Baratunde Thurston's How To Be Black

Thurston's How To Be Black is one of the most amusing books I have read in a very long time. Reminiscent of Damali Ayo's work, this humorous part-autobigraphy, part race 'guide,' gives the life story of Thurston from growing up with a single 'hippie' Pan-Africanist mother in DC during the Age of Crack to his present life, with lots of humorous detail and suggestions throughout the way! He went to Sidwell, the elitist school in DC where Obama's daughters go (and I know someone who went to Sidwell, too, whose father is a professor at Howard). The level of satire, irony, and just outright absurd language (as well the hilarious commentary and questioning of the panel on blackness, including the White Canadian founder of Stuff White People Like) successfully weaves the life story of Thurston with comedic genius.

His practical 'advice' for how to be black, not meant to be taken literally, actually advises black people to play the role of 'the black friend' and 'the black employee' for their own benefit! You know, placate some white desires and interests (with lots of advice for the three different paths for 'the black employee' to take in corporate America) to have higher chances of promotions. And Thurston would know, he worked as a corporate strategist after graduating from Harvard for years! In addition, Thurston astutely explains the reasons why all the black kids sit together in the cafeteria to their plotting the downfall of White America, or his essay he submitted to a black teacher at Sidwell that spells African as "Afrikan" like much of the Afrocentrist 1990s literature. He was quite the student, and remains 'authentically black.' Indeed, so much so that he bought a wine called Negroamaro in Brooklyn because he saw 'Negro', later sharing that on Twitter and beginning the book.

Definitely run to read this book (he even has advice on how to be the next black president!) as soon as you have the chance. Nothing short of hilarity and interesting commentary and discourse on questions of 'race,' essentialism, stereotypes, and  the diversity of 'blackness.' Basically, if you're black, and you're doing something, like swimming for instance, then swimming is a black thing! He's also very accessible and writes for black and non-black audiences, the mark of a great communicator.