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Summer Thomad

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On Food, Mattress Sales, and Juneteenth

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

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LA Johnson/NPR

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

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?

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The rise and fall of 'America's Dad'
Michelle Rohn for NPR

Perspective

Code Switch

The rise and fall of 'America's Dad'

At the height of his career, Bill Cosby was one of the most famous men in the United States. He was the biggest and highest paid star in the country, and with his image plastered on billboards, advertisements and television, many people felt like they knew him. Of course, few people really knew Bill Cosby. And many of the people who had seen who he was up close would be traumatized for the rest of their lives.

The rise and fall of 'America's Dad'

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The 'double-edged sword' of being a Black first

Constance Baker Motley, nominated to be judge of the southern district of New York, poses in Washington during confirmation hearings, April 4, 1966. Henry Griffin/AP Photo hide caption

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Henry Griffin/AP Photo

Code Switch

The 'double-edged sword' of being a Black first

It's Black History Month, which is likely to bring boundless stories of Black Excellence and Black Firsts. So today on the show, we're talking about Constance Baker Motley — a trailblazing civil rights judge who paved the way for many to come after her (including, perhaps, the next Supreme Court justice?) But, as we learned, Motley's life was full of contradictions, and her many achievements also came with many costs.

The 'double-edged sword' of being a Black first

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Imagining A World Without Prisons Or Police

Derecka Purnell Allysa Lisbon/Astra Publishing hide caption

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Allysa Lisbon/Astra Publishing

Perspective

Code Switch

Imagining A World Without Prisons Or Police

When Derecka Purnell was growing up, the police were a regular presence in her life. Years later, the lawyer, activist, and author of the new book, Becoming Abolitionists, realized that her vision of a just society was radically different from the world in which she'd been socialized.

Imagining A World Without Prisons Or Police

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'The Characters Are The Light'

The covers of Fire Keeper's Daughter, Hunting by Stars, The Barren Grounds, and The Sentence. LA Johnson hide caption

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LA Johnson

Code Switch

'The Characters Are The Light'

You already know we love books here on Code Switch — and given that we're smack dab in the middle of Native American Heritage month, we thought we'd introduce you to some of our favorite recent books by Indigenous authors.

'The Characters Are The Light'

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Aid Official Warns Of A Bleak Situation In Afghanistan As Winter Approaches

Girls gather at a gender-segregated school in Kabul on Sept. 15. When older secondary students returned to classes, female students were told to wait. Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images

Asia

Aid Official Warns Of A Bleak Situation In Afghanistan As Winter Approaches

The head of Save the Children in Afghanistan says it has been difficult to operate under the Taliban and their restrictions on women. Without humanitarian aid, he predicts serious casualties ahead.

Aid Official Warns Of A Bleak Situation In Afghanistan As Winter Approaches

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Asia

Some Schools In Afghanistan Are Back, But Only For Boys. Girls Have Been Told To Wait

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Chris Nyamandi, Country Director of Save The Children in Afghanistan about a restriction on girls' education and other threats to children's welfare under the Taliban.

Some Schools In Afghanistan Are Back, But Only For Boys. Girls Have Been Told To Wait

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The Man Behind Those Annual 'Sept. 21' Videos Has Made His Last Masterpiece

Demi Adejuyigbe's "September" videos have raised nearly $1 million in charitable donations, he announced hours after the latest edition went live online. YouTube hide caption

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YouTube

Pop Culture

The Man Behind Those Annual 'Sept. 21' Videos Has Made His Last Masterpiece

Since 2016, Demi Adejuyigbe has made increasingly lavish videos dancing to the Earth, Wind and Fire hit "September." "It just feels like doing the impossible with a bunch of friends," he says.

The Man Behind Those Annual 'Sept. 21' Videos Has Made His Last Masterpiece

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Sports

Teens Leylah Fernandez And Emma Raducanu To Face Off At The U.S. Open Women's Final

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with sports writer Lindsay Gibbs about Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez, the two teen tennis players who will go head-to-head at the U.S. Open women's final on Saturday.

Teens Leylah Fernandez And Emma Raducanu To Face Off At The U.S. Open Women's Final

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Education

IDs Aren't The Only Fake Documents College Students Want — Now It's Vaccine Cards Too

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Roselyn Romero of the Associated Press about how college students are using forged vaccination cards to attend in-person classes, and what schools are doing to respond.

IDs Aren't The Only Fake Documents College Students Want — Now It's Vaccine Cards Too

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Education

Texas School Administrators Go Door To Door To Bring Students Back To The Classroom

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Alejandro Delgado, enrollment director for the Austin Independent School District, about efforts to reregister students for in-person school this fall amid the pandemic.

Texas School Administrators Go Door To Door To Bring Students Back To The Classroom

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Sports

How Competing Without Fans In The Stands Could Affect Olympic Athletes' Performances

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with professor of sports psychology Dr. Dan Weigand about how performing without spectators could affect athletes' performances at the 2021 Olympics.

How Competing Without Fans In The Stands Could Affect Olympic Athletes' Performances

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Robert Downey Sr., Director of Experimental American Movies, Dies At Age 85

Writer and director Robert Downey Sr.'s anti-establishment ethos and experimental streak would go on to influence a new generation of filmmakers, including directors like Paul Thomas Anderson and Jim Jarmusch. Bob Peterson/Getty Images hide caption

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Bob Peterson/Getty Images

Obituaries

Robert Downey Sr., Director of Experimental American Movies, Dies At Age 85

Downey Sr., who wrote and directed the 1969 film Putney Swope, died Wednesday in his home from complications due to Parkinson's disease.

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