Hey, everyone. We’re going to do something a little different for Black History Month. Usually, we pick a different comedian every day. This month, we’re going to pick one comedian each week and take a deeper dive into their work. This week we’re celebrating Moms Mabley.

Mabley is one of the literal original stand-up comedians of any race. To say she paved the way is an understatement that does a disservice to her contributions to the genre of comedy. She has never received the respect she deserves for her work.

This clip is from the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Please note that Tom uses the word “Negro”, which Moms seamlessly transitions into using “colored”, which was the preferred nomenclature at the time. This is the mark of a professional at work.