Sure, I'll Be Your Black Friend

Notes from the Other Side of the Fist Bump

By: Ben Philippe

Narrated by: James Fouhey

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.

©2021 Ben Philippe (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Meh, funny but aggressive

NY attitude both funny and aggressive. Something to ponder, not entirely lighthearted. Sometimes outwardly angry.

Great read!

This was a great read. Only lost one star for me personally as towards the end it was not grabbing as much for me. However, I was able to come back and get recaught with the story. This is just my experience, but would still recommend this book to anyone!

Simply amazing

This book touched me in ways the author both will never know and somehow knows all too well. Being black in the US, and not the stereotypically black person, it had me in emotional tears from the second chapter. It was a tough read, only because of how much truth hit home, some I knew and some I didn't realize.

Entertaining, funny

My 3 star review may just reflect that my expectations were a little high. As a white adoptive father of a black boy, I look for ways to understand what the world looks like in his eyes. This was very entertaining - the author is really funny and sarcastic. I will say the section where he talks about people wanting to "rub his head" hit home for me (when traveling through Chengdu, China, the locals snuck up behind my then 6 year old rubbing his head and laughing - I had to "block them out" to keep it from continuing).

It mostly was about his life - in some ways about his relationships that had little to do with race. Towards the end (along with a section at the beginning) it got a little more pointed, and I guess I was hoping for more of that. I would also say that his frustration and anger were very evident throughout the book. I do think he underestimates people in general, but he was very likeable (to me) and genuine.

I do wish every audible had a narrator like this - his performance was excellent.

Fun Very Real Stories

The book was easy to listen to with Ben's personal stories humor, hurt, and history.

Misleading Title

The book content is not even close to the title sure I'll be your black friend. The book is mostly about Ben's experiences experiences living in a mostly white connected world. It barely touches on an interracial friendship relationship. Neither from how to be a black friend to a white person or how to be a white friend to a black person.

A black older Canadian point of view

The book had a promising premise, and the story was quite relatable. However, the plot was straightforward and lacked novelty. The book seemed to be written for an audience during the Black Lives Matter movement and the Trump presidency, which is understandable. While the book was entertaining in some ways, it was also quite personal at times. Overall, it was a good read.

Not for Me

I found the story had a rather obnoxious tone and style. I only completed it because it was on Audiobook. I quickly lost interest. It was disappointing.