15 Black podcasts we're listening to right now

Keke Palmer does it all. She acts, she sings, she hosts, and her latest venture is leading her hysterically funny podcast, Baby, This Is Keke Palmer. She’s interviewed other childhood stars like Raven-Symoné and Aly and Aj Michalka and Hollywood legends like John Stamos — plus, she's unafraid to ask the questions we're all thinking.

One of the reasons The Read is such a pleasing listen is not just the shade Kid Fury and Crissle throw at the industry’s most trying stars but their real-life friendship, which makes for the best back-and-forth banter.  

Surface Level is a weekly show hosted by a trio of longtime friends who talk about the challenges of the “Black and Queer experience.” Jordan, Damon, and Tony host various episodes on pressing topics, from the barbershop experience for Black queer folks to the history of shade-throwing in the African-American community. Each episode starts with a playful game before the hosts delve into the episode’s topics with personal and riveting stories. 

Podcast host and founder of Express Yourself Black Man, Kizzle, is dedicated to ensuring Black men lead a mentally healthy and prosperous life. Over the last several years, not only has he created a safe community online for Black men to be emotionally free, but his podcast features 80-plus hours of content catered toward mental health, wellness, and healing.  

Jada Pinkett-Smith, her daughter Willow Smith, and her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, take listeners on an emotional journey as they discuss topics like imposter syndrome and toxic forgiveness while expanding on love, finding and keeping healthy relationships, and healing your inner child in their Facebook Watch visual and audio podcast, Red Table Talk . Their show won an NAACP Image Award in 2019 and, in 2021, secured a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Informative. The show was canceled by Facebook, but Jada Pinkett Smith tweeted in April 2023 that they were "in talks of finding a new home."

Michelle Williams hosts her podcast, Checking In, which touches on all things mental health and wellness. The megastar, who rose to fame as part of the popular girl group Destiny’s Child, checks in with reality stars, talk show hosts, influencers, doctors, and so many others in this whimsical and delightful podcast. 

NPR’s Code Switch is their podcast jammed-packed with conversations about race you want to have. The show is hosted by journalists of color who promise to tackle “the subject of race with empathy and humor.” Code Switch has been praised by listeners and, in 2020, was named Apple’s Show of the Year. 

Just like the show's name sounds, Reasonably Shady is a light-hearted and shady podcast hosted by Real Housewives of Potomac stars Robyn Dixon and Gizelle Bryant. In addition to chatting about the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of their reality show, Robyn and Gizelle give their opinions about dating and relationships, motherhood, and the world's most intriguing current events. 

Get your daily dose of history in with Black History Year’s quick, engaging episodes that offer snippets of information about Black historians who have left an imprint on the fabric of society. Learn about the Black chef who accidentally created the potato chip, the Black inventor who designed a home security system, which is now a $4.8 billion industry, and many others in this engaging and informative show. 

Dear Culture will have you coming back week after week. Why? Because it’s for the culture.

It’s the conversations you want to have — the ones you aggressively nod to because you just get it. Panama Jackson dives deep into hot topics like the community’s love/hate relationship with celebs, including Tyler Perry, Kanye West, and Michael Jackson, the history of hip-hop, and even dedicates an entire episode to celebrating Black hair — its kinks, curls, and beauty.

Let Me Get My Headphones is the podcast to listen to if you want to discover up-and-coming independent artists. It’s a bi-weekly show featuring creatives across various industries, including TV, music, and film. It’s said to be the “nexus where art, experience, and history intersect.” 

Black Girls Eating can be described as nothing other than positive vibes in your ears. Candace of FoodLoveTog and Tanorria of Tanorria's Table link up to give listeners an educational, engaging, and amusing podcast on Black culture and how it has shaped and impacted food. 

If you remember anything about former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s gameplay, their podcast name, All The Smoke, makes perfect sense. 

Join them on their journey as they cover all things basketball, sports, and culture with guests ranging from current players like Los Angeles Laker Austin Reaves to music legends Lil Wayne and Ludacris. 

Jalen Clark and David Bellard host their weekly podcast, Black Wealth Renaissance, which strives to normalize wealth in the Black community by sharing tips, tricks, and resources learned from entrepreneurs, investors, influencers, and others. The hosts explore topics like real estate, taxes, and personal branding and touch on other forms of wealth, including mental health. 

Still Processing is brought to us by The New York Times and presented by hosts Wesley Morris and J Wortham. Together, the pair goes beyond the surface of some of Black culture’s most significant projects, like Beyoncé’s critically acclaimed album Renaissance and how the death of Chadwick Boseman impacted the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.