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
Feb 17, 2021 • 1h 4min
Becoming 'Black Moses'
Marcus Garvey was an immigrant, a firebrand, a businessman. He was viewed with deep suspicion by the civil rights establishment. He would also become one of the most famous and powerful Black visionaries of the 20th century. Our play-cousins at NPR's Throughline podcast went deep on how he became the towering (and often misunderstood) figure that he is.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Feb 10, 2021 • 27min
Black Kiss-tory
Too often, Black history is portrayed as a story of struggle and suffering, completely devoid of joy. So we called up some romance novelists whose work focuses on Black history. They told us that no matter how hard the times, there has always been room for love.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Feb 3, 2021 • 37min
Who's 'Black Enough' For Reparations?
Black History Month is here, which means we're diving into big, sticky questions about what exactly it means to be Black. So this week on the show: Who is 'Black enough' for reparations? Because you know...we got some bills to pay.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Jan 27, 2021 • 20min
Stepping Out Of The Shadow Of 'Killer King'
For decades, residents of Compton and Watts in South Los Angeles had to rely on one particularly troubled hospital for their medical care. A new state-of-the-art hospital replaced it, but faced many of the same challenges: too few beds, too many patients who need serious help, not enough money. Then came the coronavirus.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Jan 20, 2021 • 30min
The Last Four Years
The Trump administration is coming to a close, but which elements of the Trump era are here to stay? We spoke to NPR's White House reporter, Ayesha Rascoe, about where we were when Donald Trump took office — and what he's left behind.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Jan 13, 2021 • 31min
From The Fringe To The Capitol
Like all of you, we are still trying to make sense of Wednesday, January 6, 2021. Because even after the past four years, there are still new iterations of WTF. So on this episode, we're talking police, "terrorism", and the symbols of white nationalism that made it to the floor of the Capitol.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Jan 6, 2021 • 30min
Finding 'A Perfect Match'
Two close friends both suffered from the same aggressive form of cancer. After years of treatment, one lived and the other died. And while many variables factored into what happened, the woman who survived — reporter Ibby Caputo — couldn't help wondering what role race had played in the outcome.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Dec 30, 2020 • 46min
The Fire Still Burning
If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that history informs every aspect of our present. So today we're bringing you an episode of NPR's history podcast, Throughline. It gets into some of the most urgent lessons we can learn from James Baldwin, whose life and writing illuminate so much about what it would really mean for the United States to reckon with its race problem.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Dec 28, 2020 • 16min
From Generation To Generation
This month on Code Switch, we're thinking a lot about family and history. So we wanted to bring you this special episode from our friends at NPR's It's Been A Minute podcast, where producer Andrea Gutierrez tells the story of how her father was involved in the Chicano Moratorium of 1970 — and what that taught her and her sister about their identities.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Dec 23, 2020 • 40min
Family Stories, Family Lies
December is a month when a lot of people are thinking about family and tradition. Reliving memories. Retelling old stories. Each year, those stories get passed down — sometimes with new details, or a different twist. And eventually, many of those stories have nothing to do with what actually happened. This week, we're looking into one such story: the truth, and the lies of it.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
