Listen Up
Many of us are self-educating when it comes to racism. And while we are reading history and watching news, it’s the current conversations about race and diversity which are the most crucial. There is power in listening. We need to listen to the discussions that, once, we might have shied away from because we knew they were hard to hear. These illuminating chats not only amplify black voices, but they also tell us what, in 2020, we need to be hearing to broaden our perspectives and open our hearts and minds, so we can truly bear witness and learn how to act.
About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge
From the author of Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge interviews key voices from the anti-racist activism community and is as eloquent as her writing. The most recent episode, The Big Question, is important as she points out the distinction that her readers and listeners of colour are more concerned with how to cope, rather than what to do to help, as white people sometimes are.
Slay In Your Lane
This insightful podcast by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené, who wrote the book of the same name, looks at the news and pop culture from a black British woman’s perspective. In the latest episode, they say, “the world has always been on fire” and “we’ve been screaming this at the top of our lungs for years” while some are only smelling the smoke now. They debate the change in outlook and wonder “what’s different about this time?” when similar incidences have happened for years.
Pod Save The People
Hosted by organiser and activist DeRay Mckesson, Pod Save the People presents a notable and bold analysis of the day’s headlines and their deeper impact on race, society, and culture. They offer call to actions, advice on how you can help as a listener and generally encourage you to widen your knowledge when it comes to issues of racial oppression, to go beyond what you think you know.
The United States of Anxiety
The United States of Anxiety talks about race and its history within the borders of the United States. They make sense of the complicated political landscape in the States and talk about racial disparities in relevant news topics. In particular, the episode titled Why Covid-19 is Killing Black People is striking in its reminder that the pandemic or a global virus is not “a great equaliser”.
Witness Black History by BBC World Service
This educational podcast features interviews with people who were there at key moments in black and civil rights history. The Last Survivor of the Transatlantic Slave Trade makes for harrowing listening (and yet we must) as we listen to the story of Matilda McCrear, the last surviving person to be captured in Africa in the 19th century and brought to the United States on a slave ship.
Yo, Is This Racist?
Hosted by Andrew Ti, creator of the popular blog of the same name, and co-host Tawny Newsome, the answer – or answers – implied by the eponymous question is usually yes, of course, but that’s beside the point. Ti has years comprehending what makes something racist (or not) and the results are compelling and often hilarious. They, and their guests answer questions from fan-submitted voicemails and emails about whether something is, in fact, racist. You will finish each episode learning something new.
Also see our suggested reading lists for kids/teens and adults , a selection of movies and documentaries and TED Talks in our current culture series designed for learning more about black voices, culture and struggle…
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