From Blackface to Black Twitter

Jannette L. Dates is a former dean of the School of Communications at Howard University, a nationally recognized authority on mass media and African Americans, and co-editor of acclaimed book Split Image: African Americans in the Mass Media (1990)—recipient of the Gustavus Myers Award.Mia Moody Ramirez, a noted scholar in gender, race, and media, received her PhD from the University of Texas. She is a professor of journalism, public relations, and new media at Baylor University, where she also serves as Director of American Studies and Graduate Studies.

• Acknowledgements – Introduction – Part I. The Roots of Black Humor – Overview, Structure, and Significance of Book – Pre-Slavery Through the 19th Century – Part II. The Fruits of Black Humor – The Twentieth Century – Representations of Black Men and Kings of Comedy – Black Feminism and the Queens of Comedy – Part III. Black Comedy, Social Identity, and User-Generated Content – 21st Century-Humor and Social Identity – Black Twitter, Social Movements, and Politics—Humor Across Media Platforms and Memes – Humor and Citizen-Produced Memes – Part IV. Black Humor and Politics – Humor and President Obama – Part V. The Future of Black Comedy – Conclusions and Focus on the Future for Black Comedy – Appendices – Appendix A: Noteworthy African American Men in Comedy (Both Stand-Up and Screen) – Appendix B: Noteworthy African American Women in Comedy (Both Stand-Up and Screen) – Appendix C: Images Used in Cover Collage – Index.