- National Bestseller
- USA Today Bestseller
- Publishers Weekly Bestseller
- #2 BLK Nonfiction Bestseller
- Amazon Editors’ Pick
From vaudeville to the golden age of ’90s Black sitcoms
A story of resilience and reinvention, told through the legends who made America laugh. By PBS NewsHour’s Geoff Bennett.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Geoff Bennett is the co-anchor and co-managing editor of the PBS NewsHour. A Peabody Award-winning journalist, he has reported on national politics at the highest levels — covering the White House and six presidential election cycles — while conducting exclusive interviews with cultural icons, world leaders, and groundbreaking artists.
His work bridges politics and culture, offering clear-eyed insight into the forces that shape American life. He lives in the Washington, DC area with his wife and their son.
As Seen & Heard On
- PBS NewsHour
- TODAY Show
- CBS Sunday Morning
- SiriusXM
- NPR
- MSNOW
- The New Yorker
- The Atlantic
BOOK TOUR & FESTIVALS
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15SatFestivalDetails
Martha's Vineyard, MA
Martha's Vineyard Black Book Festival
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22SatFestivalDetails
Washington, DC
National Book Festival · Library of Congress
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10ThuUniversity LecturePostponed
Cambridge, MA
With Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. · Harvard University
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12–13Sat–SunFestivalDetails
Chicago, IL
Printers Row Lit Fest
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8ThuUniversity LectureDetails soon
Fairfax, VA
George Mason University
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9FriUniversity LectureDetails Soon
Richmond, VA
Virginia Commonwealth University
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26MonBook Tour EventDetails
Chicago, IL
University Club of Chicago
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5ThuUniversity LectureDetails Soon
Lexington, VA
Washington and Lee University
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3–5Wed–FriFestivalDetails
Rancho Mirage, CA
Rancho Mirage Writers Festival
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19ThuInstagram LiveWatch
Online
With Jordan Hernandez
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21SatBook Launch Event
Los Angeles, CA
With Dulcé Sloan & Sam Sanders · Dynasty Typewriter
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25WedBook Tour Event
Washington, DC
With Darryl M. Bell & Phil Lewis · Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
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26ThuBook Tour Event
New York, NY
With Phoebe Robinson & Jordan Carlos · WNYC's The Greene Space
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28SatBook Tour Event
Philadelphia, PA
With Yasmin Vossoughian · Barnes & Noble Center City
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13MonUniversity Lecture
Los Angeles, CA
University of Southern California
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18SatBook Tour Event
Baltimore, MD
Enoch Pratt Free Library
Past stops
SELECTED REVIEWS
“What a wonderful book to read in these difficult days. Bennett takes us to the well of Black humor revealing its political, moral, and existential power.”
— EDDIE S. GLAUDE, JR.
“Bennett writes with the confidence of a journalist and the heart of a fan. The result is hilarious, enlightening, and essential.”
— GOOD READS
“A valuable primer on Black comedy and a perceptive view of Black comics as 'keen observers' of a culture that marginalizes them.”
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
FOR THE CLASSROOM
Comedy is one of the sharpest lenses we have on American history — and Black Out Loud is built for teaching it. Drawing on original interviews and a century of cultural change, the book works across disciplines: journalism, African American studies, media studies, political science, and history. Assign it whole, excerpt it, or use it to open a seminar. The curriculum guide below is free to download.
VIDEO
PBS NewsHour's Geoff Bennett Announces New Book, Black Out Loud!
How In Living Color Transformed the Super Bowl Halftime Show
Unboxing My New Book, Black Out Loud!
How 'A Different World' Changed America