Kinfolklore is a podcast about fictional stories. In fiction, stories usually have beginnings, middles, and endings. We don’t know exactly where we are in the American story. Still a young nation, America has never quite reckoned with its history of enslavement, disenfranchisement, and systematic oppression. This week we are grappling with yet another injustice. George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020 by the police in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic. He was unarmed and was black -- A story all too familiar to us. Within days, we became a nation in chaos.

Many of our listeners and readers are trying to make sense of the long legacy of racism in this nation. In the dark, we search for knowledge, for context, for anything that will help us add order to the world. For some of you this may be the first time you are really considering the impact racism has on our society. At Kinfolklore, we thought the best way we could help you is to assemble a list of podcasts that explore race in our society. These podcasts will help you gain perspective, and provide you with the facts for those difficult conversations. It is not a comprehensive list. But it is a start.

We hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. We stand with you in difficult times. May these recommendations help you in your journey. And never forget, that Black Lives Matter.

Historical Context

1619 — This podcast from the New York Times is only 5 episodes and we recommend you listen to each one. The podcast provides thoughtful analysis of the impact of slavery on America’s history since the first enslaved person arrived in the colonies in 1619. If you are expecting a list of dates and important events, you will not receive it. Instead you will learn how slavery and enslaved people influenced every facet of the American experience from financial systems to music to health care. (NYT)

Family Ghosts: Season 3 (Episodes 1-3) — This three-part series examines the story of Africatown, a community in Mobile Alabama, where the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to arrive illegally in the United States, landed in 1860. The podcast explores the history of the ship’s legacy, and its impact on the descendants of the enslaved people by highlighting their pain and their pride. (Spoke Media)

This American Life: Episodes 562 and 563 — This two part series, titled The Problem We All Live With, covers one of America’s longest racial struggles - school integration. Despite plenty of evidence that integration is effective education policy, most large school districts have essentially abandoned it after prolonged disputes about busing, protests, and the Supreme Court weighing in multiple times. The problem seems unsolvable. But is it? This series gives two examples of school districts that made it happen -- One of which was the very school district Michael Brown graduated from before he was shot and killed in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014. (WBEZ - Chicago)

Policing

Radiolab Presents More Perfect: Mr. Graham and the Reasonable Man — In 1984, Dethorne Graham, a black man with diabetes, went into a convenience store for a bottle of orange juice. Within minutes, he was unconscious, injured, and in handcuffs. Mr. Graham survived the encounter but suffered several injuries. He pursued the incident in court, all the way to the Supreme Court, and their ruling set the legal standard for police brutality in the United States. (WNYC)

This American Life: Episodes 547 and 548 — Reported not long after the death of Eric Garner, a New York City man who was killed when police put him in a choke hold, this two-part series examines the division between police and the black and brown communities they are sworn to protect. (WBEZ - Chicago)

Reply All: Episodes 127 and 128 — Titled appropriately, The Crime Machine, this two-episode series examines policing in New York City and why many residents of the city see the NYPD as being a hostile presence in their neighborhoods. This series highlights the problem from the point of view of several police officers and looks at how CompStat, the data system used to analyze crime rates, has create the hostile conditions. (Gimlet)

Current Events

The United States of Anxiety — This WNYC podcast is hosted by Kai Wright. Each season explores our present anxieties and conflicts through a historical lens. Season 1 explored the divisions that Donald Trump exploited in his race to the White House -- looking specifically at communities in Long Island, New York, where voters were becoming increasingly anxious about immigration and race. Season 2 explores our increasing polarization in context of identity politics. Season 3 looks specifically at the role of gender (and race - yay intersectionality) in American politics. And finally, Season 4 asks the questions: Can we finally build a multiracial democracy in 2020? (WNYC)

Code Switch — We can’t recommend NPR’s Code Switch enough. Each week, hosts Gene Demby and Shereen Marisol Meraji talk about race and culture. The podcast explores many topics from a multicultural point of view including pop culture, race relations, history, and politics. We highly recommend listening to their recent episode: A Decade Of Watching Black People Die. (NPR)

Pod Save the People — One of the best features of this podcast is that it is an optimistic project. Activists DeRay Mckesson, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Sam Sinyangwe, and writer Clint Smith all deeply believe that America can be a better and more inclusive society. Whenever you’re feeling doubtful in the struggle or don’t believe progress can be made, Pod Save the People will remind you that through hard work and activism America has and can get a bit closer to reaching its potential. (Crooked Media)

Black Culture & Experience

The Nod — On this podcast Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings explore black culture and black life, from entertainment to current events. For two and half years, Brittany and Eric reflected the black experience with humor and grace. The recently ended the podcast, but don’t worry they have a new show on Quibi. (Gimlet)

Still Processing — This culture podcast from the New York Times examines art, entertainment, and cultural experiences and is hosted by Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham. They bring their insights and perspectives to whatever is on your television, in your ears, or on your tablet at the moment. (NYT)

Posted and written by: Andrea