Baratunde Thurston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Baratunde Thurston
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Thurston in 2012
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Baratunde Rafiq Thurston
September 11, 1977 Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Education | Harvard University (BA) |
| Occupation | Comedian, author |
Baratunde Rafiq Thurston (born September 11, 1977) is an American writer, comedian, and commentator. He is known for his funny and thoughtful work. Baratunde helped start a political blog called Jack and Jill Politics. This blog's coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention was even saved in the Library of Congress! He also worked as the digital director for The Onion, a popular satirical news website. In 2012, his book How to Be Black became a bestseller, meaning many people bought and read it.
Contents
Baratunde's Early Life and Education
Baratunde Thurston was born in Washington, D.C.. He grew up in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. When he was young, his father passed away. His mother worked for the government. He also has an older sister. Later, his family moved to a neighborhood in Maryland. Baratunde went to the Sidwell Friends School. He then studied at Harvard University, where he earned a degree in Philosophy.
Baratunde's Career Highlights
Baratunde Thurston has had a varied and interesting career. He often uses humor to talk about important topics.
Comedy and Commentary Work
As part of a comedy group called Laughing Liberally, Baratunde hosted events at the YearlyKos convention in 2006 and 2007. He has also written for websites like HuffPost. More recently, he has been a regular guest on the podcast This Week in Tech with Leo Laporte.
Digital Media and Leadership
Baratunde hosted the Popular Science's Future Of TV show on the Science Channel starting in 2009. He was the Director of Digital at The Onion until 2012. He also co-founded JackAndJillPolitics.com. The blog's name was inspired by Jack and Jill of America, a social organization for African American children.
His Bestselling Book
His fourth book, How to Be Black, was released on February 1, 2012. This date is the first day of Black History Month. The book mixes funny self-help advice with personal stories. It covers many topics, from gardening to computers. It's described as a helpful guide for anyone wanting to understand or work with a Black person. It also helps people who want to challenge those who claim to speak for all Black people.
Recent Projects
In 2015, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah announced that Baratunde would be a supervising producer. He oversaw the show's original digital content. In 2020, Baratunde launched his own podcast called We're Having A Moment. In July 2022, he began hosting a six-part travelogue series on PBS. This series is called America Outdoors.
Books Written by Baratunde
- Better than Crying: Poking Fun at Politics, the Press & Pop Culture (2004)
- Keep Jerry Falwell Away from My Oreo Cookies (2005)
- How to Be Black (2012)
