Culture Conversations: Amplifying the voice of Amanda Seales
LOS ANGELES - Culture Conversations is an engaging and informative FOX 11 digital program aimed at closely examining the issues that our nation is grappling with at this moment: race, inequality, justice, policing, political strength, and what these issues mean to our future.
In this episode, Ivy League-educated actress, podcast host, comedian, producer and writer, Amanda Seales, opens up to Culture Conversation's Mimi Brown about using "edutainment" to reach the masses and the importance of the 2020 US presidential election.
Amanda Seales: The Ivy League-educated Amanda Seales is a comedian, actress, producer, musician and writer whose many talents have made her a fixture in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years. The always outspoken multi-hyphenate never shies away from the important topics; whether it's standing up for Black culture and Black people, to creating a space where they can be heard like "Smart Funny and Black." Seales' brand of socially-conscious comedy is backed by a master's degree in African American studies from Columbia University. She embodies what is possible for Black women today: a thriving career, a platform that enlightens and success on her terms. In 2019, Seales debuted her first standup special, "I Be Knowin," she also plays Tiffany on HBO's "Insecure." Her weekly podcast, "Small Doses" pairs her signature wit with wisdom and advice; and her book "Small Doses: Potent Truths for Every Use" was released in October 2019 to rave reviews.
The Southern California native was born in Inglewood. Her father is African American and her mother is from the Caribbean island of Grenada. She moved to Orlando, Florida in her young childhood before moving to New York for college.
Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
"For me, I even feel free to use comedy in a way that has meaning simply beyond laughs. Don’t get me wrong, some jokes are just like silly and make you laugh but ultimately, yes, I do feel like when you add a laugh on, people are a lot more receptive to ideas that they may not be willing to address. It makes them a bit more receptive to considering a change of heart, and it makes them more receptive to just messaging that may not have necessarily came across their path. Comedy saved me and I’m hoping to use it to help save us,” she explained when it comes to "edutainment."
She also believes there is a lot of work that needs to be done amid the social justice movement.
"In order for Black lives to matter, there’s so much undoing that needs to be done. There was a great philosopher named Charlotte York on the HBO show “Sex and the City,” who once said that it takes half the amount of time you were together to start to get over a breakup. Well, we haven’t even been out of slavery at least half the time we were in it. So, we haven’t even met the comedic benchmark of psychological shifting that Charlotte York put in place. So, I think in our lifetime, the answer is ‘no.’ I don’t think that Black lives will matter in the way that you and me want it to," she told Culture Conversation's Mimi Brown.
Mimi Brown: Culture Conversations is hosted by Mimi Brown. She is a Segment Producer for Good Day LA and has also worked for NBC News, US Weekly, and ABC News. Brown earned her Bachelor's degree from Howard University and also holds a Master's degree from American University. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
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To contact us about this program, email us at cultureconversations@foxtv.com. Follow the conversation on social media #cultureconversations.
FOX 11's Kelli Johnson contributed to this report.