Three Friends Use Podcast to Spread Understanding Across Diverse Groups

Three friends and LU students created The Interracial Podcast with the goal of spreading joy while engaging in Gospel-centered conversations about racial and cultural differences.

Kevin Hernandez, Stevie Taylor, and Jake Kahn met during their time at LU. They met frequently to play soccer and remained close even after Kahn graduated and Hernandez transferred to a community college. Taylor is currently working toward his MBA at Liberty and plans to graduate in May. 

Hernandez had the idea to start a podcast in late March during quarantine, and to his surprise, Kahn and Taylor were on board. 

“I actually hate podcasts,” Kahn said. “But for me it was as simple as I love talking to Kevin and Stevie, and I think our dynamic is entertaining for people.” 

They released the first episode of The Interracial Podcast on April 6 and have since uploaded 25 episodes. 

The podcast’s name refers to the racial diversity of its creators. Hernandez is Hispanic, Kahn is culturally Jewish, and Taylor is white. 

“We enjoy talking amongst ourselves about our cultures and what each one of our different aspects brings to the table,” Hernandez said. “That was a big reason why I wanted to embrace each of our own cultures and heritage.”

While the podcast covers a diverse array of topics, its name allows race-related conversations to arise. 

“It’s not the main theme of our podcast necessarily, but we wanted to have those conversations and bring people onto the podcast who could speak into it in a better way than we could,” Kahn said.

The podcast does not have a set theme, the trio expressed that the goal is to make people laugh while also making them think. 

“It’s a good balance of deep, serious conversations, but also there’s moments where you can enjoy listening to three guys talking about nonsense,” Hernandez said.

Topics discussed in the podcast include interracial marriage, racial reconciliation, music, Liberty athletics, the church, and their lives. Guests of the podcast include The Liberty Way Instagram page creators, Pastor James Hobson of Hill City Community Church in Lynchburg, and former Liberty professor Dr. Christopher House. 

“The Dr. House episode, some people see that as trying to stir the pot. To a lot of people, he would just be a name,” Kahn said. “He has a story, and he deserves to tell it. We just wanted him to be able to share his thoughts and his perspective. That’s what we want our fellow Liberty students to be all about during this time.”

Regardless of the topic or guest, the podcast focuses on the Christian Gospel as an ultimate unifying subject. 

“We have different cultures and backgrounds, and people try to bond over sports or music or entertainment, but in the end the Gospel is the most important one that unites us all,” Taylor said. 

The trio hopes the podcast is able to unite LU students and listeners around the Gospel as they strive to offer outsiders a clearer picture of Liberty and Christianity as a whole. 

“A lot of people who don’t go to Liberty have a very one-dimensional view of what every Liberty student is,” Taylor said. “We want people who aren’t from Liberty or aren’t Christians to see what Liberty is truly about and what Christianity is about.” 

Their biggest struggle is finding a time when all of them are available to record the podcast. Kahn currently works in real estate and is newly married. Hernandez is in a physical therapy assistant program. Taylor is a Resident Assistant. However, they will not let their busy schedules keep them from creating episodes. 

Their plan for the future is simple. 

“We just want to have on more guests that have more awesome perspectives,” Kahn said.

The Interracial Podcast is available for listening on all streaming platforms, and they can be reached on Instagram at @theinterracialpodcast. 

Renee Farmer is a Feature Writer. Follow her on Twitter at @reneefarmerr.