Includes bibliographical references (pages 153-158) and index.
Contents:
ch. 5 Edutainment. ch. 2 Coming to the Stage -- ch. 3 All of the Lights -- Photo gallery following page -- ch. 4 Black Comedy, Black Power -- ch. 5 Edutainment.
Summary:
"In this groundbreaking study, author Malcolm Frierson moves comedy from the margins to the center of the American Civil Rights Movements. Freedom in Laughter: Dick Gregory, Bill Cosby, and the Civil Rights Movement reveals how stand-up comedians Dick Gregory and Bill Cosby used their increasing mainstream success to advance political issues, albeit differently. After exploring Gregory's and Cosby's adolescent experiences in St. Louis and Philadelphia, respectively, Frierson juxtaposes the comedians' diverging humor and activism. The fiery Gregory focused on the politics of race, something that won him respectability at the expense of his career in the long term. Cosby focused on the politics of respectability and catapulted to television and film stardom, although militant blacks repeatedly questioned his image. Yet both, Frierson argues, carried the aims of the black struggle for freedom. An epilogue considers the comedians' post-civil rights era trajectories. Accessibly written and peppered with Gregory's and Cosby's original material, Freedom in Laughter may be enjoyed by academics, history buffs, and anyone interested in American popular culture"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.