Comedian Ahamed Weinberg to perform at Berea College

February 23, 2024

By Paula Keshderian

BEREA, Ky. – Comedian, writer, director and producer Ahamed Weinberg will perform at Berea College on Thursday, Feb. 29 as part of the College’s weekly convocations. The event is co-sponsored by the bell hooks center.

Originally from Philadelphia, Weinberg is a Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian who made his late-night stand-up debut on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers.

In 2016, Weinberg was awarded New Face at the 2016 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. He is one of TimeOut LA’s Comics to Watch and Vulture’s 20 Comics to Watch.

Weinberg has appeared in shows like “The Eric Andre Show,” on Adult Swim, “I Love You, America,” on Hulu, “Comedy Bang Bang,” on IFC, “Comedy Knockout,” on Tru TV and “Insecure,” on HBO. He has also written, directed and starred in “Ahamed’s Ramadan Diaries” on Comedy Central Digital, a show where he navigates life during Ramadan and reflects on his Jewish-Muslim identity. Weinberg’s latest project is the show “Late Bloomer,” which aired in January 2024.

Weinberg’s first-ever performance was during a sixth-grade talent show, and his career has only grown since. His humor stems from his racial and religious identity and his life in America. Comedy has been his outlet since childhood.

“We hope Bereans will learn from Weinberg’s comedy that difficult conversations are necessary and never comfortable and that a campus like Berea’s, founded by radical abolitionists, is precisely the place for these conversations,” said Dr. M. Shadee Malaklou, director and founder of the bell hooks center. “Bereans have a history of approaching one another with impartial love. Let us do that now.”

“The bell hooks center co-sponsors this convocation with Weinberg in response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. We hope that Weinberg’s unique positionality in both Jewish and Muslim worlds will help the Berea community reach across identarian aisles,” Dr. Malaklou said, inviting everyone to enjoy Weinberg’s humor.

This event is free and open to the public.

About Berea College

Berea College, the first interracial and coeducational college in the South, focuses on learning, labor and service. The College only admits academically promising students with limited financial resources, primarily from Kentucky and Appalachia, although students come from 45 states and 70 countries. Every Berea student receives a Tuition Promise Scholarship, which means no Berea student pays for tuition. Berea is one of nine federally recognized Work Colleges, where students work at least 10 hours a week to earn money for books, housing, and meals. The College’s motto, “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth,” speaks to its inclusive Christian character. www.berea.edu

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