directed by whites, therefore their character usually acted or appeared in a way in which whites viewed African Americans. Comedy Comedy has been both helpful in advancing the careers of African Americans as well as harmful by mocking their demeanor or appearance. In the American tradition of minstrelsy,, white men colored their faces and falsely portrayed African-American culture. "Black people and black life was the joke." The white stage performers suggested their superiority over African Americans by using minstrel shows as a daily mockery to their former position in society. Even the representation of African-American children as pickaninnies became the humor for white audiences. Because of the subjugation of African Americans through comic films, comedy became an extremely sensitive topic, especially for independent race films intended for black audiences. There was much confusion on how to provide a comic performance for the audience while not ridiculing the African-American race. In the 1930s, African-American film directors produced comedy films of the same context; however. They mocked African Americans and because of this their black audiences diminished. Frustrated, race filmmakers sought to create a more complex character for African Americans and wanted to positively portray African-American culture. Comedy films became the way African Americans entered into the movie industry, even though their beginning performances were degrading. Yet, some African Americans overshadowed and outperformed white actors, showing new talent on stage. The early independent black comedy films that were popular amongst African Americans told stories about black life and culture, revealing the aptitude of black comedians. In the late 1900s, black comedies thrived and became especially popular. Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier became a comic duo in Uptown Saturday Night (1974), attracting black audiences from various areas. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979) starring Richard Pryor, who became the most African=American popular comedian in Hollywood, changed the industry. He set the path for other African-American comedians such as modern-day Eddie Murphy, The Wayans Brothers, Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock, Chris Tucker, and Bernie Mac. Documentary Only recently in the late 1900s did the topic of African-American life in the United States become a topic of interest to society. Documentary films gave African Americans a chance to voice their opinions about the injustices they felt. These films also showed detailed insight to African American lives that were not known to society. William Greaves became a famous filmmaker after his television documentary on the lives of