UNLIMITED

NPR

On Halloween, Remember: Voodoo Isn't Black Magic

Halloween is nigh. Does your costume pass the racial sensitivity test? That's our topic this week on Ask Code Switch.
A New Orleans Saints fan holds a voodoo doll at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans in 2016.

Never mind ghosts and goblins, zombies and vampires. For some people, the scariest part of Halloween is the deluge of offensive costumes, from frat boys in black face to white kids in kimonos to sexy celebrity Pocahontases.

At this point, every masquerader (should) know that race is not a costume. But the racial politics behind certain get-ups aren't quite so obvious.

This week on Ask Code Switch, we got a question from Jennifer, a Pennsylvania woman whose daughter is entranced with the occult. The costume in question? Voodoo doll.

Here's Jennifer:

My 9-year-old daughter (half German-American,

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR1 min read
There Will Be Flood
Windell Curole spent decades working to protect his community in southern Louisiana from the destructive flooding caused by hurricanes. His local office in South Lafourche partnered with the federal government's Army Corps of Engineers to build a mas
NPR1 min read
History 8: Big Ideas And Life Lessons From Marx, Keynes And Smith And More
Take the 2024 Planet Money Summer School Quiz here to earn your personalized diploma!Find all the episodes from this season of Summer School here. And past seasons here. And follow along on TikTok here for video Summer School. We are assembled here o
NPR1 min read
How Useful, Really, Are The Steps You Can Take After A Data Breach?
The dreaded data breach notification... It tells you your personal data's been compromised and suggests steps you can take to minimize the potential harm. On today's episode, Kenny Malone pulls out a data breach letter he received and goes over what

Related Books & Audiobooks