Code Switch

25 years after 9/11, our definition of terrorism continues to expand

In the 25 years since 9/11, we've seen the definition of terrorism expand. The Trump administration has called more and more groups “terrorists,” from “narco-terrorists”

We're Miseducated on Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill is a generational voice, a cultural lightning rod, and one of music’s biggest what-ifs. Our very own B.A. Parker joined the Big Lives podcast, hosted by Kai W

Freedom from fatness: Why GLP-1s go after Black bodies

Ads for GLP-1s are everywhere. This week, we dig into why so many of those ads seem to feature Black women with Sabrina Strings, author of  “Fearing the Black Body” a boo

Banana Ball's racial minstrelsy past

Banana Ball is a barnstorming baseball league revived by the tremendously popular Savannah Bananas, a team with millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram — known as m

Unpacking estrangement: Who goes No Contact?

Is there a family estrangement epidemic? This week, we dig into what’s behind the no-contact movement with sociologist Rin Reczek, author of the new book, “Families We Lo

Our Ancestors Were Messy: a Black history comedy show

In 1775, half a million enslaved people had to pick a side in a war between two groups of white men who both claimed to want freedom. In this live episode of Our Ancestor

Trump is demanding English — while defunding ESL

Last year President Trump made English the official language of the United States. Then his administration moved to zero out the federal money that teaches it. But even f

Jay-Z has F-you money. Is he saying it to the wrong people?

Jay-Z says he's a business, man. He sold out Yankee Stadium for three nights, and used the stage to answer everyone calling him a sellout. The billionaire released the 30

How farm work became the exception to Trump's border crackdown

The Trump administration has been closing off nearly every pathway into the U.S. — except one. The H-2A visa is for the seasonal workers who pick the fruits and vegetable

The case of a Black teen, killed after joining a protest movement

Sixteen-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. traveled a thousand miles to join the racial justice movement that erupted after George Floyd's killing. Less than a week after he arriv

An anti-KKK law is being used to sue the Trump admin. Will it work?

Mahmoud Khalil is suing the Trump administration, alleging a "public-private conspiracy" to punish him for pro-Palestinian speech. The law he's using dates back to 1871 —

Work does not deserve your full self

"Be vulnerable." "We love your authenticity." "Bring your full self to work." Sound familiar? In this episode, we talk to Jodi-Ann Burey, author of Authentic: The Myth of

Inside the culty white supremacists the feds are ignoring

Patriot Front is a white nationalist group that focuses on high visibility stunts, like banner drops, disrupting events, or swarming Washington, DC for Independence Day.

How the potato became an insult

The potato may be one of the world's most beloved foods but it's also an insult. In Colombia, speaking with "una papa en la boca" means you mumble — or that you're too po

With 'deed theft' scammers are targeting Black homeowners

Longtime homeowners — often Black seniors — are being tricked into signing away the deeds to their own homes, then getting evicted from them. It's called deed theft, and

Why the World Cup is race and class all the way down

All good (and complicated) things must come to an end, and the World Cup is no exception. To deal with the anticipatory grief ahead of the Spain v. Argentina final, NPR W

Trump's new legal weapon for prosecuting protestors

This summer, protesters connected to a demonstration outside the Prairieland ICE detention center in North Texas were sentenced to as much as 100 years in prison. It's th

Whose rights just changed? Our SCOTUS debrief

A lot went down this term in the Supreme Court. So, we’re breaking down the landmark SCOTUS decisions that affect Black voters, trans athletes and immigrants. B.A. Parker

How anti-DEI hit the military

Pete Hegseth's Pentagon has been dismantling diversity initiatives and blocking the promotions of high-ranking Black officers. This week, Parker talks with The Atlantic's

The story we don't tell about how this country was founded

We have been told the American Revolution was fought over taxation and representation. But the last entry of the Declaration of Independence focuses on the founding fathe