Baratunde Thurston

Baratunde Thurston, an Emmy-nominated host, writer, and comedian, began his acclaimed literary career with the publication of ‘Better than Crying’ in 2004, followed by ‘Keep Jerry Falwell Away from My Oreo Cookies’ in 2005, and ‘Thank You Congressional Pages (For Being So Damn Sexy!)’ in 2006. In 2006, he co-founded the black political blog Jack & Jill Politics, whose impactful coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention was archived in the Library of Congress. From 2007 to May 2012, Thurston further established his media presence as the Director of Digital for the satirical news organization The Onion. During his tenure at The Onion, Thurston expanded his media presence by hosting ‘Popular Science’s Future Of’ television show on the Science Channel from 2009 to 2010.

His strategic insights were also tapped by the academic world when he joined the MIT Media Lab as a director’s fellow in January 2012. In August 2015, Thurston transitioned to television production, accepting the role of supervising producer for ‘The Daily Show with Trevor Noah’, overseeing original digital content and earning an Emmy nomination for his work. Continuing to innovate across platforms, Thurston launched his podcast, ‘We’re Having A Moment’, in June 2020, offering his unique perspective on current events. His latest endeavor saw him return to television as the host of the acclaimed six-part travelogue series ‘America Outdoors’, which premiered on PBS in July 2022, further showcasing his versatility as a storyteller and guide for audiences across topics of race, technology, democracy, and climate.