Civic Cipher

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

Episodes

November 13, 2025 77 mins

Today’s guest, Ami Horowitz is an American conservative documentary filmmaker and activist. He is the writer, producer, and director of Ami on the Loose, a satirical short film series. He is also the host of the recent documentary The Art of War—a look into the practices of the IDF

We dive deep into the merits and drawbacks of the cash bail system by examining racial biases, data, and conversations from actual people ca...

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In the first half of the show, we discuss the newly elected female Democratic leadership, several reasons people dislike Trump, and how the president has been flip-flopping with his position on whether or not to allow SNAP benefit payouts

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/civiccipher?utm_source=search

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In the second half of the show, we discuss a DL Hughley interview with TMZ and ask ‘Do ex-MAGA deserve forgiveness? We also discuss a forthcoming nationwide economic boycott blackout scheduled to start Nov. 25th. We give the reasons behind the move, the potential impact, and how to be most effective with boycotting in general.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/civiccipher?utm_source=search

See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

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Today’s Guest is the author of the book “Navigating School Board Politics” and an associate professor at Arizona State University. Dr. Carrie Sampson’s research focuses on K-12 educational leadership, policymaking and equity, with particular emphasis on school boards, districts, and community advocacy. She serves as a fellow for the National Education Policy Center and the Black Education Research Center.

Sup...

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Suzanne Yatim joins us to discuss the updates coming from Gaza and to give her insights on how the 2024 presidential election has shaped the war, how the ceasefire is playing out, and her thoughts on the protests that have drawn attention to the conflict.

 

In the first half of the show, we discuss the political developments over the last year that have led to the outcomes we continued to see in Gaza. We discuss the strategies...

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Suzanne Yatim joins us to discuss the updates coming from Gaza and to give her insights on how the 2024 presidential election has shaped the war, how the ceasefire is playing out, and her thoughts on the protests that have drawn attention to the conflict.

 

In the second half of the show, we discuss the ceasefire in place in Gaza and the subsequent violations, the protests that took place over the past two years, and shared so...

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Our guest this week is Knowa De Baraso… one of the youngest faces of the Democratic Party, one of the sharpest minds covering politics, and one of the rising stars in the podcasting space

In the second half of the show, we have a conversation with Knowa De Baraso about the future of liberal politics and the places that young people occupy in the political equation.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/civiccipher?utm_sou...

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Our guest this week is Knowa De Baraso… one of the youngest faces of the Democratic Party, one of the sharpest minds covering politics, and one of the rising stars in the podcasting space

In the first half of the show, we discuss the leaked chat messages from young Republican leadership across the country and make connections to historical leaks that have also given insight in to the racist, toxic culture that is often very ...

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Our guests this week come from Fanbase.com!

Isaac Hayes III – Entrepreneur, music producer, and son of soul legend Isaac Hayes. He has raised over $22M through equity crowdfunding, making Fanbase one of the largest Black-founded crowdfunding campaigns in history.

Tamisha Harris – Veteran TV news producer with an insider view of how stories are shaped and suppressed. She brings a powerful call to action for Black media t...

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Stacey Abrams joins us this week to discuss strategies for reclaiming political representation, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and our first amendment protections. Find more at BINNews.com!

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/civiccipher?utm_source=search

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In the first part of today’s program, we discuss the deep roots of the MAGA movement. We uncover memes and cultural elements that fester in the deep corners of the web. We also discuss the data that suggests that most politically-motivated violence in this country stems from the right rather than the left.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/civiccipher?utm_source=search

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September 13, 2025 27 mins

Can you believe it? We are 5 years old this week! In the first half of today’s program, we tall our origin story and discuss why we felt a show like this was important to create and distribute around the country. Our hope is that our story will encourage you in your own social justice endeavors!

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/civiccipher?utm_source=search

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September 13, 2025 22 mins

In the second half of the show, we examine our story since starting Civic Cipher. We have had many ups and downs as a show and as a country and we use this segment to reflect on all of it—and also invoke a bit of optimism for the future!

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/civiccipher?utm_source=search

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Christopher Towler, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at California State University, Sacramento…He is the Director of the Black Voter Project, Co-Founder of Black Insights Research and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics

In the first half of today’s program, we discuss Dr. Towler’s opinion piece featured in Newsweek entitled From Decline to Reviv...

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Christopher Towler, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at California State University, Sacramento…He is the Director of the Black Voter Project, Co-Founder of Black Insights Research and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics

In the second half of the show, we look ahead to the strategies that may be successful for Democrats ahead of the midterm elections as well...

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Bobby Nichols is the former Phoenix Democratic Socialist of America's chapter chair and current member. He is the founder of Arizona Works Together, a pro-union political action committee operating at the state level. Additionally, Bobby Nichols works for the Office of the Arizona Attorney General as a state attorney representing Arizona's Departments of Child Safety and Economic Security in Superior and Administrative Court cases ...

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Bobby Nichols is the former Phoenix Democratic Socialist of America's chapter chair and current member. He is the founder of Arizona Works Together, a pro-union political action committee operating at the state level. Additionally, Bobby Nichols works for the Office of the Arizona Attorney General as a state attorney representing Arizona's Departments of Child Safety and Economic Security in Superior and Administrative Court cases ...

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Areva Martin is a Harvard-trained civil rights attorney, author, disability justice advocate, and founder of Special Needs Network. She’s on the front lines of today’s most pressing racial and social justice issues, leading the charge in California’s landmark Palm Springs reparations case and helping Black families navigate systemic barriers in special education.

 

In today’s conversation we cover every...

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Areva Martin is a Harvard-trained civil rights attorney, author, disability justice advocate, and founder of Special Needs Network. She’s on the front lines of today’s most pressing racial and social justice issues, leading the charge in California’s landmark Palm Springs reparations case and helping Black families navigate systemic barriers in special education.

 

In today’s conversation we cover every...

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In the first half of today’s program, we discuss the overlooked merits of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and how they benefit a company’s bottom line. We also discuss the implications of a disenfranchised voter base and how these things can—and are shaping society.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/civiccipher?utm_source=search

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Hosts And Creators

Ramses Ja

Ramses Ja

Q Ward

Q Ward

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