FriendsLikeUs

Onika Mclean and Nonye Brown-West visit friends and discuss how they all need that fire lit to get a win, Coco Gauff's win, flipping 45 the bird in Iowa, and more with host Marina Franklin.  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.  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.  

Von Decarlo and Ant Pruitt visit Friends Like Us and discuss the good, the bad, and the grey of artificial intelligence with host Marina Franklin.  Ant Pruitt Freelance digital content creator. What does this mean? I'm someone that not only loves to snap photographs, but I also enjoy shooting video and writing. When I'm not capturing freelance content, I'm performing my daily duties as a host, producer and community manager at TWiT TV, the podcast network focused on providing news around the world of consumer technology and geek culture.  Von Decarlo is a New York-bred stand-up comedian, producer, writer, and actress who has appeared in worldwide ad campaigns and national commercials for Disney, GNC, Match, and Carnival Cruise lines. She performed in Montreal for Kevin Hart's LOL Network as well as the Lil' Rel and Friends show at the Just For Laughs comedy festival, and most recently in Australia for the Human Kind Festival. Additional appearances include HBO's Pause with Sam Jay, Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks on Tru TV and HBO Max, CNN's year-end wrap-up special, The Jerry O'Connell Show on FOX, BET, BuzzFeed, The Breakfast Club, Angela Yee's Lip Service, Sirius XM's Urban View and NBA channel, In Godfrey We Trust Podcast, and more. Von Decarlo is the Executive Producer of the documentary Killing Is Easy on Comedy Central as well as the producer of three posthumous comedy albums, Mr. P, Unreleased, and The Lost Files. Her debut comedy album, A Draggable Offense, is available on all major platforms, and can be heard on the She So Funny and Laugh Out Loud radio stations on Sirius XM.  Look out for Von Decarlo in the upcoming RomCom, Switch Up, and in the indie film, Salesman, currently on Amazon Prime. 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.  

Francesca Hogi and Calise Hawkins visit Friends Like US and discuss possibilities for a better romantic future with host Marina Franklin. Francesca Hogi is a coach, speaker, writer, and podcaster. As a love coach, she teaches single people how to transcend their romantic challenges and find true love. As a life coach, she teaches rebels and seekers to truly love their lives. Francesca also teaches people about personal branding, community building, and marketing. Calise Hawkins is a stand-up comedian and writer. She has performed her standup on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon , Nick Mom's Night Out and she was a cast member of Oxygen's Funny Girls. She has written for Comedy Central's @midnight , Hood Adjacent with James Davis, HBO's That Damn Michael Che, and  Hulu's Everything's Trash.  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.

Kiana Webb and Hoodo Hersi visit friends and discuss owning our story, doing things in unity to advance all apects of life, how our value is not determined by historical past, and more with host Marina Franklin.  Kiana Webb, one of the most successful women in business and community-focused philanthropy in the US, had a revelation. She felt that she had seemingly reached the pinnacle of her career, yet she felt unfulfilled.  Kiana embarked on a journey of self-discovery, determining that she wanted more for herself, her life, and for others. While on this path, Kiana created Glorious Arisings, a source of tools and resources to help people get to the next level wherever they are; and to let go of what is no longer serving them. Part of Glorious Arisings' offerings includes Perfect World Visions, a session to help envision your goals and aspirations, KEY-EO, a curriculum to help entrepreneurs strive and succeed, and much more. Hoodo Hersi is currently writing on A24/Amazon's Untitled Ramy Youssef Animated show. Since being selected as a New Face: Canada at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, and being selected as one of CBC's 15 Comics to Watch, Hoodo has performed in clubs and festivals all over Canada and the United States, including the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and the BBC World Service Montreal Comedy Show where both of her performances aired on the CBC, She was also selected as an Audible New Voice at SF Sketchfest, and performed with Hasan Minhaj, Lil Rel Howery, Chris Redd, Gina Yashere, Roy Wood Jr., Nicole Byer, and Maria Bamford, among others. She also had the distinct honors of hosting the TEDxToronto Conference and featuring in Sephora's national “Get Lippie” lipstick campaign in partnership with Fashion Magazine, where she was profiled as one of the three Female Comedians Taking Canada by Storm Right Now. 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.      

This week Zainab Johnson and Abbi Crutchfield join Friends Like Us and discuss the hardship brought on by the WGA/SAG strike, Billy Porter selling his house, and how the Alabama riverboat brawl sparked a cultural moment 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, she is one of the host for Netflix's show "100 Humans", she can be seen as a series regular on the hit Amazon series from Greg Daniels a half hour comedy titled “Upload”, and she made her first late night stand up appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers.  Aside from her many breakout performances on shows like NBC's Last Comic Standing and her viral standup clips she is a regular at the Comedy Store in LA and the Comedy Cellar in NY. Abbi Crutchfield has been seen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS, and Broad City on Comedy Central. She was a host on You Can Do Better on TruTV, and the host of Up Early Tonight on Hulu. 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.    

Rob Eschmann and DC Benney discuss how Rob's new book, "When The Hoods Come Off" , chaotic giveaway in Union Square, DC Benny's new comedy hour on YouTube, and how the use of social media challenges racism and racist narratives with host Marina Franklin. Rob Eschmann Dr. Eschmann is a writer, educator, filmmaker, and scholar from Chicago. He is a proud product of the Chicago Public Schools and received his PhD from the University of Chicago in 2017. He writes on educational inequality, community violence, racism, social media, and youth wellbeing. His research seeks to uncover individual, group, and intuitional-level barriers to racial and economic equity, and he pays special attention to the heroic efforts everyday people make to combat those barriers. For Dr. Eschmann, this work is a part of the freedom struggle. The function of racism is to reproduce racial inequality, but in the 21st Century the devices of racism are often hidden behind color-neutral laws or friendly interactions. Highlighting the mechanisms of racism, therefore, can demonstrate the continuing significance of race, raise consciousness, and promote and strengthen resistance efforts. Dr. Eschmann is an avid reader and re-reader of fantasy fiction who uses his children as a justification for his continued interest in young-adult fiction and regular trips to the comic book store. In terms of creative endeavors, Dr. Eschmann has co-written and directed several short films for the 48 Hour Film Project Film Festival, and has written and workshopped fiction since his days as a graduate student. He is currently in the midst of his first novel project.  *Dr. Eschmann's first book, When the Hood Comes Off: Racism and Resistance in the Digital Age, is an engaging and comprehensive exploration of the ways technology and online communication are changing how we experience, understand, and respond to racism, both online and in-person. You can buy it now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever books are sold. D.C. Benny's story-telling style of comedy has delighted audiences over his thirty-five years as a New York-based performer. His third appearance on NBC's  “Showtime At The Apollo” has over eighteen million Youtube views, he has 4 stand up specials including Comedy Central Presents, Dry Bar, was a season finalist on both seasons 2 and 8 of NBC's Last Comic Standing. He's been featured in John Singleton's “Illegal Tender”, "Freedomland" with Samuel Jackson and Julianne Moore, "Love Walked In" with Terrance Stamp, "Where God Left His Shoes" with John Leguizamo, recurred on the soap opera “As The World Turns” and appeared in many national commercials such as the Budweiser "How You Doin'?” campaign.  He co-hosted the story-telling podcast, "Tall But True", with Cash Cab's Ben Bailey, was a cast member on ABC"s Supermarket Sweep with Leslie Jones and currently plays "Bart" on Amy Schumer's series Life and Beth on Hulu. His writing has been published in New York Magazine, Mystery Tribune, Heeb Magazine, Narratively, and The New York Observer. He currently lives in Long Island's North Fork, where he teaches comedic storytelling and runs a beach rental business with his wife at www.bungalowouteast.com.  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.

Hollie Harper and Tracee Loran discuss Sag's Indie film waiver, black history on social media, Sinead O'Connor and more with host Marina Franklin.  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. Tracee Loran is a New York-based writer, TV host, and actress. She hosted and penned a very popular Internet show called TV Quickie with Nikki. Later, she worked as an on-air reporter for ESPN Mobile, covering major sporting events like the Super Bowl, Wimbledon, and MLB League Division Series. Tracee was previously commissioned by HBO to create a multi-platform campaign for its' digital on demand service HBOGo. The campaign featured Queen Sugar's Rutina Wesley and the late Michael K. Williams. Tracee has also appeared in several national television commercials for global brands such as FedEx, HBO, AT&T, and Arby's. Tracee's popular web series Black History Baddies has garnered over a million views since debuting in 2021. Fun fact: Tracee has never eaten at Red Lobster. No cheddar biscuits for her. Sorry, Black Twitter.  And, she has never ever seen, "It's a Wonderful Life." She intends to keep it that way. 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.  

Chuck Nice and Nonye Brown-West join friends and discuss the surge in labor strikes, the generational divide, San Francisco's downtown is a wake up call and more with host Marina Franklin. Chuck Nice is a respected veteran of stand-up comedy with a rich history in entertainment. For years, Chuck has been busy making a name for himself across all mediums, including radio, television, and digital media. Recently, Chuck was delighted to deliver a TED Talk, on the main stage of the Vancouver conference, regarding the unintended consequence of future tech and human interaction. Currently, he is the co-host of Star Talk with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson and the host of Brain Games on the Road on Disney+/Nat Geo. Chuck has also hosted How to Buy Like Mega Millionaire and Home Strange Home on HGTV, as well as appearing in Adam Sandler's The Day Of, Kevin Can Wait, and many other film and TV projects. No matter how busy, Chuck still finds time to rock the stage most weekends in NYC. 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.  

Vanessa Fraction and Kenice Mobley visit Friends Like Us and argue wether they would stop for a white baby, late at night, on an Alabama road and more with host Marina Franklin!  Vanessa Fraction  is the high-spirited, outrageously funny co-host of Nappy Boy Radio Podcast hosted by rapper and producer T-Pain. She also guest hosts on the entertainment news television series Dish Nation (FOX) and can be seen in Universal Pictures' cinematic musical, Praise This written and directed by Tina Gordon, produced by Will Packer, Tim Story, James Lopez, and Sharla Sumpter. From her unique brand of comedy that's both witty and unapologetically honest, Fraction's hilarious stand-up sets never fail to deliver sharp commentary on everyday life, relationships, and the struggles of being a successful black woman. Her ability to effortlessly weave these topics into a cohesive storyline that perfectly illustrates her point is what makes her stand out from other comics. Fraction's comedy is relatable and incredibly funny, with an edge that allows her to push boundaries. She's the kind of comedian who will make you laugh until your face hurts while making you think about the issues at hand. With a storied history of industry wins, Fraction was an analyst for the Comedy Hype News show and periodic face on Windy City Live (Chicago), she is also a recurring favorite as a crowd warmer for numerous shows, including Dancing With Myself, America's Got Talent: Extreme, Black Girls Rock, The Soul Train Awards, BET Her: Fights Breast Cancer, Sunday's Best and The Ms. Pat Show. As an actress, Fraction's appearances in television and film also include Last Call (Bounce TV), Comedy Knockout (truTV), Tales (BET), a returning role on Bounce TV's Mann and Wife, Kim Field's Holiday Love: The Rebirth (TV One), Kevin Hart's Celebrity Game Face (E!), and the lighthearted comedy Squatter's Rights.  From Def Comedy Jam (HBO) to NickMom Night Out (Nick Jr.) to Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks (truTV), 1st Amendment Standup (STARZ), Mike Epps Live at Club Nokia, Just for Laughs Montreal Festival (2008, 2018), and Just For Laughs Chicago (2013), Fraction's bold and clever stand-up has been a welcomed highlight on these and other showcases. The demand for her comedic brilliance has garnered opportunities to perform abroad touring the UK and performing for the U.S. troops in Germany, Japan, and South Korea. After performing on The Monique Show, a year later she was offered her first writing gig. Fraction's versatility as a writer blossomed on shows like Raven's Home (Disney), The Arsenio Hall Show (CBS), the Triumph Awards (Bounce TV), and 106 & Park (BET). Fraction's passionate take on women's freedoms and rights to empowerment stretches beyond the stage. She is a certified self-defense instructor, and her branded style of teaching, Kicks & Comedy, equips women with life-saving self-defense skills and lifts spirits by infusing comedy. Vanessa's mission is to empower her audience to overcome their struggles while laughing at hers. 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. 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.    

Favorite episode with Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham and Nonye Brown-West for your summer listening! Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham is a museum professional with over 15 years experience in the field. She has worked at the New-York Historical Society, Brooklyn Museum, 9/11 Museum and Memorial, and African American Museum in Philadelphia. Stephanie's advocacy aligns with Museum Hue, an organization she co-founded and serves as Director. She built the first online directory and mapping of museums centering Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color across the US. It is an invaluable resource that deepens public knowledge and understanding of art, history, and culture. Stephanie is currently working on a larger Cultural Mapping project specific to New York City with support from NYC's Department of Cultural Affairs. As a 2018 United Nations Human Rights fellow, she applies the UN's ratification of cultural rights to her work to call for greater recognition and representation in the arts ecosystem. Stephanie received the Americans for the Arts 2019 American Express Emerging Leader Award for her work. She recently hosted and produced On Display, a show for WNET's ALL ARTS Network that focuses on ways museums are addressing societal issues that resulted from intersecting histories and connects to contemporary life. Each episode covers various topics from immigration to incarceration. 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.

Favorite Episode For Your Summer Listening with The Seated Nurse, Andrea Dalzell and Jeanne Sparrow! Andrea Dalzell is a phenomenal and passionate Registered Nurse, a highly active Healthcare Advocate, Disability Rights Influencer, and most importantly, a strong Survivor! Andrea Dalzell was born and raised in the heart of the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn, New York. At the early age of five, Andrea was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord that causes pain, muscle weakness and paralysis and was using a wheelchair full-time by age 12. Although this diagnosis was very critical, Andrea let absolutely nothing get in the way of being all that she could be. Jeanne Sparrow is a 7-time Emmy-winning television host, radio personality on V103 Chicago (Saturdays 6am-12pm) and host of her podcast, Fearless Authenticity with Jeanne Sparrow. Jeanne serves as a graduate faculty instructor in communication at Northwestern University and is an award-winning speaker and consultant who helps people and organizations find more success by delivering their unique, authentic value through visionary leadership and inspiring speaking. She's finishing her book, “Fearless Authenticity: Insider Secrets to Lead Better, Sell More and Speak Sensationally,” expected in late 2024 from McGraw Hill. 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.

Rick Younger, Veniece Antoinette, and Marc Theobald visit Friends Like Us and discuss what WGA writers want, picket line etiquette, policing of black joy and more with host Marina Franklin.  Rick Younger is an actor, comedian, and singer originally from Baltimore, MD. Television appearances include "AXS TV'S Gotham Comedy Live" and "It's Showtime at the Apollo." Rick also toured nationally with the Broadway musical RENT. You've undoubtedly seen him in numerous national television commercials, the Woody Allen Amazon Series, "Crisis in Six Scenes" and guest spots on HBO's "Girls," "Blue Bloods" and "Law & Order: SVU." Film credits include Ordinary World and Morning Glory. Rick’s latest comedy album, "Fried Chicken and White Bread," is available on iTunes. 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! Marc Theobald is a stand-up, writer, and producer known for The Last O.G. (2018), Delocated (2018), and the 2019 ESPY Awards. He has performed in a number of New York's hot spots, including the "New York Comedy Club", "Catch a Rising Star", "Stand-Up New York", and "Uptown Comedy Club", He also has been featured on "Comic View" and "The Chappelle Show". True to form, Theobald keeps the crowd in stitches with his sketch artist talents and physical style. 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.

Shalita Grant from Netflix's "You" and TK Dutes visit friends and discuss natural hair freedom, how to treat 4C Hair with Four Natural Hair Care, the CROWN Act and more with host Marina Franklin.   Shalita Grant, a Tony-nominated actress, made headlines when she courageously left a popular TV show due to her struggle with traction alopecia and hair damage, which affected her in front of millions of viewers. Determined to find a solution, she developed a groundbreaking plant-based hair treatment that addressed her own complex type 4 hair issues. This led her to establish Four Naturals Hair in her dining room in Toluca Lake, California in 2019, which has now expanded into a nationwide salon and home care treatment system. With its plant-based active ingredients, the Four Naturals Treatment has become a transformative solution for textured hair, allowing Shalita's characters to look their best. Through her brand, she has empowered her clients, lovingly called Curlfriends, to experience newfound freedom and confidence with their type 4 hair, whether on vacation or in their daily lives. Shalita's commitment to healing and uplifting Black women has also extended to developing a patent-pending textured hair detangling technique that brings pain-free and stress-free experiences to both mothers and their children. Despite her own hair struggles, Shalita chose to rise above and make a positive impact in the industry, while finding joy in her personal life with her partner, former MMA World Champion Jessica Aguilar, and their three dogs in Puebla, Mexico. Keisha "TK" Dutes is a self professed "Rich Auntie" and a visual artist. You can find her experiments all over her IG page. She loves exploring the full potential of audio. Her experience spans terrestrial radio (WBAI-NY) , online (TK in The AM/Bondfire Radio), podcast (Buzzfeed's Thirst Aid Kit, Hear to Slay, etc) and audio drama, from W.E.B DuBois' The Comet, The Weeksvile Project, to Take Me To The Water - a 2020 Sarah Award winning piece for art history podcast, Accession. The first project under her new company Philo's Future Media is Open World, a podcast anthology about better futures through science and tech in partnership with Rose Eveleth and Flash Forward Presents. It has been featured in The Bello Collective's 100 Outstanding podcasts of 2020 and listed as a Top Podcast of 2020 by Spotify. TK spreads the gospel of radio/podcasting through workshops, mentorship, public speaking, and was listed on Current.org's "Black Talents in Public Media You Should Know.". She also serves on the board of the Association of Independents in Radio. 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.

Matteo Lane and Pat Brown visit Friends and discuss Matteo's new self-owned comedy special, the problems with Media on LGBTQIA2S+ issues, gender neutral bathing suits and more with host Marina Franklin.  Matteo Lane Named one of Variety's Top Ten Comics to Watch, stand-up comedian Matteo Lane performs to sold-out crowds all over the world. Matteo's meteoric rise is reflected in his constantly expanding fanbase, with over 2.5 million followers across social media. He has shared the stage with the likes of Chelsea Handler, Aziz Ansari, Hasan Minhaj, and Bob the Drag Queen, and is currently on an international theater tour, THE AL DENTE TOUR. Matteo can be seen in Netflix's queer stand-up special STAND OUT as well as THE COMEDY LINEUP and has been a guest on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!, THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT, and LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS. A skilled artist and pasta aficionado, Matteo has also painted a mural for the Obamas' headquarters in Chicago and trained as an opera singer in Rome. New Special on YouTube: Mateo Lane: Hair Plugs and Heartaches 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.

Mugga and Sara Contreras visit Friends Like Us and discuss Netflix's "Manifest", The 123yr old virgin, New York's Lack Of School Diversity, Hot Flashes and more with host Marina Franklin. Mugga is an American actress and comedian who was born and raised in Brooklyn. She is known for her roles as Dolores in The First Purge, Reema Pell in Orange Is The New Black, and NBC's Manifest as Bethany.  Sara Contreras, a top female comedian, actor, and writer since 1995—and one of Showtime's 2008 ALMA-nominated (Best Comedy Special) Original Latin Divas of Comedy. Sara has performed for the troops in Iraq as part of the USO tour. She has been tapped to open for El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico, the iconic salsa band, in 2022 for their 60th-anniversary world tour. She was selected as one of the 22 top Comedians to watch in 2022. Her hilarious one-woman show, F.R.E.A.K. of Nature is premiering in 2022 around the country. Sara was a featured radio personality for the WRKS 98.7 Kiss Morning Show and has been a featured comedian for nationally syndicated radio personalities Luis Jimenez and Wendy Williams. Sara has performed at the New York Comedy, Marshalls Women in Comedy, Urban Comedy, and the Toyota Comedy Festivals. She has been critically acclaimed for her work with the N.Y.-based “Sistas Doing Comedy,” D.C.-based “DiverCity,” and the L.A.-based “Hot & Spicy Tamales” comedy troupes. 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.

Lisa Willis and Nonye Brown-West visit friends and discuss the banning of Amanda Gorman's poem, Supporting black poetry, and advocating for black art with host Marina Franklin. Lisa Willis serves as the Executive Director of Cave Canem. She is a passionate artistic administrator with 20 years of experience managing multi-disciplinary projects in the non-profit and commercial arts sectors. She has held various consulting and management roles in development, programming, and operations for New York Live Arts, home of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Contemporaneous, Thresh, Heidi Latsky Dance, Brian Sanders' JUNK, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Mann, and JazzReach. In 2020 she co-founded The LynList, a curated listserv and grant writing support service for NYC area individual artists and small non-profit arts groups. Prior to her shift into fundraising, she was the founding Operations Manager for CAMI Music, establishing and managing its daily administrative protocols in addition to overseeing the touring and managerial logistics for Lang Lang, Tan Dun, Savion Glover, American Ballet Theatre, Cirque Eloize, and the Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández. Lisa holds a B.A. in Music Composition and Theory from New York University and a background of training in ballet and modern dance. 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.  

Hollie Harper, Joanna Briley, and Chaundra Daniels visit Friends Like Us and discuss the importance of black women in comedy, The Black Women In Comedy Laff Fest For Juneteenth and more with host Marina Franklin. 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. Joanna Briley Brooklyn born, Connecticut raised. Hilarity ensued. Joanna's work for the MTA made her one of the friendliest Token Booth Clerks and her love of stand up and being a token booth clerk aka Station Agent, allowed her to write and produce “Swipe This: My Life in Transit!” to critical acclaim. Joanna is also the proud creator of the Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest which was created in 2018 and will have her fourth festival this June 14th-June 18th 2023 in various venues throughout NYC.  Chaundra Daniels is currently the Director of Career Services at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology providing guidance and structure for a range of student services offered by career services and overseeing all office operations on career development strategies. She is a former Project Manager working on career development projects for Fortune 500 companies such as Colgate, the Federal Reserve Bank, McDonald's, Pepsi,  Starbucks, and Verizon. Chaundra is the Principal Consultant of  Monarch Productions, LLC, a boutique consulting firm that provides coaching and consulting sessions, workshops, and speaking engagements for individuals and businesses. Known as “The Humor Consultant”, Chaundra is an enthusiastic and resourceful communicator. The Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships & Planning for the 4th Annual Black Women in Comedy Festival, Chaundra is also the producer of the BFF (Beautiful, Fabulous, and Funny) Comedy Show,  a monthly comedy residency that donates partial proceeds to the designated benefactor, TechCore2, a Philadelphia based STEM program whose mission is to empower youth through tech industry training to build confidence and to pursue a technology career path.  She is often sought out to facilitate presentations and host events. An effective communicator,  she uses humor as a tool, offering a unique communication style with the ability to successfully engage and motivate audiences through critical thinking.  She has a fond appreciation of butterflies and uses their symbolic nature of “transformation” as part of her message providing inspiration to her audiences. 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.  

Tina Wells, Dean Edwards, and Bret Raybould visit friends and discuss work-life harmony, race relations, well being, The positive impact of black female entrepeneurs and more with host Marina Franklin. Tina Wells is a business strategist, advisor, author, and the founder of RLVNT Media, a multimedia content venture that brings culture-shifting storytelling and beloved products to market through innovative partnerships. In 2023, her acclaimed “Elevation Approach,” a framework for finding work-life harmony that she developed while confronting her own professional and personal burnout, expanded with a book and corresponding product line available at Target stores nationwide. Wells is also author of the bestselling tween fiction series Honest June, Mackenzie Blue, and The Zee Files, as well as the marketing handbook Chasing Youth Culture and Getting It Right. An entrepreneur who launched a successful market research company at age 16, Wells has been recognized by Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business, Essence's 40 Under 40, the American Advertising Federation's Hall of Achievement, and more. Dean Edwards is an American actor, comedian and writer. Most notably recognized for his two year tenure as a cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live, Edwards is best known for his multitude of remarkable celebrity impressions that include Denzel Washington, Dave Chappelle, Jay-Z, Mo'Nique, Chris Rock, 50 Cent, and Eddie Murphy. Recently, Dean showcased his amazing talents in his first comedy special, Netflix's Tiffany Haddish Presents: THEY READY, Season 2. Bret Raybould is a New York City comedian with an ever-expanding BCU (Bret Cinematic Universe).Currently, he is co-starring in the off-Broadway production of Race: The Movie: The Play, for which he won Best Script and Best Actor for at the NY Theater Festival. The show has been called by critics "Mel Brooks for the modern era" and sold-out its opening night. Tickets for it can be purchased at RaceTheMovieThePlay.com.  In November of 2020, he released his debut hour comedy special “Bret Raybould Retires From Comedy.” The accompanying comedy album version of it debuted at #1 on the iTunes comedy charts and had its worldwide premiere on SiriusXM's premier comedy channel RawDog Radio. 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.

Natalie Brasington and Exavier Pope visit friends and discuss the defunding of Harlem Schools, how Jordan Neely's life should have mattered, and more with host Marina Franklin.  Natalie Brasington is a multimedia producer, content creator, director, strategist, and media programming developer passionate about seeing the magic in everyone. She specializes in building media programs for social service agencies, nonprofits, and community groups through her hybrid media production company and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, With & About Projects.  Before founding With & About Projects, Natalie photographed celebrities, entertainers, athletes, and CEOs for advertisements, national networks, and global brands, produced photo shoots for world-renowned clients like Grey Advertising, BBDO, Viacom, and New Wave Entertainment, among others, produced award-winning short films, and produced and directed short and feature-length documentary films. Uniquely equipped with a media background and nonprofit training in youth trauma, creative workshop facilitation, interviewing techniques, and anti-oppression alignment, Natalie realized she could lend her varied expertise and insight to important causes.  Natalie is dedicated to leveraging the power of media to problem-solve by challenging assumptions, shifting narratives, and building platforms where communities can celebrate their innate gifts. Her maker process is unique in that she works consciously to flip power dynamics and deliberately center media subjects as co-collaborators and art directors of their own stories. Her professional background spanning the worlds of celebrity entertainment, advertising, social change storytelling, and nonprofit program development allows her to forge unlikely partnerships. Natalie founded her company on the premise that the social justice, nonprofit, and mainstream entertainment sectors can and should have a much more symbiotic relationship. She is a committed member of the Harlem community, and her life's pride and joy are her amazing family and Ukrainian heritage. Natalie loves people fiercely and believes that community is everything and that there is no such thing as other people's children. She's an absurd human who loves talking to strangers so much that she built a whole career around this impulse. Natalie has held many different job titles, but the most important, fulfilling, joyful one is "mom.” Exavier B. Pope I, Esq. is an award-winning attorney, Legal & Cultural Contributor to ESPN Las Vegas, and host of SuitUP News, a news magazine & variety program focusing on politics, law, social justice, and sports. Exavier is also a Fortune 500 speaker, yoga instructor, and vegan chef.  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.  

Vanessa Fraction, Mia Jackson, and Akeem Woods visit Friends Like Us for a hilarious take on hot topics! Vanessa Fraction: Action Fraction is a fitting handle for the intelligent and hilarious stand-up comedian, actor, writer, television personality, and women's empowerment advocate Vanessa Fraction. A mother of two, working at the phone company in 2001, Vanessa Fraction hit the stage of a popular open mic at The Cotton Club, Chicago to sing backup for a co-worker. Performing the gig with a few girlfriends from church, they weren't great, but Fraction decided that night, she wanted to be on stage. She went back the next week to do a comedy set and got booked for a show. Two years later she landed the role of Monisha in Barbershop 2: Back in Business. Currently, Fraction is the high-spirited, outrageously funny co-host of Nappy Boy Radio Podcast hosted by rapper and producer T-Pain. She also guest hosts on the entertainment news television series Dish Nation (FOX) and can be seen in Universal Pictures' cinematic musical, Praise This written and directed by Tina Gordon, produced by Will Packer, Tim Story, James Lopez, and Sharla Sumpter. From Def Comedy Jam (HBO) to NickMom Night Out (Nick Jr.) to Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks (truTV), 1st Amendment Standup (STARZ), Mike Epps Live at Club Nokia, Just for Laughs Montreal Festival (2008, 2018), and Just For Laughs Chicago (2013), Fraction's bold and clever stand-up has been a welcomed highlight on these and other showcases. The demand for her comedic brilliance has garnered opportunities to perform abroad touring the UK and performing for the U.S. troops in Germany, Japan, and South Korea. After performing on The Monique Show, a year later she was offered her first writing gig. Fraction's versatility as a writer blossomed on shows like Raven's Home (Disney), The Arsenio Hall Show (CBS), the Triumph Awards (Bounce TV), and 106 & Park (BET). Fraction's passionate take on women's freedoms and rights to empowerment stretches beyond the stage. She is a certified self-defense instructor, and her branded style of teaching, Kicks & Comedy, equips women with life-saving self-defense skills and lifts spirits by infusing comedy. Vanessa's mission is to empower her audience to overcome their struggles while laughing at hers. Akeem Woods is the funny little brother you always (never) wanted — his comedy style will have you on the edge of your seat reeling from laughter! No topic is safe from discussion, whether it be the KKK or the hardships of growing up poor. Akeem is a regular at the Comedy Cellar in NYC, was a semi-finalist on Stand Up NBC, has been seen on Kevin Hart's LOL Network, and just recently made his television debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden! Currently, you can find Akeem working on a new show for BET and at clubs and colleges all over the country. Mia Jackson is a bonafide Georgia peach (that's Georgian for “native”). In 2017, she was selected as a New Face by the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and Atlanta's Creative Loafing named her the Critic's Choice Best Stand-Up in the city. She has toured nationally with Amy Schumer and is a featured comic at festivals and clubs across the country. Her first stand up special aired in October 2018 as part of Unprotected Sets on EPIX. Mia has appeared on NickMom's Night Out, Viceland, Comedy Central's This Week at the Comedy Cellar and was a semi-finalist on Season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing. Her Comedy Central half hour special debuted in November 2019. 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.

Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham and Nonye Brown-West discuss funding of museums centering on People Of Color across the United States.  Stephanie Johnson-Cunningham is a museum professional with over 15 years experience in the field. She has worked at the New-York Historical Society, Brooklyn Museum, 9/11 Museum and Memorial, and African American Museum in Philadelphia. Stephanie's advocacy aligns with Museum Hue, an organization she co-founded and serves as Director. She built the first online directory and mapping of museums centering Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color across the US. It is an invaluable resource that deepens public knowledge and understanding of art, history, and culture. Stephanie is currently working on a larger Cultural Mapping project specific to New York City with support from NYC's Department of Cultural Affairs. As a 2018 United Nations Human Rights fellow, she applies the UN's ratification of cultural rights to her work to call for greater recognition and representation in the arts ecosystem. Stephanie received the Americans for the Arts 2019 American Express Emerging Leader Award for her work. She recently hosted and produced On Display, a show for WNET's ALL ARTS Network that focuses on ways museums are addressing societal issues that resulted from intersecting histories and connects to contemporary life. Each episode covers various topics from immigration to incarceration. 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.

Andrea Dalzell and Jeanne Sparrow visit friends and discuss the role of caregiver, Cities that ignore Americans with Disabilities, and the Tsunami in Nurse care.  Andrea Dalzell is a phenomenal and passionate Registered Nurse, a highly active Healthcare Advocate, Disability Rights Influencer, and most importantly, a strong Survivor! Andrea Dalzell was born and raised in the heart of the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn, New York. At the early age of five, Andrea was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord that causes pain, muscle weakness and paralysis and was using a wheelchair full-time by age 12. Although this diagnosis was very critical, Andrea let absolutely nothing get in the way of being all that she could be. Jeanne Sparrow is a 7-time Emmy-winning television host, radio personality on V103 Chicago (Saturdays 6am-12pm) and host of her podcast, Fearless Authenticity with Jeanne Sparrow. Jeanne serves as a graduate faculty instructor in communication at Northwestern University and is an award-winning speaker and consultant who helps people and organizations find more success by delivering their unique, authentic value through visionary leadership and inspiring speaking. She's finishing her book, “Fearless Authenticity: Insider Secrets to Lead Better, Sell More and Speak Sensationally,” expected in late 2024 from McGraw Hill. 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.      

Latanya Mapp Frett and Sabrina Revell visit friends and discuss "The Everyday Feminist", "The Crossover" for Disney+, black women's new bodily autonomy.  Latanya Mapp Frett [she/her/hers] is author of The Everyday Feminist and President and CEO of Global Fund for Women. She serves on the Board of Directors for Global Fund for Women and Global Fund for Women UK, as well as Oxfam, and Management Sciences for Health (MSH). Global Fund for Women offers flexible feminist funding and support to create meaningful change that will last beyond our lifetimes. Since its founding, Global Fund for Women has supported over 5,000 grassroots organizations in 175 countries. Mapp Frett was an Executive Director of the Emmy-nominated Fundamental Film series from Global Fund for Women. Latanya Mapp Frett teaches at Columbia University and sits on several commissions and advisory boards. She started her career interning with the NAACP, served as a delegate to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, and continues to fight for the human rights of women. Sabrina Revelle is an accomplished actor, currently starring in "The Crossover" for Disney+. The LeBron James produced series is based on the bestselling novel of the same name and released to wide acclaim on April 5th. She can also be seen in her current recurring role on the popular CW series "All American: Homecoming," airing its second season. Sabrina is also known for her memorable roles in Netflix's "Zac & Mia" and Hulu's "Champaign ILL," among others. A Philadelphia native, Sabrina trained at the UK-based Identity School of Acting and now resides in Los Angeles. 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.  

Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons, Gina Brillon, and Hollie Harper visit Friends Like Us and discuss sexual liberation, maternal health care week, and more with host Marina Franklin. Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons is an award-winning associate professor of counseling psychology at the University of Kentucky, where she studies sexual wellness and liberation. She is the host of F*ck the System: A Sexual Liberation Podcast and How to Love a Human, a liberation podcast that asks people with multiple marginalized identities what the world would be like if it loved them. She has published over 50 research articles and has been featured in the Huffington Post, the APA Monitor, Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, Blavity, Cosmopolitan, and the New York Times. Gina Brillon was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. The Puerto Rican actress, comedian, writer and mom has been a standup comic since she was 17 years old. Her 1-hour special Gina Brillon: The Floor is Lava won a 2021 Gracie Award, is nominated for an Imagen Award, and is available on Amazon Prime Video, along with her first special, Pacifically Speaking. Her 1/2 hour special Easily Offended was one of the top shows from the Entre Nos franchise on HBO Latino, and streams on all HBO Digital Platforms. She was a finalist on America's Got Talent Season 16, and has made appearances on HBO Max's HA Festival: The Art of Comedy, Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, E!'s Chelsea Lately, The View, Late Night with Seth Meyers and Jimmy Kimmel Live. You have seen her on Kevin Can Wait on CBS and The Conners on ABC. ​​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.   ​​

Diandra Lyle and Nonye Brown-West visit Friends and discuss the success of black nostalgia on Peacock, the arrest of Jonathan Majors, AI may be taking over Hollywood, and more with host Marina Franklin.   Diandra Lyle is an American actress currently appearing in Disney Channel's Secrets of Sulphur Springs, the upcoming 2nd season of Bel-Air on Peacock, and NBC's reboot of Quantum Leap. She has also starred in Apple TV's Beauty and the Baller, recurred on Paramount Network's American Woman and on NCIS, and has had roles in Shameless, Bones, A24's Moonbase 8 and General Hospital, among other shows. On the film front, she has appeared in Foster Boy, starring Matthew Modine and Always A Bridesmaid, among others. 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 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. Watch out for Nonye performing in your city! 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.