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Race Unwrapped: How Rain Pryor embodies her father's legacy of using humor to explore race

Richard Pryor's fearless approach to comedy influenced a generation of artists — especially his daughter.

Comedian Richard Pryor didn’t leave much on the cutting room floor when it came to comedy.

Not sex, family, religion, or politics. Certainly not race, or being Black in America.

Many of today’s comedians can trace their lineage of fearless humor right back to Richard Pryor, and that includes his own progeny. On this episode of Race Unwrapped, I talk with Rain Pryor, Richard Pryor’s daughter and an actress, director, and writer in her own right.

We reflect on how different the landscape looks for comedians who honestly and authentically talk about race in America today.

It's the first episode of our new season, which will unwrap how comedy helps us tackle big and hard topics about race — the vulnerable and the ugly, the joyous and the revelatory.

Listen in the player above, and in your favorite podcast app.

Michelle Tyrene Johnson is the lead producer of LPM’s talk shows, and she is also the host and producer of LPM’s podcast Race Unwrapped. Email Michelle at mjohnson@lpm.org.

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