How to Be Black by Baratunde Thurston
Nonfiction

What it’s about: In this lively memoir, Baratunde Thurston shares his “over thirty years’ experience being black.” While at times laugh-out-loud funny (he previously worked for The Onion), this book also shines a light on race in America. Thurston’s humorous yet honest accounts of his experiences—being raised by a single mother, responding to questions about his first name, and attending Sidwell Friends school and then Harvard—provide insight into what it’s been like for him to be Black.

Why you should read it: This book is not only the memoir of a comedian and activist, it also provides the viewpoints of a panel of Black people who respond to questions such as “When did you first realize you were black?” The panelists’ responses are by turns surprising, sad, funny, and frank.

For fans of: If you enjoyed Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, you’ll also appreciate this humorous but powerful look at race.

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