Talk: How to Be Black
This talk was given by a guy who used to be the "Director of Digital" for the Onion, and the first half of the talk was a lot about how things worked at the Onion, delivered with the usual humor you'd expect from that organization. I'll let the abstract speak for itself:
[Speaker: Baratunde Thurston] Comedian, former Onion digital director and best-selling author Baratunde Thurston takes the audience on a personal journey through his “coming of blackness” identity in the post-Civil Rights era. The How To Be Black experience features photos, videos, and satirical guides plus a behind-the-scenes look at the interactive creative process and promotion behind the book. The result is a humorous, intelligent, and audacious talk that challenges and satirizes the so-called experts, purists, and racists who purport to speak for all black people. With honest storytelling and biting wit, Baratunde plots a path not just to blackness, but in a digital age defined by self-expression, a path open to anyone interested in simply how to be.
Video link on research.microsoft.com (Silverlight player with slides, WMV/MP4 video and WMA/MP3 downloadable links on page)
[Speaker: Baratunde Thurston] Comedian, former Onion digital director and best-selling author Baratunde Thurston takes the audience on a personal journey through his “coming of blackness” identity in the post-Civil Rights era. The How To Be Black experience features photos, videos, and satirical guides plus a behind-the-scenes look at the interactive creative process and promotion behind the book. The result is a humorous, intelligent, and audacious talk that challenges and satirizes the so-called experts, purists, and racists who purport to speak for all black people. With honest storytelling and biting wit, Baratunde plots a path not just to blackness, but in a digital age defined by self-expression, a path open to anyone interested in simply how to be.
Video link on research.microsoft.com (Silverlight player with slides, WMV/MP4 video and WMA/MP3 downloadable links on page)