You may know Dave Chappelle from his popular stand-up comedy show, The Chappelle Show, or more famously, his hilarious and provocative skits. He developed much of his skill and inspiration here in DC, where he was born. In 1973, Chappelle was born in Washington, D.C., where he attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. He came from a lower-class family and had to commute all the way across the city to get to school every day.

 Chappelle credits a lot of his career to his performing arts education at Duke Ellington. He has expressed gratitude for the opportunity and noted how much it helped him refine his skills as both an actor and a comedian. In an NBC interview, he says, “It saved my life”.  At Duke, he was surrounded by skilled actors and improvisers who helped him shape his own unique comedic style.

Chapelle’s education is not all he took from DC.  He absorbed so much from the melting pot of different kinds of people, cultures, classes, activists, and political figures that you can see reflected in his skits.  When he was growing up in DC in the 80s, the city was experiencing a cocaine epidemic, rising crime rates, controversial politics, and a strong underground arts and music scene. Chapelle’s comedy is rooted in telling stories about what he saw here. He is known to never hold back in his social commentary, saying, “Comedy is the one career where you can use everything you know.” In fact, Chappelle studied street law and has woven that knowledge into his skits. The genius of his comedy is his use of humor to talk about the most controversial topics, while enlightening and bringing people together. 

Chapelle’s work is filled with controversy, but he tries to find a common ground with a wide array of people.

One of Chapelle’s most impressive and controversial skits is The Closer. In part of it, he talks about a trans woman, Daphne, with whom he became friends. Although he considers himself transphobic, he tells this story of their powerful but sad friendship. She was a regular at his shows and would laugh at everything. Eventually, he met her and actually asked her to open for him at a show. She was a very inexperienced comedian and had a horrible show, but she stayed to watch him, and his set ended up being a conversation between them, and her comments were cracking up the whole crowd. After his special, Daphne, defended him online for his transgender jokes and faced heavy backlash. 

Not long after, Daphne took her own life. Chapelle was furious at both her and those who tore her down, but more than anything, he recognized how deeply their connection through comedy mattered. To honor her, he set up a trust fund for her daughter, and closed his skit with the line, “I knew your father, he was an amazing woman.” 

Chapelle’s work is hated by many but adored by even more—and maybe that’s what makes him such a good teacher. Even the people who hate his work still watch it and still hear everything he is saying loud and clear. Dave Chappelle is more than an icon, but he is one of the most honest, hilarious, impactful, and ingenious comedians the world has seen. •