We recently connected with My Best Friend is Black and have shared our conversation below.

My Best Friend is Black , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My Best Friend is Black is an all Black comedy variety show focused on celebrating Black comedic performers based in Chicago, Illinois. We started our show because there weren’t many comedy spaces in Chicago that were focused on bringing Black people lightness and joy while also showing that Black people aren’t a monolith. One of our producers, Marcus ranted about this after a frustrating open mic and the next day, another producer Mike texted him saying that he’d be down to create that space ourselves. Three more great comedians were added on and we took off from there. The entire process has been meaningful because we’ve been able to put large smiles on many Black people’s faces while also providing a space where Black folks can feel seen and Black comedic artists can be their full selves.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My Best Friend is Black emerged out of anger and love. Anger that there weren’t spaces for Black people to feel seen and prioritized in the Chicago comedy scene and love for Black people. The countless shows where we were the only Black comedians booked and the countless others where Queer folks could not be their full selves eventually became exhausting, so we created a space where all Black folks could laugh and express themselves fully. Since our inception in July 2021, My Best Friend is Black has produced 18 shows and put up 50+ Black comedic performers for thousands of audience members. People have come up to us and told us personally how grateful they are for our show and how it’s the best show they’ve seen. Many comedians have shared how beautiful what we’ve created is. We’re so grateful that we’ve created a space for Black folks to enjoy themselves without holding back.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Our goal is to celebrate Blackness in all its forms and to create a space for lightness and joy for Black people. Everyone is welcome to laugh with us but our show in centered on making Black folks smile and feel seen.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson we had to unlearn was that we needed to wait on someone to create or give us permission to create the space we were craving. We realized that we have the autonomy, will, and power to create what we want. Instead of begging for someone to prioritize Black art and Black comedic performance, we decided to do it ourselves .

Contact Info:

• Website: mybestfriendisblackshow.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/mybestfriendisblackshow?igshid=NTdlMDg3MTY=

Image Credits
Elias Rios Katia Jackson Ameerah Sanders ANF Chicago