America's other first black president is also leaving his post

As President Barack Obama prepares to leave office, so does America’s other President Obama: comedian Jay Pharoah. After six seasons, Saturday Night Live’s in-house Obama impersonator has announced his exit from the show. Pharoah, who joined SNL in 2012, replaced Fred Armisen as America’s first black president. Yep, Pharoah entered the show as SNL’s first black Obama impersonator on staff—four years into his presidency.

SNL has long struggled to diversify its cast, but the problem didn’t reach a critical mass until 2013 when SNL’s Kenan Thompson commented on the lack of black women cast members and said he wasn’t going to do drag anymore. Pharoah became a vocal critic on the dearth of black women cast members and was instrumental in getting the show to make more black hires.

The comedian leaves the weekly sketch comedy show as the president’s second term comes to a close. Impersonating the sitting president on SNL is one of the most important roles on a show that’s tasked with making fun of American culture. Obama’s historic presidency has had a trickle-down effect on SNL: A black comedian wasn’t just featured, but became an indispensable part of the show for four years. The announcement also forces the question: As Pharaoh’s departure marks the end of a Obama’s tenure, will SNL continue to uplift black comedians?