A life built on laughter, truth, and joyful resistance.

Karen Williams has the unique distinction of being the first openly lesbian Black comic in the United States. Since beginning stand-up in 1983, her hysterically funny and insightful commentary, audience rapport, and warmth have made her an enduring international favorite.

From San Francisco and Cincinnati to twenty shows at Sydney’s Belvoir Street Theatre, Karen delights audiences with comedy that is cathartic, observant, and alive. She has appeared at Montreal’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival several times and completed more than 200 cruise and resort trips as a featured entertainer with Olivia Travel.

Armed with her “healing with humor” philosophy, Karen is a modern-day alchemist.

Her work spans live comedy, film, television, writing, teaching, voice-over, narration, workshops, and inspirational speaking. She hosted the New York variety show In The Life, ghostwrote at Columbia Pictures, taught stand-up comedy at Cleveland State University, studied improv at Second City Chicago, and directed inaugural comedy classes at Second City Cleveland.

Scholar, educator, gerontologist

Karen graduated summa cum laude from Cleveland State University with a personally designed major in Humor and Healing in 1998. She earned a Master of Education in Adult Learning & Development in 2000 and a PhD in social gerontology from Miami University in 2025. Today, her Joyful Aging programs confront ageism while helping people recognize vitality, wisdom, resilience, and purpose at every stage of life.

Mind, body, spirit

Karen’s background includes theatrical and improvisational comedy training, dance and movement, psychodrama, metaphysical studies, teaching, active parenting, and more than fifty years of Buddhist practice. Her CliftonStrengths are Connectedness, Strategic, Discipline, Intellection, and Maximizer. Her pronouns are she/her/hers.

“When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.”
— Audre Lorde