Recent protests have reignited larger discussions of race, African American history, and the unfinished work in America towards equality. To learn more about this important conversation, the Library has collected some predominantly audio resources to help you continue to educate yourself.
NPR’s Code Switch podcast features conversations about race and how it impacts all aspects of society and life, all led by journalists of color. Episodes focus on history, books, music, and current events, among other topics. Some recommended episodes (other than all of them): “Ask Code Switch: What About Your Friends?” [how race and racism impact friendships]; “Sometimes Explain, Always Complain” [about cultural contexts and what needs to be explained]; “Who Counts in 2020?” [how fear makes some groups reluctant to participate in the Census]
Slavery has left a long legacy in America, and 1619 explores those lasting impacts. A part of the award-winning 1619 Project, the five-episode New York Times podcast focuses on democracy, economy, healthcare, music, and land ownership.
Particularly relevant to those of us in education, This American Life’s “The Problem We All Live With” is a 2-episode story about the achievement gap and an unintentional desegregation program that happened in Normandy, MO.
Duke University Center for Documentary Studies’ podcast Scene on Radio: Seeing White (Season 2) explores “Where did the notion of ‘whiteness’ come from? What does it mean? What is whiteness for?” and the impacts of white identity politics on American history.
Don’t be afraid to seek out reliable information to increase your knowledge and understanding; there many are resources readily available on the web and through these and many other resource lists. See our previous list of videos available for free through the Films on Demand database and stay tuned for upcoming weeks focusing on Read resources.
Also remember: sometimes it’s important to just listen.
