Preacher Moss
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| Preacher Moss | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bryant Reginald Moss 1967 (age 44–45) Washington, D.C., United States |
| Residence | Long Beach, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | BA Journalism |
| Alma mater | Marquette University |
| Occupation | Comedian and writer |
| Notable works | Allah Made Me Funny |
| Style | Islamic humour |
| Religion | Islam |
| Spouse | Yasmin Moss (2003–present) |
| Awards | Muslim Public Affairs Council, Media Award, 2005 Campus Activities Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards: Best Diversity Performer 2009 |
| Website | |
| www.preachermoss.com | |
Preacher Moss (born Bryant Reginald Moss; 1967) is an American comedian and writer.
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[edit] Background and education
Born Bryant Moss in Washington, D.C., United States. He began practicing comedy at the age of seven, when he earned the nickname "Preacher" for his imitations of the pastor at his family's church. He was raised as a Christian in a Maryland suburb and was sent to a local military academy for his schooling.
In 1988, at the age of 20, he converted to Islam. He graduated from Marquette University in 1988 with a degree in journalism and a took a job teaching emotionally disturbed children in Milwaukee, while continuing to do standup comedy.[1]
[edit] Writing career
In 1994, Moss was the opening act for a comic named Darrell Hammond, who would later become a regular on the NBC comedy show Saturday Night Live. Hammond hired him as a writer. Seeking to develop his comedy skills, Moss moved to Los Angeles. There, he continued to teach special education classes and worked as a writer for many comics, including Damon Wayans and George Lopez.[1]
[edit] Comedy career
Moss wrote his own show, titled "End of Racism." Beginning in 2000, he toured hundreds of national college campuses and high schools performing, teaching, and discussing poverty, racism, multiculturalism, civil rights, and critical race theory. He performed "End of Racism" for four years when he got an idea for another kind of progressive comedy experience which addressed another kind of prejudice, that was spreading rapidly throughout non-Islamic communities in post-9/11 America.[2]
In May 2004, Moss and other Muslim comics Azhar Usman and Azeem Muhammad (later replaced by Mohammed Amer in 2006) launched a comedy tour titled "Allah Made Me Funny," the show not only offered non-Muslims a chance to get to know a little about Islamic culture, but it provided a place where Muslims could gather to share humor about their own lives and experiences. He and the other comics on the tour made sure that their jokes were respectful and did not include sexual references or profanity. To ensure that Muslims would be comfortable attending the show, the comics requested that comedy clubs not serve alcohol or pork or allow smoking during performances. "Allah Made Me Funny" toured 30 U.S. cities during its first year, and also in Canada, Europe, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East.[3]
He has performed at the Global Peace and Unity Event in the ExCeL Exhibition Centre London in London[4] and also at Council on American-Islamic Relations banquet in Oklahoma City in 2010.[5]
[edit] Personal life
In 2003, Moss married Yasmin, an Indian Muslim living in Toronto, Canada. When not on tour, he lives in Long Beach, California, and visits his mother's home in Washington, D.C., frequently.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Encyclopedia.com - Contemporary Black Biography". http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3057100048.html. Preacher Moss
- ^ "End Of Racism Comedy & Lecture Tour". http://endofracism.com/about/.
- ^ "Bass/Schuler Entertainment". http://www.bass-schuler.com/allahmademefunny.php4.
- ^ "Global Peace and Unity Event 2008". http://www.theglobalunity.com/08/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=115&/. Retrieved 2008-10-25. Performers
- ^ "Council on American-Islamic Relations - Oklahoma". http://ok.cair.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=182:cair-ok-4th-anniversary-banquet&catid=37:press-releases&Itemid=58.
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- IMDb Entry
- Allah Made Me Funny: Muslim Comedy Tour
- Performance at Muslim Public Affairs Banquet at the University of Houston
- Encyclopedia.com - Contemporary Black Biography - Preacher Moss
- Comedy of the ‘Allah Tour’ Has Muslims Laughing," Beliefnet
- "Poking Fun, In Good Faith: Muslim Comics Laugh In the Face of Intolerance," Washington Post.com
- "Poor Righteous Preacher," Muslim Round Table Television
- "Clean Jokes and an Attempt to Foster Understanding," The State.com: South Carolina's Homepage
[edit] Further reading
- Independent on Sunday, Apr 1, 2007.
- India-West (San Leandro, CA), January 27, 2006, p. C1.
- Los Angeles Times, December 12, 2004, p. I10.
- Recorder (Indianapolis, IN), May 6, 2005, p. C3.
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle, WA), October 1, 2005, p. C1.
- Seattle Times (Seattle, WA) April 14, 2004, p. H29.
- The Toronto Star, May 16, 2004, p. 15.
- Weekend All Things Considered (Washington, D.C.) August 14, 2005, p. 1.
- Living people
- 1967 births
- American Muslims
- African American Muslims
- African-American people
- American people of African descent
- Converts to Islam
- Converts to Islam from Christianity
- American comedians
- American stand-up comedians
- African American comedians
- People from Washington, D.C.
- Writers from Washington, D.C.
- Marquette University alumni
- People from Long Beach, California
