The dozens is where the art of verbal combat shines. Crowds gather as jokes and insults fly between two heavyweights of wordplay doing their best to humiliate the other. But it’s all done with love.
One theory is that “the dozens” was an insult that enslaved people flung at each other, claiming that someone’s mother was one of the “dozens of women available to her master’s sexual whims.” Maybe that was the first “yo mama” joke.
The dozens have lasted through many generations of Black culture. The game itself doesn't change, but it goes by many names depending on where it’s being played.
In the past, people shared their favorite dozens in stories and songs. Today we save them on our phones and post them on social media. As long as we keep talking trash about each other for fun, the dozens will endure.
The dozens wasn’t just a game of trading good-natured barbs. It was a means of building friendships and creating community. It's our job to preserve the spirit and joy of this game for the generations that will follow us.