MILWAUKEE — Black comedians provide much more than just laughter. Historically, they used comedy to talk about serious and hurtful topics. For many black people, it is a survival mechanism as we often laugh to keep from crying.
Comedian Chastity Washington uses comedy in her daily life to educate, motivate and entertain. Chastity is a school teacher, actress, writer, dancer, successful stand-up comedian and, “I may be something else that I ain't figured out yet,” mused Chastity. She went on to say “Comics have always been a representation of the times, giving humor and light to those stories, even those that were painful and difficult. Comedy gives you the opportunity to say all the things that people think but may not be able to say, be in a position to say, or have the courage to say.”
While Chastity described herself as just a “super silly kid,” others recognized she had a real gift. It was her high school speech and African American studies teacher, Mr. Albert Brown, who told her “You need to be on somebody’s stage.”
Now some twenty plus years later, she has brought her comedic joy to audiences around the country. She’s been featured at multiple comedy clubs in New York, Chicago and Madison, and she recently released her first comedy special on Amazon Prime and Tubi.
I asked how she uses comedy in her classroom? “Stand-up helps in the classroom because I'm very quick on my feet. I don't miss anything, and the kids know I don't miss anything. So, I'm able to keep a class moving. It helps me with time management. It helps me with execution in terms of lessons and clarity,” said Chastity. And my visit to her classroom showed me just how engaged her students were.
Chastity says that because we all share the common thread of being human and experiencing life, the biggest lesson she’s learned is that funny is funny. It’s not about race, gender or age. Funny is Funny!
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