About
Blog
Contact
News
Hi! I'm a speaker, host, and television personality. Funny and bright, bold and sassy, I bring my passion for communication to the stage.
I began my career when I was honored at the American Academy of Achievement by winning the Miss Teen of America Pageant, (which isn't a beauty pageant). I represented the organization throughout the U.S. and abroad, serving as a speaker for civic and community organizations.
In college, wanting to examine a pressing racial issue, I produced and hosted, From México to California, a talk show examining Mexican immigration to California. I graduated from Pomona College with a B.A. in Media Studies, focusing on how minorities and women are portrayed in various mediums.
Upon graduation, I worked with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA at the University of Southern California as a spiritual life coach for college students. There I served as a mentor and speaker.
Since then, I have committed myself to carving out a career in the media, of which I can be proud. I have appeared on television commercials, on MTV's From G's to Gents, and BET's My Black is Beautiful. I have worked as a host for CrushTV and Every Day L.A., and I have worked as a speaker, master of ceremonies, and spoken word artist for events throughout the country. My written work has been published in Black Arts Quarterly, The Claremont Courier, and Jet.
A lover of words and music, when I'm not working, I can be found reading a good book (autobiographies are faves), discussing some current event with friends, or dancing barefoot around my house.
Knitting It Old Schoolhits shelves August 30, the day after my birthday! Sneak a peek at my model moves in this fun, retro-themed clothing book. August 2010I learned more about the craft of writing during my interview with Maaza Mengiste, author of Beneath the Lion's Gaze. July 2010What's cooler than modeling at the 2010 X-Games on a beautiful, sunny day? Modeling in the shade. July 2010I got to perform spoken word at the Walt Disney Concert Hall at a graduation ceremony for United Friends of the Children. The best part: celebrating these youth as they foray into the world of higher education. June 2010Keep a look out for me in an upcoming Living Spaces ad! May 2010Got insurance? I booked a commercial for The General. April 2010I performed stand-up comedy at the Westside Comedy Theatre. Ha! March 2010Yay! I joined JA as a trainer. February 2010I performed spoken word at a fundraiser for the Fregenet Foundation. January 2010Unlucky in love? Look out for me on iluv.net! Coming in 2010. January 2010Need a good laugh? Check out the shows I host at the Westside Comedy Theatre. December 2009My interview with Death Row Records V.P. was featured in Inside Black Hollywood. November 2009I worked as a spokesmodel for Redbook Magazine's Love Your Life Tour. October 2009I got to model for a cool retro clothing book coming out Fall 2010. September 2009I joined AthoGen as a spokesperson. August 2009
You can contact me via phone, e-mail, text, mail, fax, or the Polar Express. Holla at ya girl!
Chanté Griffinyougochante_yahoo.com(818) 714-1594
Chanté Griffin
yougochante_yahoo.com
(818) 714-1594
Résumé
Why I Act
I'm an actor, darnit!
It has taken me a while to say, "I am an actor", not just because it feels so cliché, (I grew up in L.A.), but because the term has felt limiting. The term has felt shallow, as if all we do is pretend, when that isn't what we do at all. To me, acting is about relationships: the relationship the actor has to the character, the relationship that character has to the other characters, and the relationship that character has to the audience. I believe that my job as an actor is to meet my character first - to find her (through the pages of the script, my experiences, those I've known and those I've only heard or read about). Second, to inhabit her, and third, to give her a voice. This voice is a intricate combination of hers and mine: It is my interpretation of her and my experience of her. My goal is to show the world who she is, to explain her to them. When I do this well, it is real. The audience meets her; The audience responds to her. There is no pretend.
Why do I act?
I act because I love connecting through communication. I love the feeling of inhabiting a character. I love offering a gift (even though I can be anxious about how it will be received). And I love feeling the audience talk back. Oh, and did I mention that it's fun?
Why Chanté
Around the age of fifteen, I realized that I loved the stage. I began speaking at school and at church, became President of my high school's Speech & Debate Team, and began competing as part of the California High School Speech Association and the National Forensic League, winning awards. I trained with Toastmasters International and entered college prepared to be "the next Oprah, but better."
Many hosting jobs later, I am still eyeing Oprah's media empire, and I'm doing what I love to do - communicate. If you're looking for a lively, engaging, thoughtful, hard-working host, then you wanna work with me!
Breakin out of the Box
Topics
Available For
Breaking out of the box has landed me in some interesting places: in Wagga Wagga, Australia, as a national spokesperson, on the pages of the L.A. Times Magazine as a model, on the stage as a stand-up comic, and more!
My desire is that folks break out of their boxes--whether the boxes are other people's expectations, career obligations, societal norms, distorted lenses, or even religion--so that they can live free.
I'm known for dynamic, inspiring "tell it like it is" messages, as I like to mix humor and the performing arts in ways that challenge, educate, and motivate. Seeing people grow and develop (personally, spiritually, and professionally) is at the heart of all that I do.
Although I like to speak about just about anything, I especially love speaking about personal development, education, and issues that affect women and the African American community.
WOMEN'S DEVELOPMENT
Go On Girl!
Hear my signature message for women! Using humor, song and dance, it inspires women to go forward in their careers, relationships, and lives.
I'm just a black woman tryin to make it!
Perfect for a conference, this series propels black women from surviving to thriving. It includes four messages: "Break out the Box," "Girl, you bleeding," "Jill Scott was right," and "The Myth of the Essence Man."
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Break out the Box!
It's never too late to do something different--to kick down barriers, exceed expectations, and surprise everyone, including yourself. Pink is the new black, and sixty is the new forty. Change stands beckoning, "Go on-Break out the box!"
Living Life LIVE! Lessons for living life and loving it.
At some point in our lives, each of us asks ourselves, "Why am I here?" This series of presentations teaches you how to "Discover Your Why," overcome obstacles, and live a life filled with more meaning and fulfillment. Really.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The 411 on the 911: Understanding the Crisis in Black America
Black communities are in crisis throughout the U.S. Lack of education and opportunities are often the main reasons cited. This speech examines three factors within the Black community that contribute to the crisis and what we can do to implement change.
Who am I & Who is We?
The establishment of identity is arguably the most defining element of the African American community. This speech discusses how identity has been defined, perceived, and created in African American communities by insiders and outsiders.
"Chanté Griffin is a gifted speaker with a passion to challenge her listeners to look up, stand tall and move forward. A real breath of fresh air. Her energy was contagious and her insights gave our students much to reflect on. With clarity and real life experiences to illustrate her points, Chanté is a speaker that will inspire you."
-Glen Kinoshita, Director of Multi-Ethnic Programs, Biola University
Partial List of Organizations I have spoken for:
Colleges & Universities
Other
Some Companies I've worked as a spokesperson for:
Organizations
Quotes
Photography
Christine Ciszczon: christinecphoto.com
Vinicius Photography: evini82_hotmail.com
Angela Means: photographymeans.com
Angel Hernandez: angelhernandez.com
Make-Up
Danielle Deeva Jones: danielledujones_gmail.com
Manny: mannyworksit_yahoo.com
Hair
Bobbie: braidsbybobbie_yahoo.com
Web Design
designsbyk.style_gmail.com
Host
Performer
Links
Speaker
