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Once you’ve turned the news off and closed social media, there are more ways to stay informed and engaged. Supplement your daily dose of research and support of racial justice by adding a podcast to your routine.
There are a variety of options below — from investigative reports into Hurricane Katrina relief, to rewriting the history of the Civil War, to the struggles of giving birth while Black — that can help broaden your understanding and inspire next steps.
You can listen to these shows on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Podcasts in Color is an additional resource that guides you to Black-produced shows.
Investigative
Josie Duffy Rice and Clint Smith III host this podcast about criminal justice reform. In each episode, they research, discuss, and examine impacts of different criminal justice issues with activists, experts, and journalists.
In this podcast from The Atlantic — hosted by Vann R. Newkirk II — those marginalized and forgotten in the aftermath of August 29th, 2005, are given a chance to give first-hand accounts of the corruption, betrayal, and confusion that was Hurricane Katrina relief.
A new spin-off show from iHeartRadio’s Behind the Bastards, rap artist Propaganda (Jason Petty) investigates the links and progression from American slavery to the modern day police force.
One of few podcasts dedicated to a specific case of police brutality, 16 Shots investigates the murder of Laquan McDonald and the long-standing tension between Black people and the Chicago Police Department.
NATAL is a podcast about having a baby while Black in the United States. As Black birthing parents are statistically at greater risk for complications around pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum care, this podcast highlights personal experiences of parents and birth workers around the country. Follow @natalstories on social media.
Hosted by journalists Jack Hitt and Chenjerai Kumanyika, Uncivil dives deep into the untold stories of covert operations, corruption, resistance, mutiny, counterfeiting, and antebellum drones of the Civil War.
From Brooklyn Deep, School Colors examines how race, class, and power influence American cities and education systems.
Arts & Culture
Adena J. White, Kara Wilkins, and Katrina Dupins host Blackbelt Voices, a podcast dedicated to uplifting Blackness in the South. With conversations, first-person narratives, and thoughtful study, White, Wilkins, and Dupins share what’s special about being Black in the South.
A new podcast from the Black Lives Matter Global Network, What Matters highlights timely issues surrounding Black liberation with guest hosts, themed-episodes, and a safe space for free thinking.
Ericka Hart and Ebony Donnley host this podcast about dismantling white supremacy by way of friendship, ethics, books, toxic masculinity, astrology, and so much more.
Hosted by Delency Parham and Blake Simons, two friends educate and challenge listeners through engaging conversations about topics such as the climate crisis, pop culture, politics, and COVID-19—all in relation to Blackness in America.
There is an unfair burden placed on the mental health of Black people in the United States. In this podcast, Dr. Justin Hopkins, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, and Raquel Martin, MS, PhD Candidate, use research, current events, and clinical insight to breakdown the “conscious and less-conscious aspects of Black mental health.”
History
Witness History: Witness Black History
Produced by BBC World Service, this podcast shares first-hand interviews with people who were present at key moments in Black history.
Part of The Washington Post’s coverage of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, Black people from around the country submitted their own lived experiences to create a ‘people’s museum’ of objects, family stories, and more. This podcast then brings those narratives to life with guest hosts, music, and interviews.
Stories surrounding the Tulsa Race Massacre are seldom told in history books despite their devastation, horror, and brutality. News reporter Nia Clark and the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission shine a light on what hasn’t been told in this podcast.
Notable episodes
“American Police” from NPR’s Throughline: This episode documents the history and controversy of the police force in the United States.
“Race Wasn’t An Issue To Him, Which Was An Issue To Me” from WBUR and the New York Times’ Modern Love: Lorraine Toussaint reads an essay by Kim McLarin about love, loss, and their intersections with race in America.
“The Man Who Teaches Our Cops To Kill” from iHeartRadio’s Behind the Bastards: In this episode, Jack O’Brien and host Robert Evans discuss David Grossman, director of the Killology Research Group. Hundreds of police departments and thousands of police officers have taken Grossman’s courses over more than twenty years.
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