Why We Laugh: Screening and Discussion featuring Darryl Littleton

What function does comedy serve in African American and American public life and social consciousness? Join stand up comedian and author Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton at AAMP as they screen and discuss his documentary, Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy. This film, based on Littleton’s book Black Comedians on Black Comedy: How African Americans Taught Us to Laugh, is a no-holds-barred documentary that is both an insider’s take and a critical examination of the cultural influence of black comedy, directed by Robert Townsend and exploring a history that includes everyone and everything from Stepin Fetchit and blackface minstrelsy to Dick Gregory and Katt Williams.

Littleton will kick off the evening with a stand-up set and will follow the screening by answering questions from the audience. This program is presented in conjunction with Plan-ta-shun: Works by Colin Quashie.