Zamata is the daughter of American parents, Ivory Steward and Henry Moore, a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force.[5] She was born in Okinawa, Japan, because of her father's military career.[6] She is the great-granddaughter of Leroy Washington Mahon, a formerly enslaved man who founded the town of Fargo, Arkansas.[7]
She attended the University of Virginia, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[1][2] Zamata was a founding member of the university's long-form improv comedy troupe, Amuse Bouche.[10] While a student at UVA, she participated in the Disney College Program for one semester, where she portrayed various costumed characters.[11]
She co-hosts Best Friends, a podcast with best friend and fellow comedian, Nicole Byer.[17]
Saturday Night Live
In 2014, Zamata joined the cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL) during its 39th season. She joined the SNL cast amid a season in which TV critics and black comedians had criticized the show for not being ethnically diverse (specifically, not hiring any black female cast members at the start of the new season and only having five of them in the near-40 years the show has been on the air).[18] Zamata was the first black female cast member on SNL since biracial Maya Rudolph departed midway through the show's 33rd season in 2007.[18][19][20]
Zamata debuted on SNL as a featured player in the January 18, 2014 episode hosted by Drake,[21] in which she impersonated Rihanna.[22][23] She was promoted to repertory player in the first episode of Season 41.[24] Some of her recurring characters include Janelle, a teenage girl who hosts a YouTube channel called How 2 Dance with Janelle but is unaware of how her developing sexuality is coming off to viewers, and Keeley, a contestant on an African-American centric version of Jeopardy! called Black Jeopardy!. Some of her celebrity impressions have included the aforementioned Rihanna, Michelle Obama, Kerry Washington, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Solange Knowles, Diana Ross, Lupita Nyong'o, and Taraji P. Henson. She left the show in 2017 after the season 42 finale.[25]
ACLU and work with women's rights
Zamata was named a celebrity ambassador to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 2015, and began work with the Women's Rights Project.[26] The ACLU Women's Rights project seeks to break down gender biases and "ensure equal economic opportunities, educational equity, and an end to gender-based violence".[27] She has spoken out on gender discrimination in the U.S. today, and has advocated for equal rights among women of color, in particular.[28] In an interview with Allure, Zamata opened up about her experiences with discrimination and colorism. She has stated that although she has often been stigmatized for her darker skin tone, she hopes to turn her experiences into a message of self-acceptance and body positivity for women in all shades.[29]
In 2009 through 2010, Zamata participated in and graduated from Public Allies, a nationwide AmeriCorps program dedicated to leadership development, in New York.[31]
^"12". Match Game. Season 2. ABC. May 14, 2017. Zamata was a panelist for this episode, and the topic of her name came up when introduced by host Alec Baldwin.
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