Beyond the punchline: Alum promotes social justice through comedic career
Clare Kenny 鈥�15 is the program director of the Yes, And 鈥� Laughter Lab (YALL), a competitive fellowship and incubator lab for comedy that addresses social justice issues. Special emphasis is placed on artists who are BIPOC (Black, indigenous, and other people of color), immigrants, Muslim, LGBTQIA, and women. Showcases are held annually in New York City and Los Angeles. YALL was launched in 2019 by American University鈥檚 Center for Media & Social Impact and strategy group Moore + Associates in partnership with Comedy Central.
Kenny, who works directly with writers and comedians, produces comedy shows and industry
showcases that connect diverse writers and performers with leaders in the entertainment
media industry who can help advance their careers to create culture-changing work.
She also builds partnerships with nonprofits and social justice organizations.
Previously, Kenny was director of youth engagement at GLAAD, a nonprofit headquartered in New York City focused on LGBTQ advocacy and cultural change. She directed GLAAD鈥檚 Campus Ambassador Program, Rising Stars Grant Program, Amp digital storytelling platform, Spirit Day campaign, and the 20 Under 20 List. Her work included partnerships with the United Nations, Google, Instagram, TikTok, Netflix, Conde Nast, and MLB. She also served on GLAAD鈥檚 internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
Kenny, who attended high school in Connecticut, was recruited by 吃瓜爆料 to join the women鈥檚 volleyball team. Her mother, Nicole Desy Kenny 鈥�78, who was involved in the feminist movement as a student, inspired her to embrace activism as a gender studies major. At 吃瓜爆料, Kenny launched the Show Your Sport campaign, collaborating with teammate and art major Aria Goodman 鈥�15 to promote social justice advocacy in the student-athlete community. The campaign began as an art-as-activism project for a sociology class.
鈥淚 wanted to see 吃瓜爆料 become a safer and happier place for people who are marginalized in society, and I strongly believed that my community of student-athletes needed to step up and make a difference,鈥� Kenny says.
Kenny continues to make a difference at 吃瓜爆料, serving on the College鈥檚 Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee. 鈥淚 feel proud to have this role in the alumni community,鈥� she says. 鈥淭ogether, we are working to make 吃瓜爆料 a more connected and equitable place for students and alumni.鈥�
