Crissle West facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crissle West
West at a live taping of The Read
Born	Crystal Rene Townsend (1982-09-16) September 16, 1982 (age 43)
Occupation	Comedian, social commentator, writer
Years active	2012–present
Known for	The Read, ... History

Crissle West (born September 16, 1982) is an American writer and comedian. She is famous for co-hosting the popular culture podcast The Read. As a social commentator, she shares her opinions on current events and social issues.

West has also appeared on the comedy show ... History. On the show, she told the story of Harriet Tubman's work as a spy during the Civil War. She also talked about Marsha P. Johnson and the important historical event known as the Stonewall riot.

Career

West first met her future podcast co-host, Kid Fury, on Twitter. They met in person in 2012. Soon after, West moved to New York City. She worked for a magazine and later as an executive assistant.

The Read

Two months after West moved to New York, Kid Fury asked her to start a podcast with him. Their show, called The Read, quickly became very popular.

Here are some of the podcast's achievements:

• iTunes included The Read on its "Best of 2013" list.
• In 2014, The Read was chosen as an "Editors' Pick" by iTunes.
• The magazine Slate named one episode as one of the "Best 25 Podcast Episodes of All Time."
• The Verge also recommended The Read as a podcast people should listen to.
• The show won "Best Podcast" at the 2014 Black Weblog Awards.

In 2019, The Read was turned into a television show on Fuse TV.

Comedy and Other Work

West is known for speaking out against racism. In 2015, she was part of a panel discussion where she explained why certain types of performances that make fun of Black people are harmful and wrong.

As a comedian, West appeared on Comedy Central's ... History series. She told the story of Harriet Tubman's role as a spy for the Union during the Civil War. The website Salon called her performance one of the "best moments in political comedy" in 2015.

In 2016, West returned to ... History to tell the story of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. They were key figures in the Stonewall Riots, an important event for LGBTQ+ rights.

West has also worked as a host on Beats 1 Radio, which is part of Apple Music. She has written for Essence magazine. She also appeared on the TV show Uncommon Sense with Charlamagne.

From 2020 to 2022, West co-hosted InsecuriTEA: The Insecure Aftershow. This was the official podcast for the HBO show Insecure. The podcast won a People's Voice award at the Webby Awards.

Personal Life

West is queer. In 2023, she began studying for a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations