78: Baratunde Thurston on Blending Activism With Satire, and How We Can All Be Better Citizens

Baratunde Thurston is a writer, activist, comedian, podcaster, and media personality who holds space for difficult and complex conversations with his unique blend of humor, wisdom, and compassion. He is an Emmy-nominated host who has worked for The Onion, produced for The Daily Show, advised the Obama White House, and wrote the New York Times bestseller, How To Be Black. He is the executive producer and host of the How To Citizen Podcast, which Apple named one of its favorite podcasts of 2020 and for which Baratunde received the Social Impact Award at the 2021 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards. 

In 2019, he also delivered what MSNBC’s Brian Williams called “one of the greatest TED talks of all time,” titled, ‘How to Deconstruct Racism, One Headline at a Time’. Baratunde has an incredible ability to integrate and synthesize themes of race, culture, politics, and technology to explain where our nation is and where we can take it. 

In today’s episode, we dive into his backstory, including his upbringing in the ‘Chocolate City’ of Washington DC and how he learned to wield words across media in service of liberty and justice, plus so much more! 

What stands out about this interview is Baratunde’s constant commitment to evolution and how he has made process not just a part of his life or an occasional focus, but a lifestyle. Baratunde believes that it’s about the journey, not the destination; it’s about the process, not the outcome. 

This is a fascinating conversation that provides yet more evidence that we're all born with everything that we need to find our true calling, we just have to be unafraid to do the things that make our heart sing. Tune in today!

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