She was a pioneering lesbian comedian, the first woman to perform at the Apollo theatre, and a general badass. And yet most people have no idea who she is.
Whoopi Goldberg's latest project, a documentary that will air on HBO, chronicles the audacious career of black lesbian comic Jackie "Moms" Mabley.
The film, Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin' To Tell You, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this week.
Whoopi said she was inspired to make the film when she realized that although Moms was a huge inspiration to her, very few people outside the comedy world knew about her legacy.
"Moms was just unusual, she didn’t look like anybody else."
Via: Donald Bowers / Getty Images
Who was this, badass you ask?
Source: youtube.com
Moms Mabley was a stand-up comic and Vaudeville performer who is widely regarded as one of the most important African-American entertainers who ever lived.
She was the first bona fide female stand-up comedy superstar. She would be launched into national fame on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. All the while, she was an openly out lesbian.
Source: filmschoolrejects.com
