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Arts & Entertainment

<eM>Saturday Night Live</em> Also Adds Two Female Black Writers

By

Ben Yakas

Published Jan 8, 2014

Modified Jan 8, 2014

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LaKendra Tookes

 

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By

Ben Yakas

Published Jan 8, 2014

Modified Jan 8, 2014

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This week, after months of speculation, Saturday Night Live finally responded to the criticisms about the lack of diversity in the new cast by hiring a female black comedian. While UCB alum Sasheer Zamata will get the spotlight when SNL returns on January 18th, that won't be the only change to the show: SNL is also adding two female black comedians in the writer's room.

Hollywood Reporter says that LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones, who tried out during the sketch show's recent "secret" auditions, have both been hired behind-the-scenes. Tookes is a former news reporter from Florida, while Jones is a comedy veteran who has appeared in everything from The League to Def Comedy Jam .

There are currently no plans to have either appear on-screen, but plenty of SNL writers have made that transition before, including Mike O'Brien and Jason Sudeikis. But their addition to the staff may mark a bigger change on the show than having Zamata out front.

Tagged

comedy

LaKendra Tookes

leslie jones

saturday night live

snl

Ben Yakas

Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.

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