Last year on May 26th, I introduced a resolution to honor the prolific life of the iconic Paul Mooney and every year moving forward we will honor his legacy and honor those who carry the torch today.

This Thursday May 19th is Paul Mooney Day and there will be live performances by Ricco the Great, Neshima Ford and Mario Hodge at The Complex starting at 6pm. Capacity is limited to 100 people, so please RSVP at the eventbrite link if you want to ensure you can get in.

Who Was Paul Mooney?

Paul Gladney, better known to the world by his stage name Paul Mooney, was born on August 4,1941 in Shreveport, Louisiana and moved to Oakland, California as a young child. He was an Oakland treasure —a trailblazing comedian, writer, producer, film and television actor with a career spanning four decades. Referred to as the Godfather of Comedy, he wrote for some of the most prolific comics in American history including Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx and Kevin Hart, as well as groundbreaking television shows such as Good Times, The Chappelle Show, In Living Color, Sanford and Son, and many more.

The body of work created by Mr. Mooney forced observers to react to his radically-honest, unique commentary on racial, social, and political conditions. Paul Mooney was, and remains, the definition of living in full, unapologetic Blackness - an original in his genre, he broke ground as one of the first Black television and film writers during the early 1970s and created a path for others to follow. He is a shining example of the talent in Oakland; he lived his life out-loud, giving others the courage to do the same. He passed on May 19th, 2021 and we will continue to honor his legacy on this day.