Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America

by Michael Harriot

FUNNY AF The Man Who Invented Laughter Most of the artistic creations commonly referred to as “American art” originated from the brains, hearts, and hands of Africans in America. Jazz is ours. We created the blues. Rock and roll belongs to us. Although most of these art forms evolved over time from a collection of intersecting sources, there is one uniquely quintessential American art form that every vaudeville historian and chronicler of American theater agrees was created by a Black man. While it might not sound so revolutionary now, the idea of a live entertainer of any color working without music, dancing, or tricks was simultaneously an act of pure hubris and a mark of a generational talent. And although he is not a household name, nearly every vaudeville historian and chronicler of American theater agrees: Charles Case was the first stand-up comedian.