Zainab Johnson breaks boundaries for Black female comedianswith some help from an opossum

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Set us as preferred Zainab Johnson believes in optimism — to a somewhat alarming degree.Not just because she usually presents as smart and happy and sharply dressed on stage or because she’s doing incredibly well in her comedy career, or even just because she’s a millennial.

She’s happy in spite of every aspect of life that conspires to bring her down because it’s the ultimate power move.From surviving a near deadly car crash that broke both her legs to fighting for every opportunity to become successful in stand-up only to realize there’s more work at the top of the mountain, Johnson’s attitude towards it all has been to keep smiling.

It’s no wonder she named her newly-arrived second special “Toxically Optimistic” (the first stand-up special produced by the Obama’s Higher Ground Productions).But the unbridled joy is also the byproduct of a weight she’s lifted off herself in this new hour on Netflix — the pressure of always having to keep it real in her comedy.As a Black female stand-up it’s the box she says she’s often put in when she goes on stage and audiences are expecting her to air out her true-life trauma and make it funny as if she’s got nothing else to offer.

Those who know her know better.Johnson’s mode as a storyteller has always been to dig for the deeper meaning in things, and in this new special she uses an opossum — her unlikely spirit animal — to get the job done.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarityHaving optimism is tough these days, especially for people glued to their algorithms and, of course, watching too much news.Is it a challenge as a comedian to be able to get people out of that and get them into the positive mode of thinking?It’s not difficult because it’s kind of what they want.

People come to comedy shows because they want to feel ...