Saturday Night Live Hires Two Black Women Writers

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Earlier this week we got word that NBC's "Saturday Night Live" hired it's first black castmember in years. Well The Hollywood Reporter broke news today that black women will be added behind the camera as well. 

LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones will join the series as writers this Winter. They were both discovered during SNL's special auditions held for the specific purpose of diversifying the cast.


Jones, an actress and stand-up comedian who was a finalist for the new castmember spot, has performed at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, guest-starred in comedies including The League and Sullivan & Son, and written for and appeared on Def Comedy Jam and 1st Amendment Stand Up. She's performed at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal as well as the Aspen Comedy Festival. In 2011, her comedy special Problem Child was broadcast on Showtime. Jones is repped by Integral Entertainment and Pierce Law Group.

Actress-comedian Tookes, meanwhile, is a former news reporter from Florida who has performed at iO West.

The addition of these women is just as important a milestone as the inclusion of more diverse on air talent. Hopefully, having these women at the table will enable the sketch show avoid future embarrassing racial gaffes.

Related:


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Kimberly Foster is the founder and editor of For Harriet. Email or

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