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

  • 32 minutes 26 seconds
    The Palestinian-American 'Sex and the City'
    To be a Palestinian-American writer right now can lead to a lot of expectation to focus on identity and devastation, but in her debut novel, Too Soon, Betty Shamieh shares the story of three generations of Palestinian women trying to find love, purpose and liberation.

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    12 March 2025, 7:00 am
  • 31 minutes 48 seconds
    A look at the human toll of the construction of the Panama Canal
    The Panama Canal's impact on the geopolitical stage far outreaches its roughly 51-mile stretch of land and water. This week, we're trying to understand the canal's murky future - from climate change to President Trump's threat to take it for the U.S. - by looking at its turbulent, cataclysmic birth.

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    5 March 2025, 8:00 am
  • 36 minutes 20 seconds
    Black audiences see themselves centered in a brand new soap opera
    B.A. Parker digs into the historical connection between Black Americans and soap operas with the launching of "Beyond the Gates," the first ever soap focused primarily on a Black family.

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    26 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 22 minutes 56 seconds
    The NFL's concussion problem beyond CTE
    In 2015, the NFL agreed to an uncapped settlement to pay former players diagnosed with brain disease. The agreement came after players sued the league for covering what it knew about the links between brain disease and football. But who's gotten paid and how much is affected by their race. On the final episode of our series on race and football, we speak with Will Hobson, investigative sports reporter at The Washington Post.

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    24 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 30 minutes 35 seconds
    What a Black enclave lost in the Los Angeles wildfires
    Altadena was the site of the Eaton fire, one of two major wildfires in Los Angeles County in January. The wind and flames destroyed more than 9,000 structures — and with them, the long-tenured Black community in the town. As efforts to recover and rebuild the town are underway, many residents are left wondering, what of their community will remain?

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    19 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 18 minutes 8 seconds
    An NFL star on what the game costs those who play it
    Dominique Foxworth played in the NFL from 2005 to 2011. After he retired, he went on to become the head of the NFL Players' Association, the union that represents players in the league. In this conversation, he describes what it was like sitting across from the league's lawyers, advocating for things like players' health care at a time when the risks of playing football were becoming clearer.
    NOTE: This episode includes discussions of suicide. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 9 8 8 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

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    17 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 33 minutes 14 seconds
    Untangling the history of Black rights on Native land
    How the criminal legal system considers who is and isn't Native, and what that means for the Black people who are members of tribal nations. This reporting is part of an audio documentary from Audible called Tribal Justice: The Struggle for Black Rights on Native Land.

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    12 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 16 minutes 4 seconds
    What football tells us about race, labor and power
    The way football is played and who plays it — from the pee-wees to the pros — tells us so much about race, labor and power in the United States. In a conversation with cultural anthropologist Tracie Canada we explore how starting from young ages, Black players are nudged towards more physically taxing positions that require more strength, athleticism, speed. That affects who gets injured, how they're cared for and how they get paid.

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    10 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 34 minutes 45 seconds
    Hip-hop is 'fight the power' but also advertises for the power
    Critics point out the apparent hypocrisy of a pro-Black rapper like Kendrick Lamar headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, since the NFL isn't exactly an institution that's known for its support of Black lives. So on this episode, we're digging into the history of hip hop and how it's been co-opted.

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    5 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 30 minutes 53 seconds
    B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
    Parker has been trying to find her place in the banjo world. So this week, she talks to Black banjo players like Grammy nominee Rhiannon Giddens about creating community and reclaiming an instrument that's historically already theirs.

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    29 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 30 minutes 43 seconds
    The co-opting of MLK Jr. by...everybody
    Martin Luther King Jr. was relatively unpopular when he was assassinated. But the way Americans of all political stripes invoke his memory today, you'd think he was held up as a hero. In this episode, we hear how King's legacy got co-opted.

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    22 January 2025, 8:00 am
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