Baratunde R. Thurston Quotes

#1. We just start putting our ideas out there, yet how do we actually attack contemporary problems? We do what some of the most successful American businesses do. We outsource and collaborate

Baratunde R. Thurston

#2. 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. YOU know you want it. So if you conspicuously avoid it, that's an admission right there: guilt by omission.

Baratunde R. Thurston

#3. There's no perk in being closed-minded as a minority. It's never, ever, ever going to help you, ever.

Baratunde R. Thurston

#4. We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

Baratunde R. Thurston

#5. I advise you to be suspicious of any black American whose family does not claim a blood connection to Native Americans. That's a clear sign of a racial infiltrator who has not done enough research.

Baratunde R. Thurston

#6. All other beer is ass, and I will not put in the the work to acquire the taste for things that taste like ass.

Baratunde R. Thurston

#7. You will be very visible in the company photo, also the website and any other marketing materials. There's no way to avoid it. The photo will only be scheduled when you are in the office, so don't try pretending to be sick. They'll wait for you.

Baratunde R. Thurston

#8. If you chose Option 2 [confrontation], you did well. People will be less likely to engage you in office small talk of any kind, but that's likely a benefit when you consider the fact that every ten minutes of office small talk takes one year off of your life.

Baratunde R. Thurston

#9. Throughout this book I will use the terms African-American, black, and Negro interchangeably. There is rarely a logic to it, so please try not to overthink it.

Baratunde R. Thurston

#10. The Black Friend can prevent misunderstandings from escalating into an all-out conflagration, and all black people benefit from these quiet acts of diplomacy, not just those who serve as Black Friends.

Baratunde R. Thurston

#11. Oh, I'm following President Obama on Twitter. I like my black history in 140 characters or less.

Baratunde R. Thurston