Black Stories. Black Truths.

Black Stories. Black Truths.

Welcome to a collection of some of NPR's best podcast episodes and features from across the Black experience. Some might make you laugh. Some might make you feel inspired. Others might make you uncomfortable. And some might make you feel all of that in the same five-minute span. This is NPR, noir. Check out the exclusive Black Stories, Black Truths merch line, and be sure to follow all of these shows for more great content, wherever you get your podcasts.

Episodes

Welcome to Black Stories, Black Truths

February 6, 2024 • 2 mins
Black perspectives haven't always been centered in the telling of America's story. Now, they are the story. Introducing a collection of episodes from NPR's podcasts that are as varied, nuanced, and dynamic as the Black experience. 24 accounts of what it means to be Black today, told from our perspectives.

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Follow Up First

February 6, 2024 • 46 secs
NPR's Up First is the news you need to start your day. The three biggest stories of the day, with reporting and analysis from NPR News — in 10 minutes.

Available weekdays by 6 a.m. ET, with hosts Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep, Michel Martin and A Martinez. Also available on Saturdays by 8 a.m. ET, with Ayesha Rascoe and Scott Simon. On Sundays, hear a longer exploration behind the headlines with Ayesha Rascoe on "The Sunday ...
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Follow NPR News Now

February 6, 2024 • 42 secs
The latest news from around the word — updated every hour.

Listen to NPR News Now at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

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The Civil Rights Generation

February 6, 2024 • 28 mins
The story of civil rights in America is the story of legends like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. It is also the story of countless ordinary people who made a difference in their own, less-visible ways. In this episode, a conversation with NPR's Ayesha Roscoe about her series on the civil rights generation and how it is remembered by those who struggled against inequity and fought for a more just future.

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In Serena Williams, A Generation Of Black Players Saw A Legend "Who Looked Like Me"

February 6, 2024 • 12 mins
Serena Williams dominated tennis for the better part of two decades. Her athleticism and aggressive style changed the way the women's game is played. And she inspired a generation of young Black players who followed in her footsteps. Coco Gauff was one of them. At 18 years old, she was born five years after Williams' first Grand Slam singles title. Today, she's ranked 12th in the WTA rankings. "Growing up, I never thought I was dif...
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How Tiny Desk became a go-to spot for hip-hop

February 6, 2024 • 35 mins
When folks think about where to get the latest in hip-hop, NPR doesn't usually come to mind. But that's changing, thanks to the team that produces Tiny Desk Concerts, which was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Platform in the 2022 BET Awards. Since 2008, Tiny Desk Concerts have delighted millions of listeners and viewers on YouTube with stripped-down performances from their favorite artists. Now the series is proving it's also an authent...
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WTF does race have to do with taxes?

February 6, 2024 • 30 mins
You finally get through the confusing, stressful work of doing your taxes only to get a notice in the mail from the IRS: You're being audited. It turns out that your race plays a big role in whether you get that letter and a lot more about your taxes, like how much you might owe the IRS, which tax breaks you can get, and even which benefits you can claim. In this episode, we're looking at the racial landmines in our tax code with D...
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Megan's Rule: Being exceptional doesn't make you the exception

February 6, 2024 • 36 mins
In December 2022, one of the biggest trials of the year unfolded in LA. Tory Lanez was facing more than 20 years in prison on charges of shooting fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion, and the internet was intensely divided: You were either pro-Tory or pro-Megan, and there was nothing else to say about it. In this episode, the first of our second season, we read between the lines and lies of hip-hop's most divisive trial to date with L...
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How do descendants of slavery honor their ancestors' legacy?

February 6, 2024 • 33 mins
Code Switch co-host B.A. Parker digs into what it means to maintain the legacy of her ancestors. In part one of two episodes, Parker goes to a symposium for descendants of slavery and meets people who, like her, are caretakers of "culturally significant historical places."

Listen to more Code Switch at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

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A Black, trans journey through TV and film

February 6, 2024 • 30 mins
Since releasing one of the most critically-acclaimed albums of 2022, pop titan Beyoncé has withheld the visuals for almost a year. NPR Senior Culture editor Bilal Qureshi went to the first stop on the Renaissance World Tour and joins producer Corey Antonio Rose to reveal one of the most highly-anticipated musical secrets. Then, journalist Tre'vell Anderson takes host Brittany Luse through a groundbreaking look at the history of tra...
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Who's 'Black Enough' For Reparations?

February 6, 2024 • 35 mins
Black History Month is here, which means we're diving into big, sticky questions about what exactly it means to be Black. So in this episode of the show: Who is 'Black enough' for reparations? Because you know...we got some bills to pay.

Listen to more Code Switch at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

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Why some Republicans want to narrow who counts as Black

February 6, 2024 • 35 mins
Republican officials in Louisiana want to change how Black people are counted in voting maps. If their plan is successful, it could shrink the power of Black voters across the country – and further gut the Voting Rights Act.

Listen to more Code Switch at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

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Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' is a thotty and ethereal work of art

February 6, 2024 • 22 mins
Beyoncé's Renaissance is a joyful, sonic immersion made for dance floors of all kinds. The album earned her nine Grammy nominations and won her four, including Best Dance/Electronic Album.

Listen to more Pop Culture Happy Hour: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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It ain't trickin' if you got it: Trina, Trick Daddy and Latto

February 6, 2024 • 57 mins
How did the "bad bitch" replace the "ride-or-die chick" in hip-hop? In this episode, we talk to the original baddest herself, Trina, about how her career flipped the script on dusty old stereotypes of Black women in rap, and left men down bad. We also sit down with Trick Daddy, the man that put her on, to hear how he feels to see her shining, and check in with Latto, a rapper carrying the torch that Trina set aflame 25 years ago.
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The New Black Film Canon is your starting point for great Black filmmaking

February 6, 2024 • 27 mins
NPR has teamed up with Slate to expand the Black Film Canon, a collection of the best films directed by Black filmmakers. The intent is to challenge both gatekeepers and makers of best-of lists to consider the breadth of artistry Black creators have demonstrated onscreen – despite the odds being historically stacked against them. In this episode, we're picking a few of our favorite additions, and you can check out the full list of ...
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Real self-care takes real systemic change

February 6, 2024 • 35 mins
You can't meditate yourself out of a 40-hour work week with no childcare and no paid sick days," says Dr. Pooja Lakshmin. But when you're overworked and overwhelmed, what actually can you do? On this episode, host B.A. Parker asks: What are your options when a bubble bath won't cut it?

Listen to more Code Switch at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

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Does HBO's 'The Wire' still hold up after 20 years?

February 6, 2024 • 20 mins
Omar Little, Jimmy McNulty, Stringer Bell, Snot Boogie. If you recognize these names, you are probably a fan of the HBO series The Wire. June 2022 marked 20 years since the series premiere. It ran for five seasons, following the lives of the cops, criminals, political players, and everyday folks caught up in Baltimore's often futile war on drugs. Many argue that The Wire is the best television show ever created and has earned prais...
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Everyone Should Be Attending Abbot Elementary

February 6, 2024 • 23 mins
The fantastic ABC series Abbott Elementary is a sitcom set at a severely underfunded Philadelphia public school. Quinta Brunson is the creator and very funny star of the mockumentary-style comedy, which follows a cast of teachers who are dedicated, but burnt out as they make do with limited resources and a hilariously incompetent principal.

Listen to more Pop Culture Happy Hour at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Goog...
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'The Color Purple' finds a new voice

February 6, 2024 • 24 mins
The Color Purple was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, then it was a movie, and then, a Broadway musical. Now it's a movie adaptation of the musical. In the new film, Fantasia Barrino plays Celie, who survives the abuse by the men in her life and longs to be reunited with the sister who was taken from her. The film also stars Danielle Brooks and Taraji P. Henson. Directed by Blitz Bazawule, The Color Purple is in theaters on Christma...
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Why the NFL (Still) Has a Diversity Problem

February 6, 2024 • 14 mins
Football is the most watched sport in the US - and one of the most profitable. The NFL reported that last year, the Super Bowl was watched by two-thirds of Americans.

But for some, the popularity and success of the sport are overshadowed by its continuing problems around race - from its handling of players kneeling in protest against the killing of unarmed Black people, to lawsuits over racially biased compensation for co...
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