The Muslimah Standup Comedian
“I Am African & I Can” is a women’s empowerment blog highlighting stories of Black women’s struggles and successes.
By Hadiatou Wann | 11/06/20
Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Nadirah Pierre — granddaughter of an Imam — growing up lived near a mosque and was very involved in her community.
Through watching law shows, she noticed the alienation and maltreatment of prisoners (especially Black people) and the mental breakdowns they underwent. She believed prisoners deserved to be treated like humans despite being stripped of other rights. She also realized that some of them were doing time for crimes they did not commit and it affected them profoundly. This prompted her to study psychology in order to one day help prisoners with mental health.
However, 3 years ago, she made a shift as she found herself drawn to another career. What was initially an entertainment video intended for her friends and family turned into a full-time career that is fulfilling.
One night, Nadirah published a funny video on social media and went to sleep. The next day, she was surprised to wake up to a video that went viral. As more of her videos went viral, a slew of organizations requested to book her. In 2018, she finally agreed to do her first live show (a 15-minute sitcom) for a Muslim organization and was flown to Georgia. The show went so well it gave her the boost of confidence she needed to be steadfast on this career path.
While in college, she did her best to stay away from taking out loans. As she ran out of money to cover tuition fees, she was faced with having to discontinue her studies. Looking back, she believes God created that difficulty to steer her in a different path. During her first year of being a standup comedian, she had a 9 to 5 and frequently took days off to attend her standup shows. Eventually, her employer made it clear that her schedule could no longer be adjusted to accommodate her, which led her to choose building her own business over a 9 to 5.
Now that Nadirah has embarked on an entrepreneurial journey and doesn’t have a 9 to 5 to fall back on, she learned to be disciplined enough to manage her time and finances effectively. Every morning, after praying Fajr (the morning prayer Muslims perform), she does Dhikir (remembrance of God) for 10 to 15 minutes, goes back to sleep and wakes up at 10 or 11 a.m., practices self-care, and reviews her to-do list before tackling her tasks throughout the day.
Her inspiration for creating content comes from observing trends on social media and interacting with people. Working for herself gives her the freedom to put out content at her own terms. She admits that her best content is produced when she’s on a break and not thinking about content creation.
Since she fully committed to being a standup comedian, she has done many sitcoms and hosted. Before going on stage, Nadirah always makes dua (prayer) and gives it her all to entertain the crowd that eagerly awaited her arrival. As she makes her way onto the stage and the echo of people clapping slowly dissipate, she feels a slight pressure to perform well. A good show for Nadirah is one composed of good punch lines and great timing.
Although comedians in the Western world make risky jokes at times, Nadirah still maintains a sense of modesty with jokes that are entertaining but not vulgar. Whether she is making people laugh in person or on social media, her purpose, she says, is to be committed to being truthful no matter how ugly or uncomfortable it may be to some.
With the overwhelming attention she is receiving, the bar is set high. One way to keep herself from being discouraged is by constantly reminding herself that this is the career Allah decreed for her, and she must believe in herself as much as Allah believes in her.
Although her wish is to put a smile on people’s faces, she does not tolerate any form of disrespect. If Nadirah senses from event organizers that she is being discriminated against, she is willing to cancel a show. “If I know behind the scene you are lowballing me because I am Black or Muslim, there won’t be a show,” she expressed.
With over 90K followers on Facebook and over 80K on Instagram and counting, the Muslimah standup comedian has become a well-known public figure who is admired for being humorous and blunt. Next, she aims to land a Netflix and HBO special.
Maryam Jawwaad describes her relationship with the comedian: “Nadirah is my best friend but best doesn’t really feel like it covers it. My nearest, dearest and closest friend lol. Nadirah is extremely intuitive and empathetic. She pays great attention to her loved ones and makes it her business to know their personalities and what makes them tic. As a result, this makes her great at giving advice and tuning that advice and the way it’s delivered to her audience…she loves hard and her intuitiveness really shows up through her love.”
Being a standup comedian gives Nadirah the opportunity to travel and the flexibility to spend her time however she pleases. However, what would be even more gratifying for her is to be remembered as someone who spread joy and truth. Although she did not end up working as a Psychologist in a prison, her humor has become a source of therapy for people globally. Her success story teaches us that when God steers us in one direction, we must learn to move in that direction and make the best of it.
Welcome to Nadirah’s World
“A strong woman does the work everyday of facing herself, understanding who she is, and responding to that.”
Nadirah loves reading fiction, Sci-Fi, nonfiction, traveling, and shopping.
“Success is being able to do what I want, when I want, and how I want.”
“I want my legacy to be comprised of both joy and truth. That I came here and made people laugh, they felt happy, and I told the truth.”
Connect with Nadirah:
Facebook: Nadirah P.
Instagram: @nadirah.p
Email: nadirahsp@gmail.com
Read other success stories here: www.iamafricanandican.info/blog
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