Leah Donnella
Leah Donnella is an editor on NPR's Code Switch team, where she helps produce and edit for the Code Switch podcast, blog, and newsletter. She created the "Ask Code Switch" series, where members of the team respond to listener questions about how race, identity, and culture come up in everyday life.
Donnella originally came to NPR in September 2015 as an intern for Code Switch. Prior to that, she was a summer intern at WHYY's Public Media Commons, where she helped teach high school students the ins and outs of journalism and film-making. She spent a lot of time out in the hot Philly sun tracking down unsuspecting tourists for on-the-street interviews. She also worked at the University of Pennsylvania in the department of College Houses and Academic Resources.
Donnella graduated from Pomona College with a Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies.
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Juan Gabriel stayed true to his roots, even when it wasn't easy. This Los Angeles Times piece takes a look at why that was. -
This week on "Ask Code Switch," we're talking about who gets to define beauty norms — and what it means to push back on them. -
President Trump continues his quest to curb illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. One expert says there have always been ebbs and flows to how welcoming the U.S. is to immigrants. -
Some years the virus would wipe out a tenth of the population, earning New Orleans the nickname "Necropolis." The gruesome disease killed thousands, scapegoated immigrants and upheld white supremacy. -
A lot has changed in the U.S. over two centuries. One thing that hasn't? How we talk about poor white people. -
Our Word Watch series explores the term "white trash." Some people embrace it. But experts say it demeans both the people it's applied to and people of color.
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There are lots of misconceptions about dark skin and sunshine. One of the most common? That black people can't get skin cancer. -
Families have played a huge role in helping new immigrants succeed, argues UCLA Professor Hiroshi Motomura. Changing the rules would dramatically change the face of immigration. -
In a new book, historian Marc Dollinger argues that the conventional wisdom of Jewish and African-American harmony during the civil rights era is flawed. And that the real story has lessons for today. -
Always! Never! Sometimes? You had some strong opinions.
