10 Black Podcasts You Should Listen To

Tis the season to buy and support Black! Recent events including the unlawful murders of Black man and women, protests and efforts for racial for justice, the celebration of Juneteenth and more, has prompted more Black people than ever to redirect their dollar and support to Black-owned businesses. Celebrities, influencers, and media outlets are using their platforms to highlight and promote Black-owned businesses and the outpouring of support for Black entrepreneurs, creators, and artists shows for it. Even the Queen B herself, Beyonce Knowles-Carter, released a surprise track on Juneteenth, Black Parade, that benefits BeyGOOD’s Black Business Impact Fund, administered by the National Urban League to support Black-owned small businesses in need. Like many news and media outlets, she also listed a directory of Black owned businesses in need. As a Black Journalist and creator, I, too, am dedicated to supporting and promoting other Black creators. So if you’re interested in supporting Black creators, keep reading.

While we are at home and quarantined and many people are exploring new mediums for news, entertainment, and engagement, podcasts are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, as podcast awareness and consumption in the US continue to rise, podcasts now reach over 100 million Americans every month, which is up 32% from 2019, according to 2020 podcast research statistics from Edison Research and Triton Digital published in The Infinite Dial annual report. However, Black people are severely underrepresented and negatively portrayed in the media industry and it is so critical to increase the representation of Black people in the podcast space to share more authentic stories, give voice to the voiceless and shed light on underrepresented communities. As a Black woman in the podcast space, I am committed to not only sharing uplifting stories about Black people, but also supporting and promoting other Black podcasters. I compiled a list of 10 Black podcasts you should listen to.

1. HoratioRadio– Horatio Douglas Jr, is an on-air personality that shares his unique take on the latest stories, politics and viral videos. Horatio created his “Let Me Hate Show” on YouTube. He soon changed the name to HoratioRadio, which has become his overall brand. His popular “You Know What I Hate” videos are a spin-off of the former show. These videos include anything from trending topics to concerns of the student body at North Carolina A&T State University (NCAT). His biggest platform, the HoratioRadio YouTube Channel, has over 11K Subscribers with 3 Million Channel Views. Horatio is a senior at NCAT where he is majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication and minoring in Entrepreneurship. Upon his graduation, Horatio plans to work in radio while building his online brand. Though moving into prime-time shifts, bigger markets, and national syndication are his goals, he plans to also own his own podcast network in an effort to help better his community by supplying jobs, services and a platform to those who would not otherwise have one.
2. Human Blacks– Human Blacks, with Nerdia & Nerd Wonder, is a safe space where you can enjoy and learn about those things that make us human, and make us Black, all while growing together. They talk about the human Black experience! From sexuality to family, to being entrepreneurs and friends, you are going to get everything on everything about being human and Black. Nerdia and Nerd Wonder are NCAT alumnae, turned best friends, turned sisters that have a deep passion for nerd things, blackness, and mental health. Nerd Wonder is a master entrepreneur, creative and loving spirit with a computer for a brain. Nerdia is a creative engineer that loves expressing herself and encouraging others to do the same. The two best friends met in Detroit in 2016 and the rest is filled with hilarious moments and numerous discussions that led them to create the Human Blacks Podcast.
3. 1000 Jumpers– 1000 Jumpers is a podcast where Jerrell Leeper and Robert George come together once a week to discuss everything from sports, music and pop culture. The podcast started in 2015 where cohost, Robert George, called Jerrell and said “Yo we should do a podcast.” Rob knew Jerrell didn’t know much about podcasting, but the two had faith to figure it out and in November of 2015, they recorded the first episode. The two faced some hiccups along their podcast journey, but remained solid and consistent. The podcast is available everywhere from Apple, Spotify, Google Play, iHeartRadio and more.
4. Ask Myj The Podcast– Ask Myj The Podcast is a weekly podcast that explores pop culture trends in music, movies and TV that influence our relationships, lifestyles and attitudes. Myj is spilling all the real tea about all your favorite celebrities and influencers. Myj shares inspirational stories through her “Myj Moment” segment; dives into the latest news and trends in pop culture spanning from new movies, album releases, and television shows; and discusses her thoughts and opinions on her “Question of the Day” and “Unpopular Opinions” segments. As an advocate for Black women, she also sheds light on various Black women who are influencers and entrepreneurs and are using their talents to make a positive impact in their respective industries. Myj hopes that listeners are inspired and uplifted after listening to each episode. Ask Myj The Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.
5. The Lituation Room– The Lituation Room Podcast (#TLR) is all about having real conversations with real people in the media. TLR strives to be real and authentic in a media world where the truth can be a little hazy. TLR also uses its platform to be the bridge between artists and the masses. Join the Movement! With a degree in Communications from NCAT, Alisha Brown, host and creator of TLR, learned that she could combine her passion for music and helping people through radio. TLR started as a dream and is now turning into the Movement that she always envisioned. In just a little over a year and two seasons, TLR has over 2K downloads in over 10 countries, including USA, Canada, Australia, Fiji, US Virgin Islands, Germany, Spain, Japan, and more. Alisha, also known as Lisha B, is excited to continue on her podcast journey and see the Movement grow.
6. Good Taste ~ Bad Grammar– Good Taste ~ Bad Grammar is a podcast series that intentionally and effortlessly brings culture to life. Hosted by Bradford Brooks, Rod Carter, and Hunter Watson, the conversations focus on their personal journeys, community, music, sports, and more. Bradford recorded the original first episode in 2017 with Rod Carter & Zac Locke, owners of the Fam(ily) Brand, as guests. As the sole host, he interviewed local artists, business owners, and journalists,  gaining a listenership of more than 6,000. Toward the end of 2018, Bradford brought Rod and Hunter on as a part of the show. The trio released their first episode in 2019 and have been recording together since. The podcast has featured guests such as Nike Digital Brand Marketing Specialist, J Clean; recording artist, Elevator Jay; and countless others and is recorded at the 704 Shop in Charlotte, NC. The show aims to constantly bring great stories and discussions that are 100 percent unapologetically for the culture! Good Taste ~ Bad Grammar is the first official project powered by the fam(ily) brand with over 6,000 plus listeners. Good Taste ~ Bad Grammar can be streamed exclusively on Apple, and Spotify. You can also hear stream recent episodes at https://www.com/goodtastebadgrammar
7. Shh The Game is On– Shh The Game is On is a sports podcast hosted by female sports reporter J.Rachelle, that focuses on changing the narrative of women not being entertained or informed on sports topics to putting the power of sports in the ladies’ hands. J.Rachelle sits down with sports-crazed individuals within the sports world and elsewhere, to discuss topics, news and more. If you don’t like interruptions when the game is on, listen for discussions and conversations that are sure to keep you intrigued.
8. Game of Faith– Game of Faith is a podcast that teaches young adults how to find their purpose, fulfill their God-given destiny, and navigate through society as a young Christian. Game of Faith podcast was started with the intent to show people you can still be ‘cool’ and love Jesus. Reginald Ward, host of Game of Faith, sought to display real stories of young people living in their purpose and still balancing their lives outside of that. He believed that if people heard stories from ‘regular’ people, they’d be more interested in learning about faith. In March 2020, Reginald teamed up with founder of Moore Ambition, Cedric Moore, to create Moore Faith, a platform where young adults can share the gospel in a fear-free zone. Moore Faith is a faith-based lifestyle brand empowering people to build in the midst of opposition.
9. Tha Culture University– Since life is a 24/7 class in session, Tha Culture University Podcast is dedicated to providing insight and inspiration to people who identify as boujee, ratchet, or in-between. Listeners can join the host, Brittney and her people, for weekly crash courses – as they discuss the latest news & entertainment, share inspiration, and give unfiltered advice on life and much more. In the midst of pursuing her degree, Brittney launched her own YouTube channel, The Twenty-Somethin’ Show. She continued brainstorming and writing her ideas down, purchased a mic, and launched Tha Culture University this year.
10. 3 Keys on a Pod– 3 Keys on a Pod is a podcast that gives a youthful and fresh insight into sports, music, fashion, and relatable topics surrounding urban culture conversations and interviews. The podcast idea started from a group chat amongst friends debating personal tastes in music and sports. After deciding to share their opinions on music and sports, the group of friends started a podcast. The podcast currently has seven episodes and can be streamed on all platforms.