View this email online Soon public media will enter our first year without federal funding. Your support is critical to ensuring that our newsrooms can continue to bring you the independent news and cultural conversations you rely on and love. Can we count on you to pitch in? Click here to donate now. — B.A. Parker, Code Switch host IN THE NEWS Fam, I first started working on Code Switch a little more than ten years ago, in the fall of 2015. In those first few months, I wrote about Viola Davis and butter cookie tins. I wrote about a children’s book, a website for Muslim-centric memes, and the origins of respectability politics. I wrote about cross-cultural Thanksgiving recipes and the movie Chiraq. I interviewed a Black vintner about diversity in the wine industry. Ahhh, how quaint some of those stories feel now.  These days, it feels like the world of race reporting is dominated by crises. (I’m not going to list them…you all live in the world.) And although all the earth-shattering stuff is important to talk about, looking back, I feel a real nostalgia for the kind of storytelling I used to do. It reminded me that life is not just a litany of emergencies strung together with coffee and adrenaline. It’s full of art, and innovation, and family, and wonder and jokes.  So readers, here’s my New Year’s resolution to you all: In 2026, I’m going to try and broaden the range of stories that I focus on. Yes, the Code Switch team will still be covering the stories that you’d expect, about immigration policy, and political turmoil, and racialized violence. But I’ll also be looking out for the more intimate stories about how race, identity, religion and culture shape our everyday lives. Stories that have been getting lost in the recent fire hydrant of horrors. And to do that, I need a little help from you all. What are the themes and stories that you want to hear in 2026? What questions about race do you want answered? What are the pieces of culture that you think have been slipping through the cracks? You can send your thoughts to CodeSwitch@npr.org. And be as broad or as specific as you want. I’m here for any and all ideas — after all, some of my very favorite stories over the years have been inspired by all of you. (Like this one. And this one. And this one.) This will be my last newsletter of the year. I’ll be back in January, ready to process the news, good and bad, with all of you. In the meantime, thank you for spending 2025 with me. I know there’s been plenty of sleepless nights and groggy mornings to go around. But through it all, your notes and feedback have made me laugh, cry, think, and recommit to doing this work over and over again. I’m so grateful for this community. Stay safe, fam, and enjoy the holidays. I’ll see you on the other side. -Leah Newsletter continues after sponsor message Support discussions that matter - try a subscription to Code Switch+. Dive deep into the conversation with none of the sponsor interruptions, and know that you’re making this all possible with your support. Learn more at plus.npr.org/codeswitch.  Learn More Written by Leah Donnella and edited by Veralyn Williams Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. Subscribe to Code Switch+. Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free episodes. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: codeswitch@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Code Switch emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy