Black Humor as a Cultural Coping Strategy: Identity, Satire, and Racial Experience in Paul Beatty's The Sellout

Abstract

This study examines Black humor as a cultural coping strategy and form of social resilience in response to racial discrimination and marginalization in the United States. Focusing on Paul Beatty's The Sellout, this qualitative textual analysis examines how satire and Black humor operate in African American literary, social, and cultural contexts to negotiate identity and foster social and emotional resilience. Using identity theory as a framework, this qualitative study demonstrates how racialized humor challenges dominant discourses while highlighting issues of belonging and social visibility. The study argues that Black humor in The Sellout serves not only as a literary technique but also as a social practice that addresses historical trauma and contemporary racial challenges. Overall, the article contributes to interdisciplinary discussions on identity formation and cultural resistance in African American literature.