Code Switch
NPR
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
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 21, 2021 • 31min
A Utopia For Black Capitalism
Floyd McKissick, one of the major leaders of the civil rights movement, had an audacious, lifelong dream. He wanted to build a city — from scratch — that would create economic opportunities for Black people and be sustained by the wealth they created. It was called Soul City. And although it's been largely forgotten, he almost pulled it off.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Apr 14, 2021 • 31min
Do The Golden Arches Bend Toward Justice?
Calls for racial justice are met with a lot of different proposals, but one of the loudest and most enduring is to invest in Black businesses. But can "buying Black" actually do anything to mitigate racism? To find out, we're taking a look at the surprising link between Black capitalism and McDonald's.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Apr 7, 2021 • 24min
Spit A Verse, Drop Some Knowledge
We've spent the past year trying to analyze, dissect and intellectualize all the ways that our world has changed. But sometimes the best way to understand our circumstances isn't through data and reports — it's through art and poetry. So this week, we're hearing from some of the country's most critical observers: poets.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Mar 31, 2021 • 33min
Why Are We Here?
Filipinos make up a small fraction of the nurses in the United States, but almost a third of the nurses who have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. have been of Filipino descent. So what exactly is going on? Our friends over at The Atlantic and WNYC tried to understand more about this troubling statistic by telling the story of one woman: Rosary Castro-Olega.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Mar 24, 2021 • 33min
Screams And Silence
Asian American organizers and influencers have been trying to sound the alarm over a dramatic spike in reports of anti-Asian racism over the last year, and have been frustrated by the lack of media and public attention paid to their worries. Then came last week, when a deadly shooting spree in Georgia realized many of their worst fears and thrust the issue into the national spotlight.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Mar 17, 2021 • 32min
Lonnie Bunch And The 'Museum Of No'
The Blacksonian — er, the National Museum of African American History and Culture — was years and years in the making. It's closed down because of the coronavirus, but we got a virtual tour from the man who devoted his life to giving it life. He's also the first Black leader of the entire Smithsonian Institution. Baller status.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Mar 10, 2021 • 34min
Saving A Language You're Learning To Speak
Every two weeks, a language dies with its last speaker. That was almost the fate of the Hawaiian language — until a group of young people decided to create a strong community of Hawaiian speakers — as they were learning to speak it them themselves.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Mar 3, 2021 • 41min
David (Pronounced dah-VEED) Versus Goliath
Summer, 2004. The Olympics in Athens. The event? Men's basketball: U.S. versus Puerto Rico. And the whole world knows that Puerto Rico doesn't stand a chance. After all, the bigger, richer, imperial power always wins — right?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Feb 26, 2021 • 29min
'Payback's A B****'
We're ending Black history month where we started it...talking about reparations. On this episode, we're joined by Erika Alexander and Whitney Dow, who have spent the past two years exploring how reparations could transform the United States — and all the struggles and possibilities that go along with that.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Feb 24, 2021 • 26min
A Shot In The Dark
As the rollout of coronavirus vaccines unfolds, one big challenge for public health officials has been the skepticism many Black people have toward the vaccine. One notorious medical study — the Tuskegee experiment — has been cited as a reason. But should it be?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
