How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice from White People

by D. L. Hughley, Doug Moe

Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS FINALIST

"Hilarious yet soul-shaking." —Black Enterprise

The fearless comedy legend—one of the “Original Kings of Comedy”—hilariously breaks down the wisdom of white people, advice that has been killing black folks in America for four hundred years and counting.

200 years ago, white people told black folks, “‘I suggest you pick the cotton if you don’t like getting whipped.” Today, it’s “comply with police orders if you don’t want to get shot.” Now comedian/activist D. L. Hughley–one the Original Kings of Comedy–confronts and remixes white people’s “advice” in this “hilarious examination of the current state of race relations in the United States” (Publishers Weekly).

In America, a black man is three times more likely to be killed in encounters with police than a white guy. If only he hadcomplied with the cop, he might be alive today, pundits say in the aftermath of the latest shooting of an unarmed black man. Or, Maybe he shouldn’t have worn that hoodie … or, moved moreslowly … not been out so late … Wait, why are black peopleallowed to drive, anyway?

This isn’t a new phenomenon. White people have been giving “advice” to black folks for as long as anyone can remember, telling them how to pick cotton, where to sit on a bus, what neighborhood to live in, when they can vote, and how to wear our pants. Despite centuries of whites’ advice, it seems black people still aren’t listening, and the results are tragic.

Now, at last, activist, comedian, and New York Times bestselling author D. L. Hughley offers How Notto Get Shot, an illustrated how-to guide for black people, full of insight from white people, translated by one of the funniest black dudes on the planet. In these pages you will learn how to act, dress, speak, walk, and drive in the safest manner possible. You also will finally understand the white mind. It is a book that can save lives. Or at least laugh through the pain.

Black people: Are you ready to not get shot! White people: Do you want to learn how to help the cause? Let’s go!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062698551
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/26/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	271
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

D.L. Hughley is one of “The Original Kings of Comedy.” He hosts the national radio program The D.L. Hughley Show, which is syndicated in more than sixty markets. His comedy specials have appeared on HBO, Netflix, Comedy Central, and Showtime. His satirical documentary special, DL Hughley: The Endangered List, received the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. He created and starred in the ABC sitcom The Hughleys. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers How Not to Get Shot and Black Man, White House. How Not to Get Shot was selected as a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards and the Audie Awards. D.L. lives with his family in Los Angeles, California.

Doug Moe is the co-author of two books for D.L. Hughley: “Surrender, White People!: Our Unconditional Terms for Peace” and the New York Times Bestseller “How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice From White People” (“A satirical but apt addition to the culture’s fraught conversation about race.” - New York Times Book Review).  His book “Man Vs Child: One Dad’s Guide to the Weirdness of Parenting” was named one of Amazon’s Best Humor Books of 2017.  He’s a longtime performer and instructor at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. On TV, you've maybe seen me in "Inside Amy Schumer," "30 Rock" or "Difficult People," among other places. 

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I How Not to Get Shot by the Police 17

1 Comply with Police Orders 19

2 Don't Talk Back 29

3 Don't Break the Law! 39

4 You Have to Understand: Cops Are Scared 51

5 Do Be an Angel 61

6 Don't Drive like a Suspect 73

7 If You Do Get Shot, Don't Rush to Judgment 81

8 The Real Way to Not Get Shot by the Police 93

Part II How to Look 97

9 Don't Match the Description 99

10 How to Dress Less Threatening 115

11 Don't Have Gang Tattoos 123

12 How to Do Your Hair 127

Part III How to Act 135

13 How to Be Nice and Quiet 137

14 What Kind of Music Should You Listen To? 141

15 Stop Making White People Say the N-Word 155

16 How to Not Come from a Single-Parent Household 163

17 What to Name Your Kids 167

18 How to Get a Job 177

19 Stop Taking Handouts 185

20 How to Move into a White Neighborhood 193

Part IV Understanding White People 201

21 What Kind of Black People Do White People Like? 203

22 Your Bill of Rights 209

23 "I'm Not Racist, I Have Black Friends" 215

24 How to Not Be a Reverse Racist 219

25 How to Not Play the Race Card 235

26 End White-on-White Crime! 243

27 How to Make White Food 245

Part V Tidbits of Advice for White People from Black People 249

28 It's Hard Being White, but Try to Make Do 251

29 Pay Attention to Signs 255

Epilogue 259

Acknowledgments 261

Editorial Reviews

07/02/2018
Comedian Hughley (Black Man, White House) pulls no punches in this caustic, maddening, and hilarious examination of the current state of race relations in the United States. Hughley observes how often black people are killed by police in the U.S. and pairs the often sanctimonious advice from clueless white people on ways to avoid such a fate (e.g., don’t break the law, don’t dress like a thug) with equally ridiculous advice from African-Americans (e.g., always drive with a white male friend, only wear khakis and a polo shirt). It’s an effective way to highlight not only police brutality against African-Americans but also the casual racism of those who remain indifferent to or dismissive of the problem. Hughley is frequently funny in these pages, but he’s not playing solely for laughs—in addition to lists of “ ‘black names’ with white alternatives” (Jada correlates to Kellyanne Conway), he debunks myths and misleading statistics about single-parent households in black communities and the effectiveness of body cameras at reducing police violence. Hughley’s well-honed humor is filled with uncomfortable truths. (June)

Publishers Weekly

A satirical but apt addition to the culture’s fraught conversation about race.” — New York Times Book Review, “New & Noteworthy”

“In his hilarious yet soul-shaking truth-telling book, Hughley touches on politics, race, and life as a black American as only he can.” — Black Enterprise, A “MUST-READ BOOK FOR 2019”

“Hilarious. … It might be the most important book you buy this year.” — Philadelphia Tribune

“Hughley pulls no punches in this caustic, maddening, and hilarious examination of the current state of race relations in the United States.” — Publishers Weekly

“A biting satire about racism. ... A sharp-tongued truth-teller.” — Huffington Post

“Legendary comedian DL Hughley’s provocative commentary on race and police brutality.” — GQ

From the Publisher

A biting satire about racism. ... A sharp-tongued truth-teller.

Huffington Post

In his hilarious yet soul-shaking truth-telling book, Hughley touches on politics, race, and life as a black American as only he can.

Black Enterprise

Hilarious. … It might be the most important book you buy this year.

Philadelphia Tribune

Legendary comedian DL Hughley’s provocative commentary on race and police brutality.

GQ

A satirical but apt addition to the culture’s fraught conversation about race.

New York Times Book Review