Sandhya Dirks
@audiosand.bsky.social
Journalist, audio documentarian, writer person. Assistant professor of English at Dartmouth. Previously: NPR race and identity correspondent, “alarmingly divisive"
signal: sandhya_.96
Podcasts: On Our Watch, American Suburb.
signal: sandhya_.96
Podcasts: On Our Watch, American Suburb.
The first racist violence post 9/11 was the murder of Babir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh man.
South Asians moved rapidly to the left in the wake of the racism that 9/11 unleashed.
In fact I talked to Mamdani about that before he was a big name for a story about exactly that: www.npr.org/2023/01/05/1...
South Asians moved rapidly to the left in the wake of the racism that 9/11 unleashed.
In fact I talked to Mamdani about that before he was a big name for a story about exactly that: www.npr.org/2023/01/05/1...
October 26, 2025 at 1:52 AM
The first racist violence post 9/11 was the murder of Babir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh man.
South Asians moved rapidly to the left in the wake of the racism that 9/11 unleashed.
In fact I talked to Mamdani about that before he was a big name for a story about exactly that: www.npr.org/2023/01/05/1...
South Asians moved rapidly to the left in the wake of the racism that 9/11 unleashed.
In fact I talked to Mamdani about that before he was a big name for a story about exactly that: www.npr.org/2023/01/05/1...
Dartmouth is no on the compact, it seems. Joining five other schools, including UVA and USC yesterday.
(if I missed another one, will update):
(if I missed another one, will update):
October 18, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Dartmouth is no on the compact, it seems. Joining five other schools, including UVA and USC yesterday.
(if I missed another one, will update):
(if I missed another one, will update):
It's not clear who did it, even months later, but the historic Clayton Temple in Memphis was burned to the ground this spring. It's where the sanitation workers planned the "I am A Man" strike, in the days before King's assassination. We payed homage as we travelled across the country, reporting.
October 12, 2025 at 10:42 PM
It's not clear who did it, even months later, but the historic Clayton Temple in Memphis was burned to the ground this spring. It's where the sanitation workers planned the "I am A Man" strike, in the days before King's assassination. We payed homage as we travelled across the country, reporting.
this is the framing of this platforming, mainstreaming interview, featured in the new york times:
tl; dr -- are all the woke prudes making him a villain, or is he right that to make American great again, we need to bring back slavery. reasonable people can disagree (nope, they can't).
tl; dr -- are all the woke prudes making him a villain, or is he right that to make American great again, we need to bring back slavery. reasonable people can disagree (nope, they can't).
October 11, 2025 at 1:05 PM
this is the framing of this platforming, mainstreaming interview, featured in the new york times:
tl; dr -- are all the woke prudes making him a villain, or is he right that to make American great again, we need to bring back slavery. reasonable people can disagree (nope, they can't).
tl; dr -- are all the woke prudes making him a villain, or is he right that to make American great again, we need to bring back slavery. reasonable people can disagree (nope, they can't).
If an essay in a publication was used as the basis for defunding me, & also *allegedly* led to changing the editorial structure and priorities inside my org, I might not come out and say I was in said publication's era? Especially, you know, when that publication is in the news for... other reasons?
October 7, 2025 at 5:12 AM
If an essay in a publication was used as the basis for defunding me, & also *allegedly* led to changing the editorial structure and priorities inside my org, I might not come out and say I was in said publication's era? Especially, you know, when that publication is in the news for... other reasons?
I keep thinking of this picture I took in Memphis, at the Civil RIght's Museum. The recreation of King's cell -- with the words from his "letter from Birmingham Jail" projected onto the wall.
September 27, 2025 at 4:06 PM
I keep thinking of this picture I took in Memphis, at the Civil RIght's Museum. The recreation of King's cell -- with the words from his "letter from Birmingham Jail" projected onto the wall.
sound fields, a journal about the art + practice of documentary audio that i make w/ many brilliant folks just launched its second issue. The subject: archives. i wrote something for it about how to save the truth, we must all become archivists for the future: www.soundfields.org/02-letter-fr...
September 21, 2025 at 6:41 PM
sound fields, a journal about the art + practice of documentary audio that i make w/ many brilliant folks just launched its second issue. The subject: archives. i wrote something for it about how to save the truth, we must all become archivists for the future: www.soundfields.org/02-letter-fr...
They stopped updating last year I believe, due to "a lack of resources" -- but to erase it entirely ?
July 24, 2025 at 5:28 PM
They stopped updating last year I believe, due to "a lack of resources" -- but to erase it entirely ?
this is the source that the New York times used to tell a deeply problematic gotcha story that shows a deep misunderstanding and spreads misinformation about race, identity, history and racism. this is the source whose identity they protected and whitewashed:
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
July 17, 2025 at 4:34 PM
this is the source that the New York times used to tell a deeply problematic gotcha story that shows a deep misunderstanding and spreads misinformation about race, identity, history and racism. this is the source whose identity they protected and whitewashed:
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
I mean sure, but here's an entire story about Elon Musk's appeal to the "manosphere" aka young men, that doesn't mention the nazi stuff, the racism, sexism, or his consulting with a pseudo-intellectual who wants authoritarianism w/ Black people as slaves.
www.npr.org/2025/07/10/n...
www.npr.org/2025/07/10/n...
July 12, 2025 at 12:47 AM
I mean sure, but here's an entire story about Elon Musk's appeal to the "manosphere" aka young men, that doesn't mention the nazi stuff, the racism, sexism, or his consulting with a pseudo-intellectual who wants authoritarianism w/ Black people as slaves.
www.npr.org/2025/07/10/n...
www.npr.org/2025/07/10/n...
Much of what I wrote last year, when Trump said Harris wasn't Black at NABJ months ago, could be applied to the Times coverage of Mamdani's identity (this time it's not following Trump that is creating the coverage, the Times is fully manufacturing this on their own).
www.npr.org/2024/08/03/g...
www.npr.org/2024/08/03/g...
July 5, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Much of what I wrote last year, when Trump said Harris wasn't Black at NABJ months ago, could be applied to the Times coverage of Mamdani's identity (this time it's not following Trump that is creating the coverage, the Times is fully manufacturing this on their own).
www.npr.org/2024/08/03/g...
www.npr.org/2024/08/03/g...
Relevant from the other site:
July 4, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Relevant from the other site:
If this guy is your source — someone whose racism causes them to spread Nazi, white supremacist lies and you don’t mention it in your story, but rather use their information to frame your reporting, you should leave journalism immoderately.
July 3, 2025 at 10:30 PM
If this guy is your source — someone whose racism causes them to spread Nazi, white supremacist lies and you don’t mention it in your story, but rather use their information to frame your reporting, you should leave journalism immoderately.
Fady Joudah's words about this echo in my head.
(side note: some higher up folks (not on the pod) wanted to take this out. "It's a fair question" they said. I am grateful that we were allowed to keep it in, because in its deployment, use, and direction, it is a deeply racist question).
(side note: some higher up folks (not on the pod) wanted to take this out. "It's a fair question" they said. I am grateful that we were allowed to keep it in, because in its deployment, use, and direction, it is a deeply racist question).
June 30, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Fady Joudah's words about this echo in my head.
(side note: some higher up folks (not on the pod) wanted to take this out. "It's a fair question" they said. I am grateful that we were allowed to keep it in, because in its deployment, use, and direction, it is a deeply racist question).
(side note: some higher up folks (not on the pod) wanted to take this out. "It's a fair question" they said. I am grateful that we were allowed to keep it in, because in its deployment, use, and direction, it is a deeply racist question).
The content review this period focused on what it framed as "hot button social issues" and while it touched on several stories, here is what it said about mine:
www.npr.org/2025/06/10/g...
www.npr.org/2025/06/10/g...
June 18, 2025 at 5:17 PM
The content review this period focused on what it framed as "hot button social issues" and while it touched on several stories, here is what it said about mine:
www.npr.org/2025/06/10/g...
www.npr.org/2025/06/10/g...
Coming here to say- this reporter spoke with Zohran Mamdani 2 and 1/2 years ago, about progressive Desis rising up and entering politics.
(and yes, there are also v. important stories about far right Desis, esp. in MAGA/ DOGE tech-landia & I'm working on those too).
www.npr.org/2023/01/05/1...
(and yes, there are also v. important stories about far right Desis, esp. in MAGA/ DOGE tech-landia & I'm working on those too).
www.npr.org/2023/01/05/1...
June 17, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Coming here to say- this reporter spoke with Zohran Mamdani 2 and 1/2 years ago, about progressive Desis rising up and entering politics.
(and yes, there are also v. important stories about far right Desis, esp. in MAGA/ DOGE tech-landia & I'm working on those too).
www.npr.org/2023/01/05/1...
(and yes, there are also v. important stories about far right Desis, esp. in MAGA/ DOGE tech-landia & I'm working on those too).
www.npr.org/2023/01/05/1...
... and asks what it all very signals about how white (and Christian) supremacy & racism are fueling immigration policy. Wendy Via @wendyvia.bsky.social told me that "the gloves are off" - but the mask is off too. Experts like Via say remigration as a thinly veiled code for ethnic cleansing.
June 15, 2025 at 4:44 PM
... and asks what it all very signals about how white (and Christian) supremacy & racism are fueling immigration policy. Wendy Via @wendyvia.bsky.social told me that "the gloves are off" - but the mask is off too. Experts like Via say remigration as a thinly veiled code for ethnic cleansing.
A contact sent me this from the back of a forest service map they got on a recent visit. The only maps available had language that does not comply with the anti-inclusion policies of Trump's administration. It's quite something to see the erasure - and what is being erased - laid so bare.
June 1, 2025 at 5:51 PM
A contact sent me this from the back of a forest service map they got on a recent visit. The only maps available had language that does not comply with the anti-inclusion policies of Trump's administration. It's quite something to see the erasure - and what is being erased - laid so bare.
April 29, 2025 at 10:46 PM
April 23, 2025 at 10:51 PM
April 12, 2025 at 3:42 PM