Baratunde Thurston

I am not a yogi yet, but I aspire to have more balance in my life.

— Baratunde Thurston

2010 Foursquare Mayor Of The Year

— Baratunde Thurston

Remember something about attention. Yes, it’s possible to buy, grab, or even steal it. But it’s far better to earn it.

— Baratunde Thurston

"Black culture" is ready for whatever. I sense some momentum and excitement around black artists (especially in comedy, which is where most…

— Baratunde Thurston

“Never mind that it's not owned by a black person anymore. You can still learn a lot from BET. Primarily, you will…

— Baratunde Thurston

You can call me namastunde or surfatunde. Either works.

— Baratunde Thurston

My family life and early political life - being exposed to the news constantly, being enrolled in an Afrocentric education program, and…

— Baratunde Thurston

“You will be very visible in the company photo, also the website and any other marketing materials. There's no way to avoid…

— Baratunde Thurston

I work in comedy, journalism, media, and technology, many of which don't have a lot of black faces in visible positions. I…

— Baratunde Thurston

Knowing that "me" is inextricably linked to blackness, [I try to enjoy] the process of expanding beyond the expected boundaries set by…

— Baratunde Thurston

I don't know that I'm post-anything. I'd like to think maybe I'm post-bullshit.

— Baratunde Thurston

I care about the diversity of the mindset of the people creating our future, and the windows through which we see it,…

— Baratunde Thurston

“Like vampires and extremely rich people, black folk can sense one another. Use your Spidey Sense (Blacky Sense?). Use your blackdar to…

— Baratunde Thurston

New York has been the best gift, in that the city pushes me to so many next levels.

— Baratunde Thurston

There's certainly a lot of noise in the hip-hop world now [that] I don't pay active attention to, but to the extent…

— Baratunde Thurston

By the time I got to Harvard, I feel like I knew who I was, and my job there was to throw…

— Baratunde Thurston

College is a safe space where it can be hard to truly fail. The institution is rooting for you because your failure…

— Baratunde Thurston

When I look at what I'm doing today, I see [the] roots in my college life. I was the online editor of…

— Baratunde Thurston

Okay, well, if motion is the constant, how can I remain in motion?

— Baratunde Thurston

As far as hip-hop is concerned, I'm no expert and rarely think consciously about how I "represent" hip-hop.

— Baratunde Thurston

“We just start putting our ideas out there, yet how do we actually attack contemporary problems? We do what some of the…

— Baratunde Thurston

“If there are segregated plates of fruit, I suggest a four-to-one ratio of non-watermelon to watermelon. Look, they know you want it.…

— Baratunde Thurston

As I've submerged myself in news of the revolutions sweeping North Africa and the Middle East, I wanted desperately to feel part…

— Baratunde Thurston

There are so many ways to be and to be black at the same time, but we're finally seeing that full range…

— Baratunde Thurston

“Depending on your own background and life experiences, this may or may not be new to you, but after an eight-to-twelve-hour day,…

— Baratunde Thurston