Code Switch

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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

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  • Discover Pods Awards
    2020 Best Podcast Created and/or Hosted by a PoC


  • Jun 4, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
  • weekly NEW EPISODES
  • 32m AVG DURATION
  • 531 EPISODES

4.6 from 13,860 ratings Listeners of Code Switch that love the show mention: shereen, code switch, race and racism, race in america, whiteness, marisol, gene demby, switch podcast, race and culture, i'm white, politically re active, ethnicity, white americans, hispanics, communities of color, explanatory, mixed race, mostly white, it's thoughtful, issues of race.


Ivy Insights

The Code Switch podcast is an incredibly powerful and enlightening show that dives deep into the complexities of race, culture, and identity in America. The hosts, along with a diverse range of guests, tackle important topics and provide unique perspectives that challenge listeners to think critically and broaden their understanding of the world.

One of the best aspects of this podcast is the chemistry between the hosts. Their dynamic and preparation create engaging conversations that flow seamlessly. They bring different perspectives to the table, which allows for a rich exploration of each topic. Additionally, the show's commitment to highlighting diverse voices and experiences ensures a well-rounded and comprehensive discussion.

Another highlight of The Code Switch podcast is its ability to fill a void for many listeners. It addresses topics that are often overlooked or misrepresented in mainstream media, giving voice to marginalized communities and shedding light on important issues. The intersectionality of culture, race, and socio-economics is explored with depth and thoughtfulness, providing valuable insights for listeners.

While there are many positives to this podcast, one potential downside is that not everyone may agree with the opinions expressed by the experts or hosts. However, this should not deter listeners from engaging with the content. The show encourages critical thinking and fosters dialogue around difficult topics.

In conclusion, The Code Switch podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding race relations, culture, and identity in America. It offers a unique perspective through thoughtful discussions and provides a platform for underrepresented voices. Despite differing opinions at times, the show's overall impact is undeniable as it challenges listeners to confront their own biases and engage in meaningful conversations about these important issues.



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Latest episodes from Code Switch

What Trump's fixation on 'white genocide' in South Africa tells us about the U.S.

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2025 34:34


How the false notion of "white genocide" traveled from the political fringes to the Oval Office. The week on Code Switch, we're talking to a reporter who was in the room during a meeting when President Trump pushed this conspiracy theory on the president of South Africa. And we're digging into what Trump's fixation on white South Africans tell us about anxieties over white replacement here in the U.S.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Why tacos are as 'American' as apple pie

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025 31:46


The hunger for Mexican food in the U.S. is longstanding — from the conquistadors' love affair with chocolate, to the classic San Francisco burrito. This week, we're exploring the history of Mexican food in the United States, and asking what it takes for a cuisine to become quintessentially "American."Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How race science shows up at the doctor's office

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 35:17


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, from delayed diagnoses to ignoring environmental factors that lead to different health outcomes.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Arab and Black communities are trying to reconcile after Trump's election

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 28:18


Trump's win exposed political tensions between Arab-American voters — who were critical of Democratic support of Israel's war in Gaza, and Black voters — who remain the Democrats' most loyal supporters. That friction is especially pronounced in the majority Arab city of Dearborn, Michigan, and its majority Black neighbor, Detroit. This week, we go to a testy iftar dinner where Arab and Black folks sat down to begin having tough conversations.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

40 years ago, Philadelphia police bombed this Black neighborhood on live TV

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 36:20


We're looking back on the day a Philadelphia police department helicopter dropped a bomb on a rowhouse in a middle-class neighborhood. Even though that bombing and the fire it set off killed eleven people and left hundreds homeless, it's been largely forgotten. So how did we collectively memory-hole an event this big? And what does that tell us about race and policing even today?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In the face of trans erasure, what can we learn from Marsha P. Johnson?

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 31:30


Marsha P. Johnson was a trailblazer in the fight for gay rights. But Johnson's legacy extends beyond her activism: "Marsha was a really full person who lived a vibrant life. She was a muse and model for Andy Warhol," and a performer in New York City and London. In this episode, we talk to activist and author Tourmaline about what we can all learn from Johnson's legacy in times of adversity.Tourmaline's two books about Marsha P. Johnson — Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson and One Day in June — are out on May 20, 2025.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Why now is the time to find power in "otherness"

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 31:22


Viet Thanh Nguyen came to the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam when he was four years old. Growing up in San Jose, California, Nguyen remembers the moment he understood he was Asian-American. In his latest book, To Save and To Destroy: Writing as an Other, Nguyen examines the power in finding solidarity with other Others, especially in today's America.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Revisiting the fight over the Lakota language as Trump targets "divisive narratives"

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025 41:32


As the Trump administration targets the Smithsonian Institute for "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology," it got us thinking about how we preserve our history and everything that builds it, like language. So we're revisiting an episode from last year from the Lakota Nation in South Dakota over language — who preserves it, who has the right to the stories told in it, and who (literally) owns it.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Why Trump is sending Venezuelans to El Salvador

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 37:49


One of President Trump's main campaign promises was carrying out mass deportations. We look at how the Trump administration is testing the U.S. legal system to make good on its promise, starting with the story of one family trying to find their 18-year-old son after immigration agents showed up at their doorstep.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What's lost in Trump's DEI ban?

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 32:07


President Trump has put diversity, equity, and inclusion in his crosshairs — but there's no consensus on what DEI even means. Some say that that fuzziness is the point, and that the current anti-DEI push is part of a larger plan to undo the gains made by the Civil Rights Movement.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

With measles on the rise, what we can learn from past epidemics

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025 29:51


As the U.S. health system grapples with new outbreaks and the risk of old diseases making a comeback, we're looking to the past to inform how people in marginalized communities can prepare themselves for how the current administration might handle an epidemic. On this episode, a conversation with historian and author Edna Bonhomme, about her latest book A History of the World in Six Plagues.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What Mahmoud Khalil's arrest means for ... everyone

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025 36:30


Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident and Columbia alum, was detained by ICE for his role in leading pro-Palestinian protests at his former university last year. As Khalil's case has captured the nation's attention, free speech advocates see it as a test of the First Amendment. Meanwhile, the Trump administration argues they have the right to deport Khalil without charging him with a crime. On this episode, why Khalil's arrest should worry all of us.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The Palestinian-American 'Sex and the City'

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2025 32:26


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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A look at the human toll of the construction of the Panama Canal

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 31:48


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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Black audiences see themselves centered in a brand new soap opera

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 36:20


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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The NFL's concussion problem beyond CTE

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 22:56


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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What a Black enclave lost in the Los Angeles wildfires

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2025 30:35


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?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

An NFL star on what the game costs those who play it

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2025 18:08


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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Untangling the history of Black rights on Native land

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025 33:14


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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What football tells us about race, labor and power

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 16:04


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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Hip-hop is 'fight the power' but also advertises for the power

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 34:45


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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

B.A. Parker is learning the banjo

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2025 30:53


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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The co-opting of MLK Jr. by...everybody

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 30:42


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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Why laughing while crying is so Korean

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 39:16


Comedian Youngmi Mayer talks about how her Korean family uses humor as a tool for survival. She gets into the Korean comedic tradition and why the saddest stuff is what makes them laugh the hardest.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

"The police are our friends"?

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2025 36:51


How should Black parents talk to their kids about the police? Gene gets into it with his friend Chenjerai Kumanyika, host of Empire City, a podcast about the history of the NYPD. Chenjerai's show sprang out of his own attempts to talk with his young daughter about the police and what they do.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How Celebrating An Ecuadorian New Year's Tradition Brings Us Closer Together

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2025 33:23


Happy New Year, fam! This year, we're celebrating Ecuadorian style: by burning away what we want to let go of from last year and creating space for moving ahead with this year. Code Switch producer Xavier Lopez takes us on his journey to explore the tradition of his childhood, learn its origins, and honor it in his life in New York today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

He was shot in Vermont. Now he wants to go home to the West Bank

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2024 47:10


Shot and severely injured while visiting family in Vermont in 2023, Hisham Awartani grapples with his recovery in the U.S., and the unfolding war at home in the West Bank.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Luigi Mangione and America's pent up pain

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 17:49


Even before Luigi Mangione was arrested for killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the reaction to the shooter was far different than other instances of gun violence.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Freedom, Autonomy and the Elián González Story

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2024 34:32


Twenty-five years ago, a boy named Elian Gonzalez appeared — remarkably alive — in the waters off the coast of Miami. Immediately, his fate became the subject of an international debate: Should he stay in the U.S.? Or should he be returned to Cuba, to live with his father? From our play cousins at Futuro Studios, this is part of their series Chess Piece: The Elián González Story.We want to hear from you! Please tell us what you think about Code Switch by taking our short survey. Thank you!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Dreaming of a Black Utopia in Trump's America

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2024 37:19


In his new book, The Black Utopians, author Aaron Robinson tells the story of how Black folks have created many different versions of utopian communities throughout history — and why those communities tend to be especially meaningful during times of political tension and racial unrest.We want to hear from our listeners about what you like about Code Switch and how we could do better. Please tell us what you think by taking our short survey, and thank you!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Where tradwives and leftists agree

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2024 16:46


We continue our conversation about the hellscape of modern motherhood, and look into an alternative to the tradwife lifestyle.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Momfluencers, Tradwives, and the Perils of Modern Motherhood

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2024 38:53


Motherhood in the U.S. is revered. Actual mothers? Not so much. But momfluencers and tradwives are stepping in to fill that void. We dive into that world to understand how it intersects with the incoming presidential administration, what it has to do with white supremacy, and where moms of color fit in.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The 'little r' racist idea that swung the election

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 31:06


What lessons should we all be taking from the historic match-up between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris? New York Times political correspondent Astead Herndon says the big takeaway from this election isn't the divide between Republicans and Democrats, it's the divide between political elites and the American public. And he says it may be time to rethink our presumptions about how much voters care about representation.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

When Pretendian investigations go wrong

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 27:47


There are wild stories about the fraudsters who pretend to be Indigenous, but sometimes casting doubt on people's indigeneity can cause more harm than good. On this episode we hear from the person behind the "Alleged Pretendians List" and someone whose name appeared on that controversial list. The problem? He's legitimately Native.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The day Trump won...again

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2024 35:02


The Code Switch team spent Election Day talking to folks about how the outcome might impact them. From green card holding Trump supporters in Queens, to first-time voters at Harris' watch party in DC, we bring you this time capsule of the day before we knew.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

You can't outrun voters' feelings about the economy

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 23:38


As we take in the news of another Donald Trump administration, we thought who better to turn the mic over to than the hosts of NPR's Politics Podcast.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The online communities pushing Black male voters to the right

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2024 41:27


The manosphere is a sprawling online ecosystem aimed at disgruntled men. Now a subset of the manosphere aimed at Black men is exposing cracks in Black voters' steadfast support of Democrats. On this episode, we take a look at how the Black manosphere came to be and wonder: could this loose community of aggrieved dudes swing the election?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Spitting on Andrew Jackson's Grave with Rebecca Nagle

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 33:35


That's how Nagle begins her new book and how she frames the version of history she's telling. The book digs into the past and future of Native sovereignty through the lens of one of the most significant Supreme Court rulings for Native Americans in over 100 years.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In Michigan, Arab Americans weigh the power of a vote

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2024 41:42


We travel to Dearborn, aka the "capital of Arab America." The Dearbornites we met said that the war in Gaza is the key issue on their minds as they consider how to cast their ballots. What these voters ultimately decide could have huge consequences for the whole country.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ask Code Switch: Am I the "token" at work?

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 11:29


This week on Ask Code Switch, we're getting into the question a lot of minorities face when climbing the ladder at work – am I rising because I'm talented or because I'm tokenized?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Two Palestinian writers on the right to share their stories

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2024 33:19


In the year since the devastating Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed. Even more have been injured or displaced. Still, many Palestinians across the diaspora feel that they aren't allowed to share their stories — that the fullness of their humanity is too often reduced to a few soundbites on the news, or images of people dying. So on this episode, we're revisiting conversations with Fady Joudah and Tariq Luthun — two Palestinian American poets who have tried to carve out space to expand the kind of stories that Palestinians are allowed to tell.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Ask Code Switch: Is it a preference or fetish?

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 13:29


This week on Ask Code Switch, when it comes to race and dating, how important is diversity in your dating history? What does the race of our past romances say about us? And how do we know when we've crossed the line from preference to fetish?Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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