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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Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III talks about how he turned entry into the Blacksonian into the hottest ticket in town and how the coronavirus is affecting the Smithsonians.
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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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
Before 2020, the Karen was known by other names. NPR's Code Switch looks at the evolution of the entitled white woman, how her name has changed, but her behavior – and its consequences – not so much.
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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. -
Longtime Vogue editor André Leon Talley has a new memoir out called: The Chiffon Trenches. In it, he describes rifts with Vogue editor Anna Wintour and the late designer Karl Lagerfeld.
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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.
