Baratunde Thurston

At-a-Glance

New York Times bestselling author of the comedic memoir "How to Be Black" (2012).
Host and executive producer of the PBS TV series America Outdoors.
Creator and host of the How To Citizen podcast.
Co-founded the black political blog Jack and Jill Politics, archived in the Library of Congress.
Served as Director of Digital at The Onion until May 2012.
Delivered a TED Talk in 2019, which MSNBC's Brian Williams called "one of the greatest TED talks of all time."
Serves on the board of Civics Unplugged.

Biography

Baratunde Thurston is an American writer, comedian, and commentator, recognized for his work as an Emmy-nominated host, public speaker, and storyteller. He explores themes of interdependence across human relationships with nature, technology, and each other. Thurston is the host and executive producer of the PBS TV series America Outdoors and the creator and host of the How To Citizen podcast. His newest project, Life With Machines, focuses on living well with AI.