In 1977, comedian Richard Pryor portrayed the first Black president of the United States in a pioneering sketch on his short-lived NBC program, The Richard Pryor Show. The sketch, which aired on November 5, 1977, is remembered as a highlight of the series, showcasing sharp, ahead-of-its-time social commentary.
The sketch takes the form of a televised White House press conference where President Pryor addresses a mix of policy issues and racial social dynamics. Critics note that Pryor’s performance balanced a “sanctimonious” presidential gravity with sudden bursts of “militant” anger, a duality that predated the “anger translator” trope popularized decades later by Key & Peele.
The First Black President – The Richard Pryor Show (1977)
