Comedian Brian Copeland visits Google’s Mountain View, CA headquarters to discuss his books “Not a Genuine Black Man: Or, How I Claimed My Piece of Ground in the Lily-White Suburbs.” This event took place on June 23, 2008, as part of the Authors@Google series.
Based on the longest-running one-man show in San Francisco history, Not a Genuine Black Man is a hilarious, poignant, and disarming memoir of growing up black in an all-white suburb. In 1972, when Brian Copeland was eight, his family moved from Oakland to San Leandro, California, hoping for a better life. At the time, San Leandro was 99.4 percent white, known nationwide as a racist enclave. This reputation was confirmed almost immediately: Brian got his first look at the inside of a cop car, for being a black kid walking to the park with a baseball bat. Brian grew up to be a successful comedian and radio talk show host, but racism reemerged as an issue — only in reverse — when he received an anonymous letter: “As an African American, I am disgusted every time I hear your voice because YOU are not a genuine Black man!” That letter inspired Copeland to revisit his difficult childhood, resulting in a hit one-man show that has now inspired a book.
Brian Copeland (http://www.briancopeland.com/) is a comedian whose KGO radio program is the most popular in its time slot. Not a Genuine Black Man is currently in development as an HBO series. Copeland lives in San Leandro, California.
Comedian Brian Copeland visits Google’s Mountain View, CA headquarters to discuss his books “Not a Genuine Black Man: Or, How I Claimed My Piece of Ground in the Lily-White Suburbs.” This event took place on June 23, 2008, as part of the Authors@Google series.
Based on the longest-running one-man show in San Francisco history, Not a Genuine Black Man is a hilarious, poignant, and disarming memoir of growing up black in an all-white suburb. In 1972, when Brian Copeland was eight, his family moved from Oakland to San Leandro, California, hoping for a better life. At the time, San Leandro was 99.4 percent white, known nationwide as a racist enclave. This reputation was confirmed almost immediately: Brian got his first look at the inside of a cop car, for being a black kid walking to the park with a baseball bat. Brian grew up to be a successful comedian and radio talk show host, but racism reemerged as an issue — only in reverse — when he received an anonymous letter: “As an African American, I am disgusted every time I hear your voice because YOU are not a genuine Black man!” That letter inspired Copeland to revisit his difficult childhood, resulting in a hit one-man show that has now inspired a book.
Brian Copeland (http://www.briancopeland.com/) is a comedian whose KGO radio program is the most popular in its time slot. Not a Genuine Black Man is currently in development as an HBO series. Copeland lives in San Leandro, California.
