Lisa Beasley Launches Platform Featuring Black Women in Comedy

I’ve had a hard time, like most black women, with discrimination in comedy. It’s made me angry, depressed, I’ve cussed a lot of people out and I felt lonely until I started hanging out with other black female comics. All I want to do is slang these jokes – what’s all this extra racism and sexism following me on stage?

For every time I react to the harsh way people have treated me in comedy because I’m a black woman, I could be celebrating black women in comedy. People still tell me in 2017 that they have never seen a black female comedian in person! Lineups still consist of 100% males. I started an IG so other women can see themselves and know that we are all over this crazy country. (Also, we funny and people be wanting to laugh and stuff.)

It’s so important that people see people who look like them already doing what they hope to do. It’s so important that people who don’t do comedy see themselves on stage. Follow @funnyblackwomen and join me in supporting women of color in comedy simply by showing that they exist. People who already have groups – keep them up and populate them heavily with positive images of us. For me, this isn’t a just Chicago thing – we are everywhere and I celebrate that and honor these black women who slang jokes without support night after night. Start going to our shows. Start including us in your line-ups. Start supporting #funnyblackwomen. 

LB