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
Oct 21, 2020 • 35min
Is Trump Really That Racist?
We know his rhetoric has been described as boundary breaking when it comes to race. But U.S. presidents have been enacting racist policies forever. So as President Trump wraps up his first (and maybe only) term in office, we're asking: In terms of racism, how does he stack up to others when it comes to both words and deeds?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Oct 14, 2020 • 41min
Let's Talk About Kamala Harris
The VP candidate's biography and heritage allow people to project all kinds of ideas onto her, and to see what they want to see. But Kamala Harris's identity is a very important lens into not just her own politics, but also Black politics around crime and punishment more broadly.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Oct 9, 2020 • 59min
Hip-Hop, Mass Incarceration, And A Conspiracy Theory For The Ages
Why are hip-hop and mass incarceration so entangled in the U.S.? That's the question that our play cousins at NPR Music, Sidney Madden and Rodney Carmichael, set out to answer on their brand new podcast, Louder Than a Riot.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Oct 7, 2020 • 26min
A Treaty Right For Cherokee Representation
On this week's episode of Code Switch, we talk about the relevance of a 200 year old treaty — one that most Americans don't know that much about, but should. It's a treaty that led to the Trail of Tears, but also secured a tenuous promise.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Oct 3, 2020 • 19min
A New Look For The Fashion Industry?
Fall is the time for glossy fashion magazines, full of dazzling looks and the seasons hottest looks. But this year, we noticed something unusual: The covers of a bunch of major magazines fashion magazines featured Black folks. So we called up fashion critic Robin Givhan to talk about fashion's racial reckoning...and how long before it goes out of style.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Sep 30, 2020 • 37min
Is It Time To Say R.I.P. To 'POC'?
Suffice it to say, we use the term "POC" a lot on Code Switch. But critiques of the initialism — and the popularization of the term "BIPOC" — caused us to ask: Should we retire POC? Or is there use in it yet?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Sep 23, 2020 • 37min
Battle Of The Books
The Code Switch team has been mired in a months-long debate that we're attempting to settle once and for all: What kind of books are best to read during this pandemic? Books that connect you to our current reality? Or ones that help you escape it?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Sep 16, 2020 • 36min
The Protests Heard 'Round The World
How did a police killing in Minneapolis lead people thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean to pull down the statue of a slave trader who's been dead for nearly three centuries? On this episode, we're going to the city of Bristol to tell the surprising story.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Sep 9, 2020 • 33min
The Kids Are All Right
Adults often find it really hard to talk about race. But kids? Maybe not so much. NPR received more than 2,000 entries in this year's Student Podcast Challenge, and we heard from young people all over the country about how they're thinking about race and identity in these trying times.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Sep 2, 2020 • 33min
Balls And Strikes
Matilda Crawford. Sallie Bell. Carrie Jones. Dora Jones. Orphelia Turner. Sarah A. Collier. In 1881, these six Black women brought the city of Atlanta to a complete standstill by going on strike. The strategies they used in their fight for better working conditions have implications for future generations of organizers — and resonances with the professional sports strikes happening today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
