458 episodes

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

Code Switch Code Switch

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.6 • 264 Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

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

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Who does language belong to? A fight over the Lakota Language

    Who does language belong to? A fight over the Lakota Language

    Many Lakota people agree: It's imperative to revitalize the Lakota language. But how exactly to do that is a matter of broader debate. Should Lakota be codified and standardized to make learning it easier? Or should the language stay as it always has been, defined by many different ways of writing and speaking? We explore this complex, multi-generational fight that's been unfolding in the Lakota Nation, from Standing Rock to Pine Ridge.

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    • 39 min
    Getting let down by the 'Great Expectations' of electoral politics

    Getting let down by the 'Great Expectations' of electoral politics

    This episode is brought to you by our play cousins over at NPR's It's Been A Minute. Brittany Luse chops it up with New Yorker writer and podcast host Vinson Cunningham to discuss his debut novel Great Expectations. It's a period piece that follows the story of a young man working on an election campaign that echoes Obama's 2008 run. Brittany and Vinson discuss American politics as a sort of religion - and why belief in politics has changed so much in the last decade.

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    • 17 min
    In the world of medicine, race-based diagnoses are more than skin deep

    In the world of medicine, race-based diagnoses are more than skin deep

    We've probably said it a hundred times on Code Switch — biological race is not a real thing. So why is race still used to help diagnose certain conditions, like keloids or cystic fibrosis? On this episode, Dr. Andrea Deyrup breaks it down for us, and unpacks the problems she sees with practicing race-based medicine.

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    • 33 min
    This conspiracy theory about eating bugs is also about race

    This conspiracy theory about eating bugs is also about race

    Gene Demby and NPR's Huo Jingnan dive into a conspiracy theory about how "global elites" are forcing people to eat bugs. And no huge surprise — the theory's popularity is largely about its loudest proponents' racist fear-mongering.

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    • 32 min
    The musical legacy of Japanese American incarceration

    The musical legacy of Japanese American incarceration

    In February of 1942 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government issued an executive order to incarcerate people of Japanese descent. That legacy has become a defining story of Japanese American identity. In this episode, B.A. Parker and producer Jess Kung explore how Japanese American musicians across generations turn to that story as a way to explore and express identity. Featuring Kishi Bashi, Erin Aoyama and Mary Nomura.

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    • 30 min
    Why menthol cigarettes have a chokehold on Black smokers

    Why menthol cigarettes have a chokehold on Black smokers

    In the U.S., flavored cigarettes have been banned since 2009, with one glaring exception: menthols. That exception was supposed to go away in 2023, but the Biden administration quietly delayed the ban on menthols. Why? Well, an estimated 85 percent of Black smokers smoke menthols — and some (potentially suspect) polls have indicated that a ban on menthols would chill Biden's support among Black people. Of course, it's more complicated than that. The story of menthol cigarettes is tied up in policing, advertising, influencer-culture, and the weaponization of race and gender studies. Oh, and a real-life Black superhero named Mandrake the Magician.

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    • 35 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
264 Ratings

264 Ratings

RoisinUk ,

Thank you for the warmth and wisdom

Thankyou for pressing on my white fragility to help me learn to treasure our fellow humans of colour. You are gentler than we deserve and your humour and warmth for all - even those of us who do not understand the basics until we listen to your accurate retelling of history - is wonderful ❤️

Micky The Boat ,

Very informative and honest

As a white man wanting to educate myself further on this global issue. I have found this very helpful.

StaceCalm ,

Engaging, informative, necessary

I’ve been subscribed to Code Switch for a couple of months now; every episode, old and new has been a fantastic listen, with well articulated, nuanced perspectives by those who are the most knowledgeable of the subject at hand.
Keep the episodes coming, they are so necessary during these times of uncertainty, fear, hurt and anger.

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