JENELL TAYLOR
Staff writer
At 4 p.m. today at the African American Heritage House, stand-up comedian and actress Michelle Foreman will speak with Chautauquans about how her practice in comedy allows her to navigate life’s unpredictable challenges.
The Baltimore comedian, born Michelle Foreman — known onstage as MESHELLE — renowns herself as the “Indie-Mom of Comedy,” whose persona proves that women can step into motherhood while maintaining their sense of self.
Foreman was raised by her grandparents in Park Heights, an inner-city Baltimore neighborhood, where she witnessed the determination and grit of blue-collar workers — a quality that earned her an undergraduate degree in psychology at Bowie State University and an interest in social work.
While enrolled in graduate school at Temple University, friends and colleagues would often point out her natural affinity to command a room and entertain all those within it. Shortly after, she began performing at comedy clubs in Maryland and Philadelphia, developing a stand-up style that has been described by audiences as independent, innovative and teeming with individuality.
In an interview with digital newspaper Word In Black, she described the moments that shaped her comedic persona, the content of her craft and how she gives back to the world through humor.
“The dean of students pulled me aside because she’s heard rumors I was falling asleep in class,” she said to WIB. “Then she showed up at one my shows and told me, ‘Michelle, you are funny.’”
Many of her routines center on a message of hopefulness and perseverance delivered sharply through her life’s unique experiences. Foreman’s identity as a mother of three, cancer survivor and recent divorcee of 20 years has given her much strife, she said, but using her faith as a foundation, she overcomes.
“It’s God, me and my family,” Foreman said to WIB. “My art is my gift, and it comes from the authentic life I live as a mom.”
One of her recent projects, “Mothers Know Best, Fathers Know Less,” has received critical acclaim and debuted as the unofficial kickoff of homecoming weekend at Bowie State University last year.
Along with mining for laughs, Foreman also gives back to her community through her role as an Open Society Institute Community Fellow. She created “Goaldiggers: The Sankofa Project,” a program that focuses on helping Black teenage girls pursue higher education while maintaining a connection to their cultural heritage.
“My art is my calling,” she said to WIB. “I have to get on stage. That’s how I heal — and how I help others heal, too.”
