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 052822 What Can We Do About Guns? (Part 2)
In the second half of the show, we detail some other shootings and try to make sense of the problem by discussing what can be done with guns. We also pay special attention to t…
Civic Cipher 052122 The Racist Mass Shooting in Buffalo NY that Killed 10 Black People (Part 2)
In the second half of the show, we discuss the motivation of the shooter, as well as some of the sources of the general White supremacist ideologies. We also grapple with the f…
Civic Cipher 052122 The Racist Mass Shooting in Buffalo NY that Killed 10 Black People (Part 1)
We spend this week reflecting on last week's mass shooting in Buffalo, NY that left 10 dead in a predominantly African-American community. In the first half of the show, we say…
Civic Cipher 051422 Oklahoma Police and the Death of Quadry Sanders
Today, we spent both halves of the show discussing the video of the execution of Quadry Sanders at the hands of two Oklahoma police officers. This episode is dedicated to the l…
Civic Cipher 050722 How Does America View Black Children? (Part 2)
The second part of the show has to do with some video arrests of Black children. We bring up important points on what life is like as a Black child. Furthermore, we discuss how…
Civic Cipher 050722 Do More Police Make You Safer? (Part 1)
This week, we start off by asking about the increase in officers in a few cities around the country failing to make any significant dent in crime...either preventing them or so…
Civic Cipher 043022 Wells Fargo Sued for Discriminatory Loan Practices (Part 2)
The second part of the show deals with the discriminatory lending practices identified by civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Our Way Black History Fact is about how Charlie from …
Civic Cipher 043022 Mass Media Manipulation (Part 1)
Forgive the Zoom audio this week...but we felt the show was important and wanted to record it despite the distance. In the first part of the show, we discuss how media companie…
Civic Cipher 042322 The Execution of Patrick Lyoya (Part 1)
The first part of this week's show is dedicated to the Black Congolese refugee Patrick Lyoya who was shot in the back of the head by a Grand Rapids police officer. We take the …
Civic Cipher 042322 Darryl Howard and The Justice System's Disregard for Black Men (Part 2)
The second part of the show deals with a story that doesn't surprise us...and wouldn't surprise many Black folks. We tell the story of Darryl Howard and how the criminal justic…
Civic Cipher 041622 Following Up On Injustices (Part 1)
The first part of this week's show follows up with a few stories that we told in the past year. One is of a Karen that assaulted a 14-year-old Black child in a hotel lobby fals…
Civic Cipher 041622 Are Black People Overcharged for Housing? (Part 2)
The second part of today's program deals with housing discrimination and the numerous challenges Black and Brown people face when seeking shelter. Our Way Black History Fact is…
Civic Cipher 040922 No Charges Brought to Officers in Amir Locke Death (Part 1)
The first part of this week's show deals with the lack of charges brought against the officers responsible for killing Amir Locke. Locke was killed in a no-knock raid earlier t…
Civic Cipher 040922 Black Florida Hotel Clerk Arrested After Calling Police (Part 2)
The second part of today's program peels back some of the layers from a viral video of a Black Ft. Lauderdale hotel clerk who called the police on one of his drunken guests...o…
Civic Cipher 040222 How Viral Fight Videos Reflect on Us (Part 2)
The second part of today's 'Entertainment Episode' focuses on similar incidents of conflict in the Black community when it is on display for the world to see. We discuss rap be…
Civic Cipher 040222 A Decidedly Black Reaction to Will Smith and Chris Rock (Part 1)
The first half of this week's 'Entertainment Episode' is dedicated to our reactions to the assault on Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars by Will Smith. We use this segment to explai…
Civic Cipher 032622 Protecting Black Hair from Discrimination Part 2
The second part of the show focuses on the passing of the CROWN Act by the House of Representatives. This bill protects traditionally Black hairstyles from discrimination...we …
Civic Cipher 032622 Driving While Black Part 1
The first half of this week's show focuses on Driving While Black. We use statistics that suggest that Black motorists are more likely to get pulled over by police and exactly …
Civic Cipher 031922 The U.S. Gun Problem
The second part of the show is where we discuss the idea that the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. We discuss the gun problem in this cou…
Civic Cipher 031922 Judge Rules Against Police and in Favor of BLM Mural
In today's show, we discussed a court case in California where police officers sued the city because a Black Lives Matter mural caused them "distress." We discuss the origins o…