*The Oakland City Council aims to honor comedian Paul Mooney following his death this week from a heart attack.
Per TMZ, several officials in Oakland — where Mooney was raised and died — tell us the topic is already on the agenda for the June 1 City Council meeting.
Here’s more from the outlet:
The councilmembers we spoke with say some of the ideas for honoring Paul’s life include an annual or regularly scheduled comedy event that puts the spotlight on Oaktown’s best up-and-coming comedians.
There are also talks of creating a plaque with his face on it to be displayed somewhere in the Black Arts District … or developing a college scholarship fund in his name.
The city officials tell us they also want to hear from Oakland citizens about what they want for a Mooney tribute … something Councilmember Loren Taylor says has been discussed in his district well before the comedic legend died.
READ MORE: WE REMEMBER: Comedic Legend Paul Mooney Has Died. He was 79.
every time Paul Mooney showed up on Chappelle’s Show you knew it was gonna be hilarious (and correct)
RIP pic.twitter.com/5sSgfoMhCH
— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) May 19, 2021
As we previously reported, Mooney was the writer behind some of Pryor’s greatest comedy hits like “Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip” and “The Richard Pryor Show.” His friendship and collaboration with Pryor began in 1968 and lasted until Pryor’s death in 2005. Together, they confronted racism perhaps more directly than it ever had been before onstage. Mooney chronicled their partnership in his 2007 memoir “Black Is the New White.”
He also wrote for the 1970’s sitcom “Sanford and Son” which starred Redd Fox and has writing credit for the Fox comedy sketch show “In Living Color,” becoming the mind behind the famous character of Homey D. Clown, played by Damon Wayans.
Tributes from folks in Hollywood have been pouring in on social media. TMZ caught up with Mooney’s friend and “Chappelle’s Show” co-star Dave Chappelle at the Soho Grand Hotel in New York hours after the comedian passed, and the comedian said Paul was “One of the best that ever did it.
Chappelle added, “His legacy will live forever. He’s one of the first Black people ever in the Writer’s Guild. Paul Mooney will be sorely missed and wildly remembered.”
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