Welcome to The Second City Archives, in which we post an exclusive clip each week of some of comedy’s biggest superstars performing early in their careers on the legendary Chicago stage. Second City has generously given us a glimpse into their extensive archive of live performances, and over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing some rare and retro comedy never before seen on the web.
Late Night writer Amber Ruffin appeared on the show last night alongside Jenny Hagel for a new installment of “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell,” so this week, Second City sent us a clip from a decade ago featuring Ruffin on the Chicago stage. From the 2007 revue Between Barack and a Hard Place, the above scene features Ruffin singing a catchy little tune called “It’s Good to Be Black,” in which she celebrates the historical moment when black people were no longer the #1 target of racism in the US thanks to terrorism and immigration: “Today will go down in history: Racism swirling round and round, and not one word about me!” Watch some more Second City clips starring Ruffin here and here.
