Black Stories, Black Truths: NPR's New Campaign Celebrates the Black Experience
Gene Demby, Aisha Harris, Bobby Carter, Sidney Madden, Brittany Luse NPR hide caption
Gene Demby, Aisha Harris, Bobby Carter, Sidney Madden, Brittany Luse
NPRTurn on NPR today and you'll hear a range of voices as varied, nuanced, and Black as the country we reflect. That's because NPR sounds like whichever one of our hosts is at the mic, and all the passions, quirks, and lived experiences they bring with them.
Welcome to Black Stories, Black Truths: a video series, a collection of podcast episodes, and—most importantly—a celebration of Black voices in journalism. Our voices aren't a monolith, and neither is public media.
Launching today, this campaign is a rallying cry. While a host's work is focused on stories, the core of NPR Extra's work is focused on people, and we're not afraid to get up close. Our hosts' voices, opinions, and lived truths are below, in videos, behind-the-scenes clips, and a podcast feed. Welcome to NPR, noir.
Interview Videos
"What happens when an interviewee recognizes that you're Black?"
"Do you ever feel the need to turn up or down your Blackness in your work?
Hard-hitting, at times uncomfortable, and completely authentic – Black Stories, Black Truths kicks off with a series of interviews with fourteen of NPR's Black hosts. Our goal was to bring humanity and light to the work that they've done through carefully-chosen questions that invite them to open up in ways we don't often get to hear.
Aisha Harris, Pop Culture Happy Hour
Ayesha Rascoe, Up First & Weekend Edition
Michel Martin, Up First & Morning Edition
Gene Demby, Code Switch
B.A. Parker, Code Switch
Sidney Madden, Louder Than A Riot & NPR Music
Rodney Carmichael, Louder Than A Riot & NPR Music
Juana Summers, All Things Considered & Consider This
Brittany Luse, It's Been A Minute
Korva Coleman, NPR News Now
Dwane Brown, NPR News Now
Shay Stevens, NPR News Now
Eric Deggans, NPR TV critic
Bobby Carter, Tiny Desk & NPR Music
The Podcast Feed
Black Stories, Black Truths is a place to hear voices that speak truth to power. We believe that if you're not telling stories and considering a Black perspective on them, you're missing a critical piece of the story. With shows and podcasts as wide-ranging as the Black experience, we're doubling down on our belief that stories should never be about us without us.
Behind The Scenes
The shoot was a blast and we want to relive some of its key moments with you. Scroll below to see our hosts celebrate the radical act of being themselves. Every shot is a living account of what it means to be Black today. That's the thing about being Black – it's nuanced. It's complex. It's beautiful. It's everything.
Brittany Luse, host of It's Been a Minute Sergio Romano hide caption
Brittany Luse and B.A. Parker Sommer Hill hide caption
Michel Martin, co-host of Up First & Morning Edition Sergio Romano hide caption
B.A. Parker, co-host of Code Switch Sergio Romano hide caption
Aisha Harris, co-host of Pop Culture Happy Hour Sergio Romano hide caption
Gene Demby, Dwane Brown, Korva Coleman, Brittany Luse, and Michel Martin Sommer Hill hide caption
Gene Demby, Dwane Brown, Korva Coleman, Brittany Luse, and Michel Martin
Sommer Hill
That's a wrap! The BSBT hosts and crew celebrate the end of a successful shoot Sergio Romano hide caption
Credits