Episode notes
Zombies have roots most fans have never heard of. In Haitian Vodou, being zombified meant being enslaved even in death. B.A. Parker talks to Maya Annik Bedward, director of the new documentary Black Zombie , about how a spiritual metaphor for slavery was repackaged by Hollywood and sold back to the world, all while Haitian culture keeps getting cast as something to fear. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and…
Podcast
Code Switch
NPR · Society & Culture · English
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 everythi
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13 Oct 2026 · 28 minNew
How much reality do we want in our reality TV?
Why do Black contestants on reality TV keep getting voted out first? Like a lot of people, B.A. Parker watches reality TV to escape. But seeing contestants of color on the receiving end of microaggressions keeps pulling her back to reality. Parker talks with Xavier Prather, Big Brother ’s first Black winner, and sociologist Danielle Lindemann, author of True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us , about whether reality TV has an implicit bias problem. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more…
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6 Oct 2026 · 31 min
The shady deals behind data centers
Clarksdale, Mississippi, the birthplace of the blues, has been losing people, jobs, and businesses for years. Now land there has been rezoned to make room for a hyperscale data center, a process that got underway before anyone even put the words “data center” in writing. Capital B reporter Aallyah Wright walks us through the hard bargain her hometown is weighing over a project nobody will even confirm is happening. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org . See…
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2 Oct 2026 · 43 min
Let’s stop pretending we desegregated schools
Seventy years after Brown v. Board of Education, Black parents still face an impossible choice about where to send their kids. Gene talks with his twin sister about the different choices they’ve made for their kids, and with historian Noliwe Rooks about why Black families are still stuck choosing between schools that will teach their children and schools that will love them. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection…
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29 Sep 2026 · 30 min
The Lindsay Clancy case and the women we make into monsters
The Lindsay Clancy trial captured the nation this summer, and reactions toward Clancy have been split. The case brought much needed attention to postpartum psychosis, but some question the support Clancy received from the public. This week, we speak with writer Myriam Gurba about why some cases of family annihilation get more attention than others, why we villainize mothers and the parallels with the Latin American legend of La Llorona. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at…
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25 Sep 2026 · 34 min
Chris Brown won't get cancelled. This is why.
When Rep. Jasmine Crockett took the stage at a Chris Brown concert to honor him, the backlash came fast. It's a familiar cycle: every few years, Brown lands back in the news, and the public relitigates a history of violence stretching back to 2009. Gene talks with cultural critic Jamilah Lemieux and writer and DJ Noella Williams about why so many fans stay 10 toes down for him, and what accountability could even look like. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org . See…
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22 Sep 2026 · 37 min
Do voters want woke?
Lots of progressive politicians eyeing runs for higher office are distancing themselves from the politics of 2020, like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez declaring, "woke 1.0 was crazy." But should they be? Jamelle Bouie of The New York Times says voters are swayed more by identity than ideology — so it's less about the ideas and more about the vibes. We talk to him about who gets read as radical (even if they're not) and whether anyone who isn't a white guy can run as a populist. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks…
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