It's Akilah, Obviously!

Hello there! I’m Akilah. I hosted What a Day from Crooked Media from October 2019 until August 2021. I’m an author, comedian, host, actor, and mom to the cutest dog on earth, Fauci.  Currently living in Los Angeles, but I’ll be back in NY so soon for a really wonderful project I can talk more about soon.

Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and learn more about me below:

MY BOOK

I published Obviously: Stories from My Timeline in 2019 with Razorbill Books (an imprint of Penguin). Buy the hardcover or the audiobook, whichever you prefer. It’s solid. 

SUNDANCE

In 2015 I took a comedic series to the Sundance Episodic Story Lab with one of my favorite funny girls, Lyle Friedman. I wrote about my experience in the lab here.

THE FUSION DAYS

I wrote and made videos for Fusion, including the commentary series This Shouldn’t Be News (screengrab above), and The Curls Room, a show by and for people with natural hair.

MY FRO

I stopped relaxing (chemically straightening) my hair in August of 2009, and just slowly chopped off the ends until there was no relaxed hair left. READ: I didn’t really have the guts for a big chop. There might be a conehead under all this hair! So it’s been a little more than 6 years. I kind of love it. You can get a Kiss Me, I’m Black shirt here.

WEIRD FACT

I was on Million Second Quiz in 2013. I got beat–TERRIBLY, but Ryan Seacrest told me that my hair was “really cool” so I think I definitely won in the end.

MY BACKGROUND

I completed an independent major at Berea College in Broadcasting and Speech Communications with a focus in Mass Communications. I’d say it paid off.

I’m African American, but not sure which country in Africa my people hail from. I’m also English and Cherokee Indian. My Great Great Grandmother’s name was Susie Goodnight if that gives you some perspective.