Sandhya Dirks

Sandhya Dirks is a National Correspondent covering race and identity for NPR.

She approaches her reporting on race, identity and systems of power not as a beat, but as a fundamental lens for investigative and explanatory reporting. She’s covered everything from the attacks on diversity and civil rights to the flood of modern moral panics to complex ruptures within historically marginalized communities. She’s investigated police misconduct, embedded with social justice movements, and explored the shifting demographics of cities and suburbs.

Dirks has worked at numerous public ration stations across the country, including as the race and equity reporter at KQED. While there she was a reporter and lead producer of the first season of On Our Watch, a podcast from NPR and KQED about the shadow world of police discipline. She's the creator and host of the podcast American Suburb, about the transformation of suburbia into the most diverse space in American life. Her stories about race, space, and belonging were part of KQED's So Well Spoken project, which won RNDTA's Kaleidoscope award, honoring outstanding achievements in the coverage of diversity. She’s also been a teacher, helping introduce college students to the magic of audio and working with incarcerated journalists at California’s San Quentin prison.