If you haven’t really given a thought to where you stand on racism and whether you classify as a racist or an anti-racist, then this a good time as any to know this side of yourself. This is not the time when you can be a silent spectator to what is happening in the country. This is not the time when your silence separates you from the wrongdoers. If you don’t speak out on the topic because you don’t know enough about it, then here’s the remedy for you. The following are the podcasts you should listen to if you want to know about racism, anti-racism, the Black Lives Matter movement, and why your voice matters:
8. Witness Black History
‘Witness History’ is a BBC podcast that informs its listeners about the historical events not out of the books that are written or the movies that are made about the subjects. It interviews the people who had been there when those things were happening. In its special edition for Black History Month, it released ‘Witness Black History’ where you get to hear first-person accounts of the people who had been on the front lines in times like the Civil Rights Movement. You can listen to it on the website, Spotify, iTunes, or any other place you listen to podcasts.
7. You Had Me At Black
So you think that things are not as bad as they appear in the news channels. You think that the cops who have attacked and killed people of color wouldn’t have meaninglessly done so. You think that you live in a post-racist America where the election of Obama as the first black president proves that the country has moved past the bygone time when people needed to fight for their rights. If so, then you should listen to ‘You Had Me At Black’. In every episode, it focuses on real stories of real people, particularly the experiences of black millennials. You can listen to it on the website, Spotify, iTunes, or any other place you listen to podcasts.
6. Black Talk Radio Network
Tagged as one of the best black podcasts in the world, ‘Black Talk Radio Network’ demands essential listening. Managed by Black Talk Media Project, a non-profit organization, it keeps its discussions focused on the relevant and immediate issues regarding the African-American diaspora. It provides unbiased coverage of current events and also keeps you in the know of the historical events that are connected to the present. You can listen to it on the website, iTunes, or any other place you listen to podcasts.
5. Code Switch
If you want to know about something, hear it from someone affected by it. If you want to talk about race relations and how it impacts people of color, then they should be the ones telling the story. Otherwise, you’ll never quite get the bias out of it. ‘Code Switch’ has journalists of color helming the discussions about race and how it has evolved over the years. They also tune in with politics, sports, history, and everything else that you need to stay updated on. You can listen to it on the website, Spotify, iTunes, or any other place you listen to podcasts.
4. 1619
‘1619’ is a podcast by the New York Times that takes the audience back to the time when slaves first arrived in America from Africa. It tells the story of the land that was yet to become America and focuses on the events that shaped the future of African Americans in the country. The 250 years of slavery are touched upon in this podcast. You can listen to it on the website, Spotify, iTunes, or any other place you listen to podcasts.
3. Lynching in America
When you look at the things happening all around, you realize that nothing’s new. It is just an updated version of things that have happened in the past. Violence against people of color is not new. Dial back a couple of decades, and what’s now shooting is replaced by lynchings. The Equal Justice Initiative has been trying to make things better, but you can’t build a future without looking at the past. In this podcast, they document the lynchings of African Americans between 1877 and 1950. You can listen to it on the website, Spotify, iTunes, or any other place you listen to podcasts.
2. Intersectionality Matters!
Kimberle Williams Crenshaw is a civil rights advocate who has been fighting against the racial injustice for a very long time. She has first-hand experience with the way the wheels of the law turn, and how much they lean in or out of favor for people of color. If you want to hear about the failings of the law from someone who knows how it works, then you should tune in to her podcast. In ‘Intersectionality Matters!’, she talks about her experience in the job, the critical race theory, and how far we still have to go for things to get better. You can listen to it on the website, Spotify, iTunes, or any other place you listen to podcasts.
1. About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge
‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’ is one of the best books in the market about race relations. If you love it, then you should listen to the podcast hosted by its author, Reni Eddo-Lodge. In ‘About Race’, she expands upon the points that are touched upon in her book. Joining her in the conversation about politics and racism are the people who have been fighting it all their lives. You can listen to it on the website, Spotify, iTunes, or any other place you listen to podcasts.
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