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1-Page Summary of How to Be Black
Overview
In the animated series South Park, there is a character named Token. He’s the only black kid in town. This is an example of how most TV shows have few black characters and are therefore considered to be token roles for minorities. Baratunde Thurston experienced something similar growing up as a black child, but he was often exposed to different stereotypes than Token experiences on South Park.
This is the story of growing up black in a predominantly white neighborhood while still trying to maintain contact with the black community. It’s also about prejudices and ideas of what it means to be black.
In this article, you’ll learn about the importance of being African-American in today’s society. You’ll also discover why a black student union is relevant, but not necessary for white students; and how a black guy can be his worst enemy if he doesn’t consider the implications of working with another black person.
Big Idea #1: Growing up as a black kid in 1970s America wasn’t made any easier by having an African name.
School can be tough for anyone, but if you have a name like Baratunde, it’s even tougher. Imagine the teacher taking roll call and stumbling over your name: “Barry Tune? Baritone Dave?”
It’s not easy to have an African name in America.
The author had a difficult time learning English as a child because his name was hard to pronounce. He’s been called “Barracuda,” and other teachers just shortened it to “Brad.” His correct pronunciation is: baa-ruh-TOON-day
After getting used to it, he started taking pleasure in hearing people mispronounce his name. He’s waiting for the day when someone accidentally adds a Q or says “Beelzebub.”
He’s also discovered that Africans living in the US don’t necessarily like his name. Baratunde comes from Nigeria, which is an offshoot of a more common name Babatunde. You might think that someone Nigerian would be happy to hear from someone with such a name. However, this isn’t the case. Once, he called up a friend but got stuck talking to his father instead and was outraged when he heard that someone who wasn’t Nigerian was using this name.
Baratunde’s friend asked his father why he chose the name Baratunde. His father replied, “It means ‘grandfather returns’ or ‘the chosen one.'”
A Nigerian man was in a restaurant and ordered food. The waiter came back to him several times, but he refused to take the food because he didn’t know the man’s name.
Big Idea #2: Baratunde’s mom defied many of the stereotypes people have of a black woman.
What would you think of a guy who loves to go camping, listen to Mozart and cook organic vegan dishes? In the author’s experience, he probably looks nothing like that.
But blacks fit this profile as well.
Baratunde grew up in Washington, DC. His mother was a single parent who made her living as a cook and delivery person. She could barely afford the house they lived in, but she tried to live healthfully by purchasing organic foods from local co-ops. However, Baratunde wasn’t happy about this because vegan donuts just aren’t as good as fried ones dipped in chocolate.
Arnita also loved the outdoors and took Baratunde and his friends on many field trips, such as hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina.
A black mother can be both a tiger mom and an African American. Arnita was very demanding of Baratunde, having him take on many extracurricular activities like playing the double bass in the DC Youth Orchestra Program and tae kwon do classes after his bike was stolen. She also made sure he knew about his cultural heritage by buying him a book about apartheid when he was eight years old and quizzing him regularly about Africa.
