African-American Woman To Run Humorous 'Harvard Lampoon' Magazine : NPR: The humor magazine The Harvard Lampoon was founded in 1876, but for the first time, an African-American woman will run things. Host Michel Martin talks with President-elect Alexis Wilkinson and Vice President-elect Eleanor Parker about their plans for the magazine.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
We're going to switch gears now and talk about comedy, which is, perhaps surprisingly, not all fun and games. Take, for instance, "Saturday Night Live" - that program was criticized this year for having no black women as part of the regular cast, in fact, there has not been one since 2007. But we've caught up with two women who are about to make history. Alexis Wilkinson will be the first African-American to serve as president of The Harvard Lampoon - the venerable, undergraduate humor magazine founded in 1876, whose writers have often been on a pipeline to many of the major comedy shows. She's also the first African-American female, needless to say, to lead that institution.
And she's with us today with her partner in comedic crime Ellie Parker, who will serve as vice president - and this is also the first time two women will lead that organization - and they are both with us now. Welcome, congratulations to you both.
