Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley

During her career as a comedienne, Jackie "Moms" Mabley (1894-1975) was a true trailblazer. Debut director Whoopi Goldberg is one of the comedians who Mabley inspired. Goldberg gets many of her colleagues to speak about this inspiring woman, including Joan Rivers, Anne Meara, Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte. They discuss segregation, the civil rights movement and the Chitlin' Circuit, a special circuit of venues for black artists. Mabley herself is also present, in old sound recordings, illustrated by text and cutout animation, and in excerpts from movies and TV appearances. She performed with greats like Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis, and as a character looked "like my mother," according to comic Kathy Griffin: with a large floral-print dress and no teeth. Thanks to this harmless-looking exterior and her huge popularity, Mabley got away with sharp political criticism, was invited to the White House, and went to Sing Sing prison to perform every year. In the words of Joan Rivers, "A lady, standing up there, telling the truth."