12/20/2025
Yesterday, I received a call from comedian and actor London Brown, not about business, not about a project, but to say thank you. I’ve received calls like this before from various comedians, checking in on me personally and discussing the current landscape of comedy, particularly for Black talent. But this call was different. This one stayed with me.
London told me he wasn’t speaking just for himself, but for so many in the Black comedy community who are feeling the absence of The Comedy Union now more than ever.
He said the loss is real. It’s felt. And it’s heavy.
The Comedy Union wasn’t just a comedy club; it was a home. A classroom. A safe space where voices were shaped, confidence was built, and lessons were learned both on and off the stage. It was a place where comedians weren’t just booked—they were seen, supported, and challenged to grow.
London told me he loved me. That he missed me. And that the lessons he learned at The Comedy Union stayed with him long after he left the stage. His words have me all kinds of messed up today, and they meant more to me than he’ll ever know.
Hearing that reminder, that the impact still lives on in people, in careers, was both comforting and heartbreaking at the same time.
Because while the space is gone, the community it created is very much alive. And yet, its absence leaves a void that can’t easily be replaced.
I’ll admit, there are mornings I wake up and ask myself why, with all the celebrity riches, sports wealth, and entrepreneurial success in Black Hollywood and Black America as a whole, there still hasn’t been a true replacement for The Comedy Union.
I’ll say this again, and I’m hoping someone with influence and resources can hear my voice: we are systematically losing a generation of talented Black comedians because there are fewer places for them to consistently sharpen their craft, to fail safely, and to grow publicly. That reality weighs on me, and I feel a responsibility to speak it out loud—because something has to be done.
To know that so many comedians wish it was still here… that they’re grateful for what it gave them… that they still carry it with them—that is the legacy.
And even in loss, that
