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

D.L. Hughley’s How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice From White People is a satirical hoot. Hughley explores typical comments from white Americans about recent cases of police shootings against black people. In Hughley’s own words, “we’re trying to have a little comedy with tragedy.”

I recommend this book to anyone who can handle sarcasm about serious subjects. I believe Hughley’s goal is to shed light on his perceived hypocrisy of our country. A person willing to explore his or her thoughts, ideas, and unconscious biases will be able to handle this book. Fans of Hughley will not be disappointed either.

I enjoyed the book and highly recommend that anyone who does not understand why many black Americans are so disgruntled read it. Hughley discusses the stereotypes that black Americans contend with daily. He details how black people should carry themselves, how they should dress, what kind of music they should listen to, and what kind of car they should drive so not to draw attention or make other races uncomfortable. He says that black people shouldn’t break laws “not speeding, not a broken taillight, not even the law of attraction.”

On a serious note, Hughley lists and discusses cases where black Americans who had not broken laws, but were still shot—Tamir Rice, John Crawford, Akai Gurley.

In all, the book is a bittersweet collect of jokes and stories that I thoroughly enjoyed.