7 Podcasts About Race You Should Be Listening To
Hosted by empowered voices of our generation
I will never first handily understand the racial disparities in this country. As a white person, I will never understand what it’s like to live in a society where the systems put into place were done so to hold me down. I will never understand what it’s like to experience prejudice, oppression, and wild injustices all for the color of my skin.
However, I’ve been trying to use my lack of understanding as a motivation to be better. To learn more, to understand flaws not only within our society, but within myself, and to become the best antiracist and ally to the Black community that I can possibly be.
The first step in trying to understand today’s racial inequalities, both on the societal and individual level, is making sure Black voices and voices of experts are amplified. You can do this by reading books and articles written by Black writers and watching series and documentaries about the Black experience. Also, listening to conversations about race, personal stories, and statistics about racial inequality is another great way to empower Black voices. And hey, an extremely accessible way to do this is by listening to podcasts created and hosted by people within the Black community!
Black-owned and hosted Podcasts provide a window for activists, journalists, creatives, and just regular people within Black and POC communities to share their experiences. They’re platforms that allow these voices to be heard by millions of people globally. Through Podcasts, stories, research, opinions, and very important conversations are heard by people with open minds and open ears, which I think is a beautiful, beneficial, and extremely educational asset.
Education is a source of sustainable change, and sustainable change is exactly what we need.
Join the conversation and fight for what’s right. If not join, the least you can do is listen, and you can start with any of these podcasts, created and hosted by incredible Black and POC journalists, artists, activists, and writers. Listen along to hear important conversations and gain perspective from the voices that matter most.
All podcasts listed below are available on their respective websites, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Code Switch
Code Switch is one of the biggest podcasts right now and describes itself as the source of fearless conversations about race that you’ve been waiting for! An NPR podcast hosted by two journalists of color, Code Switch explores how race affects every part of our lives. Pop culture, politics, parenting, education, history, sports… you name it and they talk about it. They take pride in making everyone a part of the conversation since we’re all part of the story.
Episodes of Code Switch include, “Why Now, White People?” and, “What Does ‘Hood Feminism’ Mean For A Pandemic?”
Listen to it here: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch
1619
In August of 1619, a boat carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans reached the sandy shores of Virginia. What came after was 250 years of slavery and its lasting effects on American history and society, up until the present day. This is a long and complex story to tell, but thankfully, this New York Times audio series is here to tell it in six informational episodes. Hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, an investigative journalist and civil rights activist, 1619 examines how slavery has transformed America [by] connecting [the] past and present through the oldest form of storytelling.
Episodes of 1619 include, “The Fight for a True Democracy,” and, “The Economy That Slavery Built.”
Listen to it here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/podcasts/1619-podcast.html
Pod Save the People
DeRay Mckesson, one of the leading activists of our generation, is the host of Pod Save the People, a political podcast distributed by Crooked Media that explores cultural issues affecting people of color. Even better, he makes sure to cover topics that aren’t always mentioned in mainstream media. Co-hosted by fellow activists Brittany Packnett Cunningham and Sam Sinyangwe, the group explores news, culture, social justice, and politics through deep conversations with influencers and experts. I mean, they bring in some pretty awesome weekly guests, such as Nancy Pelosi and John Legend!
“It’s about creating space for conversation about the most important issues of the week. It is also about making sure people have the information they need to be the most thoughtful activists and organizers.” -Mckesson
Episodes of Pod Save the People include, “What Science Says About Police (With John Rappaport),” and, “Exploitation of a Crisis (With David Cole).”
Listen to it here: https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-people/
Mixed Company
Ever wonder how racial inequity is present in creative fields? How advertising and marketing handle (or don’t handle) Black representation? If yes, this is the podcast for you! Mixed Company is hosted by Simeon Coker and Kai Deveraux Lawson, both highly experienced creatives, advertisers, and activists for inclusivity within all creative industries. Mixed Company takes an unapologetic and critical look into the world of advertising through unpacking current issues and providing real solutions.
Episodes of Mixed Company include, “Black Lives Matter in Advertising,” and, “Pandering for Progress.”
Listen to it here: https://www.mixedcompanypodcast.com/
The Stoop
Hosted by two exceptional Black female journalists, The Stoop covers conversations and topics on race that aren’t always talked about. Leila Day and Hana Baba use this podcast to start conversations about Blackness and what it means to be Black. They describe the purpose of The Stoop as a celebration of Black joy with a mission to dig deeper into stories that we don’t hear enough about.
Episodes of The Stoop include, “Black, Queer and Free,” and, “My Child’s Hair.”
Listen to it here: http://www.thestoop.org/
Groundings
Always, but especially now, it’s crucial to take a seat, share experiences, and listen and learn together. In doing so, you’ll gain a new perspective, understanding, and appreciation for others. If that describes your mission, then you’ll enjoy listening to Groundings. This podcast, distributed by Simplecast, is described as a place where organizing, theory, and history come in contact with dialogue, experience, and storytelling. Hosted by Devyn Springer, a writer, editor, and artist, Groundings focuses on actively listening and using dialogue to educate individuals on the important topics of today.
Episodes of Groundings include, “The Revolution Can’t be Quarantined,” and, “The School to Prison Pipeline.”
Listen to it here: https://groundings.simplecast.com/episodes
Come through with Rebecca Carroll
This WNYC Studios podcast is your crash course into how race affects all aspects of our society. Centered around the importance of 2020 being an election year, Rebecca Carroll hosts 15 important conversations, covering the role of race in everything from media to jobs to healthcare. In these conversations, she talks to great thinkers, writers, and artists about faith, representation, white fragility, and how it’s all playing out in 2020. With Carroll’s series being only 15 episodes long, and each one being under an hour, this podcast is a condensed, accessible way to gain more perspective into what’s going on in the United States.
Episodes of Come Through with Rebecca Carroll include, “Walter Mosley Believes in Freedom of Speech. Period.” and, “Issa Rae Is Still Rooting for Everybody Black.”
Listen to it here: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/come-through/articles/2
