Code Switch
NPR
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
Episodes
Mentioned books
10 snips
Feb 25, 2026 • 48min
The Young Lords' legacy of fighting for Puerto Rico from the mainland
Iris Morales, Puerto Rican activist, filmmaker and educator who led Young Lords education efforts. She recalls archival moments, the group's evolution from gangs to political organizing, bilingual organizing and the Palante newspaper. She reflects on diaspora identity, direct-action campaigns like sanitation protests, tensions over island ties, and the movement's lasting cultural and political legacy.
68 snips
Feb 21, 2026 • 27min
What is "white culture," anyway?
Nell Irvin Painter, Princeton historian and author of The History of White People, unpacks how concepts like Caucasian and Nordic were invented and shifted over time. She traces race science origins, shows how whiteness was built to serve power, and responds to modern claims about "white culture" being erased. The conversation follows how political moments reshape racial categories and identities.
20 snips
Feb 18, 2026 • 36min
The U.S., Cuba, and the people caught between
Michael Bustamante, historian at the University of Miami who studies Cuban-U.S. migration and policy, provides historical context on shifting laws and waves of migration. He traces the Cuban Adjustment Act, the Mariel boatlift, wet foot/dry foot, and recent policy reversals. Short, clear takes on how legal changes and political shifts have reshaped who can stay and who gets deported.
21 snips
Feb 14, 2026 • 21min
Trump shared a racist "joke." That humor is an American tradition
Raul Perez, sociologist and author of The Souls of White Jokes, studies how racist humor has bolstered white supremacy. He traces racist comedy from 1800s blackface to Jackson-era politics. He connects those roots to modern meme culture and shows how jokes can normalize dehumanization in institutions.
Feb 11, 2026 • 39min
Was dating while Black always so hard?
Nichole Hill, audio storyteller and host of Our Ancestors Were Messy who digs up Black archival newspapers. She shares discoveries from 1937 personal ads. Short scenes include bathing‑suit photos, lonesome‑hearts rules, colorism and courting norms. A playful time‑travel dating test brings 1930s bachelors to life.
50 snips
Feb 7, 2026 • 20min
Bad Bunny, resistance, and the Super Bowl halftime show
Vanessa Diaz, college professor and scholar of Puerto Rican culture and politics. Petra Rivera-Rideau, college professor and Bad Bunny scholar of Puerto Rican music and culture. They discuss Bad Bunny as a symbol of Puerto Rican resistance. They debate his Super Bowl performance, political choices like speaking English, cultural impact, backlash, and how music teaches Puerto Rico’s relationship with the U.S.
13 snips
Feb 4, 2026 • 35min
The history of Black History Month, one hundred years in
Jarvis Givens, Harvard professor of education and African and African American studies and author of I'll Make Me a World, explores the 100-year history of Black History Month. He traces its origins from Negro History Week, highlights grassroots preservation by teachers and communities, and discusses how celebrations shifted over time. The conversation centers on memory work, everyday lives, and the politics of teaching Black history.
Jan 31, 2026 • 17min
Americans are worried about crime. Here’s how politicians leverage it
Meg Anderson, NPR national desk correspondent covering criminal justice, discusses how fears about crime persist despite long-term declines. She explores how disorder and high-profile cases shape public panic. She recounts intense reporting from Minneapolis and explains how crime rhetoric is used to justify heavy-handed policies and federal actions.
21 snips
Jan 28, 2026 • 28min
What the history of U.S. protests illuminates about today
Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, constitutional law professor and author of A Protest History of the United States, offers a historical lens on protest movements. She traces labor wins, union strategies, and sanitation strikes. She highlights youth roles, the personal costs of activism, and why protest builds power over time.
15 snips
Jan 24, 2026 • 17min
What the quarter-zip craze tells us about Blackness and respectability
Jonathan Square, Parsons professor and fashion scholar, explores how the quarter-zip became a symbol in debates about Black fashion and respectability. He connects viral TikTok popularity to long histories of policing Black dress. The conversation touches on Black dandyism, nostalgia, elite styling, and the limits of dressing for protection.
