Sampson McCormick (Image courtesy of subject)

Any attempt to make it through a conversation with comedian Sampson McCormick without laughing will fail.

The trailblazing gay comedian has delighted and challenged audiences with his spirited brand of Black queer comedy for over two decades. McCormick’s Atlanta fans will have the chance to experience him live during a special Black History Month appearance: “Black Joy: A Night of Laughter with Sampson,” on February 22 at MIXX Atlanta. This time around, McCormick says he’s being intentional about centering Black joy.

“As a community, we need to place an emphasis on our joy, on our ability to embrace the experiences that we have and celebrate those with reflection through laughter,” he said.

Until recently, McCormick has been the only openly, gay Black male comedian, touring the country, performing at major comedy clubs, and headlining shows.

“There’s still not a lot of us. And I’m talking about headliners that can go to the comedy clubs and carry a show all weekend. I'm still one of the only ones who can do that,” he said.

“The rule is if you're great, let people say that you're great. If you made an impact, let people say you made an impact. I think it's a little weak to parade yourself around and go, oh, I'm this or I'm that.”

- Sampson McCormick

In 2018, McCormick became the first openly gay comedian to headline at The Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. While being first has its rewards, McCormick has also endured the inevitable racism and homophobia that comes along with breaking barriers in a mostly white straight male-dominated industry.

“When I was the only one. It was so hard to get a gig,” he said. “Nobody was hiring gay comedians, especially Black [gay comedians]. The white ones, they would [hire] over at HRC. They were winning GLAAD Awards. They would get booked on shows at clubs because the white liberals are glad to see them. But I'm not one of those white/Black gays,” he adds. “When I get up there, yes, I'm gay, but I'm talking about the Black experience. And so that's an urban category. I wasn't getting booked the way they were.”

“When I get up there, yes, I’m gay, but I’m talking about the Black experience. And so that’s an urban category. I wasn’t getting booked the way they were.”

— Sampson McCormick

For McCormick, the adversity he’s encountered in his career has only strengthened his resolve to define success on his terms. It’s nearly impossible to read his name in print without the words icon or trailblazer attached to it. But you’ll never hear McCormick speak about himself in this way.

“The rule is if you're great, let people say that you're great,” he said. “If you made an impact, let people say you made an impact. I think it's a little weak to parade yourself around and go, oh, I'm this or I'm that. I don't believe in becoming a master, but you become knowledgeable enough to get respect. There’s a certain respect due. I've had to say, hey, I've been doing this for over 20 years and this is what I've done.”

With a comedy resume as extensive as McCormick’s, including acting roles in his own independent films (“Party-N-Play,” “Love The One You’re With”) and a role in the 2021 limited release of “B-Boy Blues: The Film,” which he also served as co-executive producer, new fans have found his work and those who were already familiar with him have shown renewed interest.

“The pandemic happened and all my albums started selling and the streams started going up,” McCormick says. “One of them started streaming that came out 10 or 11 years ago. It was getting a quarter of a million streams. I was making money off of stuff I put out years ago that nobody was listening to.”

A testament to the overwhelming desire for joy and laughter to replace grim circumstances, or perhaps just side-splitting quality material finding an audience who was forced to hit pause on life long enough to listen? Either way, McCormick is grateful and keenly aware that with the support he receives as a comedian in today’s culture, he may be one tweet or an insensitive joke away from being “canceled.”

Standing His Ground

Is the gay community too sensitive when it comes to comedy? Without skipping a beat, McCormick tells The Reckoning, “absolutely, especially the white ones.” He points to the hypocrisy and microaggressions experienced by many Black gay men in white gay spaces that often go unaddressed.

“We don't talk enough about how [Black gay men] will go to a gay white bar and you might not be able to get a bartender right away or how nobody will talk to you until they start drinking and then they'll come up [and say]—‘Let me get some of that big Black dick.’ And then some of them are dumb enough to give it to them,” he said. “And then these same people will never show up to a Black Lives Matter rally. They will never talk to you in public or any of those things.”

While McCormick says that today’s comedians are constantly under the threat of censorship, he says it often comes down to not what a comedian says but how they say it.

“I've always been super blunt. It comes down to what your intentions are and knowing how to hold your ground in an argument,” he said. “And then some things you just have to learn how to stand by. As people, we should have opinions. It's healthy to have an opinion, as long as it's not too crazy. You get to have an opinion and I'm going to have my opinion. And if you don't agree, that's fine.”

“You’re gonna have people in the business who, for whatever reason, oppose you, and that’s okay. Other people’s behavior towards you is not you. That’s a reflection of them. And that’s why you have to be grounded in who you are.”

— Sampson McCormick

While McCormick isn’t volunteering himself for controversy, he is determined to bring his full authentic self to each stage he steps on, which can rile up everyone from white supremacists who have protested past shows to comedy legends like JJ Walker (“Good Times”) who have disinvited him as an opening act moments before he was scheduled to grab the mic. They’re all battle scars that have ultimately prepared McCormick for victory.

“You’re gonna have people in the business who, for whatever reason, oppose you, and that's okay,” he said. “Other people's behavior towards you is not you. That's a reflection of them. And that's why you have to be grounded in who you are. Nobody wants to hear your story and go—'Oh, I had everything handed to me.' People want to hear that a mountain can be climbed and you can do it without allowing it to make you bitter. And they want to know you can come out on top,” McCormick says as he sets up the joke. “And sometimes it surprises people that you are a top.”

“People want to hear that a mountain can be climbed and you can do it without allowing it to make you bitter. And they want to know you can come out on top. And sometimes it surprises people that you are a top.”

- Sampson McCormick

After 20 years in the game, McCormick’s comedic wit and timing are sharper than ever. He’s secure in his process and in the belief that there are enough seats at the table for all Black queer comedians to eat. But when they arrive, McCormick says he wants to make sure that they have a level of support that he didn’t have early in his career.

“I understand the importance of making sure that other Black gay men in our industry get opportunities and to celebrate them and support them in a way that I wasn't supported,” he said. “And so I'm really making Black queer joy a movement all around.”

“Black Joy: A Night of Laughter with Sampson kicks off at 7:30pm on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at MIXX Atlanta (1492 Piedmont Ave NE). Doors open at 7:00pm. Black lesbian Atlanta comedienne Kia Barnes is the opening act. Tickets range from $25-$40. You can purchase tickets here.