W. Kamu Bell at City Arts & Lectures

Oakland comedian and former semi-finalist W. Kamau Bell joins the extraordinary writer and comedian Adam Mansbach, best known for his Samuel L. Jackson-narrated book Go the Fuck to Sleep, to discuss humor, race, and Mansbach’s upcoming edition to his series of picture books, Go the Fuck to College.

Throughout his career as a comedian, writer, and producer, W. Kamau Bell has blazed his own path, one that seamlessly blends comedy, justice, and sociopolitical commentary. From the CNN docuseries United Shades of America to his Showtime docuseries We Need to Talk About Cosby, his comedy series Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell to his numerous books He is also proud to be the ACLU’s Ambassador of Racial Justice, as well as sitting on the advisory board of Race Forward, a racial justice think tank, and Hollaback, a non-profit movement to end street harassment. 

W. Kamu Bell was previously in a conversation with Padma Lakshmi, an Emmy-award-winning writer, food expert, television producer, and New York Times bestselling author.

City Arts & Lectures is a long-running series of lectures and talks. Based in San Francisco, it was founded in 1980 and highlights outstanding writers, critics, scientists, performing artists, and cultural figures from around the world. City Arts & Lectures offers the broadest perspectives about ideas and values, the creative process, and how we think about the world we live in. Recent guests include former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Michael Pollan, and Salman Rushdie.

If you are in the Bay Area, the show is on May 12, 2026 at the Goldstein Theater. Tickets are available through the City Arts ticket page. The show is broadcast on KQED with a podcast available at a future date.