Code Switch

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 head-on. We explore how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between. This podcast makes ALL OF US part of the conversation — because we're all part of the story. "We're talking to people who have been marginalized and underrepresented for so long, who are so hungry to see themselves represented fully and with nuance and complexity," says Shereen Marisol Meraji, co-host of Code Switch, Apple Podcasts' first-ever Show of the Year for 2020. "People recognize that, because we had been having these conversations for so many years in advance, we're a trusted place where they could go to better understand all the stories about race filling up their newsfeeds and social channels." Their weekly podcast launched in 2016 but truly came into its own during this historic, transformative year, as Meraji and co-host Gene Demby examine issues of racial, ethnic, and cultural identity through frank one-on-one discussions and incisive non-fiction. In a year dominated by discourse about race, this indispensable show furthered them by providing powerful and timely insight, offering diverse and empathetic personal perspectives to a broad audience. "There are certain lenses that we are bringing into, both as journalists and the people that we're bringing to these stories," Demby says. "But also, we are specific people with specific fascinations and broad curiosity. If we're telling these stories, you should assume that they're going to look and sound like us."

You told us — what brings you joy

On this bonus episode of the show, we're hearing from some of YOU about what brings you joy, how you...

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Is joy an act of resistance?

The phrase "joy is resistance" has been popping up all over the place lately. But what, exactly, does...

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Protests are near constant. Do they work?

To the casual observer, it might seem like the U.S. has been spent years in a constant state of protest,...

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Congress has voted to eliminate government funding for public media

Act now to ensure public media remains free and accessible to all. Your donation will help this essential...

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The books, movies and music that shaped the Code Switch team

Once upon a time, members of the Code Switch team were just kids, learning about race and identity for...

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From gr*pists to nip nops, how self-censorship shapes the language of TikTok

Have you noticed people using terms like "unalive" and "pew pews" on social media? There's a reason...

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The lighter side of immigration: A day at the park in Queens

This week on Code Switch, we're doing a different kind of immigration coverage. We're telling a New...

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Dispatches from the living memory of trans people of color

Trans people are major targets of the second Trump administration. But in a way, that's nothing new;...

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Iranian American identity was under scrutiny long before the U.S. struck Iran

We're throwing back to a conversation we had in 2020 with Jason Rezaian, Iranian American journalist...

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The administration's fight against antisemitism is dividing Jews

In recent months we've seen the Trump administration punishing speech critical of Israel in its widening...

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How the news makes us think we need more cops

As President Trump flirts with invoking the Insurrection Act on anti-ICE demonstrators in LA, we look...

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What Trump's fixation on 'white genocide' in South Africa tells us about the U.S.

How the false notion of "white genocide" traveled from the political fringes to the Oval Office. The...

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Why tacos are as 'American' as apple pie

The hunger for Mexican food in the U.S. is longstanding — from the conquistadors' love affair with...

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How race science shows up at the doctor's office

We've probably said it a hundred times on Code Switch — biological race is not a real thing. So why...

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Arab and Black communities are trying to reconcile after Trump's election

Trump's win exposed political tensions between Arab-American voters — who were critical of Democratic...

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40 years ago, Philadelphia police bombed this Black neighborhood on live TV

We're looking back on the day a Philadelphia police department helicopter dropped a bomb on a rowhouse...

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In the face of trans erasure, what can we learn from Marsha P. Johnson?

Marsha P. Johnson was a trailblazer in the fight for gay rights. But Johnson's legacy extends beyond...

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Why now is the time to find power in "otherness"

Viet Thanh Nguyen came to the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam when he was four years old. Growing up...

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Revisiting the fight over the Lakota language as Trump targets "divisive narratives"

As the Trump administration targets the Smithsonian Institute for "divisive narratives" and "improper...

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Why Trump is sending Venezuelans to El Salvador

One of President Trump's main campaign promises was carrying out mass deportations. We look at how the...

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What's lost in Trump's DEI ban?

President Trump has put diversity, equity, and inclusion in his crosshairs — but there's no consensus...

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With measles on the rise, what we can learn from past epidemics

As the U.S. health system grapples with new outbreaks and the risk of old diseases making a comeback,...

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What Mahmoud Khalil's arrest means for ... everyone

Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident and Columbia alum, was detained by ICE for his role in leading...

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The Palestinian-American 'Sex and the City'

To be a Palestinian-American writer right now can lead to a lot of expectation to focus on identity...

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