Fall for the Book: October 8th Black Out Loud With Geoff Bennett

Thursday, October 8, 2026 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Center for the Arts, Grand Tier III

Join Geoff Bennett at Fall for the Book on October 8th as he follows the history of Black comedians and performers from 19th-century minstrel shows to the era of sitcoms.

Comedy shows such as In Living Color, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Living Single define ‘90s television culture. In Black Out Loud: The Revolutionary History of Black Comedy from Vaudeville to ‘90s Sitcoms, award-winning journalist and PBS NewsHour co-anchor Geoff Bennett follows the history of Black comedians and performers from 19th-century minstrel shows to the era of sitcoms. He charts the careers of icons such as Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and Whoopi Goldberg, examining how they and their peers paved the way for Black entertainers in the future. Mark Anthony Neal says, “With Black Out Loud, Geoff Bennett not only celebrates a defining era of comedic expression, but traces a lineage in which generations of Black comedians upheld a code that honored Black humanity in all its complexity – always anchored by a fearless commitment to the funny.” Dr. LaNitra Berger will moderate this conversation. Sponsored by African & African American Studies.

Location: Grand Tier III, Center for the Arts, George Mason University

Sponsored by Sponsored by African & African American Studies.