Civic Cipher
Civic Cipher is a weekly radio show created to foster allyship for social justice. Hosted by Ramses Ja and Q. Ward, this show is dedicated to empowering Black and Brown voices, allowing them to engage directly with diverse populations across the country. Self-determination is critical to securing a future free of oppressive systems, and Civic Cipher exists to facilitate discussions toward this end. Furthermore, Civic Cipher seeks to inform non-POC allies who may not be privy to these types of discussions and optics. Finally, Civic Cipher seeks to provide long-form conversations in spaces where there is often a lack of significant resources, potent dialogue, or the necessary engagement for facilitating a healthy and productive civil discourse. FB/Instagram/Fanbase: @civiccipher
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 27 minutes
- Episodes
- 518
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
Civic Cipher 080622 To Whom are Police Accountable? (Part 1)
In the first half of today's episode, we discuss accountability in policing. We use the example of Army lieutenant Caron Nazario and his interaction with police to illustrate w…
Civic Cipher 073022 Why Do We Support Systems Rooted in White Supremacy (Part 1)
In the first half of today's episode, we cover lots of articles that have come up this week that point to racist practices at different points of society accross the country. W…
Civic Cipher 073022 How Does Real Government Accountability Look? (Part 2)
In the second half of the show we discuss the disconnect the government has from our reality. We tell real stories about what life is like day-to-day and how divorced our elect…
Civic Cipher 072322 Racist Sports Fans (Part 2)
In the second half of the show we discuss racist sports fans and how confusing and unsettling this behavior is. We cite examples from LeBron James and Ja Morant alongside other…
Civic Cipher 072322 Black Children Ignored at Sesame Street Parades (Part 1)
In the first half of today's episode, we talk about the viral videos circulating of Black children being ignored by famous characters at theme park parades and the correct acti…
Civic Cipher 071622 Black on Black Crime is a Falsehood (Part 2)
In the second half of the show we challenge the idea of Black on Black crime. We delve into the history of the narrative and discuss why it has persisted as a harmful and hatef…
Civic Cipher 071622 What is the Purpose of Police (Part 1)
In the first half of today's episode, we talk about the failure of police in the Uvalde school shooting after looking at a newly released video of the officer's response to the…
Civic Cipher 070922 Sixty Police Bullets Fired Into Jayland Walker (Part 1)
In the first half of today's episode, we talk about the Akron, OH man who was shot 60 times after fleeing from police. The 25 year old Black man named Jayland Walker is the sub…
Civic Cipher 070922 Police Take Mass Shooters Into Custody Alive (Part 2)
In the second half of the show today, we juxtapose how police often take mass shooters into custody, yet will execute black people at the mere thought of them being potentially…
Civic Cipher 070222 The Life and Death of Roe v. Wade with Dr. Camilla Westenberg (Part 1)
In the first half of today's episode, Dr. Camilla Westenberg joins us to discuss Roe v. Wade from the beginnings of its protections to the recent end. We deal with disparities …
Civic Cipher 070222 Interacting with Listeners who Disagree with Us (Part 2)
In the second half of the show today, we respond to a letter from a listener. Philip sent us a note detailing some disagreements with respect to the intention and the tone of t…
Civic Cipher 062522 How to Celebrate Juneteenth with Black People (Part A)
In the first half of today's episode, we discuss the appropriate way to approach and celebrate Juneteenth...especially for non-Black people. We discuss the increased attention …
Civic Cipher 062522 The Commercialization of Juneteenth (Part B)
In the second half of today's show, we discuss the commercialization of the Juneteenth holiday and explain the difference between authentic celebrations and performative demons…
Civic Cipher 061822 The January 6th Insurrection Through a Racial Lens (Part 1)
In the first half of today's episode, we ponder how the insurrection on January 6, 2021 would be different if there were Black protesters or a Black president...and how things …
Civic Cipher 061822 A Case for Reparations (Part 2)
In the second half of today's show, we finally broached the topic of reparations. We outline some of the less obvious 'whys' in terms of how it makes sense. We also take the ti…
Civic Cipher 061122 Another Deadly Week/Weekend in America (Part 1)
In the first half of today's episode, we discussed the several mass shooting incidents that took place over the past week and weekend. We use the time to establish the extent o…
Civic Cipher 061122 The Real Issue is Guns and Gun Control (Part 2)
In the second half of today's show, we begin to address the real issue of the day which is guns. We talk about how the narrative is constantly being shifted away from the real …
Civic Cipher 060422 Did Police Really Just Stand There While Children Were Shot? (Part 1)
In the first half of today's episode, we discussed the articles that have since come out about the shooting in Uvalde Texas. We discussed how the police stood outside of the sc…
Civic Cipher 060422 Do Police Actually Help Prevent Crime? (Part 2)
In the second half of today's show, we discuss a story where Q's son was almost kidnapped. He immediately called the police and got the full experience of exactly what could be…
Civic Cipher 052822 Talking to Our Children About Mass Shootings (Part 1)
Today we are visited by Adonijah Taylor...a first grade graduate and our baby boy. We have a heavy conversation about school shootings and explain the world he lives in to him.…