On Being with Krista Tippett

Baratunde Thurston — How to Be a Social Creative

Oct 12, 2023

Comedian, writer, and media entrepreneur Baratunde Thurston discusses his lifelong joy in the natural world and the importance of learning amidst cultural tangles. Topics include the exploration of spirituality, challenging stereotypes in outdoor spaces, the significance of his book 'How to Be Black' in race discussions, and the transformative power of collective action in being a citizen.

01:09:36

Creator website

Episode guests

Baratunde Thurston

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Being a citizen involves showing up, investing in relationships, understanding power, and valuing the collective.

Embracing differences in a generative, loving, and collaborative way helps foster a more inclusive society.

Love, justice, and healing are interconnected and contribute to building a thriving community.

Deep dives

The Four Pillars of Citizenship

To be a citizen is to show up, invest in relationships, understand power, and value the collective.

Introduction

2min

Spiritual Foundations and Varied Upbringing

16min

The Name 'Death Valley'

7min

Exploring Blackness and Changing the Narrative of Outdoor Spaces

3min

Uncovering Painful Issues and the Invitation of 'How to Be Black'

17min

How to Citizen: Moving Beyond Brokenness

22min

Introducing Baratunde Thurston and Acknowledging the On Being Project

3min

Baratunde Thurston is a comedian, writer, and media entrepreneur. He has eyes open to the contradictions, strangeness, and beauty of being human. He looks for learning happening even amidst our hardest cultural tangles. And he intertwines all of this, innovatively and searchingly, with his lifelong joy in the natural world.

The kaleidoscopic view of life and love and the world that is Baratunde's builds and builds in this conversation Krista had with him around the edges of the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival — towards an exuberant glimpse of how we can all be more fully human and socially creative.

Baratunde Thurston's latest adventure is hosting the fascinating PBS series America Outdoors. He's been Director of Digital at The Onion, produced The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and advised on digital strategy at The White House. He's a founding partner of the media start-up Puck, and creator and host of the podcast How To Citizen. He's the author of several books, including How To Be Black.

Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.

______

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.

On Being with Krista Tippett

Baratunde Thurston — How to Be a Social Creative

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Four Pillars of Citizenship

Embracing Exposure to Variety

The Intersection of Love, Justice, and Healing

The Power of Storytelling and Connection

The Importance of Collective Action

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts