Baratunde Thurston is an Emmy-nominated, multi-platform storyteller and producer operating at the intersection of race, tech, democracy, and climate. He is the host of the PBS television series America Outdoors, which will soon begin shooting its second season. Baratunde is the creator and host of How To Citizen with Baratunde which Apple named one of its favorite podcasts of 2020. He is a founding partner of the new media startup Puck.
Baratunde has previously worked for The Onion, produced for The Daily Show, advised the Obama White House, and cleaned bathrooms to pay for his Harvard education. His comedic memoir, How To Be Black, is a New York Times best-seller. He’s the creator and host of Live On Lockdown, an interactive, entertaining, and informative show made for the pandemic. He’s also hosted the iHeartMedia podcast Spit.
In 2019, Baratunde delivered what MSNBC’s Brian Williams called “one of the greatest TED talks of all time.” Baratunde serves on the boards of BUILD and the Brooklyn Public Library, and lives in Los Angeles, California.
