Crossing Over: A History Of Black Comedians Dressing In Drag

complex.com – By Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Maybe Dave Chappelle wasn’t as crazy as we all thought he was. In a 2006 interview on Oprah, the former Chappelle’s Show star, who’d fled from fame and fortune, theorized that Hollywood is trying to emasculate strong black funnymen by making them wear dresses. Despite writers, directors, and producers pressuring him to cross-dress, he took a stand and refused. Chappelle has been the exception, because when it comes to black comics, dressing up in drag is practically a right of passage.