152 posts tagged how to be black
A few weeks ago I did this amazing show in LA and this amazing sketch artists made these amazing sketches and here they are!
Sketches from Put Your Hands Together live at UCB, 4-9-13. Cameron Esposito, Erin Foley, Tom Wilson, Myq Kaplan, Prescott Tolk, Liam McEneaney, and Baratunde Thurston.
Subscribe to the podcast to hear this episode.
Guess what?? I get a special shout-out in this ep! (The 4-11-13 Episode, about 42 minutes in from my pal Myq, and 43 minutes in from Cameron!)
This Tuesday I’m doing an online hangout and Q&A around “How To Be Black.”
The first 9 RSVPs get free mugs, and the first eight or 9 will get to directly interact via video. Others can still type things that I’ll address without seeing your faces.
Most excitingly, the writer of How To Be The Black Person Reading How To Be Black, Lauren White, will be interviewing me.
“Throughout his work, Thurston gives tips on how to be “the black friend,” “the black employee,” “the angry negro,” and “the next black president.” What he doesn’t do is give tips on how to be the black person reading How To Be Black on public transportation.”
“My children are mixed race. I’m white, and my husband is Korean. Someone asked my sons what their father was, and they said, “He’s Korean.” When asked, “What’s your mother?” They said, “She’s… nothing.” I didn’t have a special language, food, clothing, dances, so according to my six and 9 year old kids I was “nothing.” It was hilarious.”
This holiday season, gift the gift of blackness. And awkwardness for your friends. “How To Be Black” is now available in paperblack. (also, it’s only $2.99 on Kindle and iBooks, so if you’re afraid to read in public, there’s special pricing for cowards!)
Just finished my syllabus for Fall 2013! Assigning texts by Octavia Butler, @toure, @baratunde, @rebeccawalker, Edward P Jones & @stewtnp.
— Lisa B. Thompson (@playprof) November 28, 2012
Hookem horns!
Monday 26 November, DopeReads is excited to partner with Teaching for Change and Busboys & Poets to bring comedian/DC native/social media swag-having author Baratunde Thurston to DC to discuss his book How to Be Black! The book was recently released in paperback, which you can cop here for the low. This memoir/satire (memoitire? satoir?) is the perfect stocking stuffer or Kwanzaa gift for the incense burner in your life. Look out for more info in the coming weeks. We bout to party for paperbacks, y’all. Let’s get it!
I had several media appearances scheduled today in anticipation of tomorrow’s release of the paperblack edition of How To Be Black. They were all cancelled, however, because Hurricane Sandy is racist. No matter. Black folk are resilient, and we’ve found a way to bypass the meteorological haters. Join the hangout 6pm ET for some performance readings and Q&A
Massive How To Be Black event in San Francisco on Saturday Nov 3rd.
The paperblack edition of the book comes out October 30, and when we did the round of national shows and parties for the hardcover, San Francisco drew the short stick. We are rectifying that with the biggest and best event yet featuring Bay Area comedian Kevin Camia, dancer and educator Denae Hannah, Black Grouse Whisky, and Baratunde headlining.
Get your tickets now. They are limited!
I had a draft of a chapter in How To Be Black called “How To Market To Black People.” These folks actually followed through and did a great job!
For best results, press play on this video, and then start reading the post below…
This past weekend, I went to one of the most innovative performances I’ve ever seen. Denae Hannah, a performance artist and educator, debuted her newest show, Five Star Chick. Inspired by the Yo Gotti song, Denae decided to explore and challenge the imagery and expectations of black womanhood. The result is hella hilarious, impressive and sexy.
“Thurston’s book is a groundbreaking must-read whether you’re black, biracial or anything else.”
The world will and has written about Michelle Obama’s DNC speech (including our own Cheryl). I was there. It was that good. Here are a few snapshots via Twitter, photos and video of the night that blew me away
this crowd is going to completely lose its shit when michelle obama appears. brace yourselves #dnc2012
— Baratunde (@baratunde) September 5, 2012
correction. *I* am going to completely lose my shit when Michelle Obama appears. #dnc2012
— Baratunde (@baratunde) September 5, 2012
and there goes everyone’s shit. just. wait, there’s more. ok. gone. #dnc2012
— Baratunde (@baratunde) September 5, 2012
VIdeo from the moment above Once she started speaking…
grace. #dnc2012
— Baratunde (@baratunde) September 5, 2012
And the money quote.
#FLOTUS view: “being president doesn’t change who you are. It reveals who you are” #dnc2012 [pic] — path.com/p/1SvhgE
— Baratunde (@baratunde) September 5, 2012
Which led to…
chills. #dnc2012
— Baratunde (@baratunde) September 5, 2012
I was speechless during most of the First Lady’s speech but emerged from my reverie when she beautifully wove Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Rights into marriage equality. It was a beautiful progressive moment. Healing even.
love how #dnc2012 speakers integrate marriage equality into their talks, and #FLOTUS just did it masterfully, connecting to civil rights
— Baratunde (@baratunde) September 5, 2012
Former Congressional candidate Taj Clayton of Texas had this to say. I gave the speech an Olympic score:
10. #dnc2012
— Baratunde (@baratunde) September 5, 2012
As I walked away from the arena, I was snapped out of the first lady’s spell, by a loud and profane passerby:
OH outside #DNC2012 arena: “where the FUCK is the Burger King!?” -woman who clearly doesn’t get the whole Michelle Obama thing
— Baratunde (@baratunde) September 5, 2012
I’ve seen as many black people at the DNC as I saw khaki pants at the RNC wny.cc/NJHGbF #dnc2012
— Baratunde (@baratunde) September 4, 2012
