In the latest edition of the Saturday Night Live segment “Weekend Update,” Michael Che claimed there were no “Black comics clean enough” to host the Oscars after Kevin Hart stepped down when the comedian’s homophobic remarks resurfaced online. But there are plenty of Black comedians who know how to be hilarious without being trash to marginalized people. Here’s our list of 11 Black comedians who aren’t queerphobic and don’t use misogynistic jokes to get a laugh.
1) Wanda Sykes
If the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences wants to stand with the LGBTQ community, then why not have a hilarious Black comedian host who is also a proud member of the LGBTQ community? Black-ish and BoJack Horseman star and comedic icon Wanda Sykes would be a great replacement.
2) Maya Rudolph
The Emmy Award-nominated comedian, actress, writer, producer and former cast member of Saturday Night Live Maya Rudolph would be an incredible and hilarious Oscars host.
3) Tiffany Haddish
Tiffany Haddish is a no-brainer. The comedian drew Oscar buzz for her turn as Dina in the 2017 breakout comedy Girls Trip. She has since gone on to star in films such as Night School and Nobody’s Fool and has many projects lined up for 2019 and 2020. Her endearing personality and inspiring story of overcoming hardship on top of her comedic timing have made the world fall in love with her.
4) Amanda Seales
She might be most popularly known as Tiffany on the HBO drama Insecure, but Amanda Seales has been killing the comedy game for a minute with her headlining variety show Smart, Funny and Black. The Columbia University alum has also drawn acclaim for her take on current events from race, white privilege and sexism on social media. She has an HBO comedy special premiering soon.
5) Nicole Byer
As the star of the Facebook show Loosely Exactly Nicole and the host of the Netflix series Nailed It!, Nicole Byer’s profile as a comedian continues to grow.
6) Jessica Williams
As the former correspondent for The Daily Show, the comedian and actress is an expert at combining political commentary with zingers. She is also the host of the podcast-turned-HBO comedy special 2 Dope Queens with Phoebe Robinson.
7) Aisha Tyler
As a comedian, an actress and former host on the CBS show The Talk, Aisha Tyler has recently been making waves as a director on and star of Criminal Minds. She has also hosted the Critics Choice Awards in the past, more than proving that she is capable of hosting an awards show.
8) Loni Love
As a former roundtable panelist on Chelsea Lately and former DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, comedian Loni Love is currently a host on Fox’s Emmy-winning talk show The Real.
9) Dulcé Sloan
As the current correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, comedian Dulcé Sloan has been outspoken on issues concerning politics, race and the recurring news headlines of white women calling the police on Black people.
10) Jaboukie Young-White
Jaboukie Young-White would kill it as the host for the Oscars. A young gay comedian from Chicago, Young-White is currently a daily correspondent for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
11) Jerrod Carmichael
An expert at extracting comedy out of pop culture and race relations, Jerrod Carmichael garnered attention as the star of his NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show. If the Oscars want a host to look at societal issues through a comedic lens, look no further than Carmichael.
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