Sure, I'll Be Your Black Friend: Notes From the Other Side of the Fist Bump

by Ben Philippe Narrated by James Fouhey

Overview

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a good white person of liberal leanings must be in want of a Black friend.

In the biting, hilarious vein of*What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker*and*We Are Never Meeting in Real Life*comes Ben Philippe's candid memoir-in-essays, chronicling a lifetime of being the Black friend (see also: foreign kid, boyfriend, coworker, student, teacher, roommate, enemy) in predominantly white spaces.**

In an era in which “I have many black friends” is often a medal of Wokeness, Ben hilariously chronicles the experience of being on the receiving end of those fist bumps. He takes us through his immigrant childhood, from wanting nothing more than friends to sit with at lunch, to his awkward teenage years, to college in the age of Obama, and adulthood in the Trump administration-two sides of the same American coin.

Ben takes his role as your new black friend seriously, providing original and borrowed wisdom on stereotypes, slurs, the whole “swimming thing,” how much Beyoncé is too much Beyoncé, Black Girl Magic, the rise of the Karens, affirmative action, the Black Lives Matter movement, and other conversations you might want to have with your new BBFF.

Oscillating between the impulse to be ""one of the good ones"" and the occasional need to excuse himself to the restrooms, stuff his mouth with toilet paper, and scream, Ben navigates his own Blackness as an ""Oreo"" with too many opinions for his father's liking, an encyclopedic knowledge of CW teen dramas, and a mouth he can't always control.

*From cheating his way out of swim tests to discovering stray family members in unlikely places, he finds the punchline in the serious while acknowledging the blunt truths of existing as a Black man in today's world.

Extremely timely,*Sure, I'll Be Your Black Friend*is a conversational take on topics both light and heavy, universal and deeply personal, which reveals incisive truths about the need for connection in all of us.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Editorial Reviews

MAY 2021 - AudioFile

James Fouhey narrates this witty, perceptive collection of essays from writer and professor Ben Philippe, who was born in Haiti, was raised in Montreal, and currently resides in New York City. Philippe's conversational memoir discusses his experiences in diverse cultures navigating cultural divides. Speaking to white audiences as their new Black friend—or boyfriend, student, son, or colleague—Fouhey and Philippe combine humor and honesty, addressing larger issues through the lens of individually lived experiences. In doing so, they confront listeners with painful truths and crucial conversations on race in America. While memoirs are frequently read by their authors, Fouhey’s wry, direct tones are a perfect match for Philippe's style. His impassioned delivery adds to the power of this collection. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

MAY 2021 - AudioFile

James Fouhey narrates this witty, perceptive collection of essays from writer and professor Ben Philippe, who was born in Haiti, was raised in Montreal, and currently resides in New York City. Philippe's conversational memoir discusses his experiences in diverse cultures navigating cultural divides. Speaking to white audiences as their new Black friend—or boyfriend, student, son, or colleague—Fouhey and Philippe combine humor and honesty, addressing larger issues through the lens of individually lived experiences. In doing so, they confront listeners with painful truths and crucial conversations on race in America. While memoirs are frequently read by their authors, Fouhey’s wry, direct tones are a perfect match for Philippe's style. His impassioned delivery adds to the power of this collection. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940177221298
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/27/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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