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.

Friends Like Us

Brown Paper Bag Test

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.

Representation In Science Matters

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.

Comedians For The Holidays

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.

Reclaiming Feminism With The Women's Fund Of Greater Milwaukee

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.  

Genelle Williams From The Film “Delia’s Gone”

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  

Debt Relief And Issues Compatible With Voters

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  

Youth Justice And Breast Cancer Awareness

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  

Advocating For Your Wealth and Health

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    

Muslim Inclusion In Media And Why Shows like Ramy and Mo Matter

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  

Creating Your Own Seat At The Table With Kaye Singleton

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

Fighting For Dignity and Fairness

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

Queen Behavior

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

Hot Topics with Pat Brown, Vanessa Fraction, and Onika McLean

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

Real Talk On Food Shaming

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

Self-Care Is Essential

A podcast featuring women of color with different views on topics hosted by Marina Franklin.

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Friends Like Us

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