This year’s Black History Month reminds us and empowers us to highlight all of the great contributions that Black people have made to life in the past and present. 

Such can be said about the Black podcasting industry.

As Americans from across the board use February to expand their knowledge, the platform, which was originally relegated to Soundcloud or Justin.tv, has now ballooned into a $1 billion-plus market that has influenced pop culture and the entire entertainment landscape.

In the space where Black content creators reside, all praises shall always and forever be due to the late, great Reggie “Combat Jack” Ossé, also known as “The Podfather,” who was responsible for providing a platform, the Loud Speakers Network, for shows like The Read, Friend Zone, and Angela Yee’s Lip Service to reach diverse audiences all around the globe.

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From the era of the Loud Speakers Network have come countless other networks and programs that helped to break down barriers for Black creatives. They have also shined a light on an array of topics that range from health and financial literacy (Mind Body Wealth) to reality TV (Another Word with Miss P) to debunking myths and stereotypes (There Are No Girls on the Internet).

As a result, there has been a vibrant Black renaissance in the podcast industry, affecting everything and everyone in its wake. And for prospective podcasters, this invigorating wave has breathed new life into presenting fresh voices and perspectives that celebrate our genius, chronicle our histories, and amplify our pathways to fiscal freedom in a major way.

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Most recently, Issa Rae, who was nominated for a 2022 Golden Globe, has spun off her “show-within-a-show” true-crime series, We Stay Looking, into a podcast hosted by Terri J. Vaughn, and featuring the voices of Kyla Pratt, Marsai Martin, and Kandi Burruss.

These 20 podcasts illuminate stories that discuss Black history, art and sound that inspire change, all of which expands our insights, delights, and the things in the airwaves that also excites.

Check out this list of offering that you should plug into your rotation to celebrate Black History 365, righteously!

This narrative-led podcast produced by Charlamagne Tha God and iHeartMedia’s Black Effect network finds Erika Alexander (Living Single, Get Out) and Whitney Dow (Two Towns of Jasper) exploring the argument for and against reparations for Black Americans. With this year’s midterms already heating up, Reparations: The Big Payback is an immersive pod offering listeners an experience worth discussing with friends.

It’s no laughing matter that folx out here need a job in America, which is why comedian Roy Wood Jr. is doing God’s work. Every week, The Daily Show correspondent and star of the upcoming Confess, Fletch explores the human condition through the prism of employment. A masterful podcaster, Roy’s Job Fair finds the host sitting down with real people from real jobs about job vacancies, office-ran scams, and fun office fodder that would make you laugh a little bit heartier at your own gig.

The inimitable Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson is a living music, pop culture, and Black history library. As co-founder of The Roots, Quest has been a part of legendary musical moments and a student of cultural icons and their impact, which is why Questlove Supreme is a much-needed gem in any listener’s queue. A 2022 NAACP Image Award nominated pod, each episode is driven by in-depth conversation with guests like Charlie Wilson, Q-Tip, and Solange, and brings their origins and current passions to life in their own words.

Another offering from the Black Effect podcast network, Reasonably Shady is a chic and cheeky show featuring two stars from Real Housewives of Potomac. Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon team up to share conversations about dating, entrepreneurs, current events, motherhood, style, glam, and more. It is a fearless experience to enjoy and listening to Bryant and Dixon recount their exciting lives makes this pod one to bask under when you want some shade.

Veteran media maven and cultural critic Kierna Mayo has a storied career as a leader with stints at Honey and Ebony magazines. But now, with print and digital merged into one plus narrative projects leading the way, Mayo has created a colorful sonic world with Culturati. 

A bi-weekly meeting hub for Black women from Gen X to Gen Z, this pod will take listeners from the socio-political to the NSFW to provocative conversations featuring Q-Tip, W. Kamau Bell, and Honey magazine co-founder Joicelyn Dingle. Curated every other Tuesday by Mayo, Culturati is for a cross-section of the hip hop generation who enjoy candid talks about race, sex, and power.

Emmy-winning sports journalist and commentator Bomani Jones has delivered his brand of truth and opinion to masses online and as part of the ESPN family. With no filter to get in his way, plus his Game Theory weekly, late-night series set to premiere on HBO MAX, Jones’ podcast, The Right Time With Bomani Jones is right on time for sports and pop culture fans who enjoy discussing timely issues that play out in these respective worlds.

Astronomy Club co-founders James III, Jerah Milligan, and Jonathan Braylock have kept themselves active with their hilarious podcast, Black Men Can’t Jump [In Hollywood]. The three comics and screenwriters review films with leading actors of color and analyze them in the context of race and Hollywood’s diversity issues. Produced by the Forever Dog Podcast Network, this series is for lovers of laughter, real talk, and Black cinema.

Black plant enthusiast Colah B Tawkin is the green-thumbed, swagger-filled host of Black in the Garden, a podcast that resides at the intersection of Black culture and horticulture. With more and more Black people searching for a safe space, Colah’s millennial-focused pod breaks apart the myths and stereotypes associated with gardening, while presenting an array of topics that will make Black plant keepers blossom and grow upon listening.

Exclusive to R29’s wildly popular sub-brand, Unbothered, this video podcast series confronts the hard truths that center around being a Black woman in America. Go Off, Sis, which is hosted by Sylvia Obell, Scottie Beam, and Logan Browning, are coming in hot, melanated, and champion dialogues that celebrate Black voices. Find yourself joining in with all the opinions after adding Go Off, Sis to your weekly rotation.

Kidada E. Williams hosts the stellar podcast, Seizing Freedom, which digs into archives to bring stories about how Black Americans freed themselves during the Civil War to build new lives during Reconstruction. 

Framed as two podcasts “for the price of one,” Seizing Freedom illustrates the myriad ways Black people have defined their own freedom and includes interviews and dramatic readings that help listeners to rethink how Black people define history.

A champion of culture and one of our favorite creatives in the music industry, Danyel Smith is forever one-of-a-kind. Her latest endeavor, Black Girl Songbook on Spotify, is a celebration of Black women and artists who changed the landscape of American music forever. This has been one not to miss, especially if you’re into top-tier discussions with amazing songwriters, producers, and insightful anecdotes from Danyel.

The phrase “adulting” has come to describe the best, the worst, and the most real elements that come with being older than 25. As most are want to do, Teala Dunn and Nia Sioux explore how they’re handling adulthood, but do it in an unconventionally cool way. Each week on Adulting with Teala and Nia, the two share stories of what they’re learning, who they’re leaning on, and how they’re getting it right… or not! A Spotify Original from Parcast, be sure to lock this show into your rotation when new episodes run every Wednesday.

The last hoorah is upon fans of Issa Rae’s Insecure, but don’t fret, there’s a welcomed spin-off in the form of We Stay Looking. A scripted podcast series produced by Raedio, HBO Max, and Tenderfoot TV. Terri J. Vaughn reprises her character, Rose Cranberry, and on its newest episode, “The Baby Boy is Mine,” tackles the ongoing health crisis of Black maternal health disparities. If you’re looking to laugh while learning how prevalent these issues still are in our society, tune in to We Stay Looking and tell a friend to bookmark it, too!

When you’re in the presence of Charles Holmes and Grace Spelman, the co-hosting duo behind The Ringer Music Show, you’re not too far from being an in-the-know, content connoisseur. From instantaneously sharing their thoughts about the 2022 Grammy Award nominations to speaking with GQ Magazine’s Frazier Tharpe about the lasting impact of Virgil Abloh, The Ringer Podcast will deliver the hottest takes and deepest reporting about the chaotic music industry that we know and love.

At 22, Bakari Sellers became the youngest Black American elected official in the country. And later, after vacating his seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives, he leveraged his time in politics and as a lawyer to kick off his eponymous podcast. On The Bakari Sellers Podcast, the now-37-year-old invites guests to talk about all things dealing with the Dems and GOP parties, including the upcoming 2022 midterm elections, the continued movement for racial and gender equality in America, and much, much more. Circle Monday on your calendar to catch new episodes.

All hail the Multicultural Maestros known around the internet as the For All Nerds Show. Each week hosts DJ BenHaMeen and Tatiana King serve as our exceptionally gifted connoisseurs for everything in pop, geek, comic book, and tech culture. Together, they not only keep their ears to the streets for content that will make your Spidey sense tingle, but they make sure to include a revolving cast of guests that showcase perspectives from different people of color. A Loud Speakers Network original, now is the perfect time to subscribe and catch this Afrofuturism wave, before it’s too late!

Not waiting for the countdown to hip hop’s 50th anniversary, which kicks off in 2023, Grammy-winner Nas and legendary scribe Minya “Miss Info” Oh reconnect for The Bridge: 50 Years of Hip Hop. Powered by candid conversations with legendary figures and rising voices who are all united in carrying the culture forward, The Bridge: 50 Years of Hip Hop chronicles how the world’s most popular art form went from it was written to now it’s heard.

With her Big Beautiful Weirdo comedy special still trending on social media timelines, now is the perfect time to go on a quest with Nicole Byer as she answers why she is perpetually single. On Why Won’t You Date Me? with Nicole Byer, this Team Coco original invites personal friends, noteworthy comedians, and even a few ex-flings to learn more about their dating life, and how she can get a happy one of her own.

Van Lathan’s viral exchange in the TMZ offices with Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) remains an unforgettable pop culture moment. The now Oscar-winning executive producer behind Two Distant Strangers cannot escape being tied to the “slavery was a choice” rapper, but instead of shying away, Lathan chooses to see this as a teachable moment, framed through the podcast, Higher Learning. Two times per week, Lathan and co-host Rachel Lindsay dissect the biggest topics in Black culture, politics, and sports, which should make for some important and timely conversations not to be missed.

At times, he’s one of the most hated players on the basketball court. In general, Draymond Green, a three-time NBA champion, is one of the league’s most charismatic voices and the host of The Draymond Green Show. Billed as a “multipurpose podcast,” No. 23 uses his platform to deliver unfiltered thoughts on the things that interest him most (sports, tech, music, and more) and have conversations with professionals in those spaces. Tune in weekly, on Wednesdays, and lock this into your starting five STAT!

Kevin L. Clark is a screenwriter and entertainment director for BET Digital, who covers the intersection of music, film, pop culture, and social justice. Follow him on @KevitoClark.