Race Forward today announced that esteemed comedian, writer, and podcaster Hari Kondabolu will deliver a keynote address at the nonprofit’s upcoming Facing Race conference, held at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan from November 8-10, 2018.
Kondabolu, who has been described by the New York Times as "one of the most exciting political comics in stand-up today," is the second of two keynote speakers to be announced for the Detroit conference, joining #MeToo founder and social justice activist Tarana Burke.
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“Since our last Facing Race in 2016, communities of color have shown tremendous strength, leadership, and courage amidst a period of heightened persecution and crisis,” said Race Forward President Glenn Harris. “During such a critical moment in our nation’s history, we’re honored to be welcoming cultural icons like Hari and Tarana whose voices will be essential in making this our most action-oriented and solutions-driven conference yet.”rn
Last year, Kondabolu won critical acclaim for his documentary, “The Problem with Apu,” and was recently named one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics To Watch following the release of his 2018 Netflix Special “Warn Your Relatives.”
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“I’m excited to be performing at a conference with such brilliant and passionate people who are actively working for racial justice in this country,” said Kondabolu, who currently co-hosts "The Kondabolu Brothers Podcast" with his brother Ashok on Earwolf.
Kondabolu is a reglar on the public radio gameshow Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me, and has appeared on a number of notable radio shows and podcasts, including Fresh Air with Terry Gross, WTF with Marc Maron, 2 Dope Queens, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Prarie Home Companion, Wits, Studio 360, and Bullseye. He previously co-hosted the popular Politically Reactive podcast with fellow Facing Race presenter W. Kamau Bell.
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A former writer and correspondent on the Chris Rock-produced FX television show "Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell," Kondabolu has released two comedy albums, "Waiting for 2042" and "Mainstream American Comic," and has performed on The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan, and Jimmy Kimmel Live.