Jun 05, 2020 —

Mass demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd have once again put issues of police brutality and racial injustice at the forefront of American consciousness.

For those looking for deeper conversations and historical context for this current moment, several websites have published lists of books that delve into topics of race, identity and problems within the U.S. criminal justice system. 

Fortunately, the past few years have also been a renaissance for black podcasters and journalists exploring these same issues. Here’s just a short list of some of what we've been listening to to better understand this moment.

These are just a starting point, for more recommendations check out similar lists from WBUR, Bello Collective and Radio Public.  Bello Collective also has a list of eight podcasts on talking about race with children. 

1. Justice in America: A podcast hosted by Josie Duffy Rice and a cast of rotating guests explores one topic of the criminal justice system. You'll want to scroll all the way back to 2018 to start on episode one about cash bail. Episode three, which I'm currently streaming, tells how prosecutors have slowly gained more power over the last few decades, leading to more mass incarceration. 
   
   
   
2. NPR’s Code Switch: NPR's flagship show on race, culture and identity makes it onto a lot of lists. The show has created a helpful list of eight of their best episodes to get started on, but the most recent episode called "A Decade Of Watching Black People Die" is a powerful examination of why the videos we've witnessed over the last 10 years have not led to policy changes.
   
   
   
3. 1619 Podcast: The New York Times' Nikole Hannah-Jones won a Pultizer Prize for her 1619 Project, a series that reframes our understanding of American history through the lens of the first slave ship arriving to Jamestown in August 1619. The podcast is equally compelling, and short, with just six episodes that pack in a lot of historical information mixed with incredible sound design. 
   
   
   
4. About Race: Hosted by the British author Reni Eddo-Lodge, this series tackles race from the perspective the U.K.'s own troubled history with racism. The episode "The Big Question" also addresses the inquiry Eddo-Lodge is posed most often by white people: "How can I help?" 
   
   
   
5. Scene on Radio: The first season is phenomenal, but it's the second season of this Peabody-nominated podcast where it really hits its stride. In season two, the show explores white supremacy and the history of the subjugation of people of color. The show is now on its fourth season, and still unpacking all the history lessons we got wrong in school, so there's a deep catalogue to wade through.
   
   
   
6. United States of Anxiety: From WNYC, this podcast goes back to the Civil War to explain why we still haven't arrived at a racially just democracy despite centuries of struggle by black citizens. Recent episodes have also tackled why COVID-19 is killing more black people and how the virus is affecting prisoners. 

Bonus: The Washington Post's Cape Up podcast produced an eight-part series called "Voices of the Movement" featuring stories from civil rights leaders.  This episode speaks to how songs and songwriting propelled the movement. Hat tip to the Ping and Echo newsletter.