Abstract
In this chapter the growing cultural relevance of podcasting is explored in terms of what this rising prevalence means for podcasts for, by and about racially marginalized communities with a particular emphasis on the role of cultural intermediaries (CIs). In this exploratory research the following is accomplished. First, while technological innovations such as podcasting have democratized access to content creators without many gatekeepers, the current landscape of the most popular podcasts demonstrates the economic domination of several major Big Tech companies. Second, while a growing number of podcasting awards exist further demonstrating a growing opportunity for content creators to be recognized many do not include an explicit focus on race. Third, due to the domination of Big Tech the potential role of educators as CI is explored and found to provide a fruitful opportunity. Finally, the discussion is grounded in the changing political climate in the past few years.