Karen Grigsby Bates
Karen Grigsby Bates is the Senior Correspondent for Code Switch, a podcast that reports on race and ethnicity. A veteran NPR reporter, Bates covered race for the network for several years before becoming a founding member of the Code Switch team. She is especially interested in stories about the hidden history of race in America—and in the intersection of race and culture. She oversees much of Code Switch's coverage of books by and about people of color, as well as issues of race in the publishing industry. Bates is the co-author of a best-selling etiquette book (Basic Black: Home Training for Modern Times) and two mystery novels; she is also a contributor to several anthologies of essays. She lives in Los Angeles and reports from NPR West.
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Stories about Black history often focus on struggle and suffering—but Beverly Jenkins, the author of more than 40 historical romance novels, has spent her career telling stories about Black love.
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After the Capitol was cleared of insurrectionists on January 6, there was work to be done — and it wasn't lost on many that cleaning up the mess would fall largely to Black and Brown people.
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Lawrence C. Ross, author of The Divine Nine, explains why Black sororities showed up and showed out for Kamala Harris—and how Black Greek organizations have long pushed for enfranchisement.
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This week, Code Switch is talking about the books that are getting us through the pandemic. Today's conversation is with Kwana Jackson, author of a romance that doesn't leave real life behind.
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This week, Code Switch is talking about the books that are getting us through the pandemic. Today's conversation is with Talia Hibbert, who's written a classic romance with a modern twist.
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I remember how tumultuous 1968 felt. Cops in riot gear and flaming storefronts are nothing new—but this time around, things feel even more dire.
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Born Barbara Elaine Smith, she began her career as a model and went on to gain fame and influence as a restaurateur, celebrity chef, lifestyle doyenne and entertainer.
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In her new memoir, Straight tells the story of the women in her family—her Swiss-German blood relatives and her African American, Indigenous and Creole in-laws who crossed the U.S. to settle in Calif.
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A book is still a perfect gift. So, because we're betting that some people have a bit of the procrastinator in them, here's a Code Switch gift to you: Our list of books that stuck with us this year.
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Aaron Dean fired through the window of Atatiana Jefferson's home after responding to a call from a neighbor.