Comedian Roy Wood Jr. shares personal experiences, take on DEI during FAMU event

Yahoo

12-02-2025

From insights on what life is like in the media industry to thoughts on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), comedian and political commentator Roy Wood Jr. paid Florida A&M University a visit for a well-rounded chat on ... well, a little bit of everything.
FAMU held a Black History Month Fireside Conversation Monday evening in the Lee Hall Auditorium on campus with Wood, a proud 2001 FAMU alumnus who has made a nationally acclaimed name for himself in the world of media.
'To me, it's important to always represent this university and to let people know about it because a lot of great people and great things have come from here,' said 46-year-old Wood, who earned his bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from FAMU in 2001. 'For the students that are here, they need to know what's possible.'
The Birmingham, Alabama native's successes include his recently released comedy special on Hulu called 'Lonely Flowers,' his current role as host of CNN's 'Have I Got News for You,' and being a former correspondent on Comedy Central's Emmy-winning "The Daily Show.'
But the road to the plethora of accomplishments was not a linear one.
During the Monday conversation, Wood explained his struggles of getting arrested for stealing credit cards, getting suspended from FAMU for a semester and being on probation until individuals like the late James Hawkins – a former dean of the university's School of Journalism and Graphic Communication (SJGC) – gave him the push he needed.
'That's another thing about a Black college,' Wood said. 'Students, y'all need to know that y'all are surrounded by people who see you for what you could be – not for who you are. Because of that, they're going to push you sometimes because they see something that you don't see. Dr. Hawkins stayed on top of me and gave me that push.'
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Pursuing a career in the media business brought along another round of challenges for Wood, such as figuring out how to address controversial topics in a strategic way as a comedian to get a message across to his audience.
In addition, the transition in Wood's career when leaving 'The Daily Show' as a correspondent amid the show's search for a permanent host to replace Trevor Noah was another challenging task he faced in his career, where the wait made it difficult for him to plan future endeavors.
"A lot of these jobs are not safe, and none of it is promised,' Wood said. 'I can either jump out of the plane, or I can get pushed. That's just how I view employment. You can be gainfully employed, but be careful about allowing that to make you complacent.'
Wood gained international exposure as host of the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2023, and in 2024 he became host of 'Have I Got News for You." The CNN show's new episodes begin Saturday with the premiere of a second season – all while Wood is also currently a semifinalist of the game show "Celebrity Jeopardy!"
Given Wood's wide range of experience and words of wisdom, several audience members took advantage of a Q&A session that followed the evening's fireside chat moderated by FAMU interim President Timothy Beard and the university's Vice President of Marketing and Communications Alonda Thomas.
FAMU alumnus Alfred Williams II, CEO of Capital City Cultural Community Outreach, asked Wood for advice on how to maneuver conversations related to Juneteenth – which celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. – with the presence of DEI laws. Williams is also founder of Tallahassee's annual Juneteenth Empowerment Day Festival.
'I think the conversation around diversity, Blackness, being proud to be Black and quarterbacking those situations is going to come down to how angry you want to be,' Wood said, 'and how much you'll allow telling the truth to help you or obstruct you from achieving your goal.'
While on the subject matter, Wood took the time to shine light on the outcomes of DEI rules, such as the way many DEI position titles have been changed in the workforce ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's election.
'I wouldn't even be surprised also... if Trump doesn't have a Juneteenth celebration this year,' Wood said. 'I just think you have to be tactful in the ways you engage conversations around diversity with people who are extremely uninformed but hold a lot of power.'
DEI programs have long been a particular target for Gov. Ron DeSantis and a critical concern in Florida as activities related to it have been dismantled from colleges and universities across the state, which led to several protests on the campuses.
Related news: FSU, FAMU give campus communities guidance after Trump's orders on DEI funds, immigration
But on a national scale, Trump's executive orders since Jan. 20 introduced a wave of governmental changes, which include 'Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.'
'In spite of all the DEI things, a lot of it is coming from federal spaces and a lot of companies are being vocal about DEI programs, but these companies – at their core – still have to hire the best people because they need to get the job done,' Wood told the Tallahassee Democrat after the event.
He said he hopes anti-DEI policies do not discourage individuals such as college students from applying for jobs and "seeking out their goals."
FAMU students like freshman Rowan Mumford attended the campus event Monday and said Wood's conversation was a source of inspiration for him as a student of SJGC, commonly known as J-School.
'I've been feeling myself needing to be re-inspired, and I experienced that today by hearing someone's story and taking something from it to apply to my life,' said Mumford, a broadcast journalism major.
Among the event's attendees were also FAMU alumna Kim Godwin – retired ABC News President – as well as former FAMU President Larry Robinson and his wife, Sharon Robinson.
During the event, Beard and Thomas presented Wood with an orange "FAMU Rattlers" jacket, which he accepted while grinning from ear to ear. "I'm gonna wear this on the next game show I'm on," he said.
Contact Tarah Jean at [e-mail] or follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Comedian Roy Wood Jr. speaks on experiences, DEI during FAMU event