7 Podcasts About Race to Add to Your Downloads
Workplaces are realizing the benefits of a diverse workforce, and the topics of diversity, equity and inclusion are becoming more of a business imperative.
Along with creating a diverse workforce, it is essential to be aware of how prevalent racism still is in today’s society.
Part of combating racial injustice is taking the time to educate yourself about where racism stems from, and how it impacts visible minorities.
In order to build an inclusive environment in the workplace, employees must be educated about topics of race and racism and be open to learning about diverse perspectives and experiences.
Listening to podcasts can broaden perspectives and can be a fundamental step forward.
Learn more about Covert vs Overt Racism
Why Podcasts?
Podcasts are becoming more and more popular in the entertainment world. A podcast is a series of spoken word, audio episodes, all focused on a certain topic or theme.
It is a collection or series of digital audio files that are created for downloading or listening via the Internet on apps such as iTunes or Spotify. Podcasts cover almost any topic, are usually free and on-demand.
They can provide a space for critical thinking, leave room for thought, help you become inspired, and convey a message in an engaging way.
There are many thought-provoking podcasts to help offer insight into how to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, with topics about whiteness, inclusion, identity, allyship and race.
List of 7 Podcasts for Your Education About Race
Podcasts that have short episodes about a diverse range of topics:
Code Switch: A race and culture outlet and a weekly podcast from an American public radio network known as NPR. NPR’s 'Code Switch' began as a popular blog, but it evolved into a podcast that explores important issues such as race, culture, and politics.
The podcast is also known for reporting commentary on topics ranging from sports, education, parenting, pop culture, and gender inequality. The name “Code Switch” refers to the linguistic act of code-switching, when the speaker moves between multiple dialects. Hosts Shereen Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby aim to analyze multiple aspects of race and culture in identity: “Many of us subtly, reflexively change the way we express ourselves all the time. We're hop-scotching between different cultural and linguistic spaces and different parts of our own identities—sometimes within a single interaction."
Code Switch is a great podcast to listen to if you want to learn about anti-racism from the point of view of people of color.
Listen: After the Cameras Leave A look into the reality of police brutality, and what has changed in America (if anything), since Mike Brown was shot by policemen over five years ago.
The Stoop: The stoop podcast explores stories from the Black population that are not often talked about in mainstream media. Hosts Leila Day and Hana Baba offer a mix of genuine conversations and reported stories on what it means to be Black, the challenges Black folks face on a daily basis, while also celebrating Black excellence. Uncovering difficult experiences, the specific challenges of being a Black introvert, what it's like to grow up Black in a white-dominated community, and why "Black people don't like swimming" is a stereotype, are just a few of The Stoop’s popular topics of discussion.
Listen: Black, Grown and Autistic This podcast explores what it’s like to be a Black autistic adult with the story of author and illustrator Ayanna Davis.This episode also breaks down why Black autistic people are diagnosed so late in life.
Pod Save the People: A clear-cut listen when you're feeling overwhelmed by the negative impacts of the news, as activist DeRay Mckesson and his co-hosts make the information easier to understand.
Each episode features an interview between DeRay and co-hosts Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Sam Sinyangwe, and Dr. Clint Smith. There are also weekly interviews with DeRay and special guests, from singer/songwriter John Legend to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
The professionals, influencers, and diverse local and national leaders take a closer look at the week's biggest stories, offering a unique take on social justice, culture, politics, as well as issues that specifically affect people of color.
Diversity Gap: Host Bethaney Wilkinson will inspire you to create the type of culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and respected. The Diversity Gap Podcast explores the gap between our good intentions for diversity and the impact of those intentions that hinder making true cultural change.
Throughout these authentic conversations, story telling, and seminars, you will be challenged to think about racial diversity in a way you may have never thought before.
This podcast is exceptionally beneficial to share among employees as episodes thoughtfully discuss topics such as how to handle microaggressions, whiteness, unlearning racism, how to be the change you want to see at work, and how to lead your team during a racial crisis.
Get the education you need from this podcast that will help to disrupt racism and practice liberation in the workplace.
Listen: Making Villains and the "Problem" Woman of Color in the Workplace This podcast dives into the "problems" women of color in the workplace. Supported by research done by the Centre for Community Organizations in Montreal, this episode unpacks a common experience women of color navigate in a majority white-led organization, and shares tips on how to combat this discrimination.
Podcasts in series form with the theme of race:
Seeing White: A fourteen-part documentary series hosted and produced by John Biewen that explores the origin of whiteness and racism in America. Seeing White is targeted towards a white audience and helps them understand the concept of structural racism, and creates a very clear intervention into the study of white privilege.
"White folks may feel like we're being stabbed a little bit when our whiteness is mentioned, because for the most part, we get to go through life imagining that race is something other people have," says Biewen.
Seeing White is an excellent platform that shares lesser-known events that will inspire white listeners to see their own place in society with fresh eyes.
Listen: Made in America This podcast looks into how the innovations that built American slavery are directly connected from the construction of “Whiteness” as we percieve it today.
Nice White Parents: A brilliant exploration on the key driver in what is blocking educational integration and equity: the actions of white families.
When Chana Joffe-Walt, a reporter, looked at inequity in education, she saw that most reforms focused on who schools were failing: Black and brown kids. It has been noted that black and brown kids haven’t been given equal rights or opportunities, compared to their fellow white peers.
This 5-part series tells the story of a 60 year integration between white parents and the public education system, and how these parents are arguably the most powerful force in the schools.
Listen: The Book of Statuses In this episode, Chana Joffe-Walt follows what happens when the School of International Studies’ 6th grade class swells from 30 mostly Latino, Black and Middle Eastern students, to 103 — an influx mostly driven by white families. It looks into how everyone wants “what’s best for the school” but we soon realize that people don’t share the same vision of what “best” means.
Historically Black: Objects hold history. They capture emotions and spark thoughts that words can't manage. As part of The Washington Post's coverage of the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History and Culture, objects were brought to life through music, interviews, and archival sound in a 9-part series.
With celebrities including Keegan-Michael Key, Roxane Gay, and Issa Rae narrating, Historically Black uses personal objects to map out Black history.
Each episode explores the story behind a listener-submitted artifact—a photograph, an instrument, a piece of jewelry—and honors lived experiences of various Black Americans by creating a “people’s museum” from this process. This podcast is a unique and intimate way to approach history, highlighting the ways the personal can be boldly tied to the political.
Listen: The Spirit of the Million Man March Brings the 1995 gathering of Black men to life through a comical, heartwarming, and thought-provoking conversation between a millennial woman and her father who attended the march.
Tips for Selecting and Evaluating Podcasts
Look for Recommendations (you’re in the right place!)
Apps that you use to listen to podcasts, such as Spotify or iTunes, will include recommendations based on other shows you have already listened to.
Check out the "You Might Also Like" section. This section will contain a list of other popular podcasts that share the same theme. You can also consult your colleagues to see if they have any recommendations. This is a great way to start a conversation about the topic of race and to gather other insights from your fellow peers.
Representation and Credibility
Podcasts can provide listeners with great sources of primary information. A good podcast chooses its language both carefully and thoughtfully to explore an issue without accusing or poorly representing a subject.
A credible podcast will use trustworthy facts from resources that are checked for accuracy. A good podcast presents interviews equitably and closely analyzes their content to present an objective story.
It is also important to do research on the host before listening to a new podcast, to make sure you are receiving information from a reliable source. For instance, you wouldn't want to get information about Black experiences through a podcast hosted by white people.
Bias
A good podcast makes sure that the content maintains a neutral point of view. A reliable podcast host chooses their language carefully, and the content is balanced to show both sides of an argument.
This may mean the amount of time a podcast spends exploring each side of an issue or if the opposing side is given the opportunity to have equal talk time. Having no bias towards a topic allows a podcast to create depth with its subject and present multiple insights to a single story.
Conclusion
To create an anti-racist workplace, it is important to learn about ways to support employees of color. Podcasts are a convenient way to educate, inspire, and start conversations amongst colleagues.
Taking the time to learn about different topics of race will not only build inclusion within the company, but will also lead to mutual trust, better morale, and greater productivity throughout the workplace.
