Comedian and activist Adora Nwofor says she is ‘still living the racism dream in Calgary’

Citytv examines how systemic racism affects the daily lives of Black, Indigenous, and people of colour in Canada. Below is the second story. Bookmark this page to read and watch the previous and upcoming stories.

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“My name is Adora Nwofor and I’m born, raised, and still living the racism dream in Calgary,” the comedian says at the start of many of her stand-up routines.

Nwofor is the only Black female comedian in the city. For years, she had been the only one in all of Alberta.

“When I’m doing activism, I’m doing direct social commentary”

The activist is also the president of Black Lives Matter YYC.

“It makes sense because when I do stand-up and comedy, it’s social commentary. When I’m doing activism, I’m doing direct social commentary. And sometimes I use jokes because that helps people hear me; that makes impact,” Nwofor says.

Nwofor says she still gets called racial slurs regularly.

“Why pay me $50 when you can be racist for free?”

She recently received an email from someone asking if they could get an “N-word pass” if they send her $50.

Her reply to that was “Why pay me $50 when you can be racist for free?”

“If you are not Black, you are using that word violently,” Nwofor says. “I don’t care how you think you’re saying it, because if you have privilege, the only thing that happens when you use that word is oppression.”

Nwofor says she hopes to see big changes in her hometown.

“What needs to happen is a shift in narrative, a shift in your thinking and, to me, it’s not necessarily about education. It’s about being respectful and being humble. So, Calgary, if I — Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour — could get a lot more of that, then I can start saying ‘I’m proud of Calgary’.”