ted talks & podcasts
TED Talk playlists
Talks to help you understand racism in America — From passionate pleas for reform to poetic turns of phrase, these talks take an honest look at everyday realities of Black Americans and illuminate the way forward.
The link between health and racism — Learn about the detrimental (and even deadly) impact racism has on our minds and bodies — and what society can do to heal and support the wellbeing of all.
Talks to help you understand social justice — Want to join the fight for equality? A starter pack of TED Talks for those looking to understand the basics of social justice.
Talks on the pursuit of justice — Behold, courage. These speakers have the fortitude to stand up to some of the world's greatest injustices.
Talks to celebrate Black History Month — Insightful talks that offer fresh, thoughtful perspectives on Black identity, experience, and joy.
Talks for inclusive leadership — Leadership that includes and values everyone is the future of successful business. These talks curated in partnership with Brightline Initiative CEO Ricardo Vargas give great tips on how to be an inclusive leader.
Notable TED Talks
A Prosecutor’s Vision for a Better Justice System — When a kid commits a crime, the US justice system has a choice: prosecute to the full extent of the law, or take a step back and ask if saddling young people with criminal records is the right thing to do every time. In this searching talk, Adam Foss, a prosecutor with the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office in Boston, makes his case for a reformed justice system that replaces wrath with opportunity, changing people's lives for the better instead of ruining them.
How to raise a Black son in America — As kids, we all get advice from parents and teachers that seems strange, even confusing. This was crystallized one night for a young Clint Smith, who was playing with water guns in a dark parking lot with his white friends. In a heartfelt piece, the poet paints the scene of his father's furious and fearful response.
Angela Patton: A father-daughter dance — At Camp Diva, Angela Patton works to help young girls and their fathers stay connected and become part of each others' lives. But what about girls whose fathers can't be there — because they're in jail? Patton tells the story of a very special father-daughter dance.
The real story of Rosa Parks — and why we need to confront myths about black history — Black history taught in US schools is often watered-down, riddled with inaccuracies and stripped of its context and rich, full-bodied historical figures. Equipped with the real story of Rosa Parks, professor David Ikard highlights how making the realities of race more benign and digestible harms us all -- and emphasizes the power and importance of historical accuracy.
Monique W. Morris: Why black girls are targeted for punishment at school — and how to change that — Around the world, black girls are being pushed out of schools because of policies that target them for punishment, says author and social justice scholar Monique W. Morris. The result: countless girls are forced into unsafe futures with restricted opportunities. How can we put an end to this crisis? In an impassioned talk, Morris uncovers the causes of "pushout" and shows how we can work to turn all schools into spaces where black girls can heal and thrive.
The Great Migration and the power of a single decision — Sometimes, a single decision can change the course of history. Join journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson as she tells the story of the Great Migration, the outpouring of six million African Americans from the Jim Crow South to cities in the North and West between World War I and the 1970s. This was the first time in American history that the lowest caste people signaled they had options and were willing to take them — and the first time they had a chance to choose for themselves what they would do with their innate talents, Wilkerson explains. "These people, by their actions, were able to do what the powers that be, North and South, could not or would not do," she says. "They freed themselves."
Kandice Sumner: How America's public schools keep kids in poverty — Why should a good education be exclusive to rich kids? Schools in low-income neighborhoods across the US, specifically in communities of color, lack resources that are standard at wealthier schools — things like musical instruments, new books, healthy school lunches and soccer fields — and this has a real impact on the potential of students. Kandice Sumner sees the disparity every day in her classroom in Boston. In this inspiring talk, she asks us to face facts — and change them.
Geoffrey Canada: Our failing schools — Why, why, why does our education system look so similar to the way it did 50 years ago? Millions of students were failing then, as they are now -- and it’s because we’re clinging to a business model that clearly doesn’t work. Education advocate Geoffrey Canada dares the system to look at the data, think about the customers and make systematic shifts in order to help greater numbers of kids excel.
Rita Pierson: Every Kid Needs A Champion — Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, "They don't pay me to like the kids." Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like.'" A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.
Ebony Roberts and Shaka Senghor: How to co-parent as allies, not adversaries — When Shaka Senghor and Ebony Roberts ended their relationship, they made a pact to protect their son from its fallout. What resulted was a poetic meditation on what it means to raise a child together, yet apart. In this moving and deeply personal talk, Senghor and Roberts share their approach to co-parenting -- an equal, active partnership that rolls with the punches and revels in the delights of guiding their child through the world with thought and intention.
Additional listening
Fare of the Free Child podcast — weekly-published podcast community centering Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color in liberatory living and learning practices
NATAL — a podcast docuseries about having a baby while Black in the United States. Throughout the season, we pass the mic to Black parents to tell their stories about pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum care, in their own words. The docuseries also highlights the birthworkers, medical professionals, researchers, and advocates fighting daily for better care for Black birthing parents.
The Longest Shortest Time: How to Not (Accidentally) Raise a Racist and Dispatches from Black Motherhood
1619, a New York Times audio series hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, examines the long shadow of slavery in the US.
Seeing White Series from Scene On Radio, a 14-part documentary series exploring whiteness in America
NPR: How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race — Michel Martin, weekend host of All Things Considered, speaks with Jennifer Harvey, author of Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America.
Code Switch, an NPR podcast tackling race from all angles
What We Inherit (episode on generational trauma)
A 'Forgotten History' Of How The U.S. Government Segregated America: an interview with Richard Rothstein
Parenting Forward — progressive Christian parenting podcast with a focus on intersectionality and social justice
Is My Skin Brown Because I Drank Chocolate Milk? — TED Talk by clinical psychologist and author Beverly Daniel Tatum
Supporting Kids Of Color In Wake Of Racialized Violence from EmbraceRace
The Diversity Gap, where Bethaney Wilkinson explores the gap between good intentions and good impact as it relates to diversity, inclusion and equity
