Sandhya Dirks
Sandhya Dirks is the race and equity reporter at KQED and the lead producer of On Our Watch, a new podcast from NPR and KQED about the shadow world of police discipline. She approaches race and equity not as a beat, but as a fundamental lens for all investigative and explanatory reporting.
Dirks covers policing, housing, social justice movements, and the shifting demographics of cities and suburbs. She's the creator and co-host of the podcast American Suburb, about the transformation of suburbia into the most diverse space in American life. She was the editor for Truth Be Told, an advice show for and by people of color. Her stories about race, space, and belonging were part of KQED's So Well Spoken project, which won RNDTA's Kaleidoscope award, honoring outstanding achievements in the coverage of diversity.
Prior to joining KQED in 2015, Dirks covered the 2012 presidential election from the swing state of Iowa for Iowa Public Radio. At KPBS in San Diego, she broke the story of a sexual harassment scandal that led to the mayor's resignation. She got her start in radio working on documentaries about Oakland that investigated the high drop-out rate in public schools and mistrust between the police and the community. Dirks lives in Oakland and believes all stories are stories about power.
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In swing states like Georgia, growing numbers of South Asians could make a difference this election. So how do they feel about the woman some call "Lotus POTUS?" -
Chicago is home to the largest population of Palestinian Americans in the U.S. Is the community optimistic that having the DNC in town amplifies their concerns? -
Scholars say Trump’s false claim that Harris “turned Black” isn't a new racial conspiracy theory. -
June marks the 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act, which granted indigenous people U.S. citizenship. But many Native Americans say it wasn't citizenship they wanted — it was sovereignty.
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Sikhs in California will vote in a referendum to push for their own independent state in India -
More than a year after a Southern California school district banned the teaching of critical race theory, some Temecula Valley Unified students say it's resulted in more racism.
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Some Palestinian Americans in the U.S. say they feel abandoned by the U.S., and fear rising anti-Palestinian sentiment and Islamophobia at home. -
Palestinian Americans are grieving over loved ones who have been killed, injured and trapped in Gaza amid Israel's bombardment. They also feel betrayed by the U.S. government's support of Israel.
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A bill in California awaiting the signature of Gov. Gavin Newsom would ban caste discrimination in the state. But the legislation has revealed deep divisions in the South Asian community.
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A look at the divide among Asian Americans over affirmative action.
