The comedian chronicles his coming of age while analyzing politics & culture in this New York TimesтАУbestselling memoir and satirical guide.
If You Don't Buy This Book, YouтАЩre a Racist.
Have you ever been called тАЬtoo blackтАЭ or тАЬnot black enough?тАЭ
Have you ever befriended or worked with a black person?
Have you ever heard of black people?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this book is for you.
Raised by a pro-black, Pan-Afrikan single mother during the crack years of 1980s Washington, DC, and educated at Sidwell Friends School and Harvard University, Baratunde Thurston has over thirty yearsтАЩ experience being black. Now, through stories of his politically inspired Nigerian name, the heroics of his hippie mother, the murder of his drug-abusing father, and other revelatory black details, he shares with readers of all colors his wisdom and expertise in how to be black.
Beyond memoir, this guidebook offers practical advice on everything from тАЬHow to Be The Black FriendтАЭ to тАЬHow to Be The (Next) Black PresidentтАЭ to тАЬHow to Celebrate Black History Month.тАЭ
To provide additional perspective, Baratunde assembled an award-winning Black PanelтАФthree black women, three black men, and one white man (Christian Lander of Stuff White People Like)тАФand asked them such revealing questions as тАЬWhen Did You First Realize You Were Black?тАЭ and тАЬHow Black Are You?тАЭ as well as тАЬCan You Swim?тАЭ
The result is a humorous, intelligent, and audacious guide that challenges and satirizes the so-called experts, purists, and racists who purport to speak for all black people. With honest storytelling and biting wit, Baratunde plots a path not just to blackness, but one open to anyone interested in simply тАЬhow to be.тАЭ
Praise for How to Be Black
тАЬPart autobiography, part stand-up routine, part contemporary political analysis, and astute all over.┬а.┬а.┬а. Reading this book made me both laugh and weep with poignant recognition.┬а.┬а.┬а. A hysterical, irreverent exploration of one of AmericaтАЩs most painful and enduring issues.тАЭ тАФMelissa Harris-Perry
тАЬStruggling to figure out how to be black in the 21st century? Baratunde Thurston has the perfect guide for you.тАЭ тАФThe Root