Oakland Declares Paul Mooney Day, May 19
The City of Oakland is commemorating late comedian Paul Mooney and has declared May 19 “Paul Mooney Day.”
According to TMZ, Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife proposed the resolution to name a day after the trailblazing comedian whose career was also spent as an actor, writer, and producer for four decades. Legal documents obtained by the outlet show that Fife wanted Mooney to have a day named after him for his “uncompromising social and political commentary and iconic contributions to Black arts and entertainment.”
The 79-year-old was also described in the resolution as “Oakland treasure” to the community and “a shining example of the talent in Oakland.”
City council unanimously passed Fife's proposal for “Paul Mooney Day” on May 19, the same day the satirist and comedian died.
According to The New York Times, his publicist, Cassandra Williams, said the cause of Mooney's death was a heart attack.
Mooney rose to stardom over 40 years ago when he became a comedy writer for Richard Pryor. He has also written for groundbreaking TV shows like “In Living Color,” “Sanford & Son” and most recently, “Chappelle's Show.”
