Gregory (GAR) Russell Director of Operations

Baratunde Thurston is the Director of Digital at The Onion and a co-founder of the black political blog Jack and Jill Politics. Published on February 1, the first day of African American History Month, How to Be Black is a billed as "a practical guidebook for anyone looking to befriend or work with a black person, become the next black president or challenge anyone who says they speak for all blacks." The book is in fact one (black) man's view of race in America, using his own unique and fascinating life as source materials. Thurston was raised by a single mother who was steeped in Civil Rights and black pride culture. He attended Sidwell Friends School (the same school that Malia and Sasha Obama attend and Chelsea Clinton attended) and went to Harvard. He had an opportunity to travel to Africa after graduating from Sidwell. He is a proud geek and comedian. All of these facts contribute to make his book very readable and very funny, as well as thought provoking and at times poignant.