WEBVTT - 091623 Three Year Anniversary Show—What Have We Accomplished? (Part 1) 0:00:00.600 --> 0:00:03.640 Can you believe we've been doing this show for three 0:00:04.240 --> 0:00:08.400 years now? Well, hopefully you can, because we haven't. So 0:00:08.480 --> 0:00:11.200 I'd like to welcome you once again to another episode 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:12.119 of Civic Cipher. 0:00:12.200 --> 0:00:13.240 I'my host Ramsey's job. 0:00:13.320 --> 0:00:16.640 He is your host, Ramsey's jock. I'm the other dude 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:21.720 to just be here. Stop just kind of hanging out. No, seriously, 0:00:22.560 --> 0:00:25.040 I am q Ward and you are tuned in to 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:26.000 Civic Cipher. 0:00:26.079 --> 0:00:30.520 Yes, sir, broadcasting from the Hip Hop with the studios. 0:00:32.440 --> 0:00:34.560 Three years, man, three years is incredible. 0:00:34.600 --> 0:00:38.800 Three years is crazy. It used to be DJs, used 0:00:38.840 --> 0:00:39.479 to be DJs. 0:00:39.520 --> 0:00:41.880 Man, that was it. Yeah, we talked on the radio, 0:00:41.960 --> 0:00:44.440 but you know that we're one. We talked on one 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:46.520 one radio station. Yeah yeah. 0:00:46.520 --> 0:00:49.600 So whatce upon a time today, what we're going to 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:53.479 do is commemorate for three years. We feel like it's 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:56.440 important to look back on the progress that not only 0:00:56.480 --> 0:00:59.880 we've made as a show, but what we as a 0:01:00.200 --> 0:01:02.920 country have accomplished in the past three years. 0:01:02.960 --> 0:01:04.160 It's a very different world now. 0:01:05.480 --> 0:01:09.319 Some people have lost their mojo, some people have kept it, 0:01:09.840 --> 0:01:12.800 and you know, these are things that are it's important 0:01:12.800 --> 0:01:14.880 to you know, kind of measure where you've come from 0:01:15.120 --> 0:01:18.240 where you're headed very much. So reorient yourself and make 0:01:18.240 --> 0:01:21.720 sure that you've you know, come to terms with the 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:23.959 reality of your situation. So we plan on doing that today. 0:01:23.959 --> 0:01:26.520 We're also going to take a little bit of time 0:01:27.000 --> 0:01:29.960 from today's show to really discuss what it is that 0:01:30.000 --> 0:01:35.199 we're hoping for and what it is that we want 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:37.560 people to know. The most important things that we want 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:39.920 people to know. We haven't that we're going to have 0:01:40.040 --> 0:01:42.960 this conversation in real time. We haven't prepared for it. 0:01:44.400 --> 0:01:46.959 But I think that's a very important question, and I 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:50.720 think that we can certainly get some some real honest 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:55.880 dialogue about what the future should hold and and take 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:57.360 into account what we've accomplished. 0:01:57.400 --> 0:01:59.360 So hopefully I don't come across to, uh. 0:01:59.680 --> 0:02:02.560 Hey, it's necessary, doom and gloom. 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:04.520 Whatever it is is necessary, first and foremost, that we're 0:02:04.520 --> 0:02:08.280 gonna start off with some any excellence. Today's Any Excellence 0:02:08.320 --> 0:02:11.440 is sponsored by Major Threads for innovative, fashionable sportswear. 0:02:11.520 --> 0:02:12.360 Check Major threads dot. 0:02:12.240 --> 0:02:14.919 Com you want to grab this one, it's some sports. 0:02:14.600 --> 0:02:16.720 Stuff, Orbes dot com. 0:02:17.720 --> 0:02:21.520 The dramatic win by American Cocoa Golf in the US 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:22.359 Open proved to. 0:02:22.280 --> 0:02:26.200 Be a rare ratings breakthrough moment for women's sports. As 0:02:26.240 --> 0:02:29.400 a Saturday afternoon game trounced the men's Sunday final in 0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:32.760 viewership and broke the ESPN record for the most. 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:36.200 Watched women's Grand Slam final. Coco Golf, nineteen years old, 0:02:36.280 --> 0:02:39.600 the youngest young woman since Serena Williams to win the 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:43.280 US Open Final, so very very powerful movement for her 0:02:43.680 --> 0:02:45.960 million three and a half million people watch golf become 0:02:46.000 --> 0:02:50.120 the first American teenager to win in two decades. Golf 0:02:50.200 --> 0:02:53.520 Championship was the most viewed women's final of any tennis 0:02:53.560 --> 0:02:55.440 major ever broadcast on ESPN. 0:02:55.480 --> 0:03:00.120 That is such an incredibly powerful truth momentsidering how long 0:03:00.160 --> 0:03:02.560 tennis has been on the airways and how much reach 0:03:02.880 --> 0:03:03.600 ESPN has. 0:03:04.160 --> 0:03:06.280 It's an interesting thing happening with the men's final, though. 0:03:07.000 --> 0:03:09.520 Having the men's final on the first Sunday of the 0:03:09.639 --> 0:03:12.560 NFL just seems like a bad idea that you make. 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:14.160 Someone would have like tapped. 0:03:13.840 --> 0:03:16.400 In and we don't want to go up against that, 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:16.800 but not. 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:20.680 Cobo Golf kind of used the fuel from doubters and 0:03:20.720 --> 0:03:23.120 haters to push her through to that final. So I 0:03:23.120 --> 0:03:25.880 think we all got to celebrate with her as she 0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:29.680 had that monumental moment. The women's championship was the third 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:33.400 most watched program across all of cable last week, beaten 0:03:33.480 --> 0:03:36.200 only by, of course, two college football games, one of 0:03:36.200 --> 0:03:41.800 those being Coach Primes Colorado Buffalo's all the anticipated Texas 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:46.880 Alabama matchup, of course, had seven point nine million. Colorado 0:03:47.040 --> 0:03:49.680 game ended up having I think nine and a half million, 0:03:49.720 --> 0:03:51.440 some really astronomical numbers. 0:03:51.440 --> 0:03:54.000 So one time for Coco golf and she's doing her 0:03:54.040 --> 0:03:57.240 thing ebby excellence if I ever heard of it. Really 0:03:57.280 --> 0:04:03.600 proud of her. So the topic of the day three years, 0:04:03.880 --> 0:04:06.040 three years. I'm three years older. 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:13.080 Three years more experience, We're all three years older. And 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:17.800 before we get to that, I want to make sure 0:04:17.839 --> 0:04:23.600 that everyone knows that this is not necessarily a moment 0:04:23.640 --> 0:04:27.600 where we're going to pat ourselves on the back. I 0:04:27.640 --> 0:04:30.839 do believe that it's important for us to acknowledge what 0:04:30.960 --> 0:04:33.159 we've done, because this is a very difficult thing to 0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:36.400 do every week, especially coming from the environment that we 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:38.040 come from and being the type of people are. I 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:41.719 think our nature is to be happy, and this is 0:04:41.800 --> 0:04:45.000 kind of interesting that I've had to come to terms 0:04:45.000 --> 0:04:50.080 with the fact that a lot of people when they 0:04:50.120 --> 0:04:56.640 see black people fighting and struggling, they kind of think, oh, yeah, 0:04:56.640 --> 0:04:59.200 that's just what they do, and they don't account for 0:04:59.240 --> 0:05:02.039 the fact that this is what we do because it's necessary, 0:05:02.120 --> 0:05:04.680 not because it's we're just born like, oh my gosh, 0:05:04.680 --> 0:05:06.919 where's the struggle. We want to be happy too, We 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:09.080 want to spend our time doing whatever and not worried 0:05:09.080 --> 0:05:11.359 about stuff. We're normal people and we do not seek 0:05:11.400 --> 0:05:12.160 out the struggle. 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:15.120 No, we're kind of born into these circumstances and we 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:17.880 have to figure out the best we can how to 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:22.600 either endure or escape. Sure, sure, exactly, and that's those 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:24.279 are kind of the choices that we're left with, but 0:05:24.680 --> 0:05:27.839 definitely not a decision that we make as a people 0:05:27.880 --> 0:05:30.120 that we're just here for the struggle and the fight 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:30.800 that comes with. 0:05:30.760 --> 0:05:34.880 It, right right. So the other thing is that when 0:05:34.960 --> 0:05:35.560 it comes to. 0:05:39.839 --> 0:05:46.640 Us walking our path, us deciding what our lives is 0:05:46.680 --> 0:05:52.360 going to are going to hold for us, we have 0:05:52.440 --> 0:05:59.600 to make sure that we're accounting for every possible permutation. Okay, 0:06:01.200 --> 0:06:04.400 but where we've where we've landed, you and I has 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:06.920 been you know right here, And as I mentioned, this 0:06:06.960 --> 0:06:09.039 is not just to pat ourselves on the back. We 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:12.200 want to take a moment to acknowledge some of the 0:06:12.560 --> 0:06:15.800 headlines of this past week and and let you know 0:06:15.839 --> 0:06:17.760 that we're going to get to them. So first up, 0:06:18.920 --> 0:06:22.040 we are familiar with the headline where the there was 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:25.320 a black kid who was invited to swim with his 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:26.599 white friends. 0:06:27.040 --> 0:06:28.640 They thought they were friends, and then they friends. 0:06:29.680 --> 0:06:32.039 Is an interesting way to describe the children that he 0:06:32.080 --> 0:06:35.240 went swimming with, right as multiple times they. 0:06:35.120 --> 0:06:39.599 Tried to drown and. 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:44.680 Harm this kid, something that he probably thought he was 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:46.640 going to go do to have fun and just didn't 0:06:46.680 --> 0:06:47.360 turn out to be there. 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:47.640 Yeah. 0:06:47.680 --> 0:06:52.200 Yeah, And as they held him underwater, he said he 0:06:52.240 --> 0:06:54.719 couldn't breathe, and then they started calling him George Floyd. 0:06:54.800 --> 0:07:01.479 So there's some some interesting elements there. We're definitely going 0:07:01.560 --> 0:07:03.520 to talk about that. We also are going to talk 0:07:03.560 --> 0:07:07.719 about a lot of the smash and grab shoplifting videos. 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:11.080 You know, we feel like the media is really showing 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:15.240 only one side of that. There's also groups of non 0:07:15.320 --> 0:07:19.760 black or white shoplifters doing those kind of flash mob 0:07:20.560 --> 0:07:23.960 sort of attacks on stores and walking out with the things. 0:07:24.000 --> 0:07:27.560 And then also there's a certain narrative that really supports 0:07:28.640 --> 0:07:33.640 retailers and police if we're being honest, because police can 0:07:33.640 --> 0:07:36.880 point to these black shoplifters, which wrong is wrong, does 0:07:36.880 --> 0:07:37.880 a matter what color you are. 0:07:38.200 --> 0:07:44.880 But I think by highlighting these these black shoplifters. 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:49.760 It it certainly feels like the police can say, look, 0:07:49.760 --> 0:07:52.360 how how necessary we are, let's buy another tang. 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:55.520 And they, I mean, they're very intentional with what they highlight. Yes, exactly, 0:07:55.600 --> 0:07:57.360 It's not just black people doing that. 0:07:57.400 --> 0:07:58.080 Oh yeah, not at all. 0:07:58.120 --> 0:08:02.560 That's that's they have video of every one else does say, yes, 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:04.880 it's not as sensational. Sure, so we definitely want to 0:08:04.920 --> 0:08:07.880 talk about that. And there's some other elements there too. 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:12.360 A lot of the stores can justify raising their prices, 0:08:12.480 --> 0:08:17.400 laying people off, you know, keeping prices artificially high, turning 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:19.800 a higher profit, and they can blame shoplifting. And the 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:22.920 fact of the matter is that shoplifting accounts for a 0:08:23.000 --> 0:08:26.160 very small amount of their overall revenue loss. That type 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:29.880 of shoplifting is relatively speaking, insignificant. The CEO of Walmart 0:08:29.920 --> 0:08:34.560 confirm that their real shrinkage is what is referred to 0:08:34.600 --> 0:08:38.840 the loss of inventory is it comes from employee. 0:08:38.400 --> 0:08:41.920 Theft, employee theft or batter damaged goods in general. 0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:45.560 Sure, but employee theft is the biggest exactly and so 0:08:46.400 --> 0:08:48.719 and then of course those smash and grab type shoplifters 0:08:49.080 --> 0:08:52.040 is a is a very very small amount of that. 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:55.280 But how they view it is, or how it's being 0:08:55.320 --> 0:08:57.760 presented to the public, it's like, oh my god, crime 0:08:57.840 --> 0:09:00.200 is rampant in liberal cities and blah blah blah. So 0:09:00.200 --> 0:09:01.840 there's a whole other side that we need to explain. 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:09.520 There was the police shooting of Eddie Irizari, where the 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:11.040 police came and shot him in the head and then 0:09:11.040 --> 0:09:12.679 said that he got out of the car and threatened him. 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:14.320 And then of course there was the video that came 0:09:14.360 --> 0:09:16.600 out that shows the police coming up and assassinating and 0:09:16.600 --> 0:09:19.959 putting bullet to his head. And we haven't been able 0:09:20.000 --> 0:09:22.680 to talk about that yet. What else are we talking 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:28.400 about here? Oh, in San Francisco's really sad. A police 0:09:28.760 --> 0:09:32.319 cruiser was in pursuit of something else going sixty five 0:09:32.360 --> 0:09:34.240 miles an hour and like a twenty five zone and 0:09:34.280 --> 0:09:36.600 thirty five zone something like that hit twenty three year 0:09:36.640 --> 0:09:41.960 old Janavi Candula. Oh sorry, this was in Seattle. And 0:09:41.960 --> 0:09:44.160 then there's a police officer talking on the phone. You 0:09:44.200 --> 0:09:47.080 may have seen this video talking on the phone about 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:49.320 her and it's like, oh, she's dead, bro, we just 0:09:49.320 --> 0:09:51.120 got to write a check to the family for eleven 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:53.360 thousand dollars. She was a nobody. That sort of stuff. 0:09:54.679 --> 0:09:57.240 The worth of this human being right right, so far 0:09:57.320 --> 0:09:59.360 less than what he thought it was. 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:04.160 And there's another story that we want to talk about too, 0:10:04.200 --> 0:10:05.920 and again we'll try to get to this stuff next week. 0:10:05.960 --> 0:10:09.840 But police trainer, this is the guy training the police. 0:10:10.800 --> 0:10:14.040 He shot a police recruit in the chest because he 0:10:14.080 --> 0:10:15.760 was playing with her and she died on the Floor's 0:10:15.840 --> 0:10:16.320 video of it. 0:10:17.679 --> 0:10:19.640 Yeah, the video was very unreal to watch. 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:21.360 Yeah, and you just pulled out his gun and shot 0:10:21.360 --> 0:10:22.800 her and he's like, oh my god, that was my 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:27.520 training gun. So you kind of at least the police 0:10:27.720 --> 0:10:30.120 in moments like that, are able to heed the gravity 0:10:30.120 --> 0:10:32.199 of the fact that, hey, these things are designed to kill. 0:10:32.920 --> 0:10:35.920 It's not funny, it's not a game. This is you'd 0:10:35.920 --> 0:10:38.120 be prepared to end the life and deal with the consequences. 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:40.160 And unfortunately, we have a video of one officer killing 0:10:40.200 --> 0:10:41.600 another officer says it was an accident. 0:10:41.679 --> 0:10:44.040 I believe that it was. There was nothing to really 0:10:44.040 --> 0:10:44.679 provoke it, but. 0:10:46.120 --> 0:10:49.199 Certainly something that gets us to talk about guns. All 0:10:49.240 --> 0:10:50.920 of these things and more we talk about on our 0:10:50.960 --> 0:10:53.760 social media. Please follow us at Civic Cipher. We have 0:10:53.800 --> 0:10:56.360 a whole new social media campaign and strategy. We could 0:10:56.360 --> 0:10:58.040 really use your support because there's a lot of negative 0:10:58.080 --> 0:11:02.439 comments on there at Civic Cipher and of course IMQ 0:11:02.520 --> 0:11:05.400 word at Ramsey's job, but at Civic Cipher as the 0:11:05.440 --> 0:11:08.400 main one, we have a whole plan. Your support will 0:11:08.400 --> 0:11:12.840 go a long way. But for now, back to our 0:11:12.960 --> 0:11:16.640 three year anniversary. So in brief, for those that don't know, 0:11:16.720 --> 0:11:19.880 this show was born out of Q and I. As 0:11:19.880 --> 0:11:24.640 you mentioned, we worked at hip hop station in Phoenix, Arizona, 0:11:24.920 --> 0:11:27.600 and in twenty twenty, we felt like the hip hop 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:29.960 station could do rather more than put a black square 0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:35.000 on Instagram and you know, you know, join the blackout 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:38.520 and put a hashtag yeah. And so we asked them 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:40.560 if they could put a show on the air that 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:43.920 really highlighted a lot of the leadership that was on 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:46.880 the streets organizing the protests, and a show that really 0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:49.960 allowed us to speak to all the different races and 0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:53.120 cultures and backgrounds and people that were on the street 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:54.520 to support black people in that moment. 0:11:56.440 --> 0:11:58.360 We thought it was a beautiful moment. 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:00.240 I know that we were out there with our with 0:12:00.280 --> 0:12:02.880 our children, we were celebrating, we were affirming our worth 0:12:02.920 --> 0:12:03.439 in our lives. 0:12:03.559 --> 0:12:05.200 I also don't want it to seem like it was 0:12:05.280 --> 0:12:08.360 just something that we thought. Yeah, everybody, that was a 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:12.360 beautiful moment. Yeah, not just black people and not just Americans. 0:12:12.400 --> 0:12:16.920 The entire world responded to that moment collectively, and the 0:12:17.000 --> 0:12:20.719 fact that we were not putting the right amount of 0:12:20.720 --> 0:12:23.640 emphasis on it was something that kind of bothered us. Yeah, 0:12:23.640 --> 0:12:25.800 which is what started that dialogue the short place. 0:12:25.840 --> 0:12:29.360 Sure, so we asked the powers that be at the 0:12:29.440 --> 0:12:31.480 radio station, Hey, can we get some of the leaders 0:12:31.600 --> 0:12:34.760 up on the station talk to them about, you know, 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:37.280 what it is that we're going for, what we're trying 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:39.560 to do, you know, let people know where the next 0:12:39.559 --> 0:12:44.040 protest is. And then, of course there's some disinformation and 0:12:44.080 --> 0:12:47.040 not entirely factual information coming from other media outlets, and 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:49.680 we could really step in and clear up some of 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:52.720 that that these aren't riots that you know, it's safe, 0:12:52.800 --> 0:12:55.360 you know, to come and support anyway. Long in the 0:12:55.360 --> 0:12:57.400 short of it is, they ended up saying no to us, 0:12:57.440 --> 0:12:59.880 and we resigned. We didn't feel that that was appropriate, 0:13:01.360 --> 0:13:03.679 and the why is important. 0:13:03.760 --> 0:13:05.920 You can't tell the story without leaving out the why, 0:13:05.960 --> 0:13:08.880 at least, not just that they said no to us, 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:12.440 but very specifically they said that they didn't want to 0:13:12.480 --> 0:13:15.959 do a black show. And I have to always remind 0:13:15.960 --> 0:13:19.400 people of two or of a few, very very specific 0:13:19.440 --> 0:13:23.679 points that make that messaging hit a little bit different. 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:27.400 The first thing is that there were not a lot 0:13:27.480 --> 0:13:30.120 of black people on air in Phoenix at the time. 0:13:30.720 --> 0:13:32.839 I think we may have been the only two, and 0:13:32.880 --> 0:13:34.640 we were on the same show on the same station, 0:13:34.800 --> 0:13:38.120 so us representing the entirety of black hip hop voices 0:13:38.120 --> 0:13:43.120 on the radio at the time. Secondly, there were different 0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:46.280 ways to try to give us that same message. Right 0:13:46.320 --> 0:13:49.000 in the spirit of giving people the benefit of the doubt, 0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:52.920 I always say, they could have said that's the wrong 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:53.559 way to put it. 0:13:53.640 --> 0:13:54.120 They could have. 0:13:54.240 --> 0:13:57.240 Meant that they didn't want us to do a political 0:13:57.280 --> 0:13:59.640 show on the hip hop station, and that would have 0:13:59.640 --> 0:14:02.800 made sense. They could have meant that we don't want 0:14:02.840 --> 0:14:06.320 to do a divisive show. We make our audience true sides, 0:14:06.360 --> 0:14:09.440 and that's not what we want to do. We don't 0:14:09.480 --> 0:14:12.719 want to be so polarizing. They could have meant all 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:15.120 of those things. What they meant is that they didn't 0:14:15.120 --> 0:14:20.960 want black and the hip hop station. That's every dollar 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:25.760 that they make, it's from black music and culture. Them 0:14:25.840 --> 0:14:30.000 specifically saying that those words to us, that was more 0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:33.080 than just offensive. It was hurtful, and it hid in 0:14:33.080 --> 0:14:36.840 a way that those I think they could have meant 0:14:37.160 --> 0:14:40.360 something very similar to that, but that's not what they meant. 0:14:40.400 --> 0:14:41.840 So that's not what they said, because it would have 0:14:41.880 --> 0:14:43.880 been easier to say those other things, even if you 0:14:43.960 --> 0:14:48.080 meant we don't want to do black. So it's that 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:50.560 that part of our story will always be the part 0:14:50.600 --> 0:14:53.800 that resonates with me the most, sure because the person 0:14:53.840 --> 0:14:58.160 they said those words to is Rams's Jah. 0:14:58.520 --> 0:15:01.840 Yeah, so I'm glad you mentioned that, Q, because for 0:15:02.480 --> 0:15:04.320 There's this has been a three year journey, so we 0:15:04.360 --> 0:15:08.440 appreciate everyone that's jumped on board along the way. But 0:15:08.520 --> 0:15:11.160 before this show existed, before it had a name, before 0:15:11.200 --> 0:15:13.320 we had the framework for it that we have now, 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:16.240 and all the partners and the affiliates and all the 0:15:16.280 --> 0:15:19.520 news stations that have been, you know, carrying the show. 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:23.880 I had to feel that pain, you know, I had 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:31.840 to feel that hurt. I I cried, as you can Imagine, 0:15:31.920 --> 0:15:34.720 I've been broadcasting ever since I graduated from college. That 0:15:34.800 --> 0:15:36.320 was the only job I knew, and I knew that 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:38.240 if I quit the way that I was going to 0:15:38.320 --> 0:15:41.520 quit by writing a resignation and taking you with me, 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:47.320 and you know that I might not broadcast ever again. 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:48.520 And that is the only thing I know. So it's 0:15:48.640 --> 0:15:51.160 very scary. And imagine being in a position where the 0:15:51.160 --> 0:15:54.120 whole city knows who you are. It's very you're very 0:15:54.160 --> 0:15:56.880 proud to have accomplished something like that. I always did 0:15:56.920 --> 0:15:58.680 my best to do right by people. My family was 0:15:58.720 --> 0:16:00.640 proud of me, and my friends, might my mentors, and 0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:02.800 everyone was really proud of me. And then I had 0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:06.320 to leave because it was the right thing to do. 0:16:06.400 --> 0:16:08.480 I needed to stand with the people. I needed to 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:10.320 stand with my people, and I knew that you would 0:16:10.840 --> 0:16:12.720 it would come with me, but I made the choice 0:16:12.760 --> 0:16:13.200 for you. 0:16:13.400 --> 0:16:16.440 But the really interesting thing about having made that choice, 0:16:16.440 --> 0:16:19.120 so I think it's important to point out, is things 0:16:19.160 --> 0:16:23.080 worked out. So in the rear view mirror, it seemed like, yeah, 0:16:23.120 --> 0:16:24.920 it looks great. We had this master plan and it 0:16:25.000 --> 0:16:28.080 worked out perfect, and it's like, no, man, when Ramses 0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:31.640 quit on our behalf, there was no plan b there 0:16:31.680 --> 0:16:33.720 was no backup plan. It was like, Okay, I guess 0:16:33.720 --> 0:16:37.240 we just don't do radio anymore. We got to figure 0:16:37.240 --> 0:16:40.280 out what's next. But what's most important right now is 0:16:40.320 --> 0:16:45.760 being you know, our father's son, our son's father and 0:16:45.920 --> 0:16:48.720 brothers to each other and you know, holding up the 0:16:48.760 --> 0:16:52.360 community in a way that we felt was our responsibility, 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:55.120 even when it was not in our best fiscal interest 0:16:55.200 --> 0:16:58.800 to do so, because in our minds, not just that 0:16:58.840 --> 0:17:00.920 we resigned, but again the way that we did it, 0:17:01.600 --> 0:17:03.800 there was no yeah, you can't come back, no new 0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:05.120 opportunity coming after that. 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:07.280 But for people that don't know, we had to name 0:17:07.400 --> 0:17:10.240 names just to hold people accountable. We had to you know, 0:17:10.320 --> 0:17:12.680 call out the call letters. We've got the community involved, 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:15.720 like hey, listen, you know, wrote the letter to the community. 0:17:15.760 --> 0:17:18.080 And then the newspapers want to come because again there's 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:20.760 no there's no black radio personalities on air at the time, 0:17:20.800 --> 0:17:22.440 so they're like, oh my gosh, the only black people 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:25.639 are quitting because of you know, in the middle of 0:17:25.680 --> 0:17:26.480 these protests. 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:28.120 And you know, so. 0:17:29.720 --> 0:17:32.080 With it being amplified like that, no one else wants 0:17:32.119 --> 0:17:34.960 to touch you as radio personality. And as you mentioned, 0:17:35.040 --> 0:17:36.840 you it all worked out now you look back on 0:17:36.880 --> 0:17:39.920 it and it's you know, I don't know how many 0:17:39.960 --> 0:17:43.760 stations we're on, somewhere like seventy over seventy stations around 0:17:43.800 --> 0:17:47.280 the country, and we're grateful for every single one and 0:17:47.400 --> 0:17:50.280 every single listener because this is the noblest thing that 0:17:50.320 --> 0:17:56.360 I believe I've done in my adult life career wise. Personally, obviously, 0:17:56.359 --> 0:17:58.720 the most noble thing I can do is be a 0:17:58.720 --> 0:18:01.440 father to my son. But but professionally, this is it. 0:18:02.240 --> 0:18:05.080 When they bury me, they won't say, oh, Ramses was 0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:07.840 a dope DJ and Ramses gave away a bunch of 0:18:07.840 --> 0:18:11.320 Cardi B tickets. They're going to say Ramses did what 0:18:11.840 --> 0:18:13.800 he could to make the world a better place. They're 0:18:13.840 --> 0:18:16.040 going to say Q did what he felt was right 0:18:16.119 --> 0:18:18.800 and created a more equitable society for people in that 0:18:18.880 --> 0:18:23.560 So that's certainly we're grateful for this journey and that 0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:26.439 it worked out and it continues to work out. 0:18:27.960 --> 0:18:28.480 Since then. 0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:30.679 And real quick, I do want to shout out our 0:18:30.720 --> 0:18:34.479 newest station and Melissa Vaughan at w r I r 0:18:34.560 --> 0:18:36.479 F M in Richmond, Virginia. We've been trying to get 0:18:36.520 --> 0:18:39.359 on in Richmond for a long time and we now 0:18:39.400 --> 0:18:41.439 have a footprint in Richmond. We have another couple of 0:18:41.440 --> 0:18:43.720 stations there shout out while we have them shout out 0:18:43.720 --> 0:18:47.080 Norfolk State University they have they carry us in Virginia's world. 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:50.320 So yeah. 0:18:50.359 --> 0:18:52.639 But since then, in the past three years, we've managed 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:58.400 to make some national headlines as a show. Obviously, late 0:18:58.480 --> 0:19:06.679 last year we had some an interesting period in our 0:19:06.720 --> 0:19:10.560 show where we acquired a trademark, a trademark for the 0:19:11.400 --> 0:19:15.920 to make clothes branded with the phrase white Lives Matter, 0:19:16.440 --> 0:19:20.600 effectively preventing Kanye West from releasing clothes that said that 0:19:20.760 --> 0:19:23.639 to the public, which is why you don't see kids 0:19:23.640 --> 0:19:27.040 wearing that nonsense at them all. And I want to 0:19:27.040 --> 0:19:29.159 always say, because there are people that push back, I 0:19:29.160 --> 0:19:31.760 always want to say that we obviously know that white 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:34.520 lives matter. We believe that white lives matter, and we 0:19:34.600 --> 0:19:37.480 believe that all lives matter. But at present, we are 0:19:37.480 --> 0:19:40.320 affirming that black lives matter, and anything that interferes with 0:19:40.359 --> 0:19:43.359 that messaging we feel is hateful and divisive, and so 0:19:43.560 --> 0:19:47.160 our owning that mark doesn't mean that we don't believe 0:19:47.200 --> 0:19:49.080 in it. It just means that we're able to keep 0:19:49.119 --> 0:19:52.879 people from profiting off of what we consider to be hate. 0:19:53.840 --> 0:19:56.240 But that's something that's happened in the past three years. Obviously, 0:19:56.320 --> 0:20:03.240 partnerships with Radio PACIFICA iheartmediaarious personalities and companies around the country. 0:20:03.600 --> 0:20:05.440 Shout out Big Boy, Shout out Blue Leg cav shout 0:20:05.480 --> 0:20:08.240 out shoot I know I couldn't even name it on 0:20:08.280 --> 0:20:12.960 Queen Naja. You know Steve Earnhardt, let's start there. Yeah, 0:20:13.080 --> 0:20:15.120 the man person that believed in us and gave us 0:20:15.320 --> 0:20:18.720 a shot right after we effectively turned the lights out 0:20:19.400 --> 0:20:22.480 at our previous station, and it gives the blueprint for syndication. 0:20:22.680 --> 0:20:27.359 So that's he's the he's the the architect of these. However, 0:20:27.440 --> 0:20:30.560 many stations were on there. Want to shout out a 0:20:30.560 --> 0:20:36.320 couple other special people, Ali and Jan they are our agents, 0:20:37.320 --> 0:20:40.600 our literary agents specifically, but they're working with us. And 0:20:40.600 --> 0:20:43.320 and a dear friend of ours name Leah. She's working 0:20:43.320 --> 0:20:47.320 with us too on a forthcoming book where we get 0:20:47.320 --> 0:20:53.880 to commit to the total, the sum total of human knowledge, 0:20:54.280 --> 0:20:58.280 our beliefs in terms of becoming a better ally. So 0:20:58.640 --> 0:21:02.639 managed to grab a blue deal, not that we grab it, 0:21:02.640 --> 0:21:04.720