In a full-issue article on Australia that ran in National Geographic in 1916, aboriginal Australians were called "savages" who "rank lowest in intelligence of all human beings." The magazine examines its history of racist coverage in its April issue. C.P. Scott (L) and H.E. Gregory (R)/National Geographic hide caption
Samantha Pierce of Cleveland has a 7-year-old daughter, Camryn. In 2009, Pierce gave premature birth to twins. The babies did not survive. Scientists say black women lead more stressful lives, which makes them more likely to give birth prematurely and puts their babies at risk of dying. Dustin Franz for NPR hide caption
A demonstrator carries a sign that says "More than 300,000 Negroes are Denied Vote in Ala" to protest then-Alabama Gov. George Wallace's visit to Indianapolis in 1964. The word "Negro" was widely used to describe black people in the U.S. during the early civil rights era. Bob Daugherty/AP hide caption
The 2010 census form included separate questions about race and Hispanic origin. The White House has yet to announce its decision on a proposal that would allow race and ethnicity to be asked in a single, combined question on the 2020 census. Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
If the White House approves a proposal to change the way the government collects race and ethnicity data, white people in the U.S. may be asked to check off boxes about their ethnic background. On this 2010 census form, answering "white" was enough to respond to the race question. blackwaterimages/Getty Images hide caption
LGBTQ people of color are twice as likely as their white counterparts to say they've been discriminated against because they are LGBTQ in applying for jobs and interacting with police. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption
What's in a name? amathers/iStockphoto hide caption
Protesters gather outside the Massachusetts State House in Boston for a July 28 demonstration against a bill that would require state agencies to collected detailed data on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. Hansi Lo Wang/NPR hide caption
The Code Switch podcast is celebrating its first anniversary. Chelsea Beck/NPR hide caption
In a recent study from National Center for Education Statistics found even after controlling for academic achievement in high school, black and Latino students attend selective institutions at far lower rates and drop out of college more often. Cesar Okada/Getty Images/iStockphoto hide caption
The Nanocar Race, which happened over the weekend at Le centre national de la recherché scientific in Toulouse, France, was billed as the "first-ever race of molecule-cars." CNRS hide caption
Left to right: George Fermon (standing), Benjamin F. Fermon (seated, author's grandfather; father of children pictured), Jessie Fermon (standing, back row), Benjamin "Bizzy" Fermon (front row, white romper), Harold Fermon, (grey knee-britches suit), Jessie Amy Anderson Fermon (seated, author's grandmother; mother of children), Frances Fermon, (on Jessie Amy's lap) Gladys Fermon (standing) Courtesy of Amy Alexander/Author hide caption
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Cheryl Boone Isaacs speaks onstage during the 88th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on February 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption
In the first of three conversations about President Barack Obama's racial legacy, Code Switch asks how much was race or racism drove the way the first black president was treated and how he governed. Richie Pope for NPR hide caption