Best Switch Idea Co Podcasts (2025)

1
What Trump's fixation on 'white genocide' in South Africa tells us about the U.S. 34:34

1d ago34:34

34:34

How the false notion of "white genocide" traveled from the political fringes to the Oval Office. The week on Code Switch, we're talking to a reporter who was in the room during a meeting when President Trump pushed this conspiracy theory on the president of South Africa. And we're digging into what Trump's fixation on white South Africans tell us a…

1
Why tacos are as 'American' as apple pie 31:46

8d ago31:46

31:46

The hunger for Mexican food in the U.S. is longstanding — from the conquistadors' love affair with chocolate, to the classic San Francisco burrito. This week, we're exploring the history of Mexican food in the United States, and asking what it takes for a cuisine to become quintessentially "American." Learn more about sponsor message choices: podca…

1
How race science shows up at the doctor's office 35:17

15d ago35:17

35:17

We've probably said it a hundred times on Code Switch — biological race is not a real thing. So why is race still used to help diagnose certain conditions, like keloids or cystic fibrosis? On this episode, Dr. Andrea Deyrup breaks it down for us, and unpacks the problems she sees with practicing race-based medicine, from delayed diagnoses to ignori…

1
Arab and Black communities are trying to reconcile after Trump's election 28:18

22d ago28:18

28:18

Trump's win exposed political tensions between Arab-American voters — who were critical of Democratic support of Israel's war in Gaza, and Black voters — who remain the Democrats' most loyal supporters. That friction is especially pronounced in the majority Arab city of Dearborn, Michigan, and its majority Black neighbor, Detroit. This week, we go …

1
40 years ago, Philadelphia police bombed this Black neighborhood on live TV 36:20

29d ago36:20

36:20

We're looking back on the day a Philadelphia police department helicopter dropped a bomb on a rowhouse in a middle-class neighborhood. Even though that bombing and the fire it set off killed eleven people and left hundreds homeless, it's been largely forgotten. So how did we collectively memory-hole an event this big? And what does that tell us abo…

1
In the face of trans erasure, what can we learn from Marsha P. Johnson? 31:30

1M ago31:30

31:30

Marsha P. Johnson was a trailblazer in the fight for gay rights. But Johnson's legacy extends beyond her activism: "Marsha was a really full person who lived a vibrant life. She was a muse and model for Andy Warhol," and a performer in New York City and London. In this episode, we talk to activist and author Tourmaline about what we can all learn f…

1
Why now is the time to find power in "otherness" 31:22

1M ago31:22

31:22

Viet Thanh Nguyen came to the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam when he was four years old. Growing up in San Jose, California, Nguyen remembers the moment he understood he was Asian-American. In his latest book, To Save and To Destroy: Writing as an Other, Nguyen examines the power in finding solidarity with other Others, especially in today's Americ…

1
Revisiting the fight over the Lakota language as Trump targets "divisive narratives" 41:32

2M ago41:32

41:32

As the Trump administration targets the Smithsonian Institute for "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology," it got us thinking about how we preserve our history and everything that builds it, like language. So we're revisiting an episode from last year from the Lakota Nation in South Dakota over language — who preserves it, who has the right t…

1
Why Trump is sending Venezuelans to El Salvador 37:49

2M ago37:49

37:49

One of President Trump's main campaign promises was carrying out mass deportations. We look at how the Trump administration is testing the U.S. legal system to make good on its promise, starting with the story of one family trying to find their 18-year-old son after immigration agents showed up at their doorstep. Learn more about sponsor message ch…

1
What's lost in Trump's DEI ban? 32:07

2M ago32:07

32:07

President Trump has put diversity, equity, and inclusion in his crosshairs — but there's no consensus on what DEI even means. Some say that that fuzziness is the point, and that the current anti-DEI push is part of a larger plan to undo the gains made by the Civil Rights Movement. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoic…

1
With measles on the rise, what we can learn from past epidemics 29:51

2M ago29:51

29:51

As the U.S. health system grapples with new outbreaks and the risk of old diseases making a comeback, we're looking to the past to inform how people in marginalized communities can prepare themselves for how the current administration might handle an epidemic. On this episode, a conversation with historian and author Edna Bonhomme, about her latest…

1
What Mahmoud Khalil's arrest means for ... everyone 36:30

3M ago36:30

36:30

Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident and Columbia alum, was detained by ICE for his role in leading pro-Palestinian protests at his former university last year. As Khalil's case has captured the nation's attention, free speech advocates see it as a test of the First Amendment. Meanwhile, the Trump administration argues they have the right to …

1
This Palestinian-American's debut novel may not be political — but her existence is 32:26

3M ago32:26

32:26

To be a Palestinian-American writer right now can lead to a lot of expectation to focus on identity and devastation, but in her debut novel, Too Soon, Betty Shamieh shares the story of three generations of Palestinian women trying to find love, purpose and liberation. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privac…

1
A look at the human toll of the construction of the Panama Canal 31:48

3M ago31:48

31:48

The Panama Canal's impact on the geopolitical stage far outreaches its roughly 51-mile stretch of land and water. This week, we're trying to understand the canal's murky future - from climate change to President Trump's threat to take it for the U.S. - by looking at its turbulent, cataclysmic birth. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcast…

1
Black audiences see themselves centered in a brand new soap opera 36:20

3M ago36:20

36:20

B.A. Parker digs into the historical connection between Black Americans and soap operas with the launching of "Beyond the Gates," the first ever soap focused primarily on a Black family. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

1
The NFL's concussion problem beyond CTE 22:56

3M ago22:56

22:56

In 2015, the NFL agreed to an uncapped settlement to pay former players diagnosed with brain disease. The agreement came after players sued the league for covering what it knew about the links between brain disease and football. But who's gotten paid and how much is affected by their race. On the final episode of our series on race and football, we…

1
What a Black enclave lost in the Los Angeles wildfires 30:35

4M ago30:35

30:35

Altadena was the site of the Eaton fire, one of two major wildfires in Los Angeles County in January. The wind and flames destroyed more than 9,000 structures — and with them, the long-tenured Black community in the town. As efforts to recover and rebuild the town are underway, many residents are left wondering, what of their community will remain?…

1
An NFL star on what the game costs those who play it 18:08

4M ago18:08

18:08

Dominique Foxworth played in the NFL from 2005 to 2011. After he retired, he went on to become the head of the NFL Players' Association, the union that represents players in the league. In this conversation, he describes what it was like sitting across from the league's lawyers, advocating for things like players' health care at a time when the ris…

1
Untangling the history of Black rights on Native land 33:14

4M ago33:14

33:14

How the criminal legal system considers who is and isn't Native, and what that means for the Black people who are members of tribal nations. This reporting is part of an audio documentary from Audible called Tribal Justice: The Struggle for Black Rights on Native Land. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Priva…

1
What football tells us about race, labor and power 16:04

4M ago16:04

16:04

The way football is played and who plays it — from the pee-wees to the pros — tells us so much about race, labor and power in the United States. In a conversation with cultural anthropologist Tracie Canada we explore how starting from young ages, Black players are nudged towards more physically taxing positions that require more strength, athletici…

1
Hip-hop is 'fight the power' but also advertises for the power 34:45

4M ago34:45

34:45

Critics point out the apparent hypocrisy of a pro-Black rapper like Kendrick Lamar headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, since the NFL isn't exactly an institution that's known for its support of Black lives. So on this episode, we're digging into the history of hip hop and how it's been co-opted. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcas…

1
B.A. Parker is learning the banjo 30:53

4M ago30:53

30:53

Parker has been trying to find her place in the banjo world. So this week, she talks to Black banjo players like Grammy nominee Rhiannon Giddens about creating community and reclaiming an instrument that's historically already theirs. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

1
The co-opting of MLK Jr. by...everybody 30:43

4M ago30:43

30:43

Martin Luther King Jr. was relatively unpopular when he was assassinated. But the way Americans of all political stripes invoke his memory today, you'd think he was held up as a hero. In this episode, we hear how King's legacy got co-opted. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy…

1
Why laughing while crying is so Korean 39:16

5M ago39:16

39:16

Comedian Youngmi Mayer talks about how her Korean family uses humor as a tool for survival. She gets into the Korean comedic tradition and why the saddest stuff is what makes them laugh the hardest. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

1
"The police are our friends"? 36:51

5M ago36:51

36:51

How should Black parents talk to their kids about the police? Gene gets into it with his friend Chenjerai Kumanyika, host of Empire City, a podcast about the history of the NYPD. Chenjerai's show sprang out of his own attempts to talk with his young daughter about the police and what they do. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Switch Idea Co Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Code Switch

NPR

1
The Illuminate Project Podcast

Switch Idea Co.

1
Thought Cast: Things to get you thinking more creatively.

Nigel Collin and Richard Foulkes

1
What Trump's fixation on 'white genocide' in South Africa tells us about the U.S. 34:34

1
Why tacos are as 'American' as apple pie 31:46

1
How race science shows up at the doctor's office 35:17

1
Arab and Black communities are trying to reconcile after Trump's election 28:18

1
40 years ago, Philadelphia police bombed this Black neighborhood on live TV 36:20

1
In the face of trans erasure, what can we learn from Marsha P. Johnson? 31:30

1
Why now is the time to find power in "otherness" 31:22

1
Revisiting the fight over the Lakota language as Trump targets "divisive narratives" 41:32

1
Why Trump is sending Venezuelans to El Salvador 37:49

1
What's lost in Trump's DEI ban? 32:07

1
With measles on the rise, what we can learn from past epidemics 29:51

1
What Mahmoud Khalil's arrest means for ... everyone 36:30

1
This Palestinian-American's debut novel may not be political — but her existence is 32:26

1
A look at the human toll of the construction of the Panama Canal 31:48

1
Black audiences see themselves centered in a brand new soap opera 36:20

1
The NFL's concussion problem beyond CTE 22:56

1
What a Black enclave lost in the Los Angeles wildfires 30:35

1
An NFL star on what the game costs those who play it 18:08

1
Untangling the history of Black rights on Native land 33:14

1
What football tells us about race, labor and power 16:04

1
Hip-hop is 'fight the power' but also advertises for the power 34:45

1
B.A. Parker is learning the banjo 30:53

1
The co-opting of MLK Jr. by...everybody 30:43

1
Why laughing while crying is so Korean 39:16

1
"The police are our friends"? 36:51

Quick Reference Guide