"Drunk Black History" comes to Philly — and the timing couldn't be sharper
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Brandon Collins sticks to a couple of Red Stripe beers so he can stay sharp as the host of "Drunk Black History."
The big picture: As states face the erasure of Black history, Philadelphia is waging its own fight against the Trump administration to restore slavery-related exhibits that were removed last week from Independence National Historical Park
- For a comedian committed to historical truth-telling, Collins couldn't ask for a more pointed cultural moment.
Driving the news: The "Drunk Black History" national tour kicks off Sunday at Punch Line Philly, coinciding with the start of Black History Month.
- The show — which has morphed into a popular podcast — features a lineup of local panelists with diverse backgrounds.
What to expect: A boozefest, not a snoozefest.
- The crowd is encouraged to get tipsy and interact with the brainy panelists, most of whom spend hours mining books, academic journals, and far-flung corners of the internet to find "the Black history they didn't teach in school," Collins tells Axios.
- The show isn't focused on notable civil rights leaders like MLK and Malcolm X, but on lesser-known Black figures, like Lonnie Johnson, the creator of the Super Soaker, and Sadie Tanner, Pennsylvania's first Black woman lawyer.
What they're saying: Collins tells Axios he grew up in a pretty progressive part of Michigan — and even there, the Black history lessons were often comedically trite.
- "They showed us 'Cool Runnings,'" he says. "All right, well, what can I do?"
What he did: Develop a sense of humor.
- In high school, Collins loved theater — his school brought in a comedian to help them put on a mini "Saturday Night Live"-like production.
- Later in high school, he found himself inexplicably hired by a nonprofit to teach sex education to some of his peers.
What they're saying: "Imagine teaching your peers about abstinence and HIV, STDs and stuff," he says.
The bottom line: Now, while he's on stage, he tries to practice that same level of restraint — at least when it comes to alcohol.
- "At a time where it feels a little helpless right now, we need some inspiration," he says. "We need to be reminded of our resiliency."
If you go: Tickets: $34. Doors open at 6pm, show starts at 7pm.