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.
-
As the Trump administration targets the Smithsonian Institute for "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology," it got us thinking about how we preserve our history and everything that builds it, like language. So we're revisiting an episode from last year from the Lakota Nation in South Dakota over language — who preserves it, who has the right to the stories told in it, and who (literally) owns it. -
The Panama Canal's impact on the geopolitical stage far outreaches its roughly 51-mile stretch of land and water. This week, we're trying to understand the canal's murky future - from climate change to President Trump's threat to take it for the U.S. - by looking at its turbulent, cataclysmic birth. -
Code Switch weighs in on preparing for difficult political conversations and when to draw the line and uninvite yourself from that family potluck. -
Why suffer bug bites when you can stay inside and READ? NPR staffers suggest a trio of non-fiction: "The Showman," "Invisible Rulers," and "the Threshold of Dissent."
-
Given all the heavy news swirling around these past few weeks, we wanted to try to bring the temperature down a little. So here it is: drinks to help you cool down. -
As war continues to rage in the Middle East, attention has been turned to how American Jews, Muslims, and Palestinians relate to the state of Israel. But when we talk about the region, American Christians, particularly evangelical Christians, are often not part of that story. But their political support for Israel is a major driver for U.S. policy — in part because Evangelicals make up an organized, dedicated constituency with the numbers to exert major influence on U.S. politics. -
Everywhere you look, people are vocally celebrating MLK Day. But many are cherry-picking which parts of his legacy to recall, and which will be conveniently relegated to the dustbins of history. -
NPR staffers recommend non-fiction reads from our Books We Love list: "On Minimalism," "Anansi's Gold," "Asian-Americans in an Anti-Black World," and "The Wager."
-
Tennessee's Black immigrant population is increasing. Many of those immigrants are pushing to raise awareness of their cultures and histories.
-
Black immigrants in Tennessee have a slew of bad options when it comes to transportation and getting a license — and are disproportionately likely to face traffic stops that may lead to deportation.
