Richard Pryor (1940 - 2005)
COMEDIAN, WRITER, ACTOR

​

Richard Pryor used language as a weapon to draw attention to social issues, creating comedy from stories of pain & tragedy.


Pryor's performances confronted the realities of racism, addiction, & mass incarceration. The son of a hustler & a prostitute, he had grown up in a brothel surrounded by crime.

 

Speaking directly and honestly about life on the streets, Richard Pryor rose from poverty to become one of the top entertainers of the 70’s and 80’s.