May 31, 2025 • 22 mins
Today’s guest is Zenia Perez is an organizer and political consultant working in the fields of advocacy and electoral politics. Online at @yourpoliticalprima
In the second half of the show, Zenia discusses some of the threats that advocates of historically marginalized communities need to be mindful of during this second Trump administration. She also mounts a masterful defense of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Keep on riding with us as we continue to broadcast
the balance and defend the discourse from the Hip Hop
Weekly Studios. Welcome back to Civic Cipher. I'm your host,
Ramsay's Jah.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
He is Ramsay's Jah. I am q Ward. You are
still or once again tuned into civic excitement.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Either way, we appreciate you and we want you to
keep on doing what you're doing. Because we got a
special guest in the building. She goes by the name
of Xenia Perez. She's an organizer and political consultant working
in the fields of advocacy and electoral politics, and she
has given us some game. If you don't like the
world you live in, there are there is an infrastructure
in place for you to change it. And she's letting
(00:34):
us know how she's going about doing that, how she's
been doing that for some years, and how you can
follow in her footsteps. And so we're gonna continue the
conversation with her, and we are also going to and
this is what I teased at the beginning of the show.
We're gonna h share uh a brand new babbab become
a better ally. So without further ado, this video is
(00:56):
from Cody Connor on Ig. You can follow him at
b's say, Dad, that's be easy, Aydad, two to two.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
I don't know if you are attacking DEI because you
convince yourself that racism and discrimination doesn't exist anymore. If
you've just convinced yourself that it's okay. What I do
know is that white supremacist groups still feel embolden enough
to march openly in American streets. People are proudly proclaiming
themselves racists and bigots on social media and even national television.
(01:27):
And I know that it'll be those people that are
cheering and applauding for you the loudest when you decide
to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion in our schools. And
the fact that doesn't give you pause, that it doesn't
make you feel sick and slimy tells me everything I
need to know about you. When I look at you,
the six of you that will vote against this, I'm disgusted,
but I'm also grateful. I'm grateful for all the experiences
(01:50):
I had that kept me from being like you. You see,
there's racist and bigots in my family. I heard the
N word in derogatory jokes growing up. But when I
found myself on my own before I'd even graduated high school,
that family.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Wasn't there to help me.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
My friend the Liana's family was there, wattermall and immigrants.
It wasn't for them, I probably would have gotten a
lot more trouble than I did. Did you know that
immigrants are less likely to commit crimes in US citizens statistically?
And then there was my friend Trey's mom taking care
of all those kids all on our own. Still, somehow
I always able to still find a prayer and a
plate for me too.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Just know that black mothers are more than three times as.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Likely to be single moms and white mother's statistically. It
was a queer kid that helped me learn how to
navigate life on the streets. Did you know that LGBTQ
kids are more than twice as likely than their peers
to be homeless statistically? But because of those kids, when
my child came out to me, I was able to
be the father that they needed, despite all of the
religious and doctor nation I'd been subjicted to. Did you
(02:47):
know it's more likely your priest will be a predator
then your kid will be trains statistically? Now I know
you don't care about my stories or my statistics. Your
fear and ignorance has got you so turned around rather
than embracing the future, cleaning desperately to echoes of the past.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
But that future, it's.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Still coming, and it doesn't look much like you statistically,
shout out to the student speakers. You may be blind,
but these kids aren't.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
They see you more than that.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
They see that you do not see them.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
So tonight, after you vote against their future and go
home to bask in the approval of racists and bigots,
don't mistake this for a day that we stood in
your way and couldn't stop you. Now, today's the day
you decided to stand away of these kids and their future.
And someday, sooner than you think, they're going to run
right over you and not even look back.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Make good decisions, all right now? You know why I
wanted you to stick around for that, because that was
so powerful. The first time I heard that, I watched
it probably like five times, but like it moved me,
and I knew that I wanted to play that for you. Q.
And you know again that segment we've gone over a
little bit, but that segment is meant to highlight ally
(04:00):
ship or to give you examples of becoming a better ally.
And that was just you know, for those that don't
get a chance to check out at social media again,
it's be e z A y da D two two
on Instagram. If you can't check out the video, just
know that this is a white presenting male, maybe in
his forties, and he's in front of what appears to
be some sort of community council or school board or
(04:22):
something like that. And you know, sharing those powerful words.
Just because you're down doesn't mean you're out. And for
people to step in, especially when it comes to diversity,
equity and inclusion initiatives where it might not benefit them directly,
and be such a powerful voice in that space. I
have to salute you, so Cody Connor on Instagram.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
I salute you.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Thank you for standing with the people. Man. That's very special. Okay,
your political prima I love that. All right, Dania, talk
to us about the major threats that you see. Two
outs were democracy or maybe too our communities, you know,
(05:07):
marginalized communities. Given this administration, What are some things that
you think people should be concerned about.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
I think one thing. I have two things. The first
thing is that fascism is no longer at our doorstep.
It is here, and we voted it in. We have
voted in a tyrant who is a racist, bigot. All
the bad things, all the bad words that I cannot
say on the radio, it is here. And the second
(05:37):
thing is these attacks on DEI. You know, they started,
you know, years ago, but right now DEI is this
bad word. We're in this culture war moment and a
lot of people think that DEI is just like this
random policy that Costco and Target are kind of filling
(06:00):
about with their shareholders, and you know that we don't
have to care about that. But I'm here to tell
you that DEI is diversity. It means that you want
to have a lady doctor taking care of you know,
your lady bits. You know. That's that's that's one example.
(06:23):
There is equity that everybody gets a fighting chance, and
that includes white people. People in the Midwest too, like
they've suffered a lot, you know, like their jobs got
shipped off overseas and and now we're fighting for jobs
back and you know, manufacturing jobs that are done by robots.
(06:43):
So that's the that's the e you know, the the
equity part everybody should have, you know, that part a
fair chance of you know, making living a good life
and providing for their family. And then there's inclusion, and
an inclusion we talk about everybody too, different religions, races,
(07:07):
gender identities, you know, we're talking about everybody. We want
everybody to have a seat at the table because that
is what is right and that's what makes this country
like beautiful and great. Like why why do you think
people want to immigrate here? It's it's because of things
like DEI that you know, have have propelled us forward,
(07:29):
not as like our different affinity groups, but as a
country as a whole. We have all prospered and benefited
from things like DEI together. And so now they're making
it this like big bad thing. This is the bad
guy in the room, you know, besides immigrants, right and
and and so you know, they they want to kind
(07:50):
of get us into thinking they're grooming us, you know,
kind of like a predator would. They're grooming us into
thinking that DEI something we don't need, something that doesn't
matter to us. You know, it's something that happens to
someone else, but it's something that everyone benefits from. And
(08:10):
you know what they're really doing is you know, getting
you used to a tax on DEI because what they're
really coming for are civil rights. And so I'll leave
it at that. I don't want to be too doom
and gloom, but you know that is their long game,
and they're just trying to get us ready to just
like accept it willingly.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
You know, the difficult thing about the show that we
do is that the doom and gloom is unavoidable and
the ironic hypocrisy of immigrants fighting against immigration. It's so
blatantly wrong and should be so immediately resisted and they
(08:50):
should be called out for it, except they're not. You know,
you have a South African immigrant being probably the largest
donor to the last campaign, and at least at the
start of this presidency, one of the most vocal and
out front leaders making decisions and you know, leading all
these fronts that take as many things from the most
(09:11):
vulnerable as possible. You know, we talked before about how
so many of those executive orders were not even disguised
as helping someone. They were all directly harming someone, all
of them proudly as he signed them and held them
up for photo ops like a petulant.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
Child, And is that how you make America great?
Speaker 2 (09:31):
And they think so apparently the Department of Education, universities
both public and private, making free speech and protest a
bad word, making dissent and disagreement, you know, almost illegal
(09:54):
in the spaces that you work in. Because I'm sitting
here appreciating the hope loptimism that you still have about
the power that we have as a country and the
things that we can still do to fight back. I
sit back and wonder if before we're able to exercise
those freedoms and those rights, they'll be taken. They'll be gone,
they will no longer be a path forward for us
(10:16):
to exercise the power that we have as a quote
unquote free country and a free people in a democratic republic.
How do you continue to wear the smile and the
hopeful optimism that you do in the face of what
we're seeing happen with this administration? Because I'm sitting over
here like very proud of you and admiring you and
(10:39):
jealous of you because so much of my hopeful flame
has been extinguished.
Speaker 5 (10:45):
Well, I'm here to reignite it. That's the job of
an organizer.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
How do I do this work?
Speaker 5 (10:53):
Well? I like a good challenge, and I like a
good challenge, but also like it's a conversation about privilege, right,
Like I was born in the United States just because
(11:13):
of where I got lucky enough to be born in
the US. That gives me so much privilege. I wasn't
born rich. You know, we're working poor. But everything I have,
I got here and people like me don't usually, you know,
you don't expect them to be in the room doing
this kind of work. It's but I got here because
(11:35):
like I had access to great teachers. Like my teachers
were Jewish, they taught me about the Holocaust. My neighbors
were black, they taught me about the Civil rights. Like
I had all these amazing people just pouring into me.
And it is my job to pour into others and
make sure that you know that hard life that I lived,
(12:00):
that nobody else has to walk in those difficult footsteps,
because we we deserve more, and we deserve to do
right by our neighbors, our friends, our family, like our
future generations. It's just the right thing to do. And
also like I also don't have privilege that I'm I'm
(12:21):
not a white person who thinks that I'm gonna be fine,
Like I don't get to to give up because there's
gonna be people who are suffering worse than I do
than I will, and and and so that's how I
keep going. But I will. You know, on the way here,
(12:44):
the universe played this song and so I'm gonna, I'm gonna,
you know, ask a question to your audience. And this
is a hey, yeah lyric, let's go. And so it's
just a wyo, wyo, Wyo. Why are we so in
denial when we know we're not happy here?
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Okay?
Speaker 5 (13:08):
So uh yeah, like like if we're upset with what's happening,
you know, we're we are in an abusive relationship with
a dictator. Like I'm not going to sugarcoat it, but
we do have our constitutional rights. We have the freedom
of expression and you know, and I've been scared to
(13:28):
like be public about things on social media, but like
what here I am, you know, and you know, like
we have these amazing rights bestowed to us by the Constitution,
foreign born or not, that we get to fight for
and we get to have. And so yeah, like things
are bad, but things have been worse and there's only
(13:53):
up from here, and you know, like like just think
about it this way, like, yeah, things are gonna get
really bad, like stuff's gonna hit the fan, right, but
we're gonna get to rebuilt on the other side of this.
And so like what do you want that world to
look like? Like you you get to shape it? Like
that is the beauty of our people in this country,
(14:16):
the land of opportunity. So like, I don't know, slide
into my d MS in a good way and we
can talk. We can talk about like where you were,
where you belong, like let's find you your moment. And
to our artists are are you know, the muses the
people that inspire us, like I challenge you know, the
(14:38):
very musicians that you play on the station to inspire
the listeners. You know, I'm from Miami, So we're gonna
talk about Two Life Crew because but there's this other
album that they made. Okay, so you might not know this,
(14:59):
but in the early nineties, the Reagans, these conservative people
were really upset about Miami booty based and I just
think that you know, they too are oppressed people and
have never been invited to a good getty. And I
(15:19):
think that's why MAGA is so upset. Truly, they got
left out, but don't worry, we can fix that for you.
But you know, Uncle Luke, they were making this music
and people were up in arms, and that's not why
we have like the explicit little warning label. But like
they wrote an entire album making fun of the legislators,
(15:40):
like the people who like ratted them out, like all
these things, and you know, and they have like this
really wonderful album talking about you know, like what happened
to them and how they fought and they won because
we have the First Amendment, we have freedom of expression
and freedom of speech, and so I don't know, look
(16:02):
it up. It's great. Uncle Luke is also very politically involved.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
So yeah, a long time for band in the USA.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Listen listening to you talk that it's very special, And
I hope I don't go on too long here, but
I definitely want to say something because we talk to
people at the highest heights of activism, of media, of
you know, doctor Kendy's been on, We've had Joy Read
was on recently. We had you know, pick a person,
(16:31):
Ambassador Rice, we had any name, and then we talked
to each other quite a bit on the show. But
for many people in the world, people listening you know,
they wake up and then they go to work, and
then after work they get their kids, and then they
(16:51):
go home, and then you know, they wake up the
next day and then there's more news on their phone
and they're like, oh my god, Okay, well now we
have to figure out this and don't care. They rolled
that back and there's no more of that. So what
are my kids? What's going to happen for my children?
Speaker 2 (17:04):
And this is.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Reality for a lot of people. Wake up every day
to another gut punch from this administration. This was the
reality for a lot of folks during the first Trump
presis every single day there was something design. Yeah, but
having a conversation with you a person that can work
(17:26):
at any level and do more than like a post
on Instagram or vote every couple of you know years
or whatever, but actually get out there and get active
with free time or get other people galvanized in the
community to get active and make some changes. Providing that
framework for our listeners, I think that's really what a
(17:47):
lot of people might be looking for when they when
they're confronting their own helplessness, that feeling of helplessness. And
I want to speak to this as well because the
way you broke down diversity, equity and inclusion is the
way Q breaks down diversity, equity and inclusion. He makes
sure to say it fully to people, right, and then
dare them to attack it because DEI as an acronym.
(18:10):
It's like it's become a bad word. But I often
get us some trouble, and sometimes Q gets us some trouble.
But this one's mind, I'll fall on this sword. I
will break down what it is that woke means for
(18:35):
people like I don't coward coward from that word.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Right.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
So if people are like, oh this woke nonsense, yep, soul, woke,
you sleep, you know what I'm saying, Like, I sleep, woke,
stay woke, and I don't. I don't let them bully
that word out of my vocabulary. Right, say it's true
with DI Right, these are good words and good terms,
and any morally human being would agree with that. The
(19:03):
only people that could challenge that, the only people that
do challenge that are often enough to break it down
one more time on the show Heterosexual, Christian, straight, healthy
white male and I can tell you what, Okay, so
we might have to get there. Let me stick the
land out and that's not to say that all of
(19:23):
them are on that, but those people and the people
that stand to benefit from them holding on to what
power they have, they have managed to turn everything into
a personal attack on them, and they have misrepresented the
Civil Rights Act.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
They have they have.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Miss misinterpreted or I'm not sure that it's the right word,
but they've used that for cover for themselves, and they
in doing so defied the equity part of it, because
the Civil Rights Act was to bring about equity. And
yet and still they will judge us by their standards. Well,
(20:04):
black people are only at this level. Well white people
are at this level, and then they will blame things
like an inferior culture as opposed to blaming things that
are just like systemic oppression, systemic issues. Now, I don't
want to talk too much.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
You'll talk to us a little bit about you know
why this specific group of people feels that way, because
I want to say this too. Those are still our brothers.
They're always are going to be our brothers. But maybe
we're missing something or maybe there's a different approach.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
We can take.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Please.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
I mean there's I think there's like two things going
on here. Like one, we are systematically, like always online,
and there's just like bad information out there, and so
we have to be careful with how we consume information.
(20:54):
But then the real thing is, you know, and I've
done a lot of work in therapy, and so I
can tell you that, you know, it's it's hard doing
this work, and so you got to get yourself a
support system. But they are projecting their fears onto us.
White males in specific are afraid that when people of color,
(21:20):
oppressed people, minorities, marginalized communities, when we come into power,
they are afraid that we are going to treat them
the way that they have treated us, you know, like
And so I'll leave you with this one thought is
people who have been oppressed are the only ones who
(21:45):
can undo that oppression. And that's why you need to
have a pro black movement that is full of allies
to free us.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
I love that, well well said, and we're gonna leave
it right there, not because we don't want to keep talking,
but because time is a finite resource on these stations.
And so Zamie Perez, thank you for taking the time
to come and talk to us and sharing the work
that you do. I want to share your social media
(22:19):
one more time at your political prima. People can find
you on TikTok and Instagram and you know, keep up
with you, get more information. Hopefully you'll come back on
the show and you know we'll continue to build because yeah,
you're a fantastic speaker and we definitely need that. Be
sure to follow us on all social media as well.
You can follow the show at civic Cipher on all platforms.
(22:41):
You follow me at Rams's.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Job I am Qward on all social media as well.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
And don't forget. You can download this in any previous
episode at civiccipher dot com. You can also submit any questions,
any topics you want us to cover, make a donation.
The show grows with your donations and else so until
next week, you'll peace
Keep on riding with us as we continue to broadcast
the balance and defend the discourse from the Hip Hop
Weekly Studios. Welcome back to Civic Cipher. I'm your host,
Ramsay's Jah.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
He is Ramsay's Jah. I am q Ward. You are
still or once again tuned into civic excitement.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Either way, we appreciate you and we want you to
keep on doing what you're doing. Because we got a
special guest in the building. She goes by the name
of Xenia Perez. She's an organizer and political consultant working
in the fields of advocacy and electoral politics, and she
has given us some game. If you don't like the
world you live in, there are there is an infrastructure
in place for you to change it. And she's letting
(00:34):
us know how she's going about doing that, how she's
been doing that for some years, and how you can
follow in her footsteps. And so we're gonna continue the
conversation with her, and we are also going to and
this is what I teased at the beginning of the show.
We're gonna h share uh a brand new babbab become
a better ally. So without further ado, this video is
(00:56):
from Cody Connor on Ig. You can follow him at
b's say, Dad, that's be easy, Aydad, two to two.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
I don't know if you are attacking DEI because you
convince yourself that racism and discrimination doesn't exist anymore. If
you've just convinced yourself that it's okay. What I do
know is that white supremacist groups still feel embolden enough
to march openly in American streets. People are proudly proclaiming
themselves racists and bigots on social media and even national television.
(01:27):
And I know that it'll be those people that are
cheering and applauding for you the loudest when you decide
to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion in our schools. And
the fact that doesn't give you pause, that it doesn't
make you feel sick and slimy tells me everything I
need to know about you. When I look at you,
the six of you that will vote against this, I'm disgusted,
but I'm also grateful. I'm grateful for all the experiences
(01:50):
I had that kept me from being like you. You see,
there's racist and bigots in my family. I heard the
N word in derogatory jokes growing up. But when I
found myself on my own before I'd even graduated high school,
that family.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Wasn't there to help me.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
My friend the Liana's family was there, wattermall and immigrants.
It wasn't for them, I probably would have gotten a
lot more trouble than I did. Did you know that
immigrants are less likely to commit crimes in US citizens statistically?
And then there was my friend Trey's mom taking care
of all those kids all on our own. Still, somehow
I always able to still find a prayer and a
plate for me too.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Just know that black mothers are more than three times as.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Likely to be single moms and white mother's statistically. It
was a queer kid that helped me learn how to
navigate life on the streets. Did you know that LGBTQ
kids are more than twice as likely than their peers
to be homeless statistically? But because of those kids, when
my child came out to me, I was able to
be the father that they needed, despite all of the
religious and doctor nation I'd been subjicted to. Did you
(02:47):
know it's more likely your priest will be a predator
then your kid will be trains statistically? Now I know
you don't care about my stories or my statistics. Your
fear and ignorance has got you so turned around rather
than embracing the future, cleaning desperately to echoes of the past.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
But that future, it's.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Still coming, and it doesn't look much like you statistically,
shout out to the student speakers. You may be blind,
but these kids aren't.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
They see you more than that.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
They see that you do not see them.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
So tonight, after you vote against their future and go
home to bask in the approval of racists and bigots,
don't mistake this for a day that we stood in
your way and couldn't stop you. Now, today's the day
you decided to stand away of these kids and their future.
And someday, sooner than you think, they're going to run
right over you and not even look back.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Make good decisions, all right now? You know why I
wanted you to stick around for that, because that was
so powerful. The first time I heard that, I watched
it probably like five times, but like it moved me,
and I knew that I wanted to play that for you. Q.
And you know again that segment we've gone over a
little bit, but that segment is meant to highlight ally
(04:00):
ship or to give you examples of becoming a better ally.
And that was just you know, for those that don't
get a chance to check out at social media again,
it's be e z A y da D two two
on Instagram. If you can't check out the video, just
know that this is a white presenting male, maybe in
his forties, and he's in front of what appears to
be some sort of community council or school board or
(04:22):
something like that. And you know, sharing those powerful words.
Just because you're down doesn't mean you're out. And for
people to step in, especially when it comes to diversity,
equity and inclusion initiatives where it might not benefit them directly,
and be such a powerful voice in that space. I
have to salute you, so Cody Connor on Instagram.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
I salute you.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Thank you for standing with the people. Man. That's very special. Okay,
your political prima I love that. All right, Dania, talk
to us about the major threats that you see. Two
outs were democracy or maybe too our communities, you know,
(05:07):
marginalized communities. Given this administration, What are some things that
you think people should be concerned about.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
I think one thing. I have two things. The first
thing is that fascism is no longer at our doorstep.
It is here, and we voted it in. We have
voted in a tyrant who is a racist, bigot. All
the bad things, all the bad words that I cannot
say on the radio, it is here. And the second
(05:37):
thing is these attacks on DEI. You know, they started,
you know, years ago, but right now DEI is this
bad word. We're in this culture war moment and a
lot of people think that DEI is just like this
random policy that Costco and Target are kind of filling
(06:00):
about with their shareholders, and you know that we don't
have to care about that. But I'm here to tell
you that DEI is diversity. It means that you want
to have a lady doctor taking care of you know,
your lady bits. You know. That's that's that's one example.
(06:23):
There is equity that everybody gets a fighting chance, and
that includes white people. People in the Midwest too, like
they've suffered a lot, you know, like their jobs got
shipped off overseas and and now we're fighting for jobs
back and you know, manufacturing jobs that are done by robots.
(06:43):
So that's the that's the e you know, the the
equity part everybody should have, you know, that part a
fair chance of you know, making living a good life
and providing for their family. And then there's inclusion, and
an inclusion we talk about everybody too, different religions, races,
(07:07):
gender identities, you know, we're talking about everybody. We want
everybody to have a seat at the table because that
is what is right and that's what makes this country
like beautiful and great. Like why why do you think
people want to immigrate here? It's it's because of things
like DEI that you know, have have propelled us forward,
(07:29):
not as like our different affinity groups, but as a
country as a whole. We have all prospered and benefited
from things like DEI together. And so now they're making
it this like big bad thing. This is the bad
guy in the room, you know, besides immigrants, right and
and and so you know, they they want to kind
(07:50):
of get us into thinking they're grooming us, you know,
kind of like a predator would. They're grooming us into
thinking that DEI something we don't need, something that doesn't
matter to us. You know, it's something that happens to
someone else, but it's something that everyone benefits from. And
(08:10):
you know what they're really doing is you know, getting
you used to a tax on DEI because what they're
really coming for are civil rights. And so I'll leave
it at that. I don't want to be too doom
and gloom, but you know that is their long game,
and they're just trying to get us ready to just
like accept it willingly.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
You know, the difficult thing about the show that we
do is that the doom and gloom is unavoidable and
the ironic hypocrisy of immigrants fighting against immigration. It's so
blatantly wrong and should be so immediately resisted and they
(08:50):
should be called out for it, except they're not. You know,
you have a South African immigrant being probably the largest
donor to the last campaign, and at least at the
start of this presidency, one of the most vocal and
out front leaders making decisions and you know, leading all
these fronts that take as many things from the most
(09:11):
vulnerable as possible. You know, we talked before about how
so many of those executive orders were not even disguised
as helping someone. They were all directly harming someone, all
of them proudly as he signed them and held them
up for photo ops like a petulant.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
Child, And is that how you make America great?
Speaker 2 (09:31):
And they think so apparently the Department of Education, universities
both public and private, making free speech and protest a
bad word, making dissent and disagreement, you know, almost illegal
(09:54):
in the spaces that you work in. Because I'm sitting
here appreciating the hope loptimism that you still have about
the power that we have as a country and the
things that we can still do to fight back. I
sit back and wonder if before we're able to exercise
those freedoms and those rights, they'll be taken. They'll be gone,
they will no longer be a path forward for us
(10:16):
to exercise the power that we have as a quote
unquote free country and a free people in a democratic republic.
How do you continue to wear the smile and the
hopeful optimism that you do in the face of what
we're seeing happen with this administration? Because I'm sitting over
here like very proud of you and admiring you and
(10:39):
jealous of you because so much of my hopeful flame
has been extinguished.
Speaker 5 (10:45):
Well, I'm here to reignite it. That's the job of
an organizer.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
How do I do this work?
Speaker 5 (10:53):
Well? I like a good challenge, and I like a
good challenge, but also like it's a conversation about privilege, right,
Like I was born in the United States just because
(11:13):
of where I got lucky enough to be born in
the US. That gives me so much privilege. I wasn't
born rich. You know, we're working poor. But everything I have,
I got here and people like me don't usually, you know,
you don't expect them to be in the room doing
this kind of work. It's but I got here because
(11:35):
like I had access to great teachers. Like my teachers
were Jewish, they taught me about the Holocaust. My neighbors
were black, they taught me about the Civil rights. Like
I had all these amazing people just pouring into me.
And it is my job to pour into others and
make sure that you know that hard life that I lived,
(12:00):
that nobody else has to walk in those difficult footsteps,
because we we deserve more, and we deserve to do
right by our neighbors, our friends, our family, like our
future generations. It's just the right thing to do. And
also like I also don't have privilege that I'm I'm
(12:21):
not a white person who thinks that I'm gonna be fine,
Like I don't get to to give up because there's
gonna be people who are suffering worse than I do
than I will, and and and so that's how I
keep going. But I will. You know, on the way here,
(12:44):
the universe played this song and so I'm gonna, I'm gonna,
you know, ask a question to your audience. And this
is a hey, yeah lyric, let's go. And so it's
just a wyo, wyo, Wyo. Why are we so in
denial when we know we're not happy here?
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Okay?
Speaker 5 (13:08):
So uh yeah, like like if we're upset with what's happening,
you know, we're we are in an abusive relationship with
a dictator. Like I'm not going to sugarcoat it, but
we do have our constitutional rights. We have the freedom
of expression and you know, and I've been scared to
(13:28):
like be public about things on social media, but like
what here I am, you know, and you know, like
we have these amazing rights bestowed to us by the Constitution,
foreign born or not, that we get to fight for
and we get to have. And so yeah, like things
are bad, but things have been worse and there's only
(13:53):
up from here, and you know, like like just think
about it this way, like, yeah, things are gonna get
really bad, like stuff's gonna hit the fan, right, but
we're gonna get to rebuilt on the other side of this.
And so like what do you want that world to
look like? Like you you get to shape it? Like
that is the beauty of our people in this country,
(14:16):
the land of opportunity. So like, I don't know, slide
into my d MS in a good way and we
can talk. We can talk about like where you were,
where you belong, like let's find you your moment. And
to our artists are are you know, the muses the
people that inspire us, like I challenge you know, the
(14:38):
very musicians that you play on the station to inspire
the listeners. You know, I'm from Miami, So we're gonna
talk about Two Life Crew because but there's this other
album that they made. Okay, so you might not know this,
(14:59):
but in the early nineties, the Reagans, these conservative people
were really upset about Miami booty based and I just
think that you know, they too are oppressed people and
have never been invited to a good getty. And I
(15:19):
think that's why MAGA is so upset. Truly, they got
left out, but don't worry, we can fix that for you.
But you know, Uncle Luke, they were making this music
and people were up in arms, and that's not why
we have like the explicit little warning label. But like
they wrote an entire album making fun of the legislators,
(15:40):
like the people who like ratted them out, like all
these things, and you know, and they have like this
really wonderful album talking about you know, like what happened
to them and how they fought and they won because
we have the First Amendment, we have freedom of expression
and freedom of speech, and so I don't know, look
(16:02):
it up. It's great. Uncle Luke is also very politically involved.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
So yeah, a long time for band in the USA.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Listen listening to you talk that it's very special, And
I hope I don't go on too long here, but
I definitely want to say something because we talk to
people at the highest heights of activism, of media, of
you know, doctor Kendy's been on, We've had Joy Read
was on recently. We had you know, pick a person,
(16:31):
Ambassador Rice, we had any name, and then we talked
to each other quite a bit on the show. But
for many people in the world, people listening you know,
they wake up and then they go to work, and
then after work they get their kids, and then they
(16:51):
go home, and then you know, they wake up the
next day and then there's more news on their phone
and they're like, oh my god, Okay, well now we
have to figure out this and don't care. They rolled
that back and there's no more of that. So what
are my kids? What's going to happen for my children?
Speaker 2 (17:04):
And this is.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Reality for a lot of people. Wake up every day
to another gut punch from this administration. This was the
reality for a lot of folks during the first Trump
presis every single day there was something design. Yeah, but
having a conversation with you a person that can work
(17:26):
at any level and do more than like a post
on Instagram or vote every couple of you know years
or whatever, but actually get out there and get active
with free time or get other people galvanized in the
community to get active and make some changes. Providing that
framework for our listeners, I think that's really what a
(17:47):
lot of people might be looking for when they when
they're confronting their own helplessness, that feeling of helplessness. And
I want to speak to this as well because the
way you broke down diversity, equity and inclusion is the
way Q breaks down diversity, equity and inclusion. He makes
sure to say it fully to people, right, and then
dare them to attack it because DEI as an acronym.
(18:10):
It's like it's become a bad word. But I often
get us some trouble, and sometimes Q gets us some trouble.
But this one's mind, I'll fall on this sword. I
will break down what it is that woke means for
(18:35):
people like I don't coward coward from that word.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Right.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
So if people are like, oh this woke nonsense, yep, soul, woke,
you sleep, you know what I'm saying, Like, I sleep, woke,
stay woke, and I don't. I don't let them bully
that word out of my vocabulary. Right, say it's true
with DI Right, these are good words and good terms,
and any morally human being would agree with that. The
(19:03):
only people that could challenge that, the only people that
do challenge that are often enough to break it down
one more time on the show Heterosexual, Christian, straight, healthy
white male and I can tell you what, Okay, so
we might have to get there. Let me stick the
land out and that's not to say that all of
(19:23):
them are on that, but those people and the people
that stand to benefit from them holding on to what
power they have, they have managed to turn everything into
a personal attack on them, and they have misrepresented the
Civil Rights Act.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
They have they have.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Miss misinterpreted or I'm not sure that it's the right word,
but they've used that for cover for themselves, and they
in doing so defied the equity part of it, because
the Civil Rights Act was to bring about equity. And
yet and still they will judge us by their standards. Well,
(20:04):
black people are only at this level. Well white people
are at this level, and then they will blame things
like an inferior culture as opposed to blaming things that
are just like systemic oppression, systemic issues. Now, I don't
want to talk too much.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
You'll talk to us a little bit about you know
why this specific group of people feels that way, because
I want to say this too. Those are still our brothers.
They're always are going to be our brothers. But maybe
we're missing something or maybe there's a different approach.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
We can take.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Please.
Speaker 5 (20:33):
I mean there's I think there's like two things going
on here. Like one, we are systematically, like always online,
and there's just like bad information out there, and so
we have to be careful with how we consume information.
(20:54):
But then the real thing is, you know, and I've
done a lot of work in therapy, and so I
can tell you that, you know, it's it's hard doing
this work, and so you got to get yourself a
support system. But they are projecting their fears onto us.
White males in specific are afraid that when people of color,
(21:20):
oppressed people, minorities, marginalized communities, when we come into power,
they are afraid that we are going to treat them
the way that they have treated us, you know, like
And so I'll leave you with this one thought is
people who have been oppressed are the only ones who
(21:45):
can undo that oppression. And that's why you need to
have a pro black movement that is full of allies
to free us.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
I love that, well well said, and we're gonna leave
it right there, not because we don't want to keep talking,
but because time is a finite resource on these stations.
And so Zamie Perez, thank you for taking the time
to come and talk to us and sharing the work
that you do. I want to share your social media
(22:19):
one more time at your political prima. People can find
you on TikTok and Instagram and you know, keep up
with you, get more information. Hopefully you'll come back on
the show and you know we'll continue to build because yeah,
you're a fantastic speaker and we definitely need that. Be
sure to follow us on all social media as well.
You can follow the show at civic Cipher on all platforms.
(22:41):
You follow me at Rams's.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Job I am Qward on all social media as well.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
And don't forget. You can download this in any previous
episode at civiccipher dot com. You can also submit any questions,
any topics you want us to cover, make a donation.
The show grows with your donations and else so until
next week, you'll peace
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