“Roundtables on Race,” the podcast produced by the Diocese of North Carolina, is back for its third season with an exploration of the intersection between race and education.

Inspired by a desire to go deeper in discussing and understanding how race impacts the many facets of American society, “Roundtables on Race” is a podcast that invites those conversations. Each season focuses on only one topic, allowing every episode to take a close look at a single aspect of that topic by inviting multiple voices to provide different perspectives, experiences and stories. The goal of every conversation is to get into the weeds to understand better both history and context, as well as opportunities for redirection.

The season-long look at race and education is one that was always part of the podcast plan.  However, with the ongoing controversy as to what should and should not be taught in schools, especially around the teaching of race and racial history, it was decided there was no time like the present to tackle the topic.

“We joked that since our season on education debuted during the summer, we were going to summer school,” said the Rev. Kathy Walker, host of the podcast and canon missioner of Black ministries for the Diocese of North Carolina. “But it wasn’t far from the truth. The conversations have been quite an education, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. Our guests have done a wonderful job sharing stories of what’s really happening behind the hysteria of the headlines.”

Episodes of the season’s look at race and education have focused on critical race theory; the history of Black education; the teaching of racial history; higher education; educational funding and more. Remaining episodes include a look at curriculum and texts and faith-based education.

“What we love about this podcast is that we never know where the conversation will go,” said Walker. “We may start discussing one thing, and before long we’ve gone down a road that brings such a richness of perspective, we can’t imagine not having heard it. Every one of our guests – and they come from all different backgrounds and experiences – have been incredibly warm, candid and honest, even when there’s disagreement or corrections made.”

Previous seasons of “Roundtables on Race” focused on race and the news media; and race and voting rights.

“Making this podcast has been a gift,” said Walker. “We have yet to record an episode that didn’t engage us, inform us and educate us. It’s a joy, even when the topic isn’t, and we hope folks who listen will share the news of it.”

As the third season wraps, the fourth season is underway and expected to launch this fall with a look at the intersection of race and religion. Until then, catch up on season three’s look at race and education, or enjoy the first two seasons. “Roundtables on Race” can be found on the Diocese of North Carolina’s website, Apple podcasts,Google podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and TuneIn, or you can follow the podcast on Twitter (@roundtablesrace).