5 Black-Created Podcasts For People Who Want To Be Allies

These raw and powerful words came from BBC Radio 1 presenter Clara Amfo the week after the tragic death of George Floyd and for Black people like me, they couldn't have been felt more deeply. The senseless killing of Floyd was the straw that broke the camel's back, kicking off a chain of global protests that are still, a month later, continuing across the world. Statues have been torn down, there is a movement to defund police forces. There have been further deaths and moments of both hope and frustration. And we will keep going. Because equality matters. Because freedom matters. Because being seen and heard matters. Black Lives Matter.

Black people have faced systemic racism for centuries and one of the most important things to emerge from the events of the past few weeks is the mainstream understanding that self-education on the current and historical issues of the Black community is vital. The shocking and powerful events over the last few weeks have shown the world just how much there is still to be done to educate those who are either not aware, or who are in denial of the tragic history of Black people. As well as reading books and watching documentaries, podcasts and radio are proving to be valuable tools to deliver this knowledge.

When Clara spoke about George Floyd, the hurt was real. The pain was real. The frustration is real. Clara wasn't only speaking for herself; she was speaking for Black people across the world. And to those who need to learn to be better allies.

This is the time to think honestly about what it means to stand as an ally to Black people. It is an ally's job to learn as much as possible about the deeply rooted seed that is racism so that when the news cycle moves on, the actions you've committed to and the education you've armed yourself with will continue to grow.

There are, as mentioned, many books and films you can learn from, but with libraries remaining closed and some of us facing financial struggles, podcasts on this subject are also a great source to to garner some important insight.

Ahead, I've gathered some of my favourite podcasts and pulled out some of their most educational episodes to help those keen to be allies to continue their work. This is by no means an exhaustive list and self-education is never done. So if you've got any suggestions to add, stick them in the comments; let's keep this education train going.