Email From Baratunde

Issue 92,227

Previously, on Email From Baratunde:

“I’m looking for a few good white people to share interactions you’ve had with friends, colleagues, and relatives who expressed racist or racist-leaning ideas.”
- November 2017 Email Dispatch

Thanks to everyone who shared your personal, challenging, and often hilarious stories of racial conversations. You helped us produce a television pilot, and as these things often go, the door with our first network partner has closed, but we’re banging on all the other doors to bring this thing to life.

Good news is you don’t have to wait for “Hollywood” to “get its shit together.” You can see me hosting a live show this Thursday night called In Your Face NYC.

Meanwhile, I could use your help regardless of where you are on Thursday. I’m updating how I communicate with fans, supporters, stalkers, and unregistered foreign agents. Many of you complain about missing my performances or writings or activism. So, two things:

Help me test a text message service that will let me reach into your pockets and purses with relevant alerts and let you text me back. Be among the first to join. Send a text to +1 (202) 902-7949 with #listatunde in the message.
Complete my survey! I want to know what you want to know, how you’d like to be contacted or connect with me, and what you had for breakfast. Please fill it out.

Things Others Have Done

There is no “right way” to grieve, but this dance piece by my friend Suzanne Guillette may help you with the process whether it’s over a fallen servicemember, a relative, or a democracy.
If you’re concerned about artificial intelligence (Hi there, future overlords. You’re the best!), this audio by SXSW Sensei Bruce Sterling is for you. He imagines amazing and horrible consequences.
After you read this Boston Globe 2018 Pulitzer Finalist series on racism in Boston, you realize why everyone who says “I love Boston!” tends to be white.
U.S. teachers have been standing up for better wages, supporting their students’ gun safety activism, and winning elections. You cling to these stories because you need some good news unrelated to presidential porn sex, and you find one tale of one teacher who who seems to represent the best of the field.
Being a words fan, you decide to buy all these books because you trust me: The Girl Who Smiled Beads, by Clemantine Wamariya; The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker; Well That Escalated Quickly, by Franchesca Ramsey; Brothers of the Gun: A Memoir of the Syrian War, by Marwan Hisham and Molly Crabapple.
You like balance and decide to close this section as you began, with video of a solo performance. This time it’s Aja Monet delivering her poem, “Say Her Name."

Things I Have Done

Told the story of a neighbor and mentor from my childhood named James West. He was the first black man I saw seemingly living freely, and he taught me beautiful lessons by his example.
Appeared alongside several activists in a set of videos about the U.S.’s unfair bail system which is biased heavily against poor people. Congratulations to rich people like Harvey Weinstein who get to go home after their staged arrests. Would that everyone received justice like that.
Was appointed by NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio as a member of the board of trustees of the Brooklyn Public Library! Free books on me!

Things I Have Yet To Do

Egyptian TV host and satirist Bassem Youssef has moved to the United States! I’m a guest on his podcast called ReMade In America. Subscribe. Retweet. It’s great.

June 27 in NYC: I’ll be doing a Reddit-style Ask Me Anything live at Grand Central Tech. Tickets here.

I’m building a one hour comedic storytelling show and will be testing it all summer. Keep your eyes on baratunde.com/events or send a text to +1 (202) 902-7949 (with #listatunde in the message) to join my SMS list. I’ll alert you to shows in your area, or we can just send emoji to one another!

This is the End of the Email. I Love Some of You. 👊🏾

EOF AF

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