Comedians use their bodies to tell stories that they would be unable to tell in everyday life. Comedians by virtue of their advantaged position at a point in history became the mouthpiece of the people, by talking about serious topics that caused their audience to confront stereotypes and baseless beliefs about race. African American comedians in particular played a huge role in this discourse. They used their bodies, stage presence, voice and acts to challenge societal norms like segregation of black inferiority theories. It is safe to say that this particular art form was instrumental in breaking down the barriers of race during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

African American humor began as an escape or a diversion from the hardships of the times. The Government and white supremacists predominantly held down blacks after slavery with most rights like the right to vote snatched away from blacks. To challenge this, Chris Rock in one of his acts on stage (class DVD) used his body in a way that looked like a horse and said, “Black people didn’t really have a problem of looking for a cab, he was the cab! White folks jumped on his back and said main street!” this just exemplifies and brings to the fore that whites even after slavery are still hell bent on using blacks and holding them down as much as possible, the only difference now is that blacks get paid for their services unlike before.

When Blacks first came into comedy it was in the form of white men who painted their faces to look like blacks and played in Black face Minstrel shows. They portrayed black people negatively for the amusement of a white audience so it was important for Black comedians to come into comedy and tell their own stories. This task was not easy to achieve in the beginning. Blacks had to take on any role available to them. Lincoln Perry was one of the first black