A Laiya History Moment: Moms Mabley, Heard of Her?

Probably not but you should.  Why?  Because she was the first real notable female comedian that just happened to be Black.  It’s funny because my dad was a big fan so when I was little he would always play her stuff in the car and I became a big fan!  She was the inspiration for Whoopi Goldberg and Whoopi continues to be my inspiration to delve into my dream of doing comedy (but that’s another story lol)  Anyway, Whoopi thinks you should know her too, because she has produced this documentary about Moms Mabley for HBO.  Take a moment to get to know Moms….

*Another little known fact about Moms Mabley, She took her stage name, Jackie Mabley, from an early boyfriend, commenting to Ebony in a 1970s interview that he’d taken so much from her, it was the least she could do to take his name.  Later she became known as “Moms” because she was indeed a “Mom” to many other comedians on the circuit in the 1950s and 1960s. She came out as a lesbian at the age of twenty-seven, becoming one of the first triple-X rated comedians on the comedy circuit.

Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley is scheduled to premiere on Monday, November 18, 9pm ET