{{Short description|American comedian, activist, and television and YouTube personality}} {{pp-pc1}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Franchesca Ramsey | image = Franchesca Ramsey head.jpg | caption = Ramsey in January 2017 | other_names = Chescaleigh | birth_name = Franchesca Leigh Ramsey | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|11|29}} | birth_place = West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. | alma_mater = Miami International University of Art & Design | occupation = {{flatlist| *Graphic designer *actress *writer *comedian}} | years_active = 2010–present | website = {{URL|franchesca.net/}} | spouse = {{marriage|Patrick Kondas|2013|2019|end=divorced}} }} '''Franchesca Leigh Ramsey''' (born November 29, 1983), also known as '''Chescaleigh''', is an American comedian, activist, television and YouTube personality, and actress, who has appeared on MTV and MSNBC.<ref name="theculture">{{Cite web |title=Franchesca Ramsey Uses Humor to Begin Critical Dialogues on Race for MTV's 'Decoded' |url=http://theculture.forharriet.com/2015/09/franchesca-ramsey-uses-humor-to-begin.html#axzz3xvyrqX8R |website=The Culture|date=September 17, 2015 |accessdate=March 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Grand Jury Decision Leads to Twitter Confessions of 'Criming While White' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/05/business/media/grand-jury-decision-leads-to-confessions-of-crimingwhilewhite.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 4, 2014 |access-date=January 22, 2016 |issn=0362-4331 |first=Noam |last=Cohen}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Meet the YouTube Stars Who Asked Questions at the Democratic Debate |url=https://time.com/4184017/democratic-debate-youtube-questions/ |magazine=Time |access-date=January 22, 2016 |first=Daniel |last=White}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dandy |first=Brittany |title = Franchesca Ramsey to Host MTV's 'Decoded' |url=http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/franchesca-ramsey-host-mtvs-decoded/ |website=Black Enterprise |date=June 23, 2015 |access-date=March 19, 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Franchesca Ramsey on #BlackLivesMatter |url=http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/franchesca-ramsey-on-blacklivesmatter-519663171592 |publisher=MSNBC |date=September 4, 2015 |accessdate=March 16, 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> She gained media fame quickly after her YouTube commentary on racial issues went viral, and she built a career as a writer, producer, and performer based on her unintended activism, being thrust into a role as an advisor or coach on social issues.<ref name=Ekeledo2018/><ref name=deLeon2018/>
==Early life and education== Ramsey was born {{birth date|1983|11|29}}. She is an only child who grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida. She was using computers early, having a website in high school during the 1990s.<ref name=deLeon2018/> She attended a performing arts high school, and studied graphic design in college, after trying acting but finding it emotionally painful, and even "abusive".<ref name=deLeon2018/> She moved to New York City in 2009 with her future husband when he got a scholarship to study law at St. John's University.<ref name=deLeon2018/>
==Career== ===YouTube=== Ramsey had been working in graphic design at Ann Taylor when her 2012 YouTube video "Shit White Girls Say...to Black Girls" went viral and led to interviews on the BBC, Anderson Cooper and NPR.<ref name=Ekeledo2018/><ref>{{YouTube|id=ylPUzxpIBe0 |title=Shit White Girls Say...to Black Girls }}</ref> Ramsey's YouTube channel contains topical and socially conscious comedy sketches and song parodies among other videos.<ref>{{Citation |title=Participatory Politics: Next-Generation Tactics to Remake Public Spheres |first= Elisabeth |last= Soep |publisher=MIT Press |date= January 24, 2014 |isbn= 9780262320214 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=-dDMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA24 }}</ref> Her ''chescalocs'' channel is about natural hair.<ref name="theculture"/> In 2008, Ramsey won the ''People''/YouTube Red Carpet Reporter contest, which greatly increased her channel's popularity.<ref>{{Citation |date= August 27, 2008 |title= YouTube and PEOPLE.com Announce Winner of Nationwide Red Carpet Reporter Audition (press release) |publisher= Marketwire |author-link= YouTube |url= http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/youtube-and-peoplecom-announce-winner-of-nationwide-red-carpet-reporter-audition-893877.htm |access-date= May 10, 2017 |archive-date= August 5, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170805061132/http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/youtube-and-peoplecom-announce-winner-of-nationwide-red-carpet-reporter-audition-893877.htm |url-status= dead }}</ref> In 2015, Ramsey became the host of the MTV News web series ''Decoded'' where she discusses racism and cultural issues.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dandy |first=Brittany |title=Franchesca Ramsey to Host MTV's 'Decoded' |url=http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/franchesca-ramsey-host-mtvs-decoded/ |website=Black Enterprise |date=June 23, 2015 |access-date =March 19, 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref> Several of Ramsey's videos have appeared on MTV, ''The Huffington Post'', CollegeHumor, ''Jezebel'', and ''Glamour''.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Parody of Beyonce's 'Countdown' Music Vid We Can All Relate To |url=http://www.franchesca.net/portfolio/mtv-act/ |publisher=MTV |accessdate=March 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Luippold |first=Ross |title='Don't Tweet' Brings No Doubt Classic to the Twitter Age |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/14/dont-tweet-brings-no-doubt-to-twitter_n_4097372.html |publisher=Huffington Post |date=October 14, 2013 |accessdate=March 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Turn Your Phone! "No Scrubs" Anti-Portrait Parody |url=http://www.collegehumor.com/post/6899421/turn-your-phone-anti-portrait-no-scrubs-parody |publisher=College Humor |date=June 28, 2013 |accessdate=March 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Beck |first=Laura |title=What's Your Lipstick Story? |url=http://jezebel.com/whats-your-lipstick-story-945037552 |publisher=Jezebel |date=June 28, 2013 |accessdate=March 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=You Guys, I Just Love This Lipstick Story |url=http://www.glamour.com/lipstick/blogs/girls-in-the-beauty-department/2013/08/a-lipstick-story-that-every-wo |work=Glamour |date=August 1, 2013 |accessdate=March 16, 2016}}</ref> In 2017, the show won a Webby Award in the Public Service and Activism category.<ref name="webby-2017">{{cite web |title=2017 Online Film & Video Public Service & Activism (Channels and Networks) |url=https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2017/film-video/video-channels-and-networks/public-service-activism-channels-and-networks/ |website=www.webbyawards.com |publisher=Webby Awards |accessdate=November 27, 2018}}</ref>
====Online harassment==== Ramsey has been a target of online harassment, trolling and doxing.<ref name=Cueto>{{Citation |url= https://www.bustle.com/articles/72988-so-youve-been-publicly-shamed-by-jon-ronson-delves-into-internet-shaming-but-here-are-6 |title= 'So You've Been Publicly Shamed' by Jon Ronson Delves Into "Internet Shaming," But Here Are 6 Women Who Would Write Smart Books About Online Hate |website=Bustle |first= Emma |last= Cueto |date= March 31, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="escaping the trolls">{{Citation |url= https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/youtube-troll-franchesca-ramsey-itrubslotion/ |title= Escaping the trolls: Franchesca Ramsey's 4-year YouTube struggle |first=Chase |last= Hoffberger |date=March 6, 2013 |website=The Daily Dot }}</ref> According to writer Ijeoma Oluo, Ramsey is one of a group of African-American women who "face regular, coordinated campaigns of abuse aimed at forcing them off of the internet".<ref>{{Citation |url= https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/19/leslie-jones-twitter-abuse-deliberate-campaign-hate |date=July 19, 2016 |title= Leslie Jones' Twitter abuse is a deliberate campaign of hate |first=Ijeoma |last= Oluo |author-link= Ijeoma Oluo |newspaper=The Guardian }}</ref>
After winning the ''People''/YouTube Red Carpet Reporter contest in 2008, Ramsey became the target of racist harassment, beginning with a comment thread stalker posting racial epithets. That person started sending harassing emails to Ramsey's work email address, and then making malware attacks on her employer's email server. The stalker then began posting personal details meant to imply that he was physically tracking and watching her.<ref name="escaping the trolls" />
Ramsey said she had a good relationship with YouTube personnel in attempting to prevent the harassment, and was selected to participate in a survey of YouTube creators about changes they would like. She said she wanted the ability to block users by IP address, and limit comments to channel subscribers. YouTube did not respond, and the harassment continued. Ramsey discussed minorities being targets of harassment in a 2013 SXSW panel, in which she said she tries to ignore trolls, or hold them up for ridicule, to laugh them off.<ref>{{Citation |url= http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/11/tech/youtube-racism-sxsw/index.html |title='Don't feed the trolls': Racism on YouTube |first= Doug |last= Gross |website= CNN |date=March 14, 2013 }}</ref>
Ramsey was one of five YouTubers to receive a {{US$|25000}} grant from John Green's Creators for Change project, to "amplify the voices of people who are not traditionally heard".<ref name=Hamedy>{{citation |url= http://mashable.com/2016/12/13/youtube-creators-for-change-john-green-franchesca-ramsey/#.vRnLVS1ngqE |title= John Green hopes to 'amplify the voices of people who are not traditionally heard' through YouTube |website=Mashable |first= Saba |last= Hamedy |date= December 13, 2016 }}</ref> Green's goal is to help those in a position to speak out and build online communities opposed to hate speech, xenophobia and harassment.<ref name=Hamedy/>
Ramsey says her long experience online has helped her ignore online harassment.<ref name=Garrett>{{Citation |date= February 1, 2016 |title=Franchesca Ramsey Discusses Trolls, Black History Month, and Courage |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/camryn-garrett/franchesca-ramsey-discuss_b_9125618.html |first=Camryn |last= Garrett |website=Huffington Post }}</ref> She said that she has not hesitated to speak on issues, but has learned to avoid mention of YouTubers by name, speaking in "generalities" instead, knowing that angering a fan base will bring "100,000 twitter messages from children" calling her racial epithets or targeting her husband, or harassing her at work.<ref name=Garrett/> She advises women to choose their battles when confronted with harassment or open prejudice, and to find ways to educate individuals in a work environment, and that it gets easier with practice.<ref name=Garrett/>
===Television=== In early 2016, Ramsey joined Comedy Central's ''The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore'' as a contributor and writer.<ref>{{Cite web |title='The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore' Taps Franchesca Ramsey as Newest Contributor and writer |url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/the-nightly-show-with-larry-wilmore-taps-franchesca-ramsey-as-newest-contributor-and-writer-20160201 |website=Shadow and Act |access-date=February 9, 2016 |first=Tambay A. |last=Obenson |archive-date=February 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204133559/http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/the-nightly-show-with-larry-wilmore-taps-franchesca-ramsey-as-newest-contributor-and-writer-20160201 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://splitsider.com/2016/02/franchesca-ramsey-joins-the-nightly-show-as-a-writer-and-contributor/ |title=Franchesca Ramsey joins 'The Nightly Show' as a writer and contributor |first=Megh |last=Wright |publisher=Split Sider |date=February 1, 2016 |accessdate=November 5, 2016 |archive-date=December 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229083856/http://splitsider.com/2016/02/franchesca-ramsey-joins-the-nightly-show-as-a-writer-and-contributor/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://mic.com/articles/152303/the-nightly-show-star-franchesca-ramsey-talks-cancellation-and-comedy-in-2016 |title='The Nightly Show' star Franchesca Ramsey talks cancellation and comedy in 2016 |first=Miles |last=Surrey |publisher=Mic |date=August 23, 2016 |accessdate=November 5, 2016}}</ref><ref name=flavor>{{cite web |url=http://flavorwire.com/559048/youtube-star-franchesca-ramsey-is-the-newest-contributor-on-the-nightly-show |title=Comedian and actress Franchesca Ramsey is the newest addition to 'The Nightly Show' |first=Michael |last=Epstein |publisher=Flavor Wire |date=February 1, 2016 |accessdate=November 5, 2016}}</ref>
Ramsey has also appeared in television series such as ''Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/02/cck-block-the-vote-psa-totally-biased_n_2067273.html |title='Cock block the vote' PSA discourages men from voting on 'Totally Biased' |publisher=Huffington Post |date=November 2, 2012 |accessdate=November 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefrisky.com/tag/w-kamau-bell/ |title=W. Kamau Bell |publisher=The Frisky |date=November 4, 2012 |accessdate=November 5, 2016 |archive-date=February 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217034629/http://www.thefrisky.com/tag/w-kamau-bell/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Broad City'',<ref name=flavor/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tubefilter.com/2016/02/04/franchesca-ramsey-chescaleigh-nightly-show/ |title=YouTube personality Franchesca Ramsey joins Comedy Central's 'The Nightly Show' |first=Sam |last=Gutelle |publisher=Tube Filter |date=February 4, 2016 |accessdate=November 5, 2016}}</ref> and ''Superstore''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/superstore-farewell-working-class-representation.html |title=Farewell to Superstore, A Show That Got Representation Right |publisher=Vulture |date=March 24, 2021 |accessdate=June 25, 2021}}</ref>
In April 2017, Comedy Central announced that they were developing a late-night comedy pilot to star and be executive produced by Ramsey.<ref name="nbc-ccpilot">{{cite web |last1=Duster |first1=Chandelis R. |title=Franchesca Ramsey Heads to Comedy Central With New Pilot |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/franchesca-ramsey-heads-comedy-central-new-pilot-n748096 |website=www.nbcnews.com |date=April 19, 2017 |publisher=NBC |accessdate=November 27, 2018}}</ref>
===Podcast=== Ramsey hosted a podcast with her husband Patrick called ''Last Name Basis'' where the couple talked about their lives and the world around them. The podcast began in January 2015 and ended as a result of their divorce in March 2019 with a total of 112 episodes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Last Name Basis |url=http://lastnamebasis.com/ |accessdate=March 16, 2016 |archive-date=March 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322090846/http://lastnamebasis.com/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref name="It Was A Mutual Decision: Franchesca Ramsey Reveals She’s Going Through A Divorce + Shares Coping Mechanisms">{{cite web|title=It Was A Mutual Decision: Franchesca Ramsey Reveals She's Going Through A Divorce + Shares Coping Mechanisms|date= July 8, 2019|url= https://madamenoire.com/1081057/franchesca-ramsey-reveals-shes-going-through-a-divorce/|publisher= Madame Noire|accessdate= November 17, 2019}}</ref>
===Book=== Ramsey's 2018 book ''Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist'' is a collection of essays that describes her unintended role as an activist on racism and online harassment after the sudden media attention to her YouTube commentary.<ref name=Ekeledo2018/> She says the book is intended to help others navigate the online world, including her own mistakes.<ref name=Ekeledo2018/> She admits falling into 'troll behavior' herself, and writes about why she and others have sometimes used destructive behavior online to deal with offline personal pressures and disappointments.<ref name=Ekeledo2018/> She offers strategies for surviving online abuse, encouraging logging off for a time, and regrets engaging rather than ignoring online harassers.<ref name=deLeon2018/>
==Personal life== Ramsey married Patrick Kondas in 2013.<ref name="deLeon2018" /> The two divorced in 2019.<ref name="It Was A Mutual Decision: Franchesca Ramsey Reveals She’s Going Through A Divorce + Shares Coping Mechanisms" />
On October 11, 2020, Ramsey came out as bisexual on the occasion of National Coming Out Day.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ermac|first=Raffy|title=Franchesca Ramsey Opened Up About Being Bi on National Coming Out Day|url=https://www.pride.com/comingout/2020/10/12/franchesca-ramsey-opened-about-being-bi-national-coming-out-day|accessdate=October 12, 2020|website=Pride.com|date=October 12, 2020}}</ref>
==Works== * {{Citation |title= Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist |date= May 22, 2018 |first= Franchesca |last= Ramsey |publisher= Grand Central Publishing |isbn= 978-1538761038 }}
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2011 | ''The One'' | Restaurant Patron | |- | 2013 | ''Jared Posts a Personal'' | Eve | Episode: "Pilot" |- | 2014 | ''Broad City'' | Darcy | Episode: "Destination Wedding" |- | 2019 | ''Helpsters'' | Amazing Alie | Episode: "Amazing Alie/Robbie & Rhonda Runner" |- | 2020 | ''Helpsters Help You'' | Amazing Alie | Episode: "Scavenger Hunt" |- | 2020–2021 | ''Superstore'' | Nia | Recurring; 9 episodes |- |2024 |''After Midnight'' |Herself |Episode 64 |- | 2025 | ''Survival of the Thickest'' | Jen | Episode: "A Change Gon' Come, Bitch?" |}
===Music videos=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Artist(s) ! Role ! class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- | 2018 | "Girls Like You" {{small|(Original, Volume 2 and Vertical Video versions)}} | Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B | Herself | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/maroon-5-cardi-bs-girls-like-you-video-is-a-star-studded-dance-party_us_5b0ffa74e4b0fcd6a8345208|title=Maroon 5, Cardi B's 'Girls Like You' Video Is a Star-Studded Dance Party|last=Amatulli|first=Jenna|website=HuffPost|date=May 31, 2018|accessdate=May 31, 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180531173702/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/maroon-5-cardi-bs-girls-like-you-video-is-a-star-studded-dance-party_us_5b0ffa74e4b0fcd6a8345208|archivedate=May 31, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/maroon-5-alternate-version-girls-like-you-music-video-8480249/|title=Maroon 5 Releases New Version of 'Girls Like You' Music Video: Watch|last=Glicksman|first=Josh|magazine=Billboard|date=October 16, 2018|access-date=October 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/show/1Lu17oqo8Evy8AzqPKjzLY|title=Maroon 5 – Girls Like You (Vertical Video) featuring Cardi B|website=Spotify|access-date=December 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219043921/https://open.spotify.com/show/1Lu17oqo8Evy8AzqPKjzLY|archive-date=December 19, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> |- |}
==References== {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=Ekeledo2018>{{Citation |url= http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/sc-fam-accidental-activist-0612-story.html# |title= 'Accidental activist': How Franchesca Ramsey transformed her viral moment into a platform for social justice |first= Ngozi |last= Ekeledo |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date= May 30, 2018 }}</ref>
<ref name=deLeon2018>{{Citation |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/books/franchesca-ramsey-well-that-escalated-quickly.html |title= Why Franchesca Ramsey Is Done Feeding the Trolls |newspaper=The New York Times |first= Concepción |last= de León |date= May 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241116001845/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/books/franchesca-ramsey-well-that-escalated-quickly.html |url-status=live |archive-date=November 16, 2024 }}</ref>
}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Franchesca Ramsey}} *{{official website|http://www.franchesca.net}} *{{IMDb name|4115482}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramsey, Franchesca}} Category:1983 births Category:American women television personalities Category:Living people Category:American television actresses Category:American film actresses Category:American women podcasters Category:American podcasters Category:African-American actresses Category:21st-century African-American women writers Category:21st-century African-American writers Category:African-American writers Category:21st-century American memoirists Category:MTV people Category:American internet activists Category:21st-century American women writers Category:American women memoirists Category:African-American LGBTQ people Category:20th-century African-American people Category:20th-century African-American women Category:American bisexual actresses Category:LGBTQ YouTubers Category:LGBTQ podcasters Category:Victims of cyberbullying Category:American bisexual comedians Category:American bisexual writers Category:20th-century American LGBTQ people Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people Category:African-American women comedians Category:African-American comedians Category:Comedians from Florida Category:American women comedians Category:YouTubers from Florida Category:American LGBTQ women writers