WEBVTT - Portia Allen Kyle on Trump’s Impact on Civil Rights Organizations (Part 2) 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:02.240 Keep on riding with us as we continue to broadcast 0:00:02.240 --> 0:00:04.160 the balance and defend the discourse from the Hip Hop 0:00:04.200 --> 0:00:07.240 Weekly Studios. Welcome back to Civic Cipher Army host Rams's Jah. 0:00:07.160 --> 0:00:10.200 He is Rams's Jaw I am q Ward. You are 0:00:10.240 --> 0:00:12.240 tuned in to Civic SciTE, Yes. 0:00:12.160 --> 0:00:14.560 You are, and we appreciate you sticking around because we 0:00:14.600 --> 0:00:17.599 are having a fantastic conversation with the one the only 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:21.680 civil rights attorney, Portia Allen Kyle, the managing director of 0:00:21.680 --> 0:00:24.280 Color of Change for again, for those who are unfamiliar 0:00:24.280 --> 0:00:26.400 to the Color of Changes, the nation's largest online racial 0:00:26.480 --> 0:00:29.479 justice organization. They help people respond effectively to injustice in 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:31.960 the world, and as a national online force driven by 0:00:31.960 --> 0:00:34.760 seven million members, they move decision makers and corporations and 0:00:34.800 --> 0:00:37.080 government to create a more human and less hostile world 0:00:37.159 --> 0:00:40.680 for black people in America. We're having a conversation about 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:45.000 the new administration and how that affects social justice organizations 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:49.120 and the plights of those organizations, hers in particular. And 0:00:49.320 --> 0:00:51.760 a quick note, I want to make sure that I 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:57.480 say that our Ebony Excellence segment earlier was erroneously credited 0:00:57.480 --> 0:01:01.400 to Forbes. It actually comes from Essence magazine, but right now, 0:01:01.400 --> 0:01:03.840 we're going to get to what comes from Forbes magazine. 0:01:03.880 --> 0:01:07.080 This is our time to show you how to be 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:10.080 ABA become a better Allied by BLA NQ take it Away. 0:01:10.560 --> 0:01:12.679 A twenty one year old man in New York has 0:01:12.720 --> 0:01:16.080 been cured of sickle cell anemia following treatment with a 0:01:16.160 --> 0:01:20.400 pioneering gene therapy. According to his doctors, New York residents, 0:01:20.440 --> 0:01:25.679 Sebastian Bozil was treated with a pioneering new gene therapy 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:31.480 approach called Lithgenia, developed by biotech company Bluebird Bio. Mister 0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:35.280 Bozil received the treatment on December seventeenth, twenty twenty four, 0:01:35.440 --> 0:01:38.440 and has not had any symptom of sickle cell anemia since, 0:01:38.840 --> 0:01:41.160 leading his doctors to believe that the treatment has likely 0:01:41.280 --> 0:01:45.319 cured the disease. Scle cell anemia is a serious inherited 0:01:45.720 --> 0:01:49.080 disorder of red blood cells, which mostly affects black and 0:01:49.200 --> 0:01:51.560 Hispanic people. There are over one hundred thousand people with 0:01:51.600 --> 0:01:54.160 the disorder in the US, and the condition causes a 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:57.240 range of symptoms, including blood clots and strokes, and a 0:01:57.280 --> 0:02:02.360 resultant reduction and lifespan of twenty years on average. Is 0:02:02.440 --> 0:02:06.559 caused by inheriting defective copies of a hemoglobin gene, causing hemoglobin, 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:09.560 which carries oxygen in red blood cells, to be subfunctional. 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:11.120 The defect causes red. 0:02:11.000 --> 0:02:14.080 Blood cells and effective people to be sickle or crescent 0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:17.600 shaped instead of disshaped as normal, limiting the cell's ability 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:20.720 to carry oxygen. Sickle red blood cells are also more 0:02:20.760 --> 0:02:24.360 prone to clump together and cause blockages to blood vessels, 0:02:24.560 --> 0:02:28.600 causing severe pain and tissue damage. Previously, people with sickle 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:32.239 cellinemia have been mostly treated with therapies which can control 0:02:32.520 --> 0:02:35.240 but not cure the disease. Some people have been cured 0:02:35.240 --> 0:02:38.480 by giving them bone marew transplants from external donors, normally 0:02:38.520 --> 0:02:41.639 a close relative without sickle cell anemia, but the procedure 0:02:41.680 --> 0:02:44.200 does not always work comes with a host of side 0:02:44.200 --> 0:02:47.880 effects and a risk of dying according to the Natural 0:02:49.120 --> 0:02:51.679 According to the National Institute of Health, about one in 0:02:51.760 --> 0:02:55.160 twenty children under sixteen receiving bone marrow transplants per sycle 0:02:55.240 --> 0:02:58.400 cellinemia have died, and one of ten of people sixteen 0:02:58.480 --> 0:02:59.440 years or older. 0:03:01.320 --> 0:03:04.640 You think of certain things as kind of like quintessentially American. 0:03:04.919 --> 0:03:10.040 You know, things that people will do no matter what 0:03:10.240 --> 0:03:12.880 because they are American people things that people will get 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:15.920 no matter what because they are American. And to see 0:03:15.919 --> 0:03:21.800 this administration villainize the Department of Education as though it's 0:03:21.919 --> 0:03:27.480 somehow corrupt, somehow wasteful, you know whatever, without substantiating any 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:30.040 of those claims, and then you know, just with the 0:03:30.040 --> 0:03:33.760 wave of a pen, dismantled this. This it's now a 0:03:33.840 --> 0:03:38.320 legacy department. You know, you mentioned Brown versus Board of Education, 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:42.000 which was decades ago. So this is now fundamentally who 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:44.800 we are as a nation, as a superpower on the 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:53.720 global stage. It's it's it's it's it's crazy how there's 0:03:53.800 --> 0:03:57.680 a surprising calm associated with it, and in terms of 0:03:58.360 --> 0:04:03.400 the administration, how they handle the optics around it, Like 0:04:03.440 --> 0:04:06.960 the presidents signed that with black children around him, so 0:04:07.040 --> 0:04:10.200 as to say this is not to you know, disproportionately 0:04:10.200 --> 0:04:12.240 affect back black children. This is going to be a 0:04:12.240 --> 0:04:14.680 benefit to all right, And so they got these props 0:04:14.680 --> 0:04:19.080 that they use to you know, it's such a crazy, 0:04:19.560 --> 0:04:23.240 uh time to live in. And I know I can't 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:27.919 state that enough, but we're stuck here, right and I 0:04:27.960 --> 0:04:30.680 know that can be very frustrating for people, And I 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:32.560 don't want to pretend like it's not frustrating for us 0:04:32.600 --> 0:04:35.400 who are kind of the voices and are kind of 0:04:35.480 --> 0:04:38.440 leading movements here and there. But you know, for people 0:04:38.480 --> 0:04:42.200 that don't have a microphone and an audience like you 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:49.120 and I and you have today that still feel like 0:04:50.520 --> 0:04:57.120 doing nothing is insufficient, talk to us about some ways 0:04:57.160 --> 0:05:02.400 that maybe individuals can resis the forces of this administration, 0:05:05.440 --> 0:05:09.800 you know. And I don't want to state your brief here, 0:05:10.160 --> 0:05:12.039 but I do want to mention that, you know, we 0:05:12.040 --> 0:05:14.400 talked about the boycotts, and that's obviously one one way 0:05:14.400 --> 0:05:20.520 that we can go about doing it. But Target has 0:05:20.680 --> 0:05:21.880 and I don't know if you've heard about this, but 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:24.120 Target is pushed back on that, saying, well, the black 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:27.200 products don't sell, and the people that we've hired or 0:05:27.200 --> 0:05:30.040 that we've kind of put on the store shelves have 0:05:30.400 --> 0:05:32.760 only made products that appeal to black people, and so 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:36.720 the products don't move as quickly, and so they need 0:05:36.800 --> 0:05:39.280 like more in the way development. That's something to which 0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:43.919 I pushed back and said, you know, you know, if 0:05:43.960 --> 0:05:47.360 you can lose money on a Black Friday with loss 0:05:47.440 --> 0:05:50.560 leaders to get more people in the store, then there's 0:05:50.600 --> 0:05:52.480 a business case that you can make for that. And 0:05:53.160 --> 0:05:56.960 on top of that if you have black products on 0:05:57.000 --> 0:06:00.799 the shelves and you're committed to working with these these 0:06:00.880 --> 0:06:05.800 creators and these black entrepreneurs to develop the businesses alongside 0:06:06.240 --> 0:06:09.000 this island target, then you know you can commit the 0:06:09.040 --> 0:06:11.279 resources and the business strategies and so forth to develop 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:13.360 the brands. You don't just give up after a couple 0:06:13.360 --> 0:06:15.960 of years. In any event, that's just me kind of 0:06:16.000 --> 0:06:17.680 leading you in the in the direction I didn't want 0:06:17.720 --> 0:06:20.440 to do that. But again, the question is like ways 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:24.360 that individuals can you know, in your own house, when 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:25.760 you go to work, you come home, you take care 0:06:25.760 --> 0:06:27.120 of your kids, you put them to sleep, you wake 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:28.560 up tomorrow, you got to fix the garage, and we 0:06:28.560 --> 0:06:30.200 can what are those people what can they do to 0:06:30.400 --> 0:06:33.839 maybe help all of us resist the forces of this administration? 0:06:36.480 --> 0:06:41.000 You know those you said so many things. No, I'm sorry, 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:42.560 through my mind. Well, I mean, the. 0:06:42.520 --> 0:06:44.200 First thing that was running through my mind is I 0:06:44.240 --> 0:06:46.360 really wish we could like get aligned to stop allowing 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:47.839 people to use our babies as props. 0:06:47.880 --> 0:06:49.640 But maybe that's separate conference. 0:06:49.800 --> 0:06:51.000 Yeah, no, no, you're not wrong. 0:06:52.040 --> 0:06:55.600 But the second thing that started running through my mind was, 0:06:55.880 --> 0:07:01.600 you know how just not plausible, like just actually not 0:07:01.680 --> 0:07:05.120 believable some of the arguments that these like you know, 0:07:05.200 --> 0:07:08.480 corporations and folks are making and so like, even on 0:07:08.520 --> 0:07:12.560 the on the attacks against diversity, equity and inclusion and 0:07:12.640 --> 0:07:15.880 the administration's position that like these are illegal and you know, 0:07:15.960 --> 0:07:19.960 reverse discrimination. Like if that were to be true, then 0:07:20.200 --> 0:07:24.280 all of these companies across industries, with all of their 0:07:24.320 --> 0:07:28.080 counsel in separate law firms, and all of these colleges 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:31.320 and all of these programs had to all come to 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:35.720 the same wrong conclusion about their legality of these programs 0:07:36.200 --> 0:07:38.000 and about you know, what they do. And now, like 0:07:38.800 --> 0:07:41.320 when you really break it down, what had to happen 0:07:41.360 --> 0:07:42.960 to get some of these programs together. 0:07:43.360 --> 0:07:47.400 The idea that they're like all just illegal and you know. 0:07:47.880 --> 0:07:50.080 Running a foul of the law and discriminating against white 0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:53.280 people is like actually kind of laughable as a like 0:07:53.440 --> 0:07:57.800 as a premise. But to the question you actually asked, 0:07:57.800 --> 0:07:59.480 not the question I wanted to answer. 0:07:59.680 --> 0:08:00.880 Like, well do both. 0:08:01.040 --> 0:08:01.840 I mean, we're here. 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:05.880 It's you know, there is so much people can do 0:08:05.960 --> 0:08:08.040 on an individual basis, and I you know, really will 0:08:08.080 --> 0:08:11.520 say it all matters because there there's levels of engagement. 0:08:11.080 --> 0:08:12.880 Right, Like there's really levels to this. 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:17.760 And people organizing their family at Thanksgiving is just as 0:08:17.760 --> 0:08:21.560 important as like showing up you know, in the in 0:08:21.600 --> 0:08:23.840 the street for protests. Right like, we all have lanes 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:24.680 that we occupy. 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:29.200 We all have we all have a role in those 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:31.280 lanes and a role that we could play very well. 0:08:31.400 --> 0:08:36.079 Right Like, so if your your starting places, I'm new 0:08:36.120 --> 0:08:38.160 to this trying to learn, then like the best thing 0:08:38.200 --> 0:08:41.560 you can do is go be well informed because our 0:08:41.559 --> 0:08:44.280 people are subject to misinformation. And if your family is 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:47.120 like my family, you know, we we got the text chats, 0:08:47.160 --> 0:08:50.440 the WhatsApp chains. Some are still sending email from their 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:53.440 AOL you know accounts like and you know, trying to 0:08:53.440 --> 0:08:56.559 figure out what's real what's not. Got an email from 0:08:56.559 --> 0:08:59.440 my aunt about like our social security, you know, windfall 0:08:59.480 --> 0:09:00.079 and this and that. 0:09:00.200 --> 0:09:01.080 Like we're all. 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:03.240 Trying to figure out what's true when we're taking in 0:09:03.280 --> 0:09:06.880 different information from all places, some of those places more 0:09:06.920 --> 0:09:11.360 reputable than others. But like anybody that can, you know, 0:09:11.559 --> 0:09:13.120 take the time and do the work. We all have 0:09:13.200 --> 0:09:14.920 that cousin we call when we have a question about 0:09:14.960 --> 0:09:16.600 you know, maybe money or something we have that you 0:09:16.600 --> 0:09:18.480 know person we call when we have a question about 0:09:18.920 --> 0:09:20.959 you know that we trust as a messenger, et cetera. 0:09:21.000 --> 0:09:22.720 And if you're one of those persons, as many of 0:09:22.800 --> 0:09:26.000 us are, on at least one issue, be the reputable 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:30.400 source and not you know, the source that fans the misinformation, 0:09:31.240 --> 0:09:34.200 right like, they're the second. 0:09:35.600 --> 0:09:38.320 Thing. We need institutions. 0:09:38.360 --> 0:09:42.240 And I don't just say this, you know as Portie 0:09:42.240 --> 0:09:45.320 who is you know, the interim executive director of Color 0:09:45.320 --> 0:09:49.199 of Change. I say this as like someone who understands 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:52.520 very deeply in an eat from an ecosystem perspective, the 0:09:52.600 --> 0:09:55.480 role that all of these various organizations play. And we 0:09:55.520 --> 0:09:57.560 can't all play the same role, right Like, we need 0:09:57.600 --> 0:10:00.600 someone who is more amenable to the end side who's 0:10:00.640 --> 0:10:03.120 going to kind of do their thing that then allows 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:05.320 Color of Change from the outside to come in from 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:07.720 a different angle and go a little harder and push, 0:10:07.880 --> 0:10:08.680 you know, a little further. 0:10:09.240 --> 0:10:09.400 Right. 0:10:09.520 --> 0:10:15.679 We need organizations that are you know, focused on uh, 0:10:17.000 --> 0:10:20.440 you know, whipping together attorneys. We need folks who are 0:10:20.440 --> 0:10:22.720 focused on the you know, media and narrative. We need 0:10:22.760 --> 0:10:24.719 people that are going to take on those democracy and 0:10:24.800 --> 0:10:27.520 voting fites, who are going to organize students who are 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:30.280 going to But all of those institutions need funding. And 0:10:30.320 --> 0:10:33.520 resources and more importantly, they need engagement you know from folks, 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:36.560 and so for folks looking how to you know, do 0:10:36.640 --> 0:10:41.000 something and stand up, become involved whatever that choice is 0:10:41.000 --> 0:10:44.640 for you, find a find an organization and love it 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:47.600 like love it with your time, love it with your 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:50.000 resources if you can, love it with your energy and 0:10:50.040 --> 0:10:54.000 your expertise, because we all need reinforcement and you know, 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:58.400 support from from the community in this moment if we're 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:00.800 going to weather the storm, because our institutions will be 0:11:00.880 --> 0:11:03.920 under attack, and you know we've seen that in history, 0:11:04.000 --> 0:11:06.679 we've already seen it to start today. The third thing 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:12.520 that I you know, really in addition to you know, 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:15.319 kind of being being the educating and being the source 0:11:15.360 --> 0:11:18.400 of you know, good information to you know, becoming involved 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:25.439 with organizations, et cetera. When see something, say something is 0:11:25.480 --> 0:11:27.800 like maybe a shorthand way to put it, but there 0:11:27.800 --> 0:11:31.559 are oftentimes that we see injustice in any form. Right 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:34.040 like we're at work and somebody says something really messed 0:11:34.120 --> 0:11:36.600 up and instead of saying, hey, that was wrong, in 0:11:36.640 --> 0:11:39.160 the moment and calling it out will maybe give some private, 0:11:39.800 --> 0:11:42.760 you know, some private consolation to you know, somebody who 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:46.920 was wronged or heard or discriminated, discriminated against, or aggrieved. 0:11:47.640 --> 0:11:50.040 This is a moment and the hate that we're experiencing, 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:54.199 the like neo segregationist, the agenda that we're experiencing, thrives 0:11:54.240 --> 0:11:54.959 in silence. 0:11:56.000 --> 0:11:58.040 We have to, you know, speak up. 0:11:58.080 --> 0:12:00.360 We have to push back on these ideas and have 0:12:00.400 --> 0:12:03.199 to be really loud about it, because they will drown 0:12:03.280 --> 0:12:09.560 out the ecosystem. There's just more there aren't folks at 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:13.240 the same There's no Twitter for like or ex for 0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:16.360 justice at the moment. Right Blue Sky is trying to 0:12:16.360 --> 0:12:18.120 be a thing. It does not have the reach of x. 0:12:18.800 --> 0:12:20.760 It does not have the reach of Facebook. It does 0:12:20.800 --> 0:12:25.600 not have the reach of you know, of Instagram or 0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:29.880 Meta or Reddit or many of them. Yeah, like, the 0:12:29.920 --> 0:12:34.959 infrastructure of hate is deep, and the infrastructure that props 0:12:35.040 --> 0:12:38.000 up right wing agendas and propaganda is really really deep. 0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:43.160 We need to you know, really figure out the ways 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:45.880 to counterbalance that. And part of that is even in 0:12:45.880 --> 0:12:48.880 those spaces to continue to you know, rise up. Part 0:12:48.880 --> 0:12:51.320 of it is making investments in a different set of 0:12:52.000 --> 0:12:55.319 ecosystem and infrastructure that's going to get to our people 0:12:55.320 --> 0:12:56.560 and find our people where they are. 0:13:00.160 --> 0:13:01.800 I want to stay where we are for a second, 0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:06.360 you spoke about kind of being the source for good information, 0:13:07.000 --> 0:13:10.160 and in the spaces that we all work in, we 0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:13.640 admittedly and knowing we have access to more accurate information 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:18.199 than most people. The problem I've been facing in my ecosystem, 0:13:18.200 --> 0:13:22.160 and I've shared this with Ramses with increasing frustration by 0:13:22.200 --> 0:13:26.280 the day, is that it seems that no one wants 0:13:26.320 --> 0:13:29.520 to be properly informed. Everybody just wants to be right, 0:13:30.400 --> 0:13:33.280 so they'll post something or blast something off and it'll 0:13:33.320 --> 0:13:36.040 be wrong, and I'll go fact check and do the 0:13:36.080 --> 0:13:39.080 research and bring them accurate information, and they just have 0:13:39.160 --> 0:13:42.760 no interest in the information I'm bringing, even though it's 0:13:42.800 --> 0:13:46.760 far more accurate and far more true. Using our tools 0:13:46.800 --> 0:13:50.319 and our resources to kind of galvanize our communities around 0:13:50.480 --> 0:13:53.920 good information, it seems that all of us have also 0:13:55.080 --> 0:13:59.720 learned that there is wealth in writing, because people who 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:03.840 are seeking out information do still read. Ramses and I 0:14:03.880 --> 0:14:09.320 are working on a book really about radical candorous allyship 0:14:09.480 --> 0:14:12.720 with intention. Like you said, passive, you can't be a 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:15.560 passive ally anymore. You can't be a neutral ally anymore. 0:14:15.559 --> 0:14:17.640 You can't just not be racist, you have to be 0:14:17.679 --> 0:14:21.880 anti racist. So we're working on a project now to 0:14:21.960 --> 0:14:27.760 that end. However, you are an author who I think 0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:31.160 a lot more people should be following and should be 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:34.480 getting more information from. Can you talk to us a 0:14:34.520 --> 0:14:38.280 little bit about advice to thrive by because we want 0:14:38.360 --> 0:14:40.520 listeners to be able to tap in with that as well. 0:14:41.920 --> 0:14:48.960 Oh that first, that's very kind, So thank you. 0:14:48.960 --> 0:14:49.160 You know. 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:52.280 One of the lessons and takeaways that I've had across 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:55.600 like it really actually doesn't matter what role I've been in, 0:14:55.840 --> 0:14:59.480 is that the bench is too small. There are not 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:04.880 enough of us who are not just where we are now, 0:15:04.920 --> 0:15:08.360 we're you know, already somewhat outnumbered in this capacity, but 0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:12.240 those who are coming up behind. We have not necessarily 0:15:12.280 --> 0:15:15.440 invested the time, the resources, the energy to build up 0:15:15.440 --> 0:15:18.720 that next generation to make sure that when it's you know, 0:15:18.840 --> 0:15:22.520 time to step aside, it's time to step aside, right, 0:15:22.600 --> 0:15:27.400 And I would love nothing more. You know, I'm not 0:15:27.480 --> 0:15:29.600 as young as I used to be and not as 0:15:29.600 --> 0:15:32.480 old as I hope to get right, but I fully 0:15:32.520 --> 0:15:38.000 anticipate and want to be when it's my time to 0:15:38.040 --> 0:15:42.160 step aside, to be outflanked by somebody coming up younger 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:44.440 who's like, hey, you're not pushing us bold enough, you're 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:47.160 not taking us far enough, we should be demanding more 0:15:47.280 --> 0:15:50.120 raising the standard and really you know, towing the line 0:15:50.160 --> 0:15:52.520 and so invice to thrive by, you know, was really 0:15:53.480 --> 0:15:58.640 born from that desire on how to build up the bench, 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:05.520 and particularly for attorneys and for public interest attorneys specifically. 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:11.600 You know, there isn't really a clear career path, you know, 0:16:11.640 --> 0:16:13.920 for those who want to come into this and do 0:16:13.960 --> 0:16:16.840 this type of work. And there certainly aren't, you know, 0:16:16.960 --> 0:16:19.520 any aren't A lot of cheat codes are kind of 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:21.840 behind the scenes on like hey, this is you know, 0:16:21.960 --> 0:16:23.840 kind of how it works. Here's how to engage in 0:16:23.880 --> 0:16:25.840 some strategy to get you know, from from where we 0:16:25.880 --> 0:16:29.760 are to where we're going, and wanting to provide some 0:16:29.920 --> 0:16:38.240 of the advice that would otherwise require insider information backgrounds, 0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:41.440 you know, just hidden things that people who you know 0:16:41.520 --> 0:16:45.240 have been in space know, but if you don't have 0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:47.440 access to spaces, or you're the first one from your 0:16:47.440 --> 0:16:49.920 family or the first one you know from your social 0:16:49.960 --> 0:16:52.040 network may just not know that. 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:54.240 Can help open doors. And like that that was the 0:16:54.280 --> 0:16:59.880 impetus with the goal of you know, really perhaps trying 0:17:00.520 --> 0:17:04.840 in a personal way to open more doors in a 0:17:04.920 --> 0:17:08.040 more lasting and systemic way where one on one. Mentorship 0:17:08.119 --> 0:17:10.680 is never was never going to get to scale as 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:12.520 much as I love it, and it's very fulfilling. But like, 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:16.000 we can't mentor ourselves out of systemic injustices, right, and 0:17:16.040 --> 0:17:18.960 so then how do we pass information that allows people 0:17:19.000 --> 0:17:22.440 to take advantage and allows people to engage and equips 0:17:22.440 --> 0:17:25.320 them with the tools that hopefully makes their journey and 0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:29.840 their pathway a little bit easier, Not you know, not 0:17:30.000 --> 0:17:34.480 addicating duties of mentorship and sponsorship altogether, but wanting to 0:17:34.720 --> 0:17:36.720 you know, make impact us a little bit more lasting. 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:42.040 Poorscha, I first want to say thank you for just 0:17:42.160 --> 0:17:46.360 making time for us. These conversations are so much more 0:17:46.400 --> 0:17:49.920 important than we realize. I think a lot of our constituents, 0:17:49.920 --> 0:17:51.800 a lot of our friends, a lot of our colleagues 0:17:51.840 --> 0:17:56.320 are dealing with this combination of anger, frustration, and hopelessness. 0:17:57.240 --> 0:18:00.120 And we turn out to be the voices that they trust. 0:18:00.160 --> 0:18:02.800 And we know this because people walk up to us 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:05.840 and tell us, you know, we we are more necessary 0:18:05.880 --> 0:18:08.640 now than we were a few months ago. And as 0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:11.640 hard as it is to accept the gravity of that statement, 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:14.359 we've heard it enough times to know that it's true. 0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:18.000 So someone like yourself making time to talk to us 0:18:18.080 --> 0:18:23.800 and just inspire us. Because even we have those days 0:18:23.800 --> 0:18:25.679 where we're looking around like the sky is falling and 0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:30.800 we have no idea what to do next. How can 0:18:30.840 --> 0:18:33.840 we support you? Where do we follow you? Where do 0:18:33.920 --> 0:18:36.560 we look for you? If we want to get in 0:18:36.680 --> 0:18:40.000 the support Porsche business, if we want to be your brother, 0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:43.120 get the book, Guards and Allies, and we want more 0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:45.480 people to read this book, tell us, tell us and 0:18:45.520 --> 0:18:47.520 tell listeners where they can find you. 0:18:48.800 --> 0:18:51.400 Yes, I mean you can always find me a color 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:55.719 change out of work right like go you know, join in. 0:18:56.000 --> 0:18:59.720 We are on some of the platforms we campaign against, 0:18:59.760 --> 0:19:01.679 and so you can also find us on X like 0:19:01.920 --> 0:19:09.359 on Instagram, on Facebook, where our people are frankly, you know, 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:12.760 on the in the corners of the interwebs. The one 0:19:12.760 --> 0:19:15.679 thing I will say in terms, I'm so happy and 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:18.200 like appreciative of the opportunity to be here, and I 0:19:18.240 --> 0:19:22.480 would say it is, you know, folks like y'all, and 0:19:22.560 --> 0:19:25.239 you know shows like this that are how we are 0:19:25.280 --> 0:19:28.560 going to get our people back. That won't happen talking 0:19:28.600 --> 0:19:30.600 to people, you know through the New York Times and 0:19:30.640 --> 0:19:33.479 the Washington Post like that just isn't where our folks 0:19:33.520 --> 0:19:36.040 are and so it is. You know ya, y'all play 0:19:36.080 --> 0:19:38.960 such an important role in the ecosystem. Yeah, I know, 0:19:39.000 --> 0:19:42.280 I've said ecosystem a thousand times, but it is such 0:19:42.280 --> 0:19:45.320 an important role in any way, you know, to be 0:19:45.359 --> 0:19:49.240 supportive to you know, engaged, to let folks know about 0:19:49.240 --> 0:19:51.159 our work, keep people informed, and let people know how 0:19:51.160 --> 0:19:51.920 to get engaged. 0:19:54.560 --> 0:19:57.080 Glad to be able to do so well. 0:19:57.480 --> 0:20:01.359 We just followed you, sent you a message, so we 0:20:01.440 --> 0:20:04.960 are definitely going to lock in you know, we we 0:20:05.000 --> 0:20:07.080 would love to have you back on this show. We'd 0:20:07.080 --> 0:20:10.280 love to have you on any one of our other 0:20:10.560 --> 0:20:13.919 shows or all of them. We'd love to continue to 0:20:13.920 --> 0:20:16.680 build with you. This is a moment where we are 0:20:17.560 --> 0:20:20.119 you know, We've always been about you know, solidarity and 0:20:20.680 --> 0:20:25.480 kind of galvanizing all of this energy, you know from 0:20:25.480 --> 0:20:28.560 folks who want to make the world more equitable for 0:20:28.560 --> 0:20:35.160 all of us. But now it's not just a nice thought. 0:20:35.200 --> 0:20:37.040 Now it's kind of mission critical. We kind of need 0:20:37.080 --> 0:20:39.120 each other more than everything. So we'll definitely do our part. 0:20:39.119 --> 0:20:41.520 As I mentioned, we're following you. Our hope is that 0:20:41.560 --> 0:20:46.359 we can continue these conversations moving forward. But for now, 0:20:46.480 --> 0:20:48.919 you know, I just want to say thank you. On 0:20:49.000 --> 0:20:51.359 behalf of me and Q and Chris and all of 0:20:51.440 --> 0:20:53.119 us here at the Black Information Network. Thank you very 0:20:53.200 --> 0:20:55.840 much for coming on to share your time and your 0:20:56.160 --> 0:20:59.840 your brilliance. And you know, the work that you have done, 0:21:00.000 --> 0:21:01.840 work that your organization has done, the work that you 0:21:01.920 --> 0:21:04.520 are doing, work you continue to do. It's a joy, 0:21:04.520 --> 0:21:07.520 it's an honor. And you know, count us among you 0:21:07.520 --> 0:21:10.199 know your brothers. Uh, you know when you need we 0:21:10.280 --> 0:21:11.920 need a little extra on this side of the world 0:21:11.960 --> 0:21:13.600 and the media side of the world or whatever, because 0:21:13.600 --> 0:21:16.160 we got the bullhorn still too, and the batteries do work. 0:21:16.320 --> 0:21:21.080 So we did the ground any sign right once again the. 0:21:21.119 --> 0:21:24.680 Day of Action and so any you know, anyway, if 0:21:24.680 --> 0:21:27.399 you can highlight their events going on across the country. 0:21:27.440 --> 0:21:29.879 Color of Change is you know, one of the sponsors 0:21:29.920 --> 0:21:32.280 of that Day of action. It's really about hands off 0:21:32.280 --> 0:21:34.960 our medicaid, hands off our student loans, sure, hands off 0:21:34.960 --> 0:21:38.800 our healthcare, like hands off food for our children, and 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:43.400 hands off snap And so if you can amplify that 0:21:44.280 --> 0:21:47.160 gets to attend and hopefully turn out that be wonderful. 0:21:47.320 --> 0:21:50.080 Oh, we are all over it. Don't worry about that. 0:21:50.080 --> 0:21:51.960 That's that's kind of what we do. We do believe 0:21:52.080 --> 0:21:56.320 in direct action around here, so I'll leave you to 0:21:56.440 --> 0:21:59.800 interpret that for your own purposes, all right, and that 0:21:59.920 --> 0:22:02.800 is going to do it for us here on Civic Cipher. 0:22:03.000 --> 0:22:05.040 So we appreciate you tuning in once again. I've been 0:22:05.080 --> 0:22:06.080 your host. Rams' Jah. 0:22:06.080 --> 0:22:10.240 He is Ramsy's jaw king Ramses John's how I refer 0:22:10.359 --> 0:22:12.720 to him. I am q Ward and I appreciate you 0:22:12.760 --> 0:22:15.679 guys once again tuning in with us on Civic Cipher. 0:22:15.760 --> 0:22:17.840