Damon Young on celebrating black excellence

Damon Young considers being black in America like it’s an extreme sport. The cofounder of Very Smart Brothas and columnist for GQ stopped by the L.A. Times Studio at the Festival of Books to for a video interview about his latest book, “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker.” His book of essays explores the complexities of how people of color navigate a world obsessed with race, delving into Young’s personal history. At the Festival of Books, Young was part of the panel “Writing Across Genres: What It Means To Be Black in America,” with fellow panelists Rebecca Carroll, Morgan Parker and Nafissa Thompson-Spires.