
Code Switch
What's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for. Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor. We explore how race affects every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, food and everything in between. This podcast makes all of us part of the conversation — because we're all part of the story. Code Switch was named Apple Podcasts' first-ever Show of the Year in 2020.Want to level up your Code Switch game? Try Code Switch Plus. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks a sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/codeswitch
Latest episodes

Jul 27, 2022 • 24min
Meet B.A. Parker — our new co-host!
Fam: We finally have a new co-host of the Code Switch podcast! And we're just a *tiny bit* excited. So today on the show, we're introducing you to B.A. Parker. Gene chats with Parker about who she is, what drew her to the race beat, and how her encyclopedic knowledge of Oscars trivia will be an asset to Code Switch listeners.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jul 20, 2022 • 38min
Who belongs in the Cherokee Nation?
In 1866, the Cherokee Nation promised citizenship for Black "freedmen" and their descendants. But more than a century later, the descendants of the freedman are calling foul on that promise being fulfilled. This episode, from our friends at The Experiment podcast (produced by WNYC and the Atlantic) gets into the messy history and fraught present.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jul 15, 2022 • 50min
School Colors Episode 9: "Water Under The Bridge"
Over the course of this season, we've explored a rich history and complicated present, but what about the future? In the final episode, we catch up with parents who became activated on both sides of the debate over the diversity plan. And, since the diversity plan never came to fruition, we ask...what now?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jul 13, 2022 • 39min
Code Switch's playlist for a summer road trip
This week, we're talking about the podcasts that podcasters listen to. These are the shows that members of the Code Switch team cannot tear our ears away from. We think they'd be great for a long car ride, plane ride, or just regular day of vegging out. They get into everything from old people to food to the human body to Oprah. And — surprise, surprise — they all have a whole lot to do with race and identity.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jul 8, 2022 • 28min
School Colors Bonus: "Ms. Mitchell's Pandemic Diary"
Pat Mitchell is the longtime principal of P.S. 48 – an elementary school in Jamaica, Queens. And while she cares deeply about her students and her work, she has struggled with the growing challenges faced by her school community. In this bonus episode, we look at the pandemic through the eyes of one elementary school principal, and how Covid-19 rocked education in the district – especially on the Southside.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

4 snips
Jul 6, 2022 • 57min
'Wherever you go, there you are'
Many immigrants have described the feeling of being different people in different places. Maybe in one country, you're a little goofy, a little wild. In another, you're more serious — more of a planner. In this episode, which originally aired on Latino USA, Miguel Macias explores how his identity has been shaped by both Spain and the United States, leaving him in a state of limbo.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jul 1, 2022 • 1h 1min
School Colors Episode 8: "The Only Way Out"
When the District 28 diversity planning process came around, many Chinese parents had already been activated a year earlier by the fight to defend the Specialized High School Admissions Test.In this episode, we ask why gifted education gets so much attention, even though it affects relatively few students. How do we even define what it means to be "gifted"? And by focusing on these programs, whose needs do we overlook?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jun 29, 2022 • 35min
No Man's Land
Tens of thousands of children were adopted from other countries by parents in the U.S., only to discover as adults a quirk in federal law that meant they had never been guaranteed American citizenship. Much like the Dreamers, these adoptees are now fighting for legal status to ensure they can stay with the only homes and families they've ever known.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jun 24, 2022 • 59min
School Colors Episode 7: "The Sleeping Giant"
In some ways, this entire season was prompted by the parents who organized against diversity planning in School District 28. So in this episode, we're going back to that one ugly meeting, where they unleashed their fear and anger into the rest of the community. So who are these parents, what do they believe and why? Moreover, why were they ready to fight so hard against a plan that didn't exist?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jun 19, 2022 • 33min
On Food, Mattress Sales, and Juneteenth
It's the second year that Juneteenth has been a federal holiday — which means it's getting the full summer holiday treatment: sales on appliances, branded merchandise, and for some, a day off of work. But on this episode, we're talking about the origin of the holiday — and the traditions that keep its history alive for Black folks around the country.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy