Phyllis Yvonne Stickney

Phyllis Yvonne Stickney is a comedian, writer and stage performer who was among the first comedians of color to appear at Montreal's Juste Pour Rire Comedy Festival, where she shared a bill with John Candy and was introduced by Ed Bagley Jr. Her stand-up set at the Apollo Theater helped persuade the network to pick up Showtime at the Apollo, and she became the first woman to perform with The Last Poets on the soundtrack of Panther (1995). She won two AUDELCO Awards for Excellence in Black Theater, and Essence Magazine's 25th anniversary issue named her among 200 African American women who changed the world. She was a writer and creative consultant on the ABC series New Attitude, a Castle Rock production, and has also worked as a motivational speaker, published author and poet. She founded the community organization Alternative Careers in the Arts.