How to Be Black

Description

The Onions Baratunde Thurston shares his 30-plus years of expertise in being black, with helpful essays like How to Be the Black Friend, How to Speak for All Black People, How To Celebrate Black History Month, and more, in this satirical guide to race issueswritten for black people and those who love them. Audacious, cunning, and razor-sharp, How to Be Black exposes the mass-medias insidiously racist, monochromatic portrayal of black cultures richness and variety. Fans of Stuff White People Like, This Week in Blackness, and Ending Racism in About an Hour will be captivated, uplifted, incensed, and inspired by this hilarious and powerful attack on Americas blacklisting of black culture: Baratunde Thurstons How to Be Black.ReviewA hilarious blend of razor-sharp satire and memoir...Using his own story and humor, Thurston demonstrates that the best way to be anything is to simply be yourself. (Publishers Weekly )Terrific...How to Be Black is an assault on nostalgia--a satirical, biographic attack on the idea that blackness or any label should be derived from historical description. (Fast Company )A hilarious look at the complexities of contemporary racial politics and personal identity. (Booklist )Struggling to figure out how to be black in the 21st century? Baratunde Thurston has the perfect guide for you...Fans of Stuff White People Like, This Week in Blackness and other blogs that take satirical shots at racial stereotypes are sure to love How to Be Black. (The Root )One of the smartest and funniest books Ive ever read. (Christian Lander (via Twitter) ) From the Back CoverHave you ever been called "too black" or "not black enough"?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 more than over thirty years' 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 "How to Be the Black Friend" to "How to Be the (Next) Black President" to "How to Celebrate Black History Month."