6 Essential Podcasts on Race and Racism You Should Listen To
At #BlogHer, we’re committed to providing a platform for our community of diverse voices. But, we know we can do more. We can all do more.
We believe that one small, incredibly important step we can be taking is to listen and understand each others’ experiences and our collective history. Just listen. By quieting our personal agendas and truly taking in the words of others, we can at least start to try to understand the perspectives from each others’ shoes.
Take a listen to this podcast playlist that we hope will help us all move forward in a positive, compassionate way.
You can find these and other podcasts we recommend by following @blogher on Goodpods — the new podcast-centric social network where you can follow your friends and influencers to see what they are listening to.
PODCASTS TO LISTEN TO RIGHT NOW
Code Switch
A Decade of Watching Black People Die
(22 min)
Hosts Shereen Marisl Meraji and Gene Demby discuss how these stories of police brutality directed towards black people keep repeating themselves. They wonder aloud, when will things change and what will make them change.
The Breakdown
From Tulsa to Minneapolis – Why History Repeats Itself
(17 min)
Host Shaun King tells the stories of injustice racism and corruption but also gives his audience actionable steps to fight back. In this episode, he looks back nearly 100 years ago to when the black community of Tulsa, OK was destroyed by terrorists and tries to unpack why we are still dealing with some of the same issues today.
The Forum on Workplace Inclusion
Race: Inclusion & Colorism. How Understanding the History Can Help Us Transform.
(32 min)
Host Milagros Philips, author of 11 Reasons to Become Race Literate delves into the idea of colorism. She looks at it from two perspectives: First, the history of colorism and second how that history affects organizations today. Finally, she explains how simply being aware of colorism can change the way you do business.
About Race
The Big Question
(40 min)
Host Reni Eddo-Lodge, author of the book Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race addresses her feelings about a question she frequently gets: “As a white person, what I can do to help race relations.” She also interviews two guests to get to the heart of what they’re doing.
We Live Here
Desegregation Through the Ages
This podcast focuses on the issues of race, class and power in St Louis. This episode tells the story of the longest-running school desegregation program in the country and how it’s affecting the students. Even with the best intentions, the community still struggles with providing a welcoming environment for all students.
1619 (series)
This New York Times produced series marks the 400th anniversary of the first slaves being brought to Virginia. Through interviews and archival audio and writings, the five episodes examine the legacy of slavery in the United States.
IN CLOSING…
Educating oneself and learning to listen may seem more important in today’s current climate, but it has always been important. As a society, we have a long way to go to make sure marginalized voices are heard and receive equal treatment. We urge you to consider listening to each of these podcasts in an effort to better understand just how deep racism runs in our country, and to continue to advocate for change at an institutional level.
