There is something powerful about being able to reach people through one's art. The ability to convey concepts and ideas in a way that allows those far removed from one's experience to relate to it in a very personal way is nothing short of magical. It's the very reason representation -- and as a related subset, education -- is so important to every single media-based industry. People want to feel heard, because being heard is a form of empowerment. People want to be educated, because a lack of education has notoriously been a tool for oppression since… well, since oppression started. This type of influence is the reason why entertainers have in some way been closely involved in every major socio-political movement in American history. Musicians and actors have seen fit to use their platforms to give voices to people who would've otherwise been ignored, but, as I've recently learned, standup comedians, specifically Black standups, have been more influential on American culture, and Black American culture, than I ever realized.
A&E's "Right to Offend" Upends What I Thought I Knew About Black Comedy
