Signifying Sistas: Black Women’s Humor and Intersectional Poetics

This article explores the evolution of Black women’s humor from its historic origins to its contemporary manifestations. The author argues that Black women humorists, including Zora Neale Hurston, the Queens of Comedy, and comediennes on A Black Lady Sketch Show, interrogate the daily and varied oppressions that Black women face. In doing so, they reveal not only the intersectional nature of Black female comedy but also the previously unexplored political aspects of Black women’s humor.