W. Kamau Bell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids W. Kamau Bell
Bell in 2018
Birth name	Walter Kamau Bell
Born	(1973-01-26) January 26, 1973 (age 52) Palo Alto, California, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up, television, radio
Education	University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania
Years active	2005–present
Genres	Observational comedy, black comedy, deadpan, satire
Subject(s)	Racism, social identity, inequality, American politics
Spouse	Melissa Hudson Bell ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	Walter Bell Janet Cheatham Bell

Walter Kamau Bell (born January 26, 1973) is an American stand-up comic and television host. He is known for hosting the CNN show United Shades of America since 2016. He also hosted the FXX show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell from 2012 to 2013. Kamau Bell hosts a live radio show and podcast called Kamau Right Now. He also co-hosts two other podcasts: Denzel Washington Is The Greatest Actor Of All Time Period and Politically Re-Active. In 2022, Bell directed a documentary series called We Need to Talk About Cosby.

Early Life and Education

Kamau Bell was born in Palo Alto, California. He grew up in different places like Alabama, Boston, and Chicago. His father, Walter Bell, was an Insurance Commissioner for Alabama. His mother, Janet Cheatham Bell, is an author. Kamau lived in Boston, Massachusetts for several years as a child. He went to the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and later attended the University of Pennsylvania. He left college to start his career in comedy.

Comedy Career

Kamau Bell became known as a comedian who talks about social and political topics. He was a founding member of a comedy group called Laughter Against the Machine. He has been featured on popular podcasts and TV shows.

His first comedy album, One Night Only, came out in 2007. That same year, he created a one-man show called The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About An Hour. This show uses comedy to explore racism in America. He still performs updated versions of it.

His next album, Face Full of Flour, was released in 2010. It was named one of the top comedy albums of the year by iTunes. From 2011 to 2012, he wrote a blog for the San Francisco Weekly. In 2012, he was voted San Francisco's best comedian by several magazines.

His first stand-up comedy TV special, Semi-Prominent Negro, aired in 2016. Later that year, his third album with the same title was released. In 2017, Bell became a special artist-in-residence at Santa Clara University.

Television Shows

From 2012 to 2013, Bell hosted a weekly stand-up comedy TV show called Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. The show was produced by famous comedian Chris Rock. It featured comedy and discussions about social and political issues. It also included interviews with celebrities.

He is currently the host of the award-winning CNN documentary series United Shades of America. This show started in 2016. It has been nominated for several Emmy Awards, which are big awards for TV shows. Bell has also been nominated for his hosting. He is an Executive Producer for the show and has won Emmy Awards for it.

United Shades of America was renewed for its third season in 2018. The show explores different communities and cultures across America.

In 2022, Bell directed and produced a documentary series called We Need to Talk About Cosby. This series explores the life and career of Bill Cosby. It won a Peabody Award, another important award for TV.

In 2025, Bell competed on the third season of Celebrity Jeopardy!.

Podcast Hosting

From 2010 to 2014, Bell co-hosted a podcast called The Field Negro Guide to Arts & Culture.

Since 2014, Bell has co-hosted the podcast Denzel Washington Is The Greatest Actor Of All Time Period with comedian Kevin Avery. On this podcast, they review movies starring Denzel Washington. They also interview actors, filmmakers, and musicians.

Since 2016, he has hosted Kamau Right Now. This is a live radio show and podcast.

Also since 2016, he has co-hosted the podcast Politically Re-Active with comedian Hari Kondabolu. This podcast looks at American politics and elections in a funny way. It includes interviews with activists and journalists.

Author

Kamau Bell has written many essays and blog posts about race and racism in America. In 2017, he published his first book. It's called The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell. The book is a funny story about his life. It also includes essays about politics and popular culture.

Activism and Community Work

Kamau Bell is involved with several organizations that work for fairness and justice. He is on the advisory board for Race Forward, which is a group that studies racial justice. He also works with Hollaback!, an organization that fights against harassment. In 2013, he became a celebrity ambassador for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on racial justice issues.

A Public Incident in 2015

In 2015, Kamau Bell and his wife, Melissa, had an experience at a cafe in Berkeley, California. Bell shared online that an employee told him to leave while he was talking to his wife and her friends. He felt this happened because of how he looked and because he is Black. The cafe owner later fired the employee. The owner and Bell then held a community meeting. They talked about how people sometimes make unfair assumptions about others. This event was even featured on a radio show called This American Life. The cafe later closed and then reopened under a new name.

Personal Life

Kamau Bell started dating Melissa Hudson Bell in 2003. They got married in 2009. They have three children together.

Filmography

Television

Discography

• 2007: One Night Only
• 2010: Face Full of Flour
• 2016: Semi-Prominent Negro