If recent events have taught us anything, it's that many more people need to listen to the personal accounts and experiences of minorities and challenge their assertations and thoughts about race, racism, and racial issues. Action needs to be taken by everyone to ensure that racial inequality finally becomes a thing of the past — and believe it or not, listening to podcasts is a great way to challenge yourself on your opinions on race and listen to the voices of those who are marginalized.
There are a ton of great podcasts that dive into race, racism, and racial issues across all aspects of society. Pop culture, politics, criminal justice, marketing, and anything else you can imagine are problematic in various areas when it comes to racial equality, and we all need to take time to break it down and understand the issues. Here are some podcasts you can listen to about race, racism, and racial issues to gain a better understanding of the issues of how they affect people.
Intersectionality Matters!
You may have heard the word intersectionality before, but because it's become a sort of buzz word, lots of people get the real meaning of intersectionality confused. Intersectionality Matters! is hosted by lawyer and civil rights advocate, Kimberlé Crenshaw, who is the leading scholar on intersectionally, and the podcast focuses on what intersectionality looks like in practice.
"Coronavirus did not create the stark social, financial, and political inequalities that define life for so many Americans, but it has made them more strikingly visible than any moment in recent history."
The show is produced by the African American Policy Forum (AAPF). It is currently in the middle of a series called Under The Blacklight, which has been exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected marginalized communities and plenty of other topics such as voter suppression, state violence, and more.
Code Switch
Hosted by NPR journalists Shereen Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby, Code Switch takes a look at racism and other racial issues from a broad lens that encompasses, politics, pop culture, sports, and more.
"The last few weeks have been filled with devastating news — stories about the police killing black people. At this point, these calamities feel familiar — so familiar, in fact, that their details have begun to echo each other."
Recently, the podcast has focused on the specific issues going on right now including the current protests, and the COVID-19 pandemic has presented. Sadly, it shows in plain terms how police brutality has been a prevalent problem for many decades.
About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge
From the author of the bestselling book Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race comes a nine-part podcast series that breaks down race and racism in the UK from the context empire and colonialism.
"Featuring key voices from the last few decades of anti-racist activism, About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge looks at the recent history that lead to the politics of today."
The last episode of About Race is particularly poignant as it tries to tackle the question, "What can I do as a white person to help?" — a question that is problematic, complicated, and asked a lot.
The Diversity Gap
Hosted by Bethaney Wilkinson, The Diversity Gap shines a light on the gap between good intentions and positive impact as it relates to diversity, inclusion, and equality. She speaks to a wide variety of guests including, authors, creatives, activist leaders, and more to look at what positive impacts have been and can still be made in various sectors of our society.
"Yai Vargas is a multicultural marketing and communications expert Yai's extensive corporate and agency experience in diversity, public relations, and multicultural communications have allowed her to add tremendous value to the automotive, sports, non-profit, health and financial services sectors.
The most recent episode is a conversation with Yai Vargas about how marketing and communications can create and facilitate better diversity in our society.
Pod Save the People
Activist DeRay Mckesson is the main host of Pod Save the People which explores racial issues in America by dissecting the news and politics. Often joined by other activists like Brittany Packnett, Sam Sinyangwe, and Dr. Clint Smith III, listen as they discuss current issues that are happening right now, and how they feel and what they have experienced.
"DeRay sits down with Justine Barron and Amelia McDonell-Parry, who have been researching the death and cover-up of Freddie Gray, which just hit a five-year anniversary."
On top of all that, DeRay often spends part of the episode talking to different experts about specific issues. These guests range from State Senators, lawyers, local community leaders, and so many more people who are on the front line of specific racial issues.
Justice in America
Hosted by Josie Duffy Rice and a plethora of guests, Justice in America takes a deep dive into the prison system in America and specifically looks at how the criminal justice system discriminates against poor people and people of color.
"On this episode of Justice in America, Josie Duffy Rice, and her co-host Derecka Purnell talk about education in prisons. They'll discuss the impact of having access to education, the dire lack of available programming, and what happened to prison education after the 1994 crime bill."
Focused on shedding light on the problems and lifting up solutions to make the criminal justice system fairer, more sustainable, and less racist, Justice in America has powerful interviews with a wide variety of people. The most recent episode explored the poor response that prisons have had to COVID-19 and interviews incarcerated individuals Rodney Spivey-Jones about his experience in prison.
The Stoop
Join hosts Hana Baba and Leila Day as they explore what it means to be black and how our society talks about race. While new episodes only come out about once a month, you can tell just how much work goes into each episode as the stories are super well produced and amazingly powerful.
"Whether you're Black American, or a child of Black immigrants- that 'Black Tax' is often something you're going to be thinking about. Today we get personal with a story from Mwende Hinojosa who explains how What's App brings her Kenyan family together but it can also be very...taxing."
Recent episodes have shared personal stories of communicating with black families in modern times, moving to Paris and exploring black identity in France, and how COVID-19 is impacting black people differently.
Share your recommendations
There are a ton of amazing podcasts about race and racial issues; this list is just the very tip of the iceberg. As we are all trying to listen, learn, and empower minorities, what are your favorite podcasts that address racial issues and racism? Let us know in the comment down below.
