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 010122 What are Some Positive Outcomes for Black America From 2021? (Part A)
In today's episode, we discuss some of the progress we have seen over the past calendar year. In the first half of the show, we discuss the many high-profile trials and the fav…
Civic Cipher 010122 What are Some Positive Outcomes for Black America From 2021? (Part B)
In the second part of our New Year's Day episode, we continue the theme of looking at some of the positive outcomes from 2021! In this half, we discuss the outcomes or progress…
Civic Cipher 122521 Why is Blackface so Offensive (Part A)
Merry Christmas! Today, we decided to use the first half of the show to discuss the history of Blackface and why it is offensive to Black people. There is a lot tied up in the …
Civic Cipher 122521 What is a Culture Vulture (Part B)
In the second half of our Christmas show, we discuss Culture Vultures. We recognize that there is a lot of shared culture in this country, and we simply try to give some guidel…
Civic Cipher 121821 The Trial of Officer Kim Potter and The Death of Daunte Wright (Part B)
In the second half of today's show, we peel back some of the layers that led to the death of Daunte Wright as well as the demise of Officer Kim Potter. After a brief debate as …
Civic Cipher 121821 Finding the Humor in the Black Experience (Part A)
In the first half of today's show, we examine some of the points made by popular stand-up comedian Michael Che. From his feelings upon seeing the American flag, to only loving …
Civic Cipher 121121 Whitewashing Blackness (Part A)
In the first half of today's episode, we discuss a national story about a Black couple who received an appraisal on their home...only to have it increased by nearly a half-mill…
Civic Cipher 121121 Bullies or Heroes? Do Police Deserve Both Labels? (Part B)
In the second half of today's show, we discuss several examples of police bullying or otherwise failing to meet the callings of their oaths. We had many examples to choose from…
Civic Cipher 120421 One More Thing about Kyle Rittenhouse (Part B)
In the second part of today's episode, we revisit last week's topic about the Rittenhouse verdict to make sure we acknowledge a few minor things that we missed. We also took th…
Civic Cipher 120421 The Legacy of Trumpism and Islamophobia on Capitol Hill (Part A)
In the first half of today's show, we discuss Islamophobic comments made by Lauren Boebert which have been deemed offensive by Muslim-Americans. We also make the connection fro…
Civic Cipher 112721 Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict Reaction (Part A)
In the first part of today's episode, we discuss the Rittenhouse verdict and what it means for the allies of Black and Brown people. We hold a critical examination of the judge…
Civic Cipher 112721 Ahmaud Arbery Trial Verdict Reaction (Part B)
In the second half of today's show, we discuss the verdict handed down in the trial of the killers of Ahmaud Arbery. We make several comparisons to the trail of Kyle Rittenhous…
Civic Cipher 112021 Is Support for BLM Waning? (Part B)
In the second half of the show, we revisit a story about some recent guests (Sarra, Mimi, and Mastaani) and their current standing with ASU. We also discuss the eroding support…
Civic Cipher 112021 Are Dogs Better Protected by Law than Black People? (Part A)
The first half of today’s show we discuss an incident where an officer shot some dogs and (because of a court order) was subsequently unable to hide behind Qualified Immunity. …
Civic Cipher 111321 The Racist Watermelon Stereotype (Part A)
In the first half of today's show, we discuss some foods typically associated with Black Americans--specifically watermelon. There is a sad and well-documented history of preju…
Civic Cipher 111321 Will Banning Traffic Stops Work? (Part B)
Philadelphia passed a bill banning minor traffic stops and we examine the optics and potential outcomes of dialing back what has historically been categorized as harassment aga…
Civic Cipher 110621 Is Church Racist? (Part B)
In the second half of this week's show, we talk about the significant divide that exists where theoretically none should. We discuss the history of the Black church and the his…
Civic Cipher 110621 The Remaining Black Vaccination Holdouts (Part A)
In the first installment of this week's episode, we take some Ebony Excellence time to honor Maya Angelou and several other influential women who will be appearing on the Quart…
Civic Cipher 103021 Leezah Sun on AAPI Race Relations
Today's episode is about race relations--specifically between Asian Americans and African Americans. Our guest, Leezah Sun is a politician of Chinese descent who is passionate …
Civic Cipher 102321 Dr. Camilla Westenberg on Critical Race Theory
In today's episode, we are joined by former educator Dr. Camilla Westenberg whose claim to fame is being the first person to create an accredited Hip Hop literature class at th…