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Karen Grigsby Bates Karen Grigsby Bates is an NPR senior correspondent.
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Karen Grigsby Bates

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Wednesday

The Women Behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott
NPR

Perspective

Code Switch

The Women Behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott

We've heard about Rosa Parks and her crucial role in the Montgomery bus boycott. But Parks was just one of many women who organized for years. In this episode, those women tell their own story.

The Women Behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott

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The Women Behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott
NPR

Code Switch

The Women Behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott

We've all heard about Rosa Parks and her crucial role in the Montgomery bus boycott. But Parks was just one of the many women who organized for years to make that boycott a reality. In this episode, the women behind the boycott tell their own story.

The Women Behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Listen · 35:02
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Wednesday

We owe women of color for the foods we love to eat

Chefs Von Diaz, Mayukh Sen, Reem Assil and Priya Krishna. NPR hide caption

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NPR

Code Switch

We owe women of color for the foods we love to eat

For decades, the ingredients, dishes and chefs that are popularized have been filtered through the narrow lens of a food and publishing world dominated by mostly white, mostly male decision-makers. But with more food authors of color taking center stage, is that changing? In this episode, we dive deep into food publishing, past and present.

We owe women of color for the foods we love to eat

Listen · 32:26
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Wednesday

Celebrating Lunar New Year in a time of grief

MONTEREY PARK, CA - JANUARY 23: A mourner attends a candlelight vigil for victims of a mass shooting on January 23, 2023 in Monterey Park, California. At least 10 people were killed and another 10 people were injured during a mass shooting that took place at a dance studio in Monterey Park. (Photo by Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images) VCG/VCG via Getty Images hide caption

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VCG/VCG via Getty Images

Analysis

Code Switch

Celebrating Lunar New Year in a time of grief

In this week's episode, we dive into the traditions and stories that shape Lunar New Year, and why violence and tragedy in the U.S. on the eve of the holiday cuts deep for celebrants. We also visit Monterey Park, California, and talk to its Asian American residents and neighbors about what the "ethnoburb" means to them beyond the shooting on January 21.

Celebrating Lunar New Year in a time of grief

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Wednesday

Revisiting 'How The Other Half Eats'
Little, Brown and Company

Code Switch

Revisiting 'How The Other Half Eats'

How do race and class affect the way we eat? What does it mean to "eat like a white person?" And if food inequality isn't about "food deserts," what is it really about? We're getting into all those questions and more with Priya Fielding-Singh, author of the book, How the Other Half Eats.

Revisiting 'How The Other Half Eats'

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Wednesday

'Kindred' brings Octavia Butler to the screen for the first time

Micah Stock and Mallori Johnson star in the new FX on Hulu series Kindred. Tina Rowden/FX hide caption

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Tina Rowden/FX

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Kindred' brings Octavia Butler to the screen for the first time

The new FX on Hulu series Kindred is the first on-screen adaptation of any work by the great science fiction writer Octavia Butler. It's the story of Dana, a young Black woman who suddenly finds herself transported onto a Maryland plantation in 1815. She has a connection to the plantation owner's son, and while getting a handle on that, she makes both bitter enemies and surprising allies in the past and present day.

'Kindred' brings Octavia Butler to the screen for the first time

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Wednesday

What we watched in 2022

There are a lot of TV shows to watch out there - so the Code Switch team isn't trying to bring you a list of the "best." But we are here to talk about some of the shows we watched this year that we loved. Sophia Pappas for NPR hide caption

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Sophia Pappas for NPR

Code Switch

What we watched in 2022

There are a lot of TV shows to watch out there - so the Code Switch team isn't trying to bring you a list of the "best." Instead, we're chatting about the shows we watched this year that we loved, and gave us something bigger to think about, from Abbott Elementary to Bel-Air.

What we watched in 2022

Listen · 29:34
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Friday

The Rev. Calvin Butts left behind a legacy of prayer and political activism

The Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, pastor of Harlem's legendary Abyssinian Baptist Church, died on Friday at home in New York City. He was 73. Newsday LLC/Newsday RM via Getty Images hide caption

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Newsday LLC/Newsday RM via Getty Images

Obituaries

The Rev. Calvin Butts left behind a legacy of prayer and political activism

Butts died Friday at home New York of pancreatic cancer. He was 73. The pastor and powerbroker lived a life filled with prayer and political activism.

Wednesday

Fear, Halloween and the real-life horrors of the past
Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Code Switch

Fear, Halloween and the real-life horrors of the past

It's that time of year again: celebrations of the macabre hit a little too close to home and brush up against our country's very dark past. We talk about navigating fake horror amid what's actually terrifying and how scaring ourselves, on purpose, can help us. This episode first ran in October 2019.

Fear, Halloween and the real-life horrors of the past

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Wednesday

Black reality in a world of fantasy

Authors Tochi Onyebuchi (left) and Leslye Penelope (right) share their experiences building fantasy worlds in their latest sci-fi novels Goliath and The Monsters We Defy. PR Agency hide caption

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PR Agency

Code Switch

Black reality in a world of fantasy

Why build a fantasy world that still has racism? B.A. Parker moderates a discussion on Black science fiction and fantasy with authors Tochi Onyebuchi and Leslye Penelope at the National Book Festival.

Black reality in a world of fantasy

Listen · 29:15
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Wednesday

In 50 years, the Pell Grant has helped over 80 million people go to college

The Pell Grant has helped 80 million students go to college. Josie Norton for NPR hide caption

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Josie Norton for NPR

Code Switch

In 50 years, the Pell Grant has helped over 80 million people go to college

The cost of college has been on everyone's minds, especially with student debt cancellation. Pell Grants are one way many low income students have managed to pay for college. And they exist in large part because of one Black woman who often goes unmentioned.

In 50 years, the Pell Grant has helped over 80 million people go to college

Listen · 27:52
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Wednesday

What does it mean to "inherit whiteness?"

Author Baynard Woods writes about his family's history in South Carolina in his book Inheritance: An Autobiography of Whiteness. J. M. Giordano/XYZ Book Publisher Company hide caption

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J. M. Giordano/XYZ Book Publisher Company

Code Switch

What does it mean to "inherit whiteness?"

In Baynard Woods' new memoir, Inheritance: An Autobiography of Whiteness, Woods reflects on how growing up white in South Carolina impacted his life. He argues that it is crucial for white people in the U.S. to reckon with their personal histories.

What does it mean to "inherit whiteness?"

Listen · 26:44
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Sunday

Books

NPR's top picks for 2022 fiction books

Four NPR staffers recommend new novels in an early taste of our annual Books We Love round-up: "How High We Go in the Dark," "Vladimir," "Mecca" and "The Candy House."

NPR's top picks for 2022 fiction books

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Wednesday

Code Switch's playlist for a summer road trip
Aurélia Durand

Code Switch

Code Switch's playlist for a summer road trip

This week, we're talking about the podcasts that podcasters listen to. These are the shows that members of the Code Switch team cannot tear our ears away from. We think they'd be great for a long car ride, plane ride, or just regular day of vegging out. They get into everything from old people to food to the human body to Oprah. And — surprise, surprise — they all have a whole lot to do with race and identity.

Code Switch's playlist for a summer road trip

Listen · 38:47
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Wednesday

Waiting In No Man's Land
Dion MBD for NPR

Code Switch

Waiting In No Man's Land

Tens of thousands of children were adopted from other countries by parents in the U.S., only to discover as adults a quirk in federal law that meant they had never been guaranteed American citizenship. Much like the Dreamers, these adoptees are now fighting for legal status to ensure they can stay with the only homes and families they've ever known.

Waiting In No Man's Land

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Monday

Race

How COVID exposed racial disparities in all aspects of the health care system

NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates from the podcast Code Switch talks with journalist Linda Villarosa about how COVID exposed racial disparities in all aspects of the health care system.

How COVID exposed racial disparities in all aspects of the health care system

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Sunday

On Food, Mattress Sales, and Juneteenth

Beloved Black cookbooks for Juneteenth. LA Johnson/NPR hide caption

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LA Johnson/NPR

Analysis

Code Switch

On Food, Mattress Sales, and Juneteenth

It's the second year that Juneteenth has been a federal holiday — which means it's getting the full summer holiday treatment: sales on appliances, branded merchandise, and for some, a day off of work. But on this episode, we're talking about the origin of the holiday — and the traditions that keep its history alive for Black folks around the country.

On Food, Mattress Sales, and Juneteenth

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Saturday

Wednesday

The impact of COVID-19, a million deaths in

Author Linda Villarosa pictured next to her book, Under the Skin. Nic Villarosa hide caption

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Nic Villarosa

Code Switch

The impact of COVID-19, a million deaths in

A new book by Linda Villarosa looks at how racial bias in healthcare has costs for all Americans. Spoiler: Poverty counts — but not as much as you'd think.

The impact of COVID-19, a million deaths in

Listen · 28:38
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Monday

Books We Love: Great books about identity and culture
Becky Harlan/NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Books We Love: Great books about identity and culture

The latest edition of NPR's Books We Love project rounded up hundreds of book recommendations from critics, writers and NPR journalists to try to give you just the read you're looking for. Today, we're giving recommendations for our favorite books about identity and culture.

Books We Love: Great books about identity and culture

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Wednesday

The LA Uprising, a generation later

Authors John Cho (left) and Steph Cha (right.) Courtesy of Steph Cha and John Cho hide caption

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Courtesy of Steph Cha and John Cho

Code Switch

The LA Uprising, a generation later

Some call it a riot. Some call it an uprising. Many Korean Americans simply call it "Sai-i-gu" (literally, 4-2-9.) But no matter what you call it, it's clear to many that April 29, 1992 made a fundamental mark on the city of Los Angeles. Now, 30 years later, we're talking to Steph Cha and John Cho — two authors whose books both center around that fateful time.

The LA Uprising, a generation later

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Wednesday

A makeup company gets a facelift
LA Johnson/NPR

Code Switch

A makeup company gets a facelift

In the 70s and 80s, Fashion Fair was an iconic cosmetics company designed to create makeup for Black women of all shades. This is the story of that company's meteoric rise, its slow decline, and the two women who think they can resurrect it once more.

A makeup company gets a facelift

Listen · 24:51
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Friday

Fashion Fair's makeover
Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett

Planet Money

Fashion Fair's makeover

Fashion Fair was the first big national brand to make makeup for Black women, but it slowly faded into obscurity. Now that it's relaunched, can it compete in an industry it helped create? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Fashion Fair's makeover

Listen · 24:28
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Wednesday

Wherefore art thou, N-word?
LA Johnson/NPR

Analysis

Code Switch

Wherefore art thou, N-word?

It is probably the most radioactive word in the English language. At the same time, the N-word is kind of everywhere: books, movies, music, comedy (not to mention the mouths of people who use it frequently, whether as a slur or a term of endearment.) So on this episode, we're talking about what makes the word unique — and how the rules about its use line up with other words.

Wherefore art thou, N-word?

Listen · 37:13
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