Mississippi’s Own Rita Brent Shines on Fox 40 + Holiday Special

What if the most brilliant mind to ever come out of Mississippi didn’t leave: she came home?
That’s the miracle we’re witnessing in real time with Rita Brent. Comedian. Writer. Musician.
Veteran. Producer. A walking, drumming, joke-telling, culture-shifting storm of creativity who
somehow makes excellence look effortless.

When you meet Rita, you feel it before you realize it. She has that grounded genius wrapped in
southern rhythm and holy humor. She conjures up entire worlds between camera takes that
makes people laugh. That’s what happened the day she cut a commercial with my husband,
David. She directed, improvised, and produced joy in real time — equal parts Spike Lee, Ava
DuVernay, and your funniest cousin at the cookout.
Rita Brent is that rare alchemy of discipline and divinity.

From Jackson to the World and Back Again

Long before she was writing for the Emmy Awards, the Grammys, and Netflix, she was on stage
at Suite 106 Lounge right here in Jackson, cutting her comedic teeth with courage and clarity. A
proud graduate of Murrah High School and Jackson State University, she hosted and produced
five shows for Mississippi Public Broadcasting before leaping into stand-up full time in 2017.
She’s since toured with Cedric the Entertainer and Rickey Smiley, written for everyone from
Adam Sandler to Jon Bon Jovi, and taken Mississippi to Comedy Central, Epix, and truTV all
while staying grounded in the belief that home is not what you escape, it’s what you elevate.
When she moved to New York City in 2019, she told the Clarion Ledger, “There are tons of
comedy clubs…that’s where you go to make it big.” And she did.

Her one-woman show, Black of All Trades, premiered at Caveat NYC to a sold-out crowd. It was
a sonic memoir of rhythm, resistance, and the brilliance of being a multi-hyphenate Black
woman from Mississippi.

But Mississippi called her back and this time, she returned with the receipts.

Late Night with Rita Brent: The Revolution Will Be Televised on Fox40
When Saturday Night Live didn’t choose her, she chose herself. That’s the power move of this
generation. What started as a one-night birthday experiment–Late Night with Rita Brent–
evolved into a seven-episode sensation filmed right here in Jackson.

Now, Fox40 has picked it up, airing every Sunday at 10 p.m., and Mississippi has a homegrown,
Black-woman-led late-night show to call its own. Season 1 featured guests from Bobby Rush to
Ricky Smiley to former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba proving that the South doesn’t just
have something to say; we have something to produce.

A Holiday Homecoming: November 15 at the Jackson Convention Complex
On Friday, November 15, Rita Brent will headline her Holiday Special at the Jackson
Convention Complex. This promises to be a celebratory crescendo to Season 1 of Late Night
with Rita Brent and a love letter to Mississippi. Expect music, laughter, and magic featuring
Angie Thomas, Dexter Allen, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson, and more.
Tickets are available now at JacksonHotEvents.com.

Why This Moment Matters

In every creative economy, there’s a catalyst. Someone whose light makes it impossible for the
world to ignore where they came from.

That’s what Rita Brent is to Mississippi.

Every city that books her gains visibility; every brand that partners with her gains credibility.
And every time a local leader hesitates to collaborate, we lose a chance to co-create history.
She’s not just a comedian. Rita is a cultural institution.

To miss out on working with her is to shortchange the legacy of what Mississippi could be.
So to every Mississippian, brand, business, and organization reading this:
Don’t wait for Hollywood to validate what has already confirmed.

Rita Brent is the moment and Mississippi’s brightest export has brought her brilliance home.

I’ve worked with a lot of talent, but few possess her mix of precision, presence, and prophetic
timing. She doesn’t just tell jokes; she heals through humor. She doesn’t just perform; she
reclaims joy. Watching her rise feels like watching Mississippi heal. One punchline at a time.

Dr. Nikisha Ware
Guest Contributor | The Jackson Advocate