Why black comedian W. Kamau Bell hung out with the KKK
W. Kamau Bell opens up about his new show, United Shades of America, and why he set out to visit several places he doesn't fit in.
Comedian W. Kamau Bell says awkward conversations are a great way to initiate change. So he's decided to set off across America in search of these uncomfortable dialogues. First stop, a Ku Klux Klan cross lighting.
Bell says comedy can be a way to engage with groups you wouldn't usually fit in with, something that came in handy while he was spending time with the Klan.
"[Humour is] a way to back people off of you. It's a way to gain power over a situation and the more you can make someone laugh the more power you have over them and also the less likely you are to kill them," he laughs.
These tricky conversations are the premise of Bell's new show, United Shades of America, which premiered this past Sunday on CNN.
In a conversation presented by guest host Gill Deacon, Bell joins Shad to discuss his attempts at befriending everyone from Portland hipsters to prisoners to white supremacists — all in the name of initiating change.
Bell says comedy can be a way to engage with groups you wouldn't usually fit in with, something that came in handy while he was spending time with the Klan.
"[Humour is] a way to back people off of you. It's a way to gain power over a situation and the more you can make someone laugh the more power you have over them and also the less likely you are to kill them," he laughs.
These tricky conversations are the premise of Bell's new show, United Shades of America, which premiered this past Sunday on CNN.
In a conversation presented by guest host Gill Deacon, Bell joins Shad to discuss his attempts at befriending everyone from Portland hipsters to prisoners to white supremacists — all in the name of initiating change.