Comedy Central, Season 2 of Netflix’s Tiffany Hadish Presents: They Ready. Godfrey starred recently in HBO Max “That Damn Michaels Che show, the FX pilot "Bronx Warrants," adding to his onscreen credits which include ZOOLANDER, "30 Rock," and a recurring role on "Louie." Godfrey also stars alongside Shaquille O'Neal on the TruTV series, "Upload," which is now going into its second season. SeasAs of Season 16, he is currently one of the recurring cast members of the improv comedy show Wild 'N Out on VH1 and HBO MAX's That Damn Michael Che. Loren Lott is a California girl from San Diego.  At a young age Loren’s family knew she would entertain because she would line up stuffed animals, toys and her twin brother, at the bottom of her tree house and give grand performances.  Loren dreamed of entertaining, but her mother, Sharian Lott, told her at age 7 she wouldn’t be able to go to Knott’s Berry Farm if she were famous so Loren decided to pursue other things, but Sharian did tell Loren that at 13 she could ask her again. To Sharian’s surprise when Loren turned 13 the only gift she wanted was a subscription to backstage.com so she could start submitting herself for auditions and Sharian accepted.  After sending hundreds of bold messages to agents Loren finally got one in Hollywood along with a manager a month later. After pursuing her dreams in California for several years, Loren moved to Atlanta where she received a BA in Mass Media Arts with a concentration in radio/tv/film from Clark Atlanta University.  Loren continued acting while in Atlanta appearing live in SHREK THE MUSICAL at the Alliance Theatre and on several Television shows including GREENLEAF, THE GAME, TALES, FATAL ATTRACTION, POWERS, a feature film called TAG, and several independent projects.  While in Atlanta Loren also got cast for season 14 of American idol where she made it to Top 16! After American Idol Loren started her higher theatre career, landing the role of Gladys Night in MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL understudying Diana Ross, in the National tour as well as the Broadway company in New York.  After taking a year off Broadway, Loren returned when she booked the job of a swing in ONCE ON THIS ISLAND.  Loren then appeared live as CeCe Winans in BORN FOR THIS the Musical in Boston making her leading lady debut before returning to ONCE ON THIS ISLAND two months later, to take over the lead role of Timoune for a few months.. Aside from professional acting Loren enjoys making internet content and has managed to create and collaborate several videos that have racked up millions of views across her social media platforms.  Loren considers herself very blessed to be continuously working and gaining support.  She adores her family and is grateful for all of the sacrifices they have made for her dreams.  Loren’s ultimate goal is to be a Disney Princess and leave a legacy of inspiring the next generation, as well as to become a Superhero. Loren’s dream is to inspire people to live broader than our contained versions of happiness, and Love God and love their neighbor as they love themselves. Jenny Saldana is a writer, actress, and stand-up comedian and a Breast Cancer Rock STAR and all around hotness. She wrote, produced and starred in Happy Cancer Chick, a web series inspired by her own battle with breast cancer. She recently appeared in HBO’s High Maintenance. Her video series, The Little Brown Girl Show can be found on Youtube and Facebook Live. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Adriyan Rae, from this season's finale of Atlanta,  visits Friends Like Us!  Adriyan Rae - A triple-threat singer, actress, and model, Adriyan Rae is distinguishing herself as a star on the rise in Hollywood. Within the television sphere, she currently stars as ‘Brittany Pitts’ in Paramount+’s reboot of THE GAME. Additionally, she recently led the cast of SYFY’s series VAGRANT QUEEN, starred in NBC’s CHICAGO FIRE and Hulu’s horror-thriller series LIGHT AS A FEATHER, and has guest starred on various shows including FX’s ATLANTA, BET’s AMERICAN SOUL, and FOX’s musical drama STAR, from the producers of EMPIRE. On the silver screen, most recently, Rae appears in the indie film WELCOME MATT opposite Tahj Mowry and Deon Cole. Additionally, she has had roles in SUPERFLY with Jennifer Morrison, Trevor Jackson, and Michael Kenneth Williams, and BURNING SANDS alongside Alfre Woodard and Trevante Rhodes.  Born in the small city of Seaford, Delaware, Rae was raised by a single mother who instilled in her the belief that she could accomplish anything she put her heart and mind to. Even at a young age, Rae was held to a high standard and excelled as a student and star athlete. She went on to attend University of the Sciences in Philadelphia where she earned two bachelor’s degrees, one in Physician Assistant Studies and the other in Medical Laboratory Science. Following college, she discovered a passion for performing and since then has worked tirelessly to hone her talents as a singer and actress. She is classically trained in theater and has extensively trained in comedy, improv, and TV/film acting. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Shauna Lane and Nonye Brown-West visit Friends Like Us and discuss America's gun problem, Violence, and Monique is mad at D.L. Hughley with host Marina Franklin!   Shauna Lane is a New York City based actor and comedian known for her goofy, lovable characters and comedy.  As an actor she has been in several national commercials and is in the feature film Creedmoria on Netflix.  As a comedian she has appeared on Comedy Central, MTV, and Sirius XM. Shauna studied acting with the legendary Wynn Handman and has graced the stages of the New York Comedy Festival, The 10,000 Laughs Festival in Minneapolis, The Ct. Comedy Festival and the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal.  She was the co-host of The Gone Girls Podcast (free on iTunes) from 2016-2020 and ran a monthly comedy show at New York Comedy Club called "We Share A Void."  Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. In 2019, Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card. Look out for her two new web series, Fairytales with Nonye and Gayby Jesus. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Kristin Richardson Jordan is a published poet, activist and elected council member for Harlem’s District 9. She has been featured on a number of podcasts, including Mind Over Melanin, and has been a member of AALUSC (African Ancestral Lesbians United for Social Change), and the ANSWER coalition (Act Now To Stop War and End Racism).  Kristin (KRJ) stems from a family who have had roots in Harlem for three generations. Kristin continues to serve her community by being an advocate for police accountability, affordable housing, healthcare and environmental justice. KRJ is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and spends her time engaging in outreach, mutual aid and bi weekly task forces.  When she is not engaging in community care with her constituents, she loves spending time with her family, which includes her cat, Squeaky and dog Jamie. Kiara Imani is an attorney, writer, and co-host of Don Amiche vs. Everybody + Crysta & Kiara, a daytime talk show on Los Angeles radio station KBLA Talk 1580 AM. She is the co-founder of LikeU Cards, a getting to know you card game that facilitates human connection and meaningful conversation. Imani graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia with a major in political science. She has been featured in Forbes, Hello Sunshine, Oprah Magazine, The Huffington Post, Blavity, and more. Her debut memoir "Therapy Isn’t Just For White People" is available August 9th.  Jon Laster is a New York City based comedian. He has taped three season’s of BET’s Comic View, hosted the first and second Underground Comedy Festival held in New York City, completed a one year tour with the NACA showcase, and appeared on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend. In addition, Jon finds the time to host his own weekly comedy room in Clinton Hill/FT Greene, Brooklyn, which also happens to be the longest-running comedy room ever in Brooklyn. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Kenice Mobley performs stand up comedy around the world and recently made her late-night debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. She appears regularly on SiriusXM and is a Finalist in the StandUp NBC Competition. This year, Kenice worked on the BET Awards and By Us For Us, a sketch comedy series presented by Color of Change. She hosts Complexify on ViceNews, Love About Town, an interview and relationship podcast, and Make Yourself Cry, available on Planet Scum. Vanessa Fraction Currently, Ms. Fraction is a Co-host with THE NAPPY BOY RADIO PODCAST hosted by; Rapper, Producer TPAIN. She is also an Analyst for THE COMEDY HYPE NEWS SHOW. Additionally, Vanessa (aka Action Fraction) is a certified Self-Defense instructor and teaches a class, “Kicks & Comedy”, That empowers women with life-saving self-defense skills and lifts spirits by infusing comedy.   Born in St. Louis and raised in Chicago, this mother of two has over a decade of experience captivating fans around the world with her one of a kind storytelling talent. Whether you see her on stage, television or hear her on the radio, Vanessa is on a mission to empower her audience to overcome their struggles while laughing at hers. These can be hilarious tales of being a single mother paying child support or revealing anecdotes on the battle of being a strong, successful black woman. Her television credits include appearances on Comedy Knock Out and Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks (TruTV), Tales (BET), and a  recurring role on BounceTV’s Mann and Wife. Vanessa’s hilarious and bold stand-up comedy has been showcased on many shows such as HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, 1st Amendment Standup (STARZ) and Mike Epps Live at Club Nokia. As a writer she has worked on The Arsenio Hall Show (CBS), 106 & Park and The Mo’Nique Show (BET). Her film roles include Barber Shop 2: Back in Business and Kim Field’s Holiday Love: The Rebirth. Her quick wit and sharp humor is featured when she guests hosts on entertainment shows like DishNation (FOX) When you "do the math" Vanessa Fraction equals One Very Funny Lady! Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Bevy Smith, Joyelle Johnson, and Zainab Johnson visit Friends Like Us and discuss how it gets greater later and other Bevelations with host Marina Franklin!   Bevy Smith Quintessential Harlem girl, life-long New Yorker and Gracie Award Winner Bevy Smith is the host of Sirius XM’s “Bevelations” on Radio Andy.  Once a wildly successful luxury fashion publishing exec, Bevy shifted her professional goals over a decade ago to pursue a life in front of the camera. A pop culture aficionado and fashion expert, Bevy served as moderator of Bravo TV’s revolutionary “Fashion Queens," and was a former co-host on the nationally syndicated “Page Six TV.”  Bevy continues to be part of “The Wendy Williams Show’s Style Squad.” Her memoir Bevelations: Lessons from a Mutha, Auntie, Bestie is available where books are sold. Joyelle Nicole Johnson is a Brooklyn-based stand-up comedian, writer, and actress. She made her network TV debut on Late Night with Seth Meyers and most recently performed as the warm-up act for Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act. She wrote for the final season of Broad City, and has performed on Comedy Central’s digital series Comics to Watch, Wyatt Cenac’s Night Train for Seeso, Laff Tracks for TruTV as well as being a panelist for Refinery 29/Facebook Watch’s After After Party and MTV News. And while transitioning to the headliner that she is today she regularly features for Hannibal Buress and has opened for Dave Chappelle, Maria Bamford & Russell Peters. She also combines her dream of comedy and activism by touring with Daily Show creator Lizz Winstead’s Lady Parts Justice League. Her comedy special Love Joy on Peacock has been nominated for the Critic’s Choice Award Best Comedy Special. Zainab Johnson , a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer is quickly being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen. In 2019, Zainab was named one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics To Watch. Recently, she was one of the hosts for Netflix's new show "100 Humans". You can also catch her as Aleesha on the Amazon Prime comedy series "Upload". Zainab made her first late night stand up appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, and has also had appearances on HBO’s All Def Comedy (2017), NBC’s Last Comic Standing (2014), Arsenio (2014), BET’s Comic View (2014), AXSTV’s Gotham Comedy Live! She also just recently starred in a new web series titled Avant-Guardians. Zainab is a regular at the Improv Comedy Club in LA and the Comedy Cellar in NY, and has performed in the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival as one of the 2014 New Faces of Comedy and returned numerous times since.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Amity Paye, Carmen Morales, and Akeem Woods visit Friends Like Us and discuss actions for real change, diversity hires , and the lack of black ownership in the music industry. Carmen Morales has a captivating style which incorporates opinionated quick wit and outlandish characters. Taking from family, friends, and people from everyday encounters she transforms into these characters seamlessly, then adds hilarious commentary which leaves the audience doubled over in laughter. With a perfect combination of like-ability and vulnerability she has been well received by audiences internationally. She's been seen on two seasons of the tv show "Laughs" on Fox and heard on Sirius XM radio in the U.S. and Canada. She's also been featured in Gilda's LaughFest Comedy Festival, the World Series of Comedy, Scruffy City Comedy Festival, Women of Comedy Festival, in the New York Times and has produced her own traveling comedy show, The 'Not Your Average Broads of Comedy' as well as performed in comedy clubs, colleges, strip malls, indie shows, dive bars, towns no one has ever heard of and military bases across the country. Akeem Woods is the funny little brother you always (never) wanted — his comedy style will have you on the edge of your seat reeling from laughter! No topic is safe from discussion, whether it be the KKK or the hardships of growing up poor. Akeem is a regular at the Comedy Cellar in NYC, was a semi-finalist on Stand Up NBC, has been seen on Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, and just recently made his television debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden! Currently, you can find Akeem working on a new show for BET and at clubs and colleges all over the country. Amity Paye is the Senior Director of Communications at Color Of Change. She oversees the organization’s media strategy, social media, design, production, and partnerships to make Color Of Change a household name. Her team uses media coverage, social media, design, and video production to add pressure during campaigns and publicize some of the organization’s most important victories on tech accountability, transforming entertainment industries, and criminal justice reform. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Calise Hawkins, Gina Brillon and Nonye Brown-West talk about Netflix's stock value, Brittney Griner, and the term Latin X with host Marina Franklin. Calise Hawkins is a WGA Award Nominated Writer for "That Damn Michael Che" on HBOmax and a Story Editor for "Everything's Trash" starring Phoebe Robinson on Hulu (coming soon).  Gina Brillon was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. The Puerto Rican actress, comedian, writer and mom has been a standup comic since she was 17 years old. Her 1-hour special Gina Brillon: The Floor is Lava won a 2021 Gracie Award, is nominated for an Imagen Award, and is available on Amazon Prime Video, along with her first special, Pacifically Speaking. Her 1/2 hour special Easily Offended was one of the top shows from the Entre Nos franchise on HBO Latino, and streams on all HBO Digital Platforms. She was a finalist on America's Got Talent Season 16, and has made appearances on HBO Max’s HA Festival: The Art of Comedy, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, E!’s Chelsea Lately, The View, Late Night with Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel Live. You have seen her on Kevin Can Wait on CBS and The Conners on ABC. Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. In 2019, Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card. Look out for her two new web series, Fairytales with Nonye and Gayby Jesus. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Onika McLean, born in North Carolina, and raised in East New York Brooklyn, is a single mother of two, legal professional, and a sharp comedian whose no-nonsense perspective on life, love, single motherhood, and her mid life crisis is taking the comedy arena by storm. She was the fan favorite on Bravo Television's, The Single’s Project. She is the winner of the Sloshed Comedy Competition and the Rising Stars Comedy Competition in London. Onika preforms regularly at LOL and Times Square and passed at Comic Strip Live and has Dangerfield's, New York Comedy Club, New York Stand, Broadway Comedy, Village Underground, and the.   She runs a monthly show entitled Cosmic Comedy.   Hollie Harper is a comedy nerd from South Jersey. She is currently the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Hella Late! with Hollie Harper was recently in the 2021 NYC Web Fest where she was nominated as Best Actress.Hollie was a semi-finalist in the 2019 NBC Standup Competition and has been featured on NY1, and in Black Enterprise Magazine, Thrive Global, Confessional Magazine and Black San Diego Magazine. Her popular sketch comedy show AMERICAN CANDY has played the Comic Strip, Gotham Comedy Club, BAM Café as well as the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Time Out Chicago named them one of the five groups to watch. Hollie is a regular host for West Side Comedy Club in NYC and works with Gold Comedy and Stand Up Girls, two programs that empower young women by teaching them standup comedy. She was recently the talent coordinator and casting for “Blood Lassi” on Spotify, written by Pratima Mani, and moderated the panel for the Emmy Award winning, WOC editing team of Black Lady Sketch Show for The Black TV and Film Collective. She is also the Creative Consultant for the very successful Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Pat Brown has been seen on CBS’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Fuse’s Uproarious, Axis’s Gotham Live, NBC’s Comic’s Unleashed and BET‘s ComicView, TVOne’s made for TV movie-WHITE WATER, the independent film SOMEBODIES, and the web series UNREQUITED. Pat has won both the Las Vegas Comedy Festival and the She Devil Competition. She has been featured in Time Out Magazine, After-Ellen, Splitsider and Punchline Magazine. Her critically acclaimed album “The Pat Brown Sex-Tape” has been described as “provocative and conceptual” by Laugh and is streaming on all platforms. You can watch her set on Two Dope Queens on HBO! Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Victor Varnado and Ankara Martinez visit friends and dicuss 420 party and how irefutable logic helps the pitch for profit.   Use these codes from 50-100% off. One use only!  UYFC9DGJ3 V7APMR83S X53EH49NU LFM2XTZC5 Q9N7WHJAB If you're still reading this, you get a to  In person code for $45 tickets : MARYJANE Victor Varnado is a producer, filmmaker, comedian, writer, and cartoonist. He recently finished a stint as a producer for a spinoff series in VH1’s wildly successful Love and Hip Hop franchise, Leave it to Stevie starring Stevie J. He has also held senior producing positions for shows on networks including TruTV, Comedy Central, and The History Channel. His work also extends to journalistic video and branded content with clients like Associated Press, Spectrum News, and Conde Nast. Victor’s work as a showrunner and series creator has generated iconic firsts and cult hits like Comedy Central’s “The Awkward Comedy Show” a comedy concert film which helped introduce the world to Eric Andre and Hannibal Buress. Also, “Realm of LARP” a documentary series distributed by Nerdist/Legendary Pictures continues to be one of the most beloved productions delving into the world of live action role-playing.  In 2015 his pilot “Funny Cause It’s True” won in the Best Unscripted category in the New York Television Festival. Comics created by Victor have appeared in MAD Magazine and recently he has become a New Yorker Cartoonist. Victor’s writing work includes being a gag writer for the upcoming 2019 Orion Pictures Eric Andre and Lil Rel Howery film “Bad Trip”, Marvel Comics, VICE, Salon and co-authoring a screenplay with comics legend Stan Lee. You may recognize him as a comedian and actor from appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Adult Swim and My Name is Earl – also playing supporting roles in films with Arnold Schwarzenegger (End of Days), Eddie Murphy (The Adventures of Pluto Nash), and Werner Herzog (Julien Donkey Boy). Ankara Martinez is a New York based stand up comedian. You have seen her on stage at New York Comedy Club, Long Beach-Irvine-Dania Improv, Carolines on Broadway, The People’s Improv Theater, The Comic Strip Live, Stand Up New York, and Broadway Comedy Club. Ankara’s podcast "The Gone Girls", was part of New York Comedy Festival and Women in Comedy Festival, it includes sketches and cold reads with some of the funniest comedians in the country. Ankara is a long time house team member at The Peoples Improv Theater and part of ImprovFest 2018. Her podcast “dumdum podcast” is now available on Apple podcast, please follow her on instagram for upcoming shows @Laughkara  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Ian Lara and Nadia Brown visit Friends and discuss the necessary impact and contribution of the arts, Amazon's David versus Goliath, and diversity in the theatre industry with host Marina Franklin Ian Lara is one of the hottest rising comics in New York City.  Last year he taped a set for “Comedy Central Stand up Featuring” which has garnered over 10 million views, he also made an appearance on the first season of “NBC’s Bring the Funny” and made his late-night debut on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He was a regular player on ‘This week at the Comedy Cellar’ on Comedy Central with his second Comedy Central set hitting the 10 million views mark yet again. He's been featured in The New Yorker Magazine and you can catch his short special streaming on HBO MAX titled ``LA MEETS NY”. Keeping the momentum going he was named one of 2021 “JFL NEW FACES of comedy” the same week he recorded his debut Comedy Central half-hour special which debuted February 10th, 2022.  Starting 2022 with a bang he's already signed on to do another half hour comedy special for HBO MAX produced by Entre Nos. Nadia Brown leads The Green Room, a 5-part series on Ovation TV that explores the impacts and contributions of the arts to our society and how our economic recovery from COVID will leave thousands behind without support for working artists. Nadia made her Broadway debut as Rose Granger-Weasley as part of the Year 2 cast in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. She currently stars on Other theater credits include: Broadway debut. Stepping Through Blood (New Perspectives Theatre), Serious Adverse Effects (The National Black Theatre), Regional: Learned Ladies (Centenary Stage Company), & Juliet (New Jersey Repertory Company), various roles including Constance, Olivia and Marina in Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London). Training: B.F.A. from Marymount Manhattan College “Nadia Brown, a seasoned actress who is currently playing Rose Granger-Weasley in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway and the host of the new Ovation TV show The Green Room, to discuss how women are keeping arts organizations alive post-COVID despite little to no support or relief from states and the federal government. While many Americans are hitting museums, plays, art festivals, concerts, and Broadway, conversations around pandemic relief have failed to include the creative economy -- an economy that makes up $919 billion annually and employs millions of women across various sectors. The Green Room is a 5-part series premiering on Ovation TV on March 23 that explores the impacts and contributions of the arts to our society and how our economic recovery from COVID will leave thousands behind without support for working artists. Ovation TV is launching The Green Room in partnership with Be An #ArtsHero, an intersectional grassroots campaign comprised of Arts & Culture workers, Unions, and institutions pushing for relief to the Arts & Culture sector of the American economy.  Nadia Brown takes viewers on a journey that spotlights so many of the incredible women doing this work with minimal opportunities for state and federal relief. Like Nataki Garrett, the first Black woman to lead the Oregon Shakespeare Theater - due to supply chain issues her team had to recycle wigs and repurpose sets because they couldn’t get new ones in time. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Sharita Humphrey, Zainab Johnson, and Hoodo Hersi visit Friends and discuss improving your credit score, financial awarenes, the slap that was heard around the world and more with host Marina Franklin. Hoodo Hersi is a Toronto-based comedian whose comedy can be seen on Just For Laughs, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Halifax Comedy Festival and the BBC. She also had the great fortune of opening up for Hasan Minhaj, Lil Rel Howery, Chris Redd, Gina Yashere, Moshe Kasher, and Maria Bamford among others. In 2019, Hoodo was selected as CBC’s 15 Comics to Watch and was part of Sephora’s national “Get Lippie” lipstick campaign in partnership with Fashion Magazine, where she was profiled as one of the three Female Comedians Taking Canada by Storm Right Now. Zainab Johnson, a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer is quickly being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen. In 2019, Zainab was named one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics To Watch. Recently, she was one of the hosts for Netflix's new show "100 Humans". You can also catch her as Aleesha on the Amazon Prime comedy series "Upload". Zainab made her first late night stand up appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, and has also had appearances on HBO’s All Def Comedy (2017), NBC’s Last Comic Standing (2014), Arsenio (2014), BET’s Comic View (2014), AXSTV’s Gotham Comedy Live! She also just recently starred in a new web series titled Avant-Guardians. Zainab is a regular at the Improv Comedy Club in LA and the Comedy Cellar in NY, and has performed in the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival as one of the 2014 New Faces of Comedy and returned numerous times since.   After hitting financial rock bottom, Sharita Humphrey had to rebuild her life and make it stronger. She turned her knowledge of finance into a way to help those silently struggling both personally and financially. Sharita has always worked in the finance, auditing, and accounting industry. She worked as a tax examiner and auditor for the State of Texas for some time, and saw the daily impact of middle-class business owners consistently struggling with not only their business finances but also their personal finances. Her experience includes teaching and speaking at several organizations and events, including the Women’s Resource Center of Houston and Covenant Community Capital. Her work has been published in several magazines, such as Credit Karma and has allowed her to be a brand ambassador for a debt boot camp program with Capital One. She was asked to speak at Covenant House Houston National Night Out event to help bring awareness to the growing epidemic of homelessness and raise money for the homeless teens in Houston. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Liuz Miele, Shauna Lane, and Subha Agarwal visit Friends and talk about the big day,  mask fatigue, Ketanji Brown Jackson and more with host Marina Franklin. Liz Miele, originally from New Jersey, started doing stand-up at 16 in New York City. At 18 she was profiled in The New Yorker Magazine, at 22 she appeared on Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham.” She recently appeared on Comedy Central’s “This Week at the Comedy Cellar,” NPR’s “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me,” Hulu’s “Coming To The Stage,” AXS TV’s “Gotham Comedy Live,” and was profiled in the March 2015 issue of Runner’s World. She has several viral videos on Youtube, Instagram and Tiktok including jokes “Feminist Sex Positions,” “F*ck Finland,” and “London Cops Are Better Than American Cops” She regularly tours internationally and has three albums out on spotify and itunes and released her first special “Self Help Me” in May 2020 free on youtube. Her first book, “Why Cats Are Assholes” is available everywhere March 30th 2021. She wrote and produced season one of her animated web series “Damaged,” voiced by great comics including, Maz Jobrani, Hari Kondabolu, Ted Alexandro, Jermaine Fowler, Dean Edwards, DC Benny, Joe Machi and so many more. She also co-produced and co-starred in 40 episodes of a web series called “Apt C3” with fellow comic, Carmen Lynch and fashion photographer, Chris Vongsawat. Shauna Lane is a New York City based actor and comedian known for her goofy, lovable characters and comedy. As an actor she has been in several national commercials and is in the feature film Creedmoria on Netflix. As a comedian she has appeared on Comedy Central, MTV, and Sirius XM. Shauna studied acting with the legendary Wynn Handman and has graced the stages of the New York Comedy Festival, The 10,000 Laughs Festival in Minneapolis, The Ct. Comedy Festival, and the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. She was the co-host of The Gone Girls Podcast (free on iTunes) from 2016-2020 and ran a monthly comedy show at New York Comedy Club called "We Share A Void." Subha Agarwal has brought an honesty to her comedy that is refreshing, and at times a bit disturbing... but in a good way. Trust me. Subhah has written for the "Plan B" movie on Hulu," and The Jim Jefferies Show"on Comedy Central, amongst others. You can also catch her jokes live at stand up comedy clubs across the country. If you don't want to leave your couch, you can see her late night debut on NBC's "A Little Late With Lilly Singh." She's also appeared on season three of HBO's "Westworld", on TruTv's sketch comedy "Friends of the People", and as herself on MTV2, Comedy Central, and Gotham Comedy Live.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Chewy Mai, Brittany Carney, and Mia Jackson visit Friends and talk about blaccents,  Asian Hate, having fun with microaggressions and more with host Marina Franklin. Chewy is a comic born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She has over 20 years of social awkwardness under her belt, which fuels her comedy mind and her perspective on life. Has been featured on Brooklyn Pride Comedy Show, Women in Comedy Festival, Stand Up NY Comedy Festival, Hell Yes Fest, and many more.   Brittany Carney  began her standup comedy in Washington, DC, and now lives in New York City! She has appeared at  the Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest, Flyover Comedy Festival, All Jane Comedy Festival, Kennedy Center REACH Opening Festival, New York Comedy Festival, and many more. You can see her on Season 7 of Comedy Central Featuring. She was a staff writer for Season 2 of That Damn Michael Che on HBO Max. Her Comedy Central  Mia Jackson is a New York based comedian originally from Georgia. In 2017, Jackson was selected as a New Face by the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and Atlanta's Creative Loafing named her the Critic's Choice Best Stand-Up in the city. She has toured nationally with Amy Schumer and is a featured comic at festivals and clubs across the country. Her first stand up special aired in October 2018 as part of Unprotected Sets on EPIX. Jackson has appeared on NickMom's Night Out, Viceland, Comedy Central's This Week at the Comedy Cellar and was a semi-finalist on Season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing. Her Comedy Central half-hour special debuted in November 2019. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Tricia Lee, Hollie Hatper and Onika McLean visit Friends and talk about America's addiction to Real Estate and more with host Marina Franklin. Tricia Lee is a proud Brooklyn resident with immense knowledge and appreciation of the borough's history and the revitalization of its neighborhoods. Tricia's firsthand knowledge of the Brooklyn market stems not only from being a long-time resident of the borough, but also from owning and operating her very popular chain of nail and beauty bars, Polish Bar Brooklyn, for over 10 years in Fort Greene/Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights. As a well-known business owner and active member of the business community, she has served on the various merchant's associations on the Board of Directors for Myrtle Avenue Redevelopment Project. She makes the direct connection between commercial development and residential trends in Brooklyn. Tricia Lee collaborates frequently with area business leaders and building owners. Her level of commitment and love for the community have also contributed to her becoming the go-to resource for clients, friends and business contacts when it comes to neighborhood knowledge and recommendations, including real estate.  Onika McLean, born in North Carolina, and raised in East New York Brooklyn, is a single mother of two, legal professional, and a sharp comedian whose no-nonsense perspective on life, love, single motherhood, and her mid life crisis is taking the comedy arena by storm. She was the fan favorite on Bravo Television's, The Single’s Project. She is the winner of the Sloshed Comedy Competition and the Rising Stars Comedy Competition in London. Onika preforms regularly at LOL and Times Square and passed at Comic Strip Live and has Dangerfield's, New York Comedy Club, New York Stand, Broadway Comedy, Village Underground, and the. She runs a monthly show entitled Cosmic Comedy.   Hollie Harper is a comedy nerd from South Jersey. She is currently the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Hella Late! with Hollie Harper was recently in the 2021 NYC Web Fest where she was nominated as Best Actress.Hollie was a semi-finalist in the 2019 NBC Standup Competition and has been featured on NY1, and in Black Enterprise Magazine, Thrive Global, Confessional Magazine and Black San Diego Magazine. Her popular sketch comedy show AMERICAN CANDY has played the Comic Strip, Gotham Comedy Club, BAM Café as well as the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Time Out Chicago named them one of the five groups to watch. Hollie is a regular host for West Side Comedy Club in NYC and works with Gold Comedy and Stand Up Girls, two programs that empower young women by teaching them standup comedy. She was recently the talent coordinator and casting for “Blood Lassi” on Spotify, written by Pratima Mani, and moderated the panel for the Emmy Award winning, WOC editing team of Black Lady Sketch Show for The Black TV and Film Collective. She is also the Creative Consultant for the very successful Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Laurie Kilmartin, Diandra Lyle and Meme Simpson visit Friends and talk about unqualified leaders, African Students in Ukraine, Co-parenting boundaries and more with host Marina Franklin. Diandra Lyle is an American actress currently appearing in Disney Channel's Secrets of Sulphur Springs. She recently starred in Apple TV’s Beauty and the Baller, recurred on Paramount Network’s American Woman and on NCIS, and has had roles in Shameless, Bones, A24’s Moonbase 8 and General Hospital, among other shows. On the film front, she has appeared in Foster Boy, starring Matthew Modine and Always A Bridesmaid, among others. Laurie Kilmartin is an Emmy-nominated writer, she was on staff for all ten years of CONAN on TBS, and has performed standup on CONAN, Late Late Show w/James Corden, and Comedy Central.  She was a Top 10 finalist on season 9 of Last Comic Standing,  and has been a guest on Marc Maron's WTF 3 times. Her first book, Shitty Mom, was a NY Times bestseller. Her Seeso (RIP) special, 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad, was named Vulture 's Top Ten Comedy Specials of 2016 and should be available on Amazon Prime soon. Her album Corset was released in Oct of 2021, available for purchase or stream. MeMe Simpson is a writer, comedian, and producer who has performed at The Laugh Factory, The Comedy Store, The Comic Strip, and the Apollo Theater. She currently hosts Laugh Gas, a virtual comedy showcase. This June, she is headlining the Black Women In Comedy Laff Fest.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Vanessa Fraction, Paula Bel, And Nonye Brow-West visit Friends and talk about living where politics align, the guilt of motherhood, the dating app swindler and more with host Marina Franklin. Vanessa Fraction Currently, Ms. Fraction is a Co-host with the Nappy Boy Radio Podcast hosted by; Rapper, Producer TPain. She is also an Analyst for The Comedy Hype News Show. Additionally, Vanessa (aka Action Fraction) is a certified Self-Defense instructor and teaches a class, “Kicks & Comedy”, That empowers women with life-saving self-defense skills and lifts spirits by infusing comedy.   Born in St. Louis and raised in Chicago, this mother of two has over a decade of experience captivating fans around the world with her one of a kind storytelling talent. Whether you see her on stage, television or hear her on the radio, Vanessa is on a mission to empower her audience to overcome their struggles while laughing at hers. These can be hilarious tales of being a single mother paying child support or revealing anecdotes on the battle of being a strong, successful black woman. Her television credits include appearances on Comedy Knock Out and Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks (TruTV), Tales (BET), and a  recurring role on BounceTV’s Mann and Wife. Vanessa’s hilarious and bold stand-up comedy has been showcased on many shows such as HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, 1st Amendment Standup (STARZ) and Mike Epps Live at Club Nokia. As a writer she has worked on The Arsenio Hall Show (CBS), 106 & Park and The Mo’Nique Show (BET). Her film roles include Barber Shop 2: Back in Business and Kim Field’s Holiday Love: The Rebirth. Her quick wit and sharp humor is featured when she guests hosts on entertainment shows like DishNation (FOX) When you "do the math" Vanessa Fraction equals One Very Funny Lady! Paula Bel’s performances are hysterically dark...A Los Angeles native, her voice and delivery are undeniably strong, not your average female comic.  The unexpected truths along with her delivery are hilarious.  Currently you may have seen her on "Baskets" w/ Zach Galifinakis or you can watch her comedy on Showtime's Nasty Show Vol. II or Jenny McCarthy's "Dirty Sexy Funny" on HULU. Paula's numerous credits include The Tonight Show, The View, Showtime’s Full Frontal Comedy, Nickelodeon's Stand Up in Stilettos, and Comics Unleashed. Headlining numerous comedy festivals such as 'HBO" in Las Vegas, Montreal "Just for Laughs", "Smithwicks" in Dublin and Kilkenny, Ireland.   Television and acting appearances include "VH1", "Real Husbands of Hollywood", music video starring Wiz Khalifa, and commercials for Google. Paula’s writing style and character make her one of the most unique female comics performing today. Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. In 2019, Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card. Look out for her two new web series, Fairytales with Nonye and Gayby Jesus. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Christina M. Greer, PhD is an Associate Professor of Political Science and American Studies at Fordham University (Lincoln Center Campus). She was the 2018 Fellow for the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University Silver School of Social Work, and co-host of the "What's in it for Us" podcast. Her primary research and teaching interests are racial and ethnic politics, American urban centers, presidential politics, and campaigns and elections. Her additional research interests also include transportation, mayors and public policy in urban centers. Her previous work has compared criminal activity and political responses in Boston and Baltimore as well as Baltimore and St. Louis. Prof. Greer's book Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream (Oxford University Press, 2013 ) investigates the increasingly ethnically diverse black populations in the US from Africa and the Caribbean and was the recipient of the WEB du Bois Best Book Award in 2014 given by the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. Professor Greer is currently working on a manuscript detailing the political contributions of Barbara Jordan, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Stacey Abrams. She recently co-edited Black Politics in Transition, which explores gentrification, suburbanization, and immigration of Blacks in America. She is a member of the board of The Tenement Museum in NYC, the Center for Community Change, and serves on the Advisory Board at Tufts University.  She is also an ardent supporter of FIERCE in NYC and Project South in Atlanta, GA, and a former board member of BAJI (Black Alliance for Just Immigration), the Riders Alliance of New York, and the Human Services Council. She is a frequent political commentator on several media outlets, primarily MSNBC, WNYC, and NY1, and is often quoted in media outlets such as the NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, and the AP. She is the co-host of the New York centered podcast FAQ-NYC and co-host of the Black centered podcast What's In It For Us podcast, is the politics editor at thegrio.com, is the producer and host of The Aftermath and The Contender on Ozy.com as well as their editor-at-large, is a frequent author and narrator for the TedEd educational series, and also writes a weekly column for The Amsterdam News, one of the oldest black newspapers in the U.S. Greer received her B. A. from Tufts University and her M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University. Dr. Janus Adams is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, historian, entrepreneur, bestselling author of eleven books, and host of public radio’s “The Janus Adams Show” and podcast.  A frequent on-air guest, she has appeared on ABC, BET, CBS, CNN, Fox News, NBC’s The Today Show, and NPR’s All Things Considered.  With more than 500 articles, essays and columns to her credit, her work has been featured in Essence and Ms. Magazines, The New York Times, Newsday, USA Today, and The Washington Post.  Her syndicated column ran in the Hearst Newspapers for sixteen years.  Her commentary has been broadcast on CBS and NPR, and published in the Huffington Post. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.  

Kelly M. Jenrette and Damona Hoffman visit Friends and talk about dating apps, making a list for the right person, wedding promises and the importance of inclusivity in acting with host Marina Franklin. Kelly M. Jenrette, a native of Atlanta, now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Melvin Jackson Jr.  In 2018, she and her husband became the first African American married couple to be nominated for Emmy’s in the same year.  Kelly’s Emmy nomination was for her portrayal of Annie in Season 2, Episode 4 of The Handmaid’s Tale.  Her two latest films can be found on Netflix: Uncorked and All Day and A Night, where she stars alongside Jeffrey Wright and Ashton Sanders.  Kelly is also in the second season of the hit anthology show Manhunt: Deadly Games (Lionsgate/Spectrum).  She can currently be seen as Winona on the Facebook Watch Original LIMETOWN.  Kelly has also been a series regular on the Fox comedy, Grandfathered, starring John Stamos; She's had recurring guest star roles on Here and Now (HBO), Pitch (FOX) and Graves (EPIX).  You may also remember her from her twelve Kmart commercials as Kmart Kelly!  Kelly was a part of the 13 time Ovation Nominated Musical, The Color Purple at Celebration Theatre, where her portrayal of Nettie earned her an individual Ovation Nomination for best featured actress.  Other TV credits include: Mixed•ish (ABC), Fuller House (Netflix), Weird Loners (FOX), The Haunted Hathaways (Nickelodeon), Happy Endings (ABC), Frisky Dingo, VO (Cartoon Network) WEB SERIES: Mommy Uncensored Episode 2 (YouTube), Much Ado About Mr. GQ (YouTube/FunnyorDie) and Study Buddy (YouTube). Watch Kelly Jenrette on All American Homecoming premiering Feb 21st on the CW network!  Damona Hoffman has been coaching singles on how to find love online and offline for over 15 years. Her articles appear regularly in The LA Times and The Washington Post. Plus, she’s a regular on-air contributor to The Drew Barrymore Show, NPR, and NBC’s Access Daily. Damona also starred in two A+E Networks’ TV shows: #BlackLove and A Question of Love. Her weekly podcast Dates & Mates has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Huff Post, Bustle and tops the charts in the Relationships category on the major podcast platforms. She is also the official dating coach for OkCupid. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Christina Anthony, Kenny Leu and Von Decarlo visit Friends and talk about the changing  career paths, American history, and the importance of inclusivity with host Marina Franklin. Kenny Leu is an actor, who is becoming one of the leading Asian American performers in the industry. He is widely recognized as Gohan from the webseries Dragon Ball Z: Light of Hope (34 million views). He is the son of Chinese immigrants and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he graduated from UC Berkeley with an engineering degree. After founding several startups in the Silicon Valley, competing in martial arts tournaments around the world, joining the United States Wushu team, and selling one of his startups to Google, Kenny decided to pursue film and television. He quickly landed roles on NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles and The Player, performing all of his own stunts. Kenny has since starred in NatGeo’s The Long Road Home (2017), Roland Emmerich’s Midway (2019), and Yakuza Princess (2021). He also was invited to appear in the popular Chinese series The Impossible (奇迹) (2019).Kenny's breakout role will be as the lead in A Shot Through the Wall (2022), which just had its theatrical release Jan 21 in North America and Jan 24 in the UK.. He plays a young Asian-American cop who is responsible for accidentally shooting and killing an innocent Black man, through a wall. Both Kenny and the film earned nominations for Best Actor & Best Narrative Feature at Beaufort International Film Festival. The film premiered to rave reviews at the New York Asian American Film Festival, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Bentonville, and Whistler, to name a few.  Christina Anthony is a multi talented actress, writer, vocalist, and improviser. She is originally from the Chicago comedy scene and is best known as an alum of the Second City Chicago's resident e.t.c. stage, where she co-wrote three original sketch revues and performed thousands of shows for Chicago audiences. Most recently, Christina starred opposite Kristen Bell in the Netlix series, The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window, which dropped Jan. 28th. Christina is also a series regular on ABC's Mixed-ish, a Black-ish spinoff. Her favorite on-camera roles as an actress include Key & Peele (Comedy Central), Mash Up (Comedy Central), Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ (Seeso), Take My Wife (Seeso), Bunk'd (Disney), Why Women Kill (CBS All Access), ER (NBC) and The Dilemma (Universal). A charismatic theater performer and vocalist, she has also been seen off-Broadway in Found (Atlantic Theatre), Second City's Romeo + Juliet Musical (Chicago Shakespeare), The Art of Falling (Hubbard Street Dance Chicago + Second City – LA & Chicago), among many other credits.  Von Decarlo is a New York based stand up comedian with global ad campaigns, and national commercials for Disney, GNC, Match, and Carnival Cruise Lines. She performed at the Just For Laughs comedy festival for Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, as well as, the Lil’ Rel and Friends show, and has been a featured comedian on HBO’s innovative talk show Pause with Sam Jay, Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks on Tru TV and HBO Max, CNN’s talking head year end wrap up special, BuzzFeed, The Jerry O Show on FOX, Fox Soul, The Breakfast Club, and more. In addition to hosting The Power Hour and The Godfrey Complex on Sirius XM‘s Urban View, she was also the first woman, and first comedian, to host her own show on the SiriusXM NBA channel. Von Decarlo is the Executive Producer of the Patrice O’Neal documentary, Killing Is Easy, on Comedy Central, and the producer of three posthumous comedy albums Mr. P, Unreleased, and The Lost Files. Her debut comedy album, A Draggable Offense, is available on all major platforms, and can be heard on the She So Funny and Laugh Out Loud radio stations on Sirius XM. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Karin Norington-Reaves, C. Zawadi Morris and Kenice Mobley visit Friends and talk about Karin's congressional run, gun violence, and the state of our children with host Marina Franklin. Karin Norington-Reaves is a public servant and change agent with 30 years of experience in job creation, education, advocacy, and community development. A third-generation Chicagoan, Karin is the daughter of an Air Force veteran and sheet metal worker father and an entrepreneur and business coach mother. From an early age, she watched her mother advocate for, mentor, and serve others. For the past decade, Karin has been the CEO of the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, the nation’s most extensive and effective publicly-funded workforce development system. Under her leadership since it began in 2012, The Partnership has focused on connecting people to careers, and businesses to high-quality talent, impacting Chicagoland’s neighborhoods and business communities. Among Karin’s leadership accomplishments in the past decade are the roughly 100,000 people placed into long-lasting careers, and her management of half a billion dollars of economic investments in job training and placement and business development. Karin recognizes and amplifies the unique, untapped potential of individuals and Chicagoland communities through job placement and occupational training, and has collaborated with more than 2,000 businesses to create jobs in underserved neighborhoods. She is a catalyst for change and leads by serving others, advocating for equity in all economic opportunities in every space she sits in. Of all her roles Karin considers “Mama” her most noteworthy title. Karin and her crew — Alex, Rachelle, and two dogs — live in Chatham. C. Zawadi Morris is an award-winning journalist and a Chicago native who moved to Brooklyn in 1997. Ms. Morris holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration (and a minor in Spanish) from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. She has worked as the communications director for Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (NY-12), a senior account executive for Shandwick Public Affairs and Cohn & Wolf Public Relations, and an editor of Bed-Stuy Patch. In 2013, Ms. Morris launched The Brooklyn Reader, an online news source covering the neighborhoods of Central Brooklyn, and in 2020, she launched its non-profit sister site Scriibe.org, a collaborative news source for investigative local journalism. Ms. Morris is also the executive producer of The COVID-19 Writers Project. Kenice Mobley performs stand up comedy around the world and recently made her late-night debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. She appears regularly on SiriusXM and is a Finalist in the StandUp NBC Competition. This year, Kenice worked on the BET Awards and By Us For Us, a sketch comedy series presented by Color of Change. She hosts Complexify on ViceNews, Love About Town, an interview and relationship podcast, and Make Yourself Cry, available on Planet Scum. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Subhah Agarwal and Karinda Dobbins visit Friends and discuss the search for equity, a black mecca, and care for mental illnes vs. police force. Subhah Agarwal has brought an honesty to her comedy that is refreshing, and at times a bit disturbing... but in a good way. Trust me. Subhah has written for the "Plan B" movie on Hulu," and The Jim Jefferies Show"on Comedy Central, amongst others. You can also catch her jokes live at stand up comedy clubs across the country. If you don't want to leave your couch, you can see her late night debut on NBC's "A Little Late With Lilly Singh." She's also appeared on season three of HBO's "Westworld", on TruTv's sketch comedy "Friends of the People", and as herself on MTV2, Comedy Central, and Gotham Comedy Live.  Karinda Dobbins is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor. Karinda has performed at comedy festivals across the country, including Comedy Central’s Clusterfest, SF Sketchfest, and Bridgetown Comedy Festival. Bitch Magazine said Karinda is one of “Six Hilarious Female Comedians You Don’t Know Yet – But Should.”  She has opened for Dave Chappelle, Trevor Noah, Michelle Wolf, Roy Woods, Gina Yashere, and Arsenio Hall. You can hear her now on SiriusXM Radio. Her debut album, Black & BlueCan be preordered now; it Drops on Feb 4th.   https://www.blondemedicine.com/bm073-black-blue Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Jenny Saldana, Onika McClean and Shauna Lane visit Friends and discuss Breast Cancer Prevention, celebrating survival, and more with host Marina Franklin. Onika McLean, born in North Carolina, and raised in East New York Brooklyn, is a single mother of two, legal professional, and a sharp comedian whose no-nonsense perspective on life, love, single motherhood, and her mid life crisis is taking the comedy arena by storm. She was the fan favorite on Bravo Television's, The Single’s Project. She is the winner of the Sloshed Comedy Competition and the Rising Stars Comedy Competition in London. Onika preforms regularly at LOL and Times Square and passed at Comic Strip Live and has Dangerfield's, New York Comedy Club, New York Stand, Broadway Comedy, Village Underground, and the.   She runs a monthly show entitled Cosmic Comedy.   Jenny Saldana is a writer, actress, and stand-up comedian and a Breast Cancer Rock STAR and all around hotness. She wrote, produced and starred in Happy Cancer Chick, a web series inspired by her own battle with breast cancer. She recently appeared in HBO’s High Maintenance. Her video series, The Little Brown Girl Show can be found on Youtube and Facebook Live. Shauna Lane is a New York City based actor and comedian known for her goofy, lovable characters and comedy. As an actor she has been in several national commercials and is in the feature film Creedmoria on Netflix. As a comedian she has appeared on Comedy Central, MTV, and Sirius XM. Shauna studied acting with the legendary Wynn Handman and has graced the stages of the New York Comedy Festival, The 10,000 Laughs Festival in Minneapolis, The Ct. Comedy Festival, and the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. She was the co-host of The Gone Girls Podcast (free on iTunes) from 2016-2020 and ran a monthly comedy show at New York Comedy Club called "We Share A Void." Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Rob Kirkland visits friends and discuss his roles on ’Yellowstone’ and ’Mayor of Kingstown’ with Zainab Johnson, Nonye-Brown West and host Marina Franklin. Robert Kirkland is an actor, author, and award winning film-maker. He is best known for his roles on Criminal Minds as Doug Fuller and the current season of Paramount Network’s mega-hit series Yellowstone as the no-nonsense ‘Bill Ramsey’. He also recurs opposite Jeremy Renner as ‘Police Captain Walter’ in the Paramount drama series Mayor Of Kingstown which follows the McLusky family, power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan, where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. Rob has also won writing and producing awards from the New York Ind. Film Fest. for his work on the film F8. Zainab Johnson, a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer is being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen. In 2019, Zainab was named one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics To Watch. Recently, she was one of the hosts for Netflix's new show "100 Humans". You can also catch her as Aleesha on the new comedy series "Upload" on Amazon Prime. Zainab made her first late night stand up appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, and has also had appearances on HBO’s All Def Comedy and NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Zainab is a regular at the Comedy Store, Laugh Factory, and Improv Comedy Clubs in LA and the Comedy Cellar in NY, and has performed in the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival as one of the 2014 New Faces of Comedy and returned numerous times since. Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. In 2019, Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card. Look out for her two new web series, Fairytales with Nonye and Gayby Jesus. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Joyelle Johnson and Leighann Lord visit Friends and discuss Joyelle's Critic's Choice Award and Leighann's appearance on Showtime's "Even More Women Of A Certain Age" with host Marina Franklin Joyelle Nicole Johnson is a Brooklyn-based stand-up comedian, writer, and actress. She made her network TV debut on Late Night with Seth Meyers and most recently performed as the warm-up act for Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act. She wrote for the final season of Broad City, and has performed on Comedy Central’s digital series Comics to Watch, Wyatt Cenac’s Night Train for Seeso, Laff Tracks for TruTV as well as being a panelist for Refinery 29/Facebook Watch’s After After Party and MTV News. And while transitioning to the headliner that she is today she regularly features for Hannibal Buress and has opened for Dave Chappelle, Maria Bamford & Russell Peters. She also combines her dream of comedy and activism by touring with Daily Show creator Lizz Winstead’s Lady Parts Justice League. Her comedy special Love Joy on Peacock has been nominated for the Critic’s Choice Award Best Comedy Special Leighann Lord is a veteran standup comedian who has appeared on HBO, Comedy Central, The View, and is a former co-host of the Emmy-nominated StarTalk with Neil de Grasse Tyson. She has performed for the troops in the Middle East and is a recipient of the AHA Humanist Arts Award. Leighann can be seen in her recent Dry Bar comedy special, I Mean Business and Showtime's Even More Funny Women of a Certain Age. She is the author of several humor books including: Dict Jokes and Real Women Do it Standing Up, available on Amazon.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.    

Tamara Payne visits Friends Like Us, in a one-on-one with host Marina Franklin, discussing her Pulitzer Prize biography on Malcom X Co-Authored with her father Les Payne. Tamara Payne is the co-author of The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X written with her father, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Les Payne. Prior to working on the book, Tamara graduated from William Smith College, Geneva, NY. After graduating, she worked at McNeil/Lehrer News Hour on channel Thirteen for about a year. She then moved to China where she taught English for two years in Shandong Province. After returning from China, Les Payne, her father, brought her on to work on the project about the life of Malcolm X. Tamara was the principal researcher while working in commercial real estate. After Les Payne’s sudden passing in 2018, Tamara made it her purpose to finish his life’s work. The Dead Are Arising has won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for biography, the 71st National Book Award for nonfiction and the 52nd NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - biography. The Dead Are Arising is available wherever books are sold. Tamara's Father -Les Payne - Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, columnist and former Newsday editor responsible for national/state/foreign and health & science news at the paper for a quarter century. Payne also served as the Editor of New York Newsday. His news staffs won every major award in journalism, including six Pulitzer Prizes. The Inaugural Professor for the David Laventhol Chair, at Columbia U. Graduate School of Journalism, Payne received 4 honorary doctorate degrees, including the 2012 honor from Old Dominion University; and from his alma mater, the University of Connecticut, where he delivered the Commencement Address. Some of Payne’s major investigations as a Newsday reporter included: migrant farm laborers on Long Island; involuntary sterilization of minority women; U.S. Atomic testing in Nevada; illegal immigrants; The Black Panther Party, the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Payne is also the author of the ``The Life and Death of the Symbionese Liberation Army,” the radical group that kidnapped newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst and terrorized the West Coast. As a correspondent for Newsday, Payne reported extensively from Africa, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and the United Nations. In the wake of the 1976 Soweto uprising, he traveled throughout South Africa and wrote an 11-part Newsday series that the Pulitzer Prize jury selected for the 1978 award in international reporting; it would have been his second Pulitzer in four years, an accomplishment unprecedented for a reporter at that time. The Review Board overturned the committee’s selection and, without explanation, gave it to the jury’s 4th choice, the New York Times.  As a founder, and the 4th president, of the National Association of Black Journalists, Payne worked diligently to improve media fairness and employment practices and to expand the coverage of black and Third World communities. He also co-founded the “TrotterGroup,” a national organization of newspaper writers of commentary. Payne served six years as a Ranger in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of captain. He commanded a Nike-Hercules anti-aircraft missile battery, and during an assignment in Vietnam, ran the command newspaper as an army journalist, and wrote messages and speeches for Commanding Gen. William C. Westmoreland. Born in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Payne grew up in Hartford, CT, graduating from high school, with honors, and from the University of Connecticut, with a BA degree in English. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Marina talks with Rafia Zakaria about her book : Against White Feminism. Rafia Zakariais an author, attorney, and human rights activist who has just released her newest book, Against White Feminism. Zakaria was born and raised in Karachi before moving to the United States. She formerly served as a board member for Amnesty International USA. An accomplished writer, she has two previous books, The Upstairs Wife, An Intimate History of Pakistan and Veil, and is a columnist for BafflerMag and Dawn in Pakistan. Her articles have also been featured in The Guardian, CNN, The Boston Globe, The Boston Review, and The Times of India. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Von Decarlo and Onika McLean visit Friends and discuss people making excuses for bad behavior, Vaccine Mandates and more with host Marina Franklin. Von Decarlo is a New York based stand up comedian with global ad campaigns, and national commercials for Disney, GNC, Match, and Carnival Cruise Lines. She performed at the Just For Laughs comedy festival for Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, as well as, the Lil’ Rel and Friends show, and has been a featured comedian on HBO’s innovative talk show Pause with Sam Jay, Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks on Tru TV and HBO Max, CNN’s talking head year end wrap up special, BuzzFeed, The Jerry O Show on FOX, Fox Soul, The Breakfast Club, and more. In addition to hosting The Power Hour and The Godfrey Complex on Sirius XM‘s Urban View, she was also the first woman, and first comedian, to host her own show on the SiriusXM NBA channel. Von Decarlo is the Executive Producer of the Patrice O’Neal documentary, Killing Is Easy, on Comedy Central, and the producer of three posthumous comedy albums Mr. P, Unreleased, and The Lost Files. Her debut comedy album, A Draggable Offense, is available on all major platforms, and can be heard on the She So Funny and Laugh Out Loud radio stations on Sirius XM. Onika McLean, born in North Carolina, and raised in East New York Brooklyn, is a single mother of two, legal professional, and a sharp comedian whose no-nonsense perspective on life, love, single motherhood, and her mid life crisis is taking the comedy arena by storm. She was the fan favorite on Bravo Television's, The Single’s Project. She is the winner of the Sloshed Comedy Competition and the Rising Stars Comedy Competition in London. Onika preforms regularly at LOL and Times Square and passed at Comic Strip Live and has Dangerfield's, New York Comedy Club, New York Stand, Broadway Comedy, Village Underground, and the.   She runs a monthly show entitled Cosmic Comedy. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Troy A LaRaviere and Jon Laster visit Friends Like Us to discuss public school systems- Chicago public schools, unions, anti-union propaganda, and it’s beginning to a little like Christmas! Shop with BLAPP! Troy A. LaRaviere is an American school administrator, educator and current President of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association. Prior to assuming his role as president, LaRaviere served as a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) principal. He began his teacher career at CPS in 1997. LaRaviere received both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Education from the University of Illinois. LaRaviere served in the United States Navy in the late 80's. LaRaviere advocates for Progressivism and has appeared in ads for Bernie Sanders and was a candidate for the 2019 Chicago mayoral election. Jon Laster is a New York City based comedian. He taped three season’s of BET’s Comic View, hosted the first and second Underground Comedy Festival held in New York City, appeared on Comedy Central. You can see John regularly at the world famous Comedy Cellar as well as check out his app! Shop Black Owned for this holiday with BLAPP! Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Marc Theobald and Nonye Brown-West visit Friends Like Us and discuss The Last OG, vaccine hesitancy, pharmaceutical companies, Holiday Spending and more with host Marina Franklin Marc Theobald is a stand-up, writer, and producer known for The Last O.G. (2018), Delocated (2018), and the 2019 ESPY Awards. He has performed in a number of New York's hot spots, including the "New York Comedy Club", "Catch a Rising Star", "Stand-Up New York", and "Uptown Comedy Club", He also has been featured on "Comic View" and "The Chappelle Show". True to form, Theobald keeps the crowd in stitches with his sketch artist talents and physical style.  Nonye Brown-West is a New York-based Nigerian-American comedian and writer. She has been featured in the Boston Globe's Rise column as a Comic to Watch, as well as in NPR, PBS, ABC, Sway In The Morning, and the New York Comedy Festival. In 2019, Nonye made her acting debut in The Sympathy Card. Look out for her two new web series, Fairytales with Nonye and Gayby Jesus. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Christina Greer, Abbi Crutchfield, and Zainab Johnson visit Friends and discuss democrats message issue, New York's new Mayor and more with host Marina Franklin Abbi Crutchfield is the host of Up Early Tonight on Hulu and co-host of the podcast “Flameout” on Spotify. She's been on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS, Broad City on Comedy Central, and she hosted You Can Do Better on TruTV. Her jokes on Twitter are consistently featured on best-of lists by publications such as Paste Magazine and The Huffington Post, who named her one of the 18 comedians you must follow on Twitter. She has trained at the renowned Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre, taught at the People’s Improv Theater, and she tours nationally with her stand-up. Christina M. Greer, PhD is an Associate Professor of Political Science and American Studies at Fordham University (Lincoln Center Campus). She was the 2018 Fellow for the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University Silver School of Social Work, and co-host of the "What's in it for Us" podcast. Her primary research and teaching interests are racial and ethnic politics, American urban centers, presidential politics, and campaigns and elections. Her additional research interests also include transportation, mayors and public policy in urban centers. Her previous work has compared criminal activity and political responses in Boston and Baltimore as well as Baltimore and St. Louis. Prof. Greer's book Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream (Oxford University Press, 2013 ) investigates the increasingly ethnically diverse black populations in the US from Africa and the Caribbean and was the recipient of the WEB du Bois Best Book Award in 2014 given by the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. Professor Greer is currently working on a manuscript detailing the political contributions of Barbara Jordan, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Stacey Abrams. She recently co-edited Black Politics in Transition, which explores gentrification, suburbanization, and immigration of Blacks in America. She is a member of the board of The Tenement Museum in NYC, the Center for Community Change, and serves on the Advisory Board at Tufts University.  She is also an ardent supporter of FIERCE in NYC and Project South in Atlanta, GA, and a former board member of BAJI (Black Alliance for Just Immigration), the Riders Alliance of New York, and the Human Services Council.She is a frequent political commentator on several media outlets, primarily MSNBC, WNYC, and NY1, and is often quoted in media outlets such as the NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, and the AP. She is the co-host of the New York centered podcast FAQ-NYC and co-host of the Black centered podcast What's In It For Us podcast, is the politics editor at thegrio.com, is the producer and host of The Aftermath and The Contender on Ozy.com as well as their editor-at-large, is a frequent author and narrator for the TedEd educational series, and also writes a weekly column for The Amsterdam News, one of the oldest black newspapers in the U.S.Greer received her B. A. from Tufts University and her M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University.  Zainab Johnson, a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer is quickly being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen. In 2019, Zainab was named one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics To Watch. Recently, she was one of the hosts for Netflix's new show "100 Humans". You can also catch her as Aleesha on the new comedy series "Upload" on Amazon Prime. Zainab made her first late night stand up appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, and has also had appearances on HBO’s All Def Comedy (2017), NBC’s Last Comic Standing (2014), Arsenio (2014), BET’s Comic View (2014), AXSTV’s Gotham Comedy Live! She also just recently starred in a new web series titled Avant-Guardians. Zainab is a regular at the Improv Comedy Club in LA and the Comedy Cellar in NY, and has performed in the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival as one of the 2014 New Faces of Comedy and returned numerous times since. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

B-Phlat and Violet Gray visit Friends Like Us and talk DIY, roleplaying games, and how Black Trans Lives Matter with host Marina Franklin. B-phlat is a comedian with incredible credits like Showtime at the Apollo, Four seasons of BET's Comicview, a writer for ESPN Magazine, hosting several celebrity events such as the Russell Simmon's Phat Farm Fashion Show & Def Comedy Jam in Negril, Jamaica, FUBU International Okwaku Festival in Amsterdam. Violet Gray is a stand-up comic, podcaster, and proud Dungeons & Dragons player based in Baltimore, MD. She has won the Pearl Next Superstar Comedian contest and was featured on Night Train w/ Wyatt Cenac. Her comedy is best characterized as observations about everything from race, gender and politics, to sci-fi, fantasy, and tabletop roleplaying games.  Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Calise Hawkins, Masavia Greer, and Hollie Harper visit Friends and discuss timing in the business of comedy, paid family Leave, teacher/parent relationships and more with host Marina Franklin. Calise Hawkins is a stand-up comedian and writer. She writes for "Doin The Most With Phoebe Robinson" on Comedy Central and wrote for season 1 and 2 of HBOmax "That Damn Michael Che " Show. She has performed her standup on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC), Russel Simmons Presents Live At The El Rey (Comedy Central), Gotham Live (Fox), Stand Up in Stilettos (TV Guide Channel), Nick Mom’s Night Out (Nickelodeon), among others. She has written for Comedy Central’s @midnight and Hood Adjacent, Adult Swim’s Soft Focus, AMC’s Unapologetic with Aisha Tyler, and MTV’s Totally Clueless, Girl Code, and Charlemagne’s Uncommon Sense. She was also a cast member of Oxygen’s Funny Girls. Masavia Greer is a veteran of the New York comedy scene who has worked with some of the world’s biggest comedic talent. For over 20 years, Masavia managed multiple clubs in New York City, including the Boston Comedy Club and Stand Up New York. He was a Talent Coordinator for HBO’s Bad Boys of Comedy Season 2, and worked on the production side at Comedy Central, the Conan O’Brien Show, and more. Masavia prides himself on mentoring new and emerging comics, as well as advising seasoned veterans.  Hollie Harper is a comedy nerd from South Jersey. She is currently the creator and co-exec producer of Hella Late! with Hollie Harper on BRIC TV and a co-host of the nationally trending Twitter Storytelling Chat “BlerdDating.” Hella Late! with Hollie Harper was recently accepted into the 2021 NYC Web Fest. Hollie was a semi-finalist in the 2019 NBC Standup Competition and has been featured on NY1, and in Black Enterprise Magazine, Thrive Global and Confessional Magazine. Her popular sketch comedy show AMERICAN CANDY has played the Comic Strip, Gotham Comedy Club, BAM Café as well as the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. Time Out Chicago named them one of the five groups to watch. Hollie is a regular host for West Side Comedy Club in NYC and works with Gold Comedy and Stand Up Girls, two programs that empower young women by teaching them standup comedy. She was recently the talent coordinator and casting coordinator  for “Blood Lassi” on Spotify, written by Pratima Mani, and moderated the panel for the Emmy Award winning, WOC editing team of Black Lady Sketch Show for The Black TV and Film Collective. She is also the Creative Director of the very successful Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf

Michele & Rochele Thompkins and Kenice Mobley visit Friends and discuss Marriage decline in America, Critical Race Theory, and more trending topics with host Marina Franklin The Gossiping Heifers is hosted by sisters Michele & Rochele (aka Rocky). The show launched in 2007 as a podcast, which later lead to local radio stations in Houston, Memphis, California, Georgia and New York. The hosts have been featured on CW39 for the 2017 election coverage, a segment of the J Anthony Brown show "Political Scoop," featured commentary guests on the Michael Colyar show, and have hosted the Kevin Hart, Hart of the City, Houston screening. The Gossiping Heifers cover trending topics in news and entertainment with comical commentary. The TV show is in its second season with Indie Central TV. The one hour podcast airs weekly. Kenice Mobley performs stand up comedy around the world and recently made her late night debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. She appears regularly on SiriusXM and is a Finalist in the Stand Up NBC Competition. This year, Kenice worked on the BET Awards and By Us For Us, a sketch comedy series presented by Color of Change. She hosts Complexify on ViceNews, Love About Town, an interview and relationship podcast, and Make Yourself Cry, available on Planet Scum. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Michele & Rochele Thompkins and Kenice Mobley visit Friends and discuss Marriage decline in America, Critical Race Theory, and more trending topics with host Marina Franklin The Gossiping Heifers is hosted by sisters Michele & Rochele (aka Rocky). The show launched in 2007 as a podcast, which later lead to local radio stations in Houston, Memphis, California, Georgia and New York. The hosts have been featured on CW39 for the 2017 election coverage, a segment of the J Anthony Brown show "Political Scoop," featured commentary guests on the Michael Colyar show, and have hosted the Kevin Hart, Hart of the City, Houston screening. The Gossiping Heifers cover trending topics in news and entertainment with comical commentary. The TV show is in its second season with Indie Central TV. The one hour podcast airs weekly. Kenice Mobley performs stand up comedy around the world and recently made her late night debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. She appears regularly on SiriusXM and is a Finalist in the Stand Up NBC Competition. This year, Kenice worked on the BET Awards and By Us For Us, a sketch comedy series presented by Color of Change. She hosts Complexify on ViceNews, Love About Town, an interview and relationship podcast, and Make Yourself Cry, available on Planet Scum. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Africa Miranda, Salone Monet, and Anna Gilchrist visit Friends and discuss being happy at work, introduction to reading for black children and more with host Marina Franklin Africa Miranda's multifacetedness as the breakout star on Bravo TV’s reality television series The New Atlanta, host on the popular lifestyle talk show on Facebook Watch's The Africa Miranda Show, powerhouse beauty-entrepreneur, actress, and model has solidified her spot as one of the most on demand influencers in the beauty and digital media industries. With more than ten years in the game, all of her successes had come with their own challenges, which she shares in her book Step Up, Step Out, And Shine.  Salone Monet is the founder and creative director of her color-inclusive nude shoe brand, Salone Monet. After graduating with a Public Communications degree from The American University in Washington, DC, Salone developed the idea of her eponymous shoe brand while working in political PR creating digital content for the federal government and trade associations and simultaneously working at a shoes and accessories store. Realizing the need for color equity in the footwear space, Salone decided to nurture her passion for footwear through shoemaking classes in Brooklyn, where she made her first pair of nude heels from scratch. Salone Monet is a founding member of the CFDA and Bethann Hardison Designer’s Hub and in 2020 was a recipient of the Harlem Fashion Row ICON360 award. The color inclusive line has adorned the feet of Beyonce Knowles, Gabrielle Union, Keke Palmer and a host of other influential women. Anna Gilchrist is an American author who grew up outside Washington D.C., in Alexandria, Va. Her love for writing formed when she wrote her first chapter book as part of a school project at the tender age of 10. Decades later, she received her MFA in Childhood Studies, at Swansea University, where she learned about global advocacy for children's rights and the human rights treaty known as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It was during her studies that she decided to raise awareness about children's rights, choosing to write and illustrate a children's book about a girl who, along with her cat, fights for the right for children to play. The book titled The Extraordinary Day of Daffodil Grey was published in 2017, received rave reviews, and helped launch the Daffi and Friends book series. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf  

Felischa Marye, Jeanne Sparrow, and Subhah Agarwal visit friends and discuss representation without trauma, Chicago radio and more with host Marina Franklin. Felischa Marye is an American television writer and producer from Chicago. She is best known for her work as a writer and story-editor for the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, and as the creator and showrunner of Bigger on BET. She is a graduate of the UCLA MFA screenwriting program, during which she won various film fellowships, and writing competitions including; the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Streisand/Sony Fellowship, Film Independent’s Project Involve Award, and the Entertainment Weekly Award. Jeanne Sparrow is renowned speaker, top consultant and 7-time Emmy-winning television and radio personality. She hosts a weekly radio show on #1 rated V-103, WVAZ Chicago, an iHeart Radio Station, and is also a graduate faculty instructor at Northwestern University. Jeanne helps people and organizations find more success and deliver their unique, authentic value through visionary leadership, effective sales and inspiring speaking. Subhah Agarwal has brought an honesty to her comedy that is refreshing, and at times a bit disturbing... but in a good way. Trust me. Subhah has written for the "Plan B" movie on Hulu, and “The Jim Jefferies Show"on Comedy Central, amongst others. You can also catch her jokes live at stand up comedy clubs across the country. If you don't want to leave your couch, you can see her late night debut on NBC's "A Little Late With Lilly Singh." She's also appeared on season three of HBO's "Westworld", on TruTv's sketch comedy "Friends of the People", and as herself on MTV2, Comedy Central, and Gotham Comedy Live. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf