Black Comedy Month is coming up in August, and with that in mind, theGrio is taking a deep dive into the history of comedy in African-American culture. The comedic tradition has been around since the early days of the United States and continues to influence not only entertainment circles but political conversations.
A history of Black comedy
African-American comedy has its roots in the very beginning of the history of the United States, with the traditions of the African people who were brought here and enslaved in the 17th century. According to comedian Darryl Littleton, who wrote “Black Comedians on Black Comedy: How African-Americans Taught Us to Laugh,” much of Black comedy stems from the ways enslaved people used humor to cope with the horrors they were being forced to endure.
Littleton, who died in 2021, told NPR in a 2007 interview that enslaved people took their tradition of humor, stemming from jesters to the kings in Africa, and made fun of their masters.
“And it’s interesting because the minstrel era, minstrelsy, came from slave owners watching slaves on their off hours allegedly being in natural behavior. However, what the slaves were doing was making fun of the masters,” he told NPR.
This comedy tradition continued for over two centuries until it evolved with the emergence of stand-up routines. Even in a segregated United States, Black comedians made their mark on the culture, often while making statements about the reality of being Black. From the early days of Redd Foxx and Moms Mabley, who was the first female comedian to headline Harlem’s Apollo Theater, came a tradition of trailblazers such as Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg and a host of others.
Many Black comedians spoke out about the racism and segregation they faced daily, none more so than Dick Gregory. In using his comedy to directly address civil rights issues, he was able to be a voice despite the roadblocks…
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