Thursday, March 27, 2025
The Elmont Memorial Library added a bit of humor to their Black History Month programming, hosting a lecture about Black comedians that had audience members cracking up. “Groundbreaking Black Comedians,” presented by lecturer and historian Sal St. George, highlighted some of the industry’s top leading Black comics, such as Red Foxx, Dick Gregory, Flip Wilson, Nipsey Russell, Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy.
A group of about 50 guests attended the Feb. 5 lecture and gathered in one of the library’s meeting rooms at 1 p.m. for the hour-long presentation. St. George provided a PowerPoint slideshow with photos, videos and quick facts about each comic, emphasizing the influence these industry leaders have had on our comedy culture today.
“If it weren’t for these people, the comics we are enjoying today would not even exist,” St. George said. “They pushed the doors open.”
Piece by piece, he continued, these comedians broke down barriers in the entertainment industry and paved the way for Black voices to be heard and appreciated. These comedians transformed the racism and prejudice they experienced it into a punch line, he said, often making a point while making audiences laugh.
St. George said many of these comics were well known in the Black community, but broke into mainstream American culture for their iconic performances on television and in movies.
For example, Eddie Murphy’s big break into the entertainment industry was after his first TV appearance on the Johnny Carson show in 1981. He was already a well-seasoned performer, St. George said, but getting on a show that broadcast his routine across the nation introduced him to a much larger audience.
As for Dick Gregory, whose comedy career often overlapped with the civil rights movement in the 1960s, his popularity as an entertainer provided a platform for him to advocate for racial equality. As St. George pointed out during the lecture, the intersection of Gregory’s comedy and political activism resulted in his reputation as the “thinking man’s comedian.”
Claudestine Gourdet, 83, attended the lecture and said she appreciated the recognition of Black comics for their work in challenging cultural and societal norms. Black comedians, she said, helped people laugh through difficult times, even if they were suffering, too.
Decades ago, Gourdet said, Black entertainers were barred from participating in many things their white counterparts were able to. For example, she pointed out, they were forced to enter venues through the back door, even if they were part of the evening’s entertainment.
As a result, she asserted, Black comedians do not get the credit they deserve despite being pioneers in the industry.
This is why, St. George said, it is important for audiences, young and old, to learn this history directly from the Black voices that shaped it. Many audiences don’t realize how these Black comedians have influenced them, he asserted, whether in their humor or their cultural references.
“You can’t know what your future is until you know what your past is,” St. George said. It is particularly important, he added, for any actor, comedian, singer or performer to study what their predecessors have done for the industry in order to build upon their legacies.
One of his favorite parts of giving lectures, he said, is overhearing people tell each other that they didn’t know something he taught during his presentation. “That’s when I know I’ve made my point,” he concluded.
St. George hosts many lectures at the Elmont library, but he takes his programs to several locations, including other libraries, across the island. He said he generally gives presentations about three or four times per year at the Elmont library, but a full schedule of his other presentations are available on his website, SalStGeorge.com.
