Jessica Williams talks equality, social change and comedy

As part of Women’s Week, comedian, writer and actress Jessica Williams headlined a sold-out performance on Feb. 28. Williams is a news anchor on “The Daily Show” and is most famous for her skits relating to the rights of minorities, youth, women and those who identify as LGBTQ.

Growing up, Williams said she always believed in equality between all sexes, races and demographics. For this reason, starting in elementary school, Williams tenaciously challenged gender stereotypes.

“What I felt was society conditioning me to not be equal to boys ... I always thought equality was a no-brainer,” Williams said.

While Williams’ fervor was influenced by her upbringing, her sense of humor was shaped by her eccentric grandmother, who taught her to question social norms and describe the world around her in a comedic way.

“The woman that swore and cursed a lot was the person that I most identified with as a kid,” Williams said. “[My Grandmother] told really harsh, sort of cutting, but really funny jokes.”

As a black child living in a predominately white neighborhood, Williams said she perpetually experienced a sense of “otherness,” leaving her feeling out of place in her community.

“There was nothing super tangible that I could fit into,” she said.

Upon reaching adolescence, Williams began to conceive of her world as a place where people are constantly forced to pick a side, identify with a particular group and incessantly protect themselves from danger. For Williams, comedy became a means through which she could cope with this general uneasiness, promote social change and make everyone laugh in the process.

While still in college, a casting director for a Will Ferrell movie suggested that she send in her tapes to “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” After viewing the tapes, Stewart invited Williams to fly to New York City for an in-person audition.

She compared her first encounter with Stewart to a “really good first date.” Soon after, at the age of 22, Williams became the youngest news anchor on “The Daily Show.” She was hired as a full-time news anchor during an election year.

“Everything just felt right,” Williams said.

Attendees applauded Williams’ ability to comment on real-world problems in a light-hearted way.

“I really like how she was able to talk about serious issues, like systemic inequality or depression or the feeling of otherness, while still managing to make everyone laugh,” College sophomore Amelia Goodman said.

To leave the audience with a tangible demonstration of her values and the topics she is most passionate about, Williams showed two clips from “The Daily Show.” The first clip was of Williams satirizing the “stop-and-frisk” practices of the New York City Police Department.

Stop-and-frisk “was the first time I ever felt what I was talking about,” Williams said.

In the second clip, Williams commented on sexual assault.

“[During the skit] there was passion in my eyes and a bit of gusto ... I was taking the angry black girl and using it to my advantage,” she said.

To end her performance on an uplifting and inspirational note, Williams counseled audience members to adhere to their values while pursuing their passions.

“Now is the time to be yourself ... nobody is going to tell your story the way you can,” she said.

Related: Women's Week is not just one week for women (OPINION)

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