Second City Continues Push For Diversity In Comedy

Second City Continues Push For Diversity In Comedy
(From left to right) Jillian Ebanks, Aaron Branch and Menaka Deolekar perform at Second City as part of the 2018 Bob Curry Fellowship. The 2019 Bob Curry Fellowship culminates with a showcase on June 5, just a day before Second City's Break Out Comedy Festival from June 6-9. Second City
Second City Continues Push For Diversity In Comedy
(From left to right) Jillian Ebanks, Aaron Branch and Menaka Deolekar perform at Second City as part of the 2018 Bob Curry Fellowship. The 2019 Bob Curry Fellowship culminates with a showcase on June 5, just a day before Second City's Break Out Comedy Festival from June 6-9. Second City

Second City Continues Push For Diversity In Comedy

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Some of the biggest names in comedy history have been African Americans — from Redd Foxx to Richard Pryor and Chris Rock to Dave Chappelle. But, overall, comedy hasn’t been a fountain of diversity.

Second City has been trying to change that dynamic through its Bob Curry Fellowship Program and the Break Out Comedy Festival. The fellowship program culminates with a showcase Wednesday night, and the Break Out Comedy Festival runs this Thursday through Sunday.

Morning Shift talks to Second City about its efforts to bring more diverse voices into comedy.

GUESTS: Dionna Griffin-Irons, Second City Director of Diversity Talent Inclusion and Development

Prateek Srivastava, Chicago comedian and performer at the 2019 Second City Break Out Comedy Festival

LEARN MORE: Break Out Comedy Festival 2019 (Second City)