Podcasting has a bad rap for being a bit homogeneous. With more than a million shows available, how does anyone select one to listen to? How can we ensure that we’re not just picking another show with two white dudes making inside jokes about politics or pop culture? Of course, if that’s your vibe, God bless ya! However, if you’re like me, you’re looking for shows that give new perspectives with a bit more color. Let’s review a few of my favorite podcasts by Black creators.

Seizing Freedom

You may have heard that the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves. However, there was so much more to attaining freedom for Black folks that went beyond the broken promise of 40 acres and a mule. In Seizing Freedom, host Dr. Kidada Williams spends time telling listeners the untold stories of Black folks who went through hell and high water to ensure that the freedom promised to them was delivered. This is a great show because it takes actual accounts of Black people from autobiographies, journals, diaries, and newspaper articles and brings them to life through voice acting. It breathes new life into each journey we hear about. From the early days of freedom, to figuring out how to make a living, Seizing Freedom covers the many complicated aspects of living in the U.S. and how challenging that was for Black folks after the Civil War.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

The Secret Adventures of Black People

There are plenty of stories about the journeys, struggles and pains of Black people; those stories are important and necessary. However, The Secret Adventures of Black People is not a show about the struggles and pain of Black people. Rather, host Nichole Hill seeks to tell the stories of Black people that you might hear if you passed an open window and overheard them talking. Not just small talk conversations, but through in-depth sound design Nichole takes listeners on cinematic journeys of joy, frustration, confusion, and every emotion in between.  They are truly unique sonic adventures and they are all, of course, uniquely Black.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Flyest Fables

Morgan Givens is a Black creator who makes Flyest Fables to give his nephew an opportunity to hear fantastic stories that involved people who looked like him. There is magic, and singing, and crystals and above all, there’s a lesson to be learned with each journey we take into the Kingdom of Orleans. Flyest Fables is a great escape for people who like fantasy, but it remains rooted in our world as it punctuates the trips it takes with important reflections about each of our own respective journeys in life. This show is easily marathoned and made me look forward to whatever Morgan creates next.

Read more: Best Podcasts for Kids and Pre-teens

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

The Colored Girl Beautiful

The Colored Girl Beautiful is a podcast about Black womanhood as explored through Emma Azalia Hackley’s 1916 book of the same title. The original book covers various topics such as Love, Personal Appearance, Marriage, Work and Motherhood. What I like the best about this show is that the host Aseloka Smith does a great job of using the book to examine the beautiful juxtapositions of Black womanhood. In each episode, she shares a story of a Black woman searching for balance between strength and vulnerability, friendship and independence, love and ambition, and everything in between.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

Adult ISH

When I was out of college and out of my parents’ house, there was a time when I was basically just a teenager in adult cosplay. Adult ISH does a great job of processing this exact transition.  Figuring out the world, exposing yourself to new experiences, and learning how to be a good adult in a complicated world. Hosts Merk Nguyen and Nyge Turner do a great job of being vulnerable and transparent with their own experiences in new adulthood, but also interview and discuss new adulthood with other new adults—some you may know and others you’ll meet for the first time. This show straddles the fence of being very fun and light-hearted with very poignant moments and you’ll feel like you’re just hanging out with friends and learning something along the way.

Read more: Black History Month: Integrated Diversity in Podcasting

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

My podcast, Time Well Spent

Ronald Young Jr, is a bit of an overthinker who often gets meta with his own life. He even wrote this article and is overthinking the explanation of his own show, Time Well Spent. To sum it up, TWS is a narrative podcast that takes relatable stories from its host (RYJ), who attempts to understand life by constantly talking about it and processing it. Sometimes he’s talking to his friends and telling listeners their stories, other times it’s his mom, but more often than not he chooses to get vulnerable and tell his own stories. It’s a good show if you’re a fan of narrative introspection in the ways of This American Life, and Heavyweight, but you know…Black.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

Conclusion

There are a lot of podcasts. Good, bad, and everything in between. These are only a few made by Black folks. Add these to your list and don’t be surprised if you find that your entire playlist becomes a little more diverse as you continue to branch out. Enjoy!

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