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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The end of Bill Cosby's trial also in effect marked the end of his career as a beloved entertainer and cultural icon. NPR looks back at Cosby's work as an entertainment pioneer, and how his growing conservatism and legal troubles have dimmed that luster for many of his admirers.
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National Geographic has released an issue on race. Which, considering the magazine's history on race, is either intriguing or ironic. Maybe both.
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Tayari Jones' new novel tells a story of love, race, justice and what happens when "normal" people come face-to-face with the unthinkable.
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On Thursday, President Trump described Haiti and most of Africa with a vulgar term. Here's why that shouldn't surprise you.
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So long, Dick Gregory, Fats Domino, Simeon Booker and many others you might not have heard of. Here's our Code Switch look back at some of the significant passings in 2017.
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Whether or not she cares, princess-to-be Meghan Markle has become a symbol of biracial people's coming-of-age, and maybe of the country's collective adulthood on race, writes Karen Grigsby Bates.
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"I did it to show my appreciation to America ... I love this country." Jose Feliciano, on singing the national anthem his way. His performance at the 1968 World Series sparked a national controversy.
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The anger of white fans "is what happens when black bodies don't conform to what white spectators and consumers want them to be or do or say," says Penn State assistant professor Amira Rose Davis.
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Victoria & Abdul is based on a true story about Queen Victoria and Abdul Karim. He started as a servant. She made him her teacher and trusted confidante, much to the dismay of her inner circle.
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From 1967 until 1977, photographers from La Raza chronicled Chicanos in and around Los Angeles. This month, the Autry Museum of the American West is sharing some of the most powerful images.
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Some top LA legal talent takes a day to help immigrants navigate the complicated path to citizenship. For free.
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The partnership seeks to strengthen Airbnb's anti-discrimination efforts and encourage more people in communities of color to consider becoming hosts.