NPR has selected B.A. Parker as a host for Code Switch, the network announced Thursday.
Parker will host the radio show and podcast on race and identity alongside Gene Demby, one of the show’s founding hosts, starting in July. Shereen Marisol Meraji, who was also a founding host, left NPR in August.
“I am so excited to be joining the talented team at Code Switch,” Parker said in a press release. “The show has been a necessary beacon for people of color, and I cannot wait to add to its tradition of raw, empathetic and engaging stories.”
Parker, a freelance writer and audio producer, was most recently co-host and lead producer of New York Magazine’s The Cut podcast. Parker has been guest host for the last two episodes of NPR’s It’s Been a Minute. She has also previously produced for NPR’s Invisibilia, WNYC’s Nancy and Gimlet’s Heavyweight and had a production fellowship with This American Life.
“Parker brings to our team a flair for the language and a passion for telling deeply reported, sound-rich stories with humor and compassion,” said Steve Drummond, EP of Code Switch and NPR Education. “She’s got a lot of energy and we have so many stories — it’s a great fit. We’re eager to get started.”