“On Black” is an up-and-coming podcast hosted by NC State students that emphasizes the Black experience on campus through conversation and commentary. The podcast is the place to turn to understand the Black culture and community at NC State.

“‘On Black’ is … just a space that we can showcase our Blackness and our Black community,” said Jeanine Ikekhua, a third-year in international studies and communication and one of three hosts of the podcast.

One of the founding goals of “On Black” is to raise awareness, particularly for incoming students, of the Black community at NC State. Host Hamsata Mazou, a second-year in exploratory studies, said not seeing Black people on campus was a driving factor in starting the podcast. 

“As incoming freshman, we [were] just looking all over social media and you just saw no Black representation at all,” Mazou said.

Ikekhua agreed that it is not easy to find Black representation by looking through NC State’s websites and social media. 

“We go to a PWI [predominately white institution], and our social media 100% reflects that,” Ikekhua said. 

The hosts of “On Black” want to resolve this oversight by showing that the Black community is alive and thriving at NC State. Mazou believes they can accomplish this by presenting their listeners with stories of casual Black life on campus.

The production process is flexible to accommodate the hosts balancing the podcast with their  coursework, and while there is no set day of the week that they record, the three hosts do have distinct roles and voices as a part of “On Black.”

Alexis Grant, a second-year studying material science engineering and the final host, leads the conversations and edits episodes while Mazou handles social media. Ikekhua has experience in radio, having worked as an intern with NPR which she uses to guide the three of them on this journey and give the podcast the professional voice that is necessary to take the podcast beyond NC State.

According to Grant and Ikekhua, another central goal of the podcast is to highlight Black women’s voices.

“I feel like it’s important to highlight Black women and especially our place in radio,” Ikekhua said. “I feel like ‘On Black’ is just that.”

While “On Black” currently focuses on NC State students, the hosts hope to carry their ideas beyond the studio. Ikekhua, Grant and Mazou have big plans to uplift the silenced voices of Black women, beginning with the conversations that “On Black” initiates and so far seem to be on the right path.

“People seem very engaged in the conversation and want to be a part of it,” Grant said. 

Despite its focus on the Black experience, the podcast is a space for people of all demographics to come together and share different perspectives. The women cover topics that anyone can relate to, from personal growth and friendships to romantic relationships. The podcast builds on these topics by emphasizing what it means to be Black in these contexts.

Each episode covers a different set of ideas, so listeners will get something new out of each listen. Episodes are available on several apps. For more details and information, visit the podcast’s Instagram.