A Black abolitionist who secretly used his restaurant as a stop on the Underground Railroad. An enslaved man who mailed himself to freedom in a wooden box. At Drunk Black History, comedians, educators and community leaders share stories about overlooked Black historical figures and events all while enjoying one too many drinks.
These aren't the kinds of stories most people remember from history class and that's exactly why comedian Brandon Collins created the live comedy show, which arrives in Irving this week during Black Music Month.
"The premise is to highlight the stories of unsung Black historical figures and events that have had a huge impact on our country," Collins said. "Folks can come out, learn these new stories, have a sense of pride, share a few tasteful cocktails and have some laughs."
Collins launched Drunk Black History in 2019, combining his longtime interests in education, history and comedy. Participants don't have to drink. And the show's drinking element isn't just for laughs.
"Our history is very heavy," he said. "It provides a little bit of levity and a little more liquid courage to speak bluntly about how we feel about our history sometimes being ignored."
The format has evolved from a small late-night show with about 15 audience members into a touring production that has appeared at comedy festivals around the country. Each show features a different lineup of guests who select their own topics from Black history.
For the Irving performance, guests include comedian Andy Franklin, touring comedian Angelia Walker and Meshia Rudd-Ridge and Jourdan Brunson, co-founders of Kinkofa, a platform helping Black families uncover, record and preserve their stories.
The perfect guests
Collins looks for guest stars who care about history and culture but can also connect with audiences through storytelling. Drinking just makes it fun and appealing to the audience, producing memorable moments.
"By the time you get to the last guest, they're usually kind of ... I have to guide them a little bit more," Collins joked.
Still, the educational mission remains central.
Among the figures that consistently surprise audiences is Thomas Downing, known as "The Oyster King," a successful businessman who used his restaurant in New York as part of the Underground Railroad. Another audience favorite is Henry "Box" Brown, an enslaved man who escaped slavery by shipping himself in a crate to abolitionists in Philadelphia.
"Some of this stuff I'm still learning, like you are," he said.
We are superheroes
The show's timing also coincides with ongoing national debates over how history is taught and remembered. Collins said one of the most important lessons he hopes audiences take away is the breadth of Black contributions to American life.
"We are superheroes," he said. "We're resilient, innovative, smart and hardworking. We have done so much to shape the world that we live in."
For Collins, the show's success comes down to making history approachable. He points to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre as one example of a major historical event many Americans never learned about in school.
"These stories can only survive if we keep telling them and keep spreading the word and connecting with each other," Collins said.
DETAILS: Drunk Black History takes place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Punch Line Irving, 310 W. Las Colinas Blvd. Suite 130, Irving.
