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I can’t quite remember how I came across Baratunde Thurston because I wasn’t aware of his comedy nor did I follow him on Twitter (I do now though @bartunde). This book came out and I began researching the author who is the digital director of the satirical newspaper The Onion and co-founder of the blog site Jack and Jill Politics. Reading my TimeOutNY magazine, I saw a literary event listed –  a comedy author reading series taking place at Greenlight Books in Brooklyn. I decided to hear what this book How To Be Black was about. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I purchased the book and had it signed (of course) but I wasn’t sure I was ready for the read. I had recently read Toure’s Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness and although that was a great read, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read more about race and the race issues especially during the height of the Trayvon Martin murder that has been at the forefront of the racial issues in America since Trayvon was murdered in February. In addition to that, I have been continually discussing race in my Baldwin thesis and it seems to consume almost every facet of my thinking these days which is sometimes good and sometimes bad.

I decided to carry my How To Be Black manual after deciding to take another break on the thesis project and hoping to probably find some more ideas to include in my thesis project. I think it took me all of four days to read this book. I could not get enough of it and I wished it was longer. This book had me crying tears of laughter as Thurston poked fun at what “blackness” is and presumed to be. The utter satire in this text shows the idiosyncratic ways people look at black and blackness. Just the double takes alone at my books’ cover confirmed much of what I read. I’d get a survey of looks to my face and hair and then a full up and down review until my eyes met theirs, then followed by either a wry smile or a quick avoidance. Ha!

I was able to identify with much of Baratunde’s memories of his mother. There exists an obvious feeling of undeniable indebtedness to her for his being the way he is and being able to achieve what he has. I gather from reading How To Be Black that Thurston was influenced much by his mother’s love for road tripping and the wilderness, his memorable time at The Sidwell Friends School, and his developing time on campus at Harvard.

My favorite chapter in the book is “Can You Swim?” I was on the train headed to work when I started this chapter and I think I laughed from Far Rockaway to my stop in Midtown. I had a good day that day because I started that day with belly laughter and I kept thinking about what I’d read that morning. This chapter begins with the nightmare of learning how to swim the “swim for your life” way – by being pushed into the deep end of the pool.

I think the chapter that inspired me the most was “Going Black to Africa.” Here, Thurston discusses his class trip to Africa and how he felt visiting the home of his forefathers. It was a spiritual experience and helped to develop Thurston’s way of thinking with regards to race and how black people were understood in the American paradigm.

I love comedy and I’m making it my business to follow Baratunde’s stand up schedule so I can experience his comedy live.

I enjoyed this book and gave it to my 16-year-old to read. I recommend this as a comical and leisurely read about race. Enjoy