Tue., 2/21/12: The Onion's Baratunde Thurston

Baratunde Thurston

Comedian Baratunde Thurston was raised by a black activist mother across from the projects in Washington, D.C. He attended a largely white private high school, went on to earn a philosophy degree at Harvard College, and cofounded a politics website before ending up at the satirical news website, The Onion. Most importantly, along the way Baratunde Thurston accrued more than 32 years of experience of “being black.” These years of wisdom inspired him to write a new book that’s both a childhood reminiscence and a tongue-in-cheek guidebook. How to Be Black tackles satirical conundrums, from what it means to be someone’s “black friend” and “how to be the next black president,” to the right way to celebrate Black History Month. Thurston mines his own history for a fresh take on identity, race, and politics.



GUEST:
  Baratunde Thurston, digital director at The Onion, author of How to Be Black