B.A. Parker

B.A. Parker

@baparker.bsky.social

co-host of code switch on npr (she/her)

10.1K followers594 following324 posts

B.A. Parker reposted

Phil Lewis
@phillewis.bsky.social

I spoke to the mom of the 3-year-old soccer star who was left "thinking he did something wrong" after a league official called police "due to a disturbance between parents" The youth sports league said they launched a review and reached out to the family

huffpost.comViral 3-Year-Old Soccer Star ‘Traumatized’ After Police Were Called In The Middle Of The Game“They called the police on a 3-year-old because he’s too good,” Nevada’s father, Don, can be heard saying in the video.
B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

I try to figure out this very problem on today’s episode of Code Switch www.npr.org/2026/10/13/n...

npr.orgHow much reality do we want in our reality TV? : Code SwitchWhy do Black contestants on reality TV keep getting voted out first? Like a lot of people, B.A. Parker watches reality TV to escape. But seeing contestants of color on the receiving end of microaggres...
Them@them.us

In a lengthy Instagram comment, Myha'la explained that she “sealed her own fate” and said that her friends “in no way consciously put bias on me.”

them.usMyha'la Says Unconscious Racial Bias Is “Prevalent” on ‘The Traitors’
B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

I find that too many of the “greatest shows of the 21st century” are middle-aged white men in crisis. And I’ve enjoy my fair share of them. But this is my truth!

B.A. Parker reposted

Isabel Lara
@isa-lara.bsky.social

He was the right leader for the toughest times.

The Associated Press@apnews.com

BREAKING: Lonnie Bunch is stepping down from the leadership of the Smithsonian Institution following an ideological clash with the Trump administration.

bit.lyLonnie Bunch to retire from Smithsonian leadership following clash with Trump administrationLonnie Bunch is stepping down from leading the Smithsonian Institution after a challenging year. President Donald Trump has been pushing to reshape how U.S. history is portrayed, affecting entities like the Smithsonian.
B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

Going to a Black film prgm, one of the first things they taught us was the origins of this guy’s film “Blue Collar,” and his treatment of the writer Sydney Glass. Maybe no Black actors wanted to be in the movie bc he hasn’t written a complex Black character since ‘78 and even then he stole them? 🤷🏾‍♀️

The Playlist@theplaylist.bsky.social

Paul Schrader Says He Turned To AI Because “No Black Actors Wanted To Play In A Movie Where There Are No Good Black People”

dlvr.itPaul Schrader Says He Turned To AI Because “No Black Actors Wanted To Play In A Movie Where There Are No Good Black People”Just days after Paul Schrader revealed that he plans to make his long-gestating crime noir “Three Guns At Dawn” entirely with AI-generated performers, the filmmaker has explained why he abandoned human actors in the first place. According to Schrader, Black actors rejected the original version because all three of its Black protagonists were criminals. His solution? Make the movie without them. Schrader has spent the past week gradually clarifying his plans for “Three Guns At Dawn.” As The Playlist previously reported, the filmmaker originally conceived the South Central Los Angeles noir around three Black brothers—a corrupt cop, a drug trafficker, and a third criminal—with Antoine Fuqua attached to produce. Continue reading Paul Schrader Says He Turned To AI Because “No Black Actors Wanted To Play In A Movie Where There Are No Good Black People” at The Playlist.
B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

This does lead to a bigger discussion about how AI blackface, and the weird servitude that it’s encouraging. Creating Black people to do your creative bidding because you want them to be “a corrupt cop, a drug dealer, and a sexual criminal” feels propaganda-ish on its best day.

B.A. Parker reposted

taylor crumpton
@taylorcrumpton.bsky.social

Wrote about how Love Island USA's failure to protect Trinity Tatum, Kayda Bosse, Aniya Harvey, and Melanie Moreno from anti-Black racism and sexism online is a threat to the franchise for @time.com #LoveIslandUSA time.com/article/2026...

time.comLove Island USA’s Failure to Protect Black Women Is a Threat to the FranchiseThe record-breaking reality TV franchise is built on the popularity of its Black female stars, but it does not do enough to keep them out of harm's way.

B.A. Parker reposted

Brooklyn Academy of Music
@bambrooklyn.bsky.social

When the temperatures rise, our doors are open. 💙 This summer, BAM's Peter Jay Sharp lobby serves as an official NYC Cooling Center, offering a safe, air-conditioned place for our neighbors to escape the heat. 🕘 Cooling Center Hours: Monday–Friday, 10am–6pm, 30 Lafayette Ave

B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

On its face, very cool. When you think about how “Scandal” was a show made in the Obama era about a Black woman stealing 3 presidential elections for the GOP, my feelings get complicated. But maybe it’s best not to overthink it.

Christopher Webb@cwebbonline.com

Not gonna lie, this is a badass museum donation. 🇺🇸 Shonda Rhimes donated the Oval Office set from Scandal, the same one fictional President Fitzgerald Grant called home for seven seasons. Now it’s part of the Obama Presidential Center Museum

B.A. Parker reposted

David Folkenflik
@davidfolkenflik.bsky.social

NEWS: NPR plans newsroom restructure and modest jobs cuts as it confronts era without federal funding. CEO Katherine Maher says NPR intends to save $8M from newsgathering & related units; shows and podcasts not eligible for buyouts or targeted for layoffs. www.npr.org/2026/05/18/n...

npr.orgNPR trims jobs in newsroom overhaul as it confronts era without public fundingNPR is offering buyouts to journalists as it overhauls its newsroom, with the threat of layoffs to follow. Two recent gifts totaling $113 million are primarily dedicated to NPR's tech infrastructure.
B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

I think Casey Affleck’s character knows he looks like Casey Affleck. But absolutely no one in the group knows who that is. But oddly enough they know who Scott Caan is. Rusty was a big Hawaii 5-0 fan.

Mike Ryan@mikeryan.bsky.social

Since 2011 anytime I interviewed anyone involved in OCEANS TWELVE I’ve asked them a version of, “Since Tess knows she looks like Julia Roberts, does everyone else on the team know they look like famous people?” I finally put all of their answers together in this post

thehardpass.netIn 'Oceans Twelve' Tess Looks Like Julia Roberts, So Do They Know They All Look Like Famous People?This piece is literally 15 years in the making. I've been obsessed with one particular plot point of Steven Soderbergh's Oceans Twelve since I first saw it 22 years ago (wait, what?) and anytime I've ...
B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

In celebration of the O’s opening day win today, here is my obligatory post of the coolest thing I did in 2025.

B.A. Parker@baparker.bsky.social

On Tuesday night, I got to achieve a childhood dream: I threw the first pitch at Camden Yards. #Orioles

B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

In the summer of 2020, I was determined to find out what’s the point of police. I learned it’s to protect the community, not the individual. I learned that protecting folks is either at the police’s discretion, or we end up in a police state. And we’re kinda on our own. radiolab.org/podcast/no-s...

radiolab.orgNo Special DutyA look at what happens when the police don’t do the one thing you expect them to.
Gothamist@gothamist.com

The NYPD is not constitutionally required to help a person being attacked by an angry mob, lawyers for the city argued in a recent court filing: gothamist.visitlink.me/W7zbRT

B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

I also asked a lawyer if one could sue for false advertising if they don’t “protect and serve.” Well, no. I learned that the police are not a chain like a McDonald’s. There’s no advertising since there’s no competition. So it’s more of an aspiration.

B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

Also “to serve and to protect” was chosen in an internal slogan competition by the LAPD. The teenage daughter of a cop snuck and submitted the winning slogan under her dad’s name. “To serve and to protect” is the dream of midcentury teenage girl, whose kids years later ended up protesting for BLM.

B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

Haven’t posted in a month. Life updates: - I just watched all of Lonesome Dove for the first time, and I’m a better person for it. - I’m learning “Bet On It” from High School Musical 2 on the banjo. - For my birthday, I finally own wine glasses. - Code Switch is now 2 eps a week. Yes, we are tired.

B.A. Parker reposted

Max Berger
@maxberger.bsky.social

Jeffrey Bezos is destroying the Washington Post for the same reason Musk destroyed Twitter and Ellison is destroying CBS—oligarchs oppose the free press when if it threatens their wealth and power. They don’t want normal people to see what is happening in America.

B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

I respect the thought on Ms. Parks’s heavenly birthday… but I’m a Black lady with a bad back, I’m taking that seat.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority@mta.info

To commemorate Transit Equity Day and Black History Month, a seat has been reserved today to honor the legacy of Rosa Parks. Each and every day, we’re committed to providing accessible and equitable transit for all.

B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

The entire time they’ve been on this journey, the monks have been met with racism, cops, and content creators. A sad indictment of the current state of affairs.

Phil Lewis@phillewis.bsky.social

The Buddhist monks on a "Walk for Peace" toward Washington are urging streamers not to follow them everywhere they go "We don't want this to become something people chase after"

B.A. Parker reposted

NPR
@npr.org

For 50+ years, the NPR Network has offered America trusted information, free of charge. As public media faces a future without federal funding, we're relying on you to sustain this work in 2026 and beyond. Donate now to power Tiny Desk concerts, local reporting and more: n.pr/4pCcFIx

B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

If I never hear a media person use the term “North Star” again, it’ll be too soon. Also, the reader of NYT and viewer of 60 minutes isn’t a Venn diagram. Especially when it comes to access to news. Just absolutely disingenuous.

Ben Goggin@bengoggin.bsky.social

Bari Weiss this morning on the 60 Minutes segment: "We need to be able to get the principals on the record and on camera." Of course, most journalists know that oftentimes people who are the subject of negative reporting don't want to speak on camera or on the record.

B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

What a cool, exceptional lady. May she rest in power.

Phil Lewis@phillewis.bsky.social

Betty Reid Soskin, the National Park Service’s oldest ranger, has died. She was 104.

kqed.orgBetty Reid Soskin, Oldest U.S. Park Ranger and Trailblazing Historian, Dies at 104 | KQEDBetty Reid Soskin, the nation’s oldest National Park Service ranger and a pioneering historian at Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park, devoted her life to preserving Black histo...
B.A. Parker
@baparker.bsky.social

This explains a childhood mystery. A big tentpole of my city’s district of Bmore was our Rep’s push to get Black h.s. kids to apply for a summer in Israel to encourage historical Black & Jewish bonds. Which seemed valid, but we always thought wouldn’t it be easier to talk to Jewish ppl in Bmore??

Phil Lewis@phillewis.bsky.social

The Congressional Black Caucus’s silent partnership with AIPAC www.thenation.com/article/soci...