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When Code Switch has covered the theater industry, it's often to call out some of the uncomfortable racial dynamics in the room—whether that's the unease of watching Hamilton with a primarily white audience, controversies surrounding Asian representation in Miss Saigon, or the complexities of teaching The Merchant of Venice in schools. But we usually don't sing the praises of theater, or talk about how the artform can make us think […]

The British author E.M. Forster, best known for the novels Howard's End, A Room With a View and A Passage to India, was a conscientious objector during World War I. His alternative service took him to Alexandria, Egypt, where he worked for the British Red Cross. There, he met an Egyptian tram driver named Mohammed el-Adl, and began an intense relationship that violated racial and, of course, sexual boundaries. Even […]

Singer songwriter Lizzo has rereleased her new single "Grrrls" with a lyric change after it sparked heated discussions online about ableist language. The song, which is set to appear on her upcoming album Special, received praise and excitement from many fans upon its release last Friday. Others, especially those within the disability community, expressed concern about her use of the word "spaz," which many consider an ableist slur. It originates […]

The Martin Scorsese of street rap — that's how Pusha T sees himself these days. The Virginia Beach, Va. artist — government name Terrence LeVarr Thornton — has grounds to do so. He first rose through the ranks of hip-hop in the '90s and early 2000s in the group Clipse with his brother, who now performs as No Malice. Then in 2010, Pusha T broke out as a solo artist, […]