The Levy Library Blog

Beyond the Stacks: Sounds Like Hate

Welcome to Beyond the Stacks! This is a monthly feature in which Mount Sinai Health System Libraries staff review, showcase resources, sources, and useful points of information that exist outside of the traditional resources within the library. In our first iteration of this series, Ed Jessup shares his pick: Sounds Like Hate. 

As a New Yorker that frequently takes public transportation, I find myself listening to podcasts often. I love this medium because it’s so portable and depending on the podcast, it can really be a great way to pique interest as a researcher, with great ideas, topics, books, and sources I can share with others. A terrific podcast I would like to share with everyone is one that is hosted by the Southern Poverty Law Center, called “Sounds Like Hate”.

The organization that supports this podcast, The Southern Poverty Law Center, was established in the early 70s, as a nonprofit organization that is well known for its advocacy in civil rights and related litigation. As a litigator for social justice, the Southern Poverty Law Center has gone after the likes of the Aryan Nations, the KKK, correctional facilities, and has advocated for persons of color, LGBTQ rights, the poor, children immigrants, and the rights of women. They spread tolerance through education and action. The organization is a defender of all civil rights but is very known for its work against white supremacy. 

In this era of hypervigilance in social justice and inclusiveness, the podcast, “Sounds Like Hate”, couldn’t have come at a better time. The title, “Sounds Like Hate”, is a little heavy, but merited, and is a strikingly well-done docuseries on the normalization of extremism, particularly in the United States, but also globally. What I love about this podcast series is the impeccable journalistic integrity of the content. It is well done and remarkably informative, without being inflammatory or sensational. The topic of extremism and white supremacy is explored and presented through this podcast via undercover reporting, people who have participated in extremist groups, and simple discussion. The importance of this docuseries cannot be overstated. As we usher in a new era of society, the painful conversation can no longer be ignored. The content of this podcast expands the mind of the listener and points them to other useful resources and people, making this my resource pick from beyond the stacks.

“Sounds Like Hate” can be downloaded where you find your favorite podcasts, and also on Spotify and at https://soundslikehate.org/