Former host of “The Daily Show” and four-time host of the Grammys discusses the change education can make.
South African comedian, activist, and best-selling author, Trevor Noah, kicked off the fall Silk Speaker Series on Aug. 22.
The moderated discussion became the first Silk Series event to sell out within 24 hours of its announcement, and had more than 1,500 virtual viewers.
Noah is the former host of Comedy Central’s Emmy-award winning “The Daily Show” and author of New York Times Best Seller, “Born a Crime: Stories from a South-African Childhood”, which sold more than 3 million copies.
Dr. Michael Goldman, an associate dean and professor of sports management hailing from South Africa, moderated the conversation. He began by asking how education has impacted Noah.
Noah shared an anecdote about an old teacher, Mrs. Winclair, who came to see him after a comedy show in Berlin. He said of Winclair’s attitude towards teaching, “It wasn’t a job, it was a vocation, it wasn’t [an] obligation, it was an opportunity, and that is something she has imbued within me and I’ll be eternally grateful.”
In 2018, Noah founded the Trevor Noah Foundation to improve equitable access to quality education for underserved youth in South Africa.
Goldman inquired about how Noah’s childhood in South Africa impacted his comedy and storytelling. He responded, “You cannot find an African person who is not a storyteller in some way, shape, or form. You will not find an oppressed person who does not know how to use a sense of humor as a tool to both heal themselves and remind themselves of how absurd the world really is.”
Noah recognized the relationship between racial trauma and humor, “It’s amazing how that correlation exists out through so many peoples out there … the more your people have struggled, the more your people have suffered, the more oftentimes you find humor.”
As the talk concluded, students asked Noah a few questions. One asked for advice for college students, at which he immediately clarified, “Oh this isn’t advice. This is just what I think … you must think as well.”
Beyah Ishamael, a senior advertising major, said “I decided to go because I’ve been a fan of Trevor Noah for a few years … I really appreciate how he articulates complex concepts into something that [is] digestible.”
In a post-discussion interview with the Foghorn, Goldman said, “Having followed his career closely in South Africa, and now in the US, having read his book, obviously watched a lot of his content and listened to his podcast I think I had a good sense of both his lived experience but also how he talks about the kind of issues that matter to him now.”
“Although Trevor doesn’t like the word ‘advice’ … He did sprinkle a whole bunch of really smart suggestions for students through the hour that we had the conversation,” he elaborated, “Suggestions about taking their next steps in their careers and considering the importance of education and the importance of connecting with key teachers. Those are all really important pieces of advice for students as they get the semester going.”
Isabella Roof, a junior psychology major, recounted of the show, “It was cool to see all of my community in one space to watch him. I had a really fun time just watching him speak, like I was totally fangirling during the first half, I couldn’t believe it.”
She continued, “He just had a lot of insightful answers, good advice for us college students, for going out into the world. Hearing him made me really excited for the future while also still reflecting and being grateful for the past.”
Noah said to Goldman, “In life we can’t control our lot … all these decisions are made for us, and oftentimes it’s dumb luck. One thing we can do for everyone … is give them fair and equitable access to education to enable them to create their own luck in life … no one should be lucky to have an education, it should be standard.”
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