How Black Comedians Turn Pain into Punchlines to Expose Racial Injustices
Black satire as a weapon against Racism.
Racism often comes up in conversations about how society is divided by money, gender, location, social opportunities, and respect. These discussions can be both friendly and confrontational, and they’ve seen everything from peaceful protests to violent clashes in activism and literature.
What some writers argue for is an argument seemingly worlds apart from the seriousness of racism…humor. Sticks and stones may break some bones, but comedy will really sting you. Combating racism and white supremacy through skilled humor is what many writers find not only useful, but cathartic. They don’t want to shed more tears over their identity, but want to go deep into the reality of the issue, in a way that makes people laugh, cry and introspect at the same time.
Is it really okay to joke about racial injustices of the past and the present? If a person for whom it’s a lived experience, they probably get a free pass to talk about their reality and of those who lived before them in a way that makes them feel empowered.
Just as racism is not new to the socio-political fabric of America, nor is black resistance. Whether it be through activism, art or revolt, blacks slaves, intellectuals…
