Search

Home > Code Switch > Trump shared a racist "joke." That humor is an American tradition
Podcast: Code Switch
Episode:

Trump shared a racist "joke." That humor is an American tradition
Category: News & Politics
Duration: 00:21:06
Publish Date: 2026-02-14 08:15:00
Description: When President Trump shared a racist video on his Truth Social account last week, the blowback was real. But the video is also part of a tradition that has existed in the U.S. since the early 1800s — of using "humor" to spread and crystallize racist ideals. On this episode, we speak with Raul Perez, the author of "The Souls of White Jokes: How Racist Humor Fuels White Supremacy," who tells us how making fun of Black people was crucial to constructing "whiteness" — and perpetuating white supremacy — in the early days of the U.S.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Total Play: 0

Some more Podcasts by NPR

500+ Episodes
Throughline     4
1K+ Episodes
Life Kit     20+