For many of us, 2020 was the year of learning about the uncomfortableness that Black people have faced since childhood. We learned about injustices experienced by some of the people our loved ones call family. Statistics about systemic racism, things that are covertly racist that had been normalized, and so much more. We digested a life’s worth of pain through a year’s worth of Instagram graphics, movies, and Tweets. But let’s keep learning. And in 2021, let’s learn by listening. Here are 6 podcasts by Black women, men and nonbinary folks!
- Marsha’s Plate: Black Trans Podcast
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Dr. Angela Davis once said, “Black trans women constitute the target of racist violence more consistently than any other community.” She was not wrong. There is so much perseverance and depth to the Black trans experience. Learn about it so you can teach those around you not to be transphobic!
- 1619
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This was the first Black podcast I ever listened to, and within three minutes, I was both heartbroken and hooked. I had to know more. I had to keep going. And when I finished, teary-eyed and angry, I kept listening to others. It is a short podcast that is broken into six parts. It discusses how slavery transformed America forever.
- The Stoop
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While being an antiracist, it is so essential to recognize Black pain. But it is equally important to support Black joy. The Stoop is about Black stories and the experiences that some Black people have gone through that can be related to by other community members. It gives you a taste of the culture without appropriating it, and it reminds you that Black people are not just those who get racially profiled and disrespected. They are sisters, artists and teachers, and their endeavors should be uplifted!
- Code Switch
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This podcast challenges the listeners to consider the higher discussions. While diving deep into history, culture and society, the episodes make you re-evaluate everything you think you know about America (as you should). It unapologetically reaches deep inside you, and you should let it. The result is knowledge and inspiration.
- Black Girl Podcast
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In this hilarious and heartwarming podcast, five entrepreneurs talk about what it means to be a Black girl both personally and professionally. If we have learned anything about intersectionality, we know that there are different struggles when you are both a Black person and a woman.
- Hey Aunty!
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While listening to Black femmes and nonbinary individuals who have lived through some things, you dive into a community that is founded upon the representation they so deserved. Talks get really deep, and there is a vulnerability that is so inspirational. Nonbinary folks are sadly so misunderstood. Here is a chance to listen to them firsthand and become a better ally.
We still have SO, so much to learn beyond 2020. Instagram is no longer flooded with graphics, companies are no longer talking about how they plan on “diversifying its staff,” and the black squares have been deleted. But this does not mean that it is time to be complacent. This means it is time to work antiracism into your walk or your shower or your long drive from Gainesville to south Florida. Podcasts literally speak to you. They speak to your heart and mind, and they let you hear the voices that are often silenced by society.
This New Years’, set a resolution to listen to these podcasts! And when you finish them, listen to more. Learn more. Grow more. Introduce these podcasts to your friends and family who also like to listen to things while they work. Sometimes, I find myself scrolling through Instagram for hours that I could have spent educating myself. We all do it. We all also can change our behavior and channel it into something enlightening and necessary.
Podcasts may be long and can therefore feel intimidating, but if you can re-watch Vampire Diaries every single fall, you can educate yourself on the world around you so you can learn to be a better player in it.