May 31, 2025 • 27 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 first half of the show, Zenia Perez talks to us about the kind of work that she does to support politicians and causes. She discusses the path that she and others took to be influential changemakers on the political ground level.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Broadcasting from the Hip Hop Weekly Studios. I'd like to
welcome you to another episode of Civic Cipher, where our
mission is to foster ally ship, empathy and understanding.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I am your host, Ramses, job is Ramses Joh, I
am q Ward. You are tuned into civic socie, Yes.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
You are, and we appreciate you tuning in because, uh,
today we're gonna we're gonna learn something. We have a
a new a new teacher, a new instructor in the building.
She goes by the name of Zenya Perez and she's
an organizer and political consultant working in the fields of
advocacy and electoral politics. You can find her on social
media that is TikTok and Instagram, specifically at your political prema.
(00:38):
So welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah yeah, and uh around here with me and Kewit's
business as usual. So we have a uh I'm I'm
really excited for our bae by segment because uh, there
was an epic takedown of a of a young man
in Virginia that I think that folks need to stick
(01:01):
around for because it was inspirational and it's really kind
of what we need nowadays. And I know for Q
because you haven't heard it yet. So this is kind
of my surprise to you that with a lot of
the things that you've been dealing with in your like life,
especially under the new administration and the emboldening of really
(01:24):
some of the worst facets of this country, it's really
exciting to see, you know, people resisting that shift in
the culture in this country. And so I'm excited to
share that with you, and we're excited to learn. Zenya
also is going to be talking to us about really
(01:46):
getting involved on the ground and you know, making some
changes in ways that you can in your own community.
So this is kind of what we need to do
now in order to resist what many people consider to
be an oppressiveministration. And so that is what we're doing
so much more. But before we get there, it is
time for some Ebony excellence.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Shall we?
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yes, we shall, And today's abny excellence we shouting out Shaboozi.
I don't know if you saw Shaboozi's side eye at
the American Music Awards, but I will share with you.
This comes from the National Black Guy. Shaboozi, the Nigerian
American country artist, addressed a viral moment from the twenty
twenty five American Music Awards, where he reacted to co
(02:28):
presenter Megan Moroney's claim that the Carter family basically invented
country music. During the presentation of the Favorite Country Duo
or Group Award, Shabbuzzi gave a noticeable side eye and
chuckle in response to Maroni's statement. The following day, he
took to social media to highlight the significant, yet often
overlooked contributions of black musicians to the genre. He emphasized
(02:49):
the influence of artists like Leslie Riddle, who collaborated with
the Carter family, as well as Rufus Teapot, Pain, Gus Cannon,
and DeFord Bailey, all of whom played foundational roles in
shape country music. Chibuzzi's remarks have reignited discussions about the
historical erasure of black artists in country music. He pointed
out that while the Carter family is celebrated, the black
(03:11):
musicians who influenced them often remain unrecognized. This conversation the
lines with a broader movement to acknowledge and celebrate the
diverse roots of country music, a theme also explored in
Beyonce's Cowboy Carter album, which features Shaboozi and pays tribute
to trailblazers like Linda Martel. So, you know, around here,
we haven't been able to really give Shaboozi his flowers.
(03:39):
You know, he is definitely of any excellence, and it's
fitting that the time, the first time that we're able
to do it is because he's taking you know, he's
using his platform in the stage to resist, even if
it's in a small way. I do recognize he's kind
of a lone, you know, figure in that world in
a manner of speaking, but I love the fact that
he gave that little side eye and elaborated. All right,
(04:03):
so Zania Perez, welcome to the show. Thank you for
taking the time to come and talk to us. I
know that this is kind of a this kind of
came together quickly, but I do appreciate you coming on here.
So allow me to share with you kind of a
little bit about us, and then we'll get a little
bit more about you. So Q and I we felt
(04:27):
that this show is necessary because, in particular, on hip
hop stations around the country, there's a lot of you know,
celebration of black culture, black music, black art, but not
a lot in the way of the advancement of a
decidedly black political agenda or the galvanization of black folks
(04:48):
behind causes that would benefit black and adjacent namely brown
and other marginalized communities. And so we created this show
to highlight people who are actually doing the work and
give them a platform to share their stories. And so,
while Q and I do a great job, I believe
of kind of taking care of this space, it was
(05:09):
built for you because you're the person that is out
there actually making things happen. And what you're going to
do today is teach us and our listeners all about that.
So before we get to that, do us a favor
and just kind of introduce yourself beyond kind of the
brief introduction that we gave you.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Well, I was born and raised in the County of Dade.
To quote a rapper from Miami.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
We like rappers run here, so great for us.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Yeah, it's Rick Ross, you know, like he claims us.
I don't know if we claim him, but you know, so, Yeah,
I was born and raised a county of Dad like Miami,
Dade County. It's just this really great melting pot. Like
you think, it's very Latino, and yes it is, but
it's a city built by black Bahamians, and it grew
(06:07):
with our different waves of immigrants, and so we've got
all sorts of different immigrants and not all Latinos are
a monolith, and so you have the city just being
shaped in different ways. And that kind of just made
me a very curious person. So when I got to college,
my parents were like, you got to make money, and
I was like, no, I got to do something I love.
So I studied anthropology and that ended up, you know,
(06:30):
me serving in the Peace Corps on the sugarcane plantations
of the Dominican Republic. It was kind of like modern
day slavery. But that's a feature of capitalism, I guess.
And then I came back to the States. And when
you go through an experience like that, you come back
(06:50):
a changed person. And I was coming back to what
was the birth of Black Lives Matter. We didn't know
at that moment, but George Zimmerman, a Latino mind you
had just killed, had just murdered Travon Martin. And when
I saw his high school, I d I had the
same high school ID, my brother had the same high
(07:11):
school ID. Like in Florida. It's hot at heck outside,
so they blasted ac. We all go to school with
our hoodies. That could have been me, that could have
been my brother, and so yeah, that wouldn't just hurt
me in the fields and going through an experience like
the Peace Corps living amongst marginalized communities. You know, I
(07:36):
was living with people of Haitian descent in a Latino
culture that was very anti black, even though most of Dominicans,
you know, are are black. And I remember going back
on a trip to visit my people in the Demican
Republic and they were like, how can you say the
US is the best country in the world, Like look
at this NYA, Like what do you mean? And we
(07:59):
all thought in that moment like that's it. America's no
longer racist. President Obama is our president, Like that's it.
We did it, like, you know, let's check this off.
We were very very wrong. A lot of people, a
lot of organizers, are like we did it, and they
turned away. We lost the mid terms. But then and
so yeah, you you by my own students, they they
(08:21):
made me realize that America had things that we needed
to work on, right, But you know, it's a journey,
not a destination, and when I got back, I just
could not go back to my daily grind. I ended
up finding my way into politics. It kind of found me,
and so I got heavily involved in the Bernie campaign.
After that, I worked at Justice Democrats, we got AOC elected.
(08:46):
After that, I worked in labor and you know, did
some cool stuff with really cool, really cool people working
in retail and private own equity. And yeah, and now
I'm here working on vocating for DEI, which I can
tell you my career has been a kind of you know,
(09:07):
beating the political moment in a very interesting way.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
But yeah, listening to your story and how synonymous it
is with ours, like these moments in history that happened
that kind of shaped our view and took us from
something that was adjacent by the nature of who we
are to something direct. You know, we were hip hop
(09:32):
radio DJs. We did a hip hop radio show exactly
what you think when you hear hip hop radio show,
your favorite hip hop artists, concert ticket giveaways, you know,
us popping up at your local high school or local
concert outside with tents and speakers in our turntables, at
your local nightclub and for both of us in the
arena with the local NBA team and similar to that
(09:57):
kind of birthing of Black Lives Matter with George Zimmerman
and Trayvon Martin was George Floyd years later, and that
happening at the same time as COVID nineteen. The world
was in a very unique place to be able to
respond and mobilize during that movement in a way that
(10:20):
you know, not before or since have we been so available,
so off work, so out of school, so you know,
so in tuned, and everybody was outside for seemingly the
same reason, and it was impossible to ignore and having
conversations about what the world was dealing with and what
we saw in the in the streets as we protested
(10:41):
and as we marched, got our hands slapped a little
bit at the radio station, and we went from entertainers
to a moment and a decision turning us into activist.
And like Ramda said, the idea for this show was
that we're DJs. We're not experts in this field. We
don't do this work, but we know people that do,
and they deserve a platform and to have their voices
(11:03):
and their messages amplified. Little did we know that we
would be joining in on that fight because you know,
the moment decided that for us, right, the moment decided that,
and then Ramses decided it for us, specifically resigning from
the radio station that we were at, because they decided
in that moment that they wouldn't they wouldn't live up
(11:25):
to it, they would not answer the call, and black
was too much for them, almost specifically, they don't want
to do a black show where the words that they used,
and Ramses knew in that moment that the decision had
to be made that we would go a different way.
It's a full circle moment to almost have someone like
(11:46):
Ramsay said that we built this whole thing for sitting
here with us. You know, someone who's doing the work,
someone who's experienced life in a way that has kind
of ingrained empathy into your heart and to your mind.
The decisions that you make are based on that. Because
you went to a university and got a degree, and
you could have chased the capitalistic dream and done something
(12:08):
to make far more money than you make doing the
type of work that you do. So we can't express
our gratitude enough for you making decisions really based on
wanting to take care of and show up for everybody
else from Dade County to a red border state to
(12:30):
visit two hip hop DJs and have a conversation. That's
the heck of a story. Making the decisions for that
to be career? How did you get there? Like our
decision was kind of made for us. What was the
kind of lightning in the bottom moment that said to you, Okay,
this is what I need to do moving forward? Because
(12:52):
from the Peace Corps to now being an organizer that
you know, there are adjacent things, but there's a bridge
that you had to cross to get where you are now.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
You know, my parents, I think they asked themselves this
very thing, and they're like, how did you get here?
And I mean, how could I not? It is what
I asked them. Like I think they they our lives
are so political and and what politics ought to be
(13:21):
is just people getting their basic needs met and then
some and I think we kind of like forget that
here in this country. And I tell my parents, I'm like,
I work in politics because I grew up in Miami,
like I grew up protesting Fidel Castro. You know, we
(13:45):
would walk to the Orange Bowl fill that Orange Bowl,
and we would stomp our feet and we would chant
Guba si gastron and you know, when you know, similar
to what we're seeing in Palestine, Like we had we
had groups that would deliver aid to the people in Cuba,
and the Cuban government shot those rescue planes down and
(14:06):
people were up in arms, Like people in Miami are
always upset about something, and we're always going to fight
for what's rightfully yours. Maybe it's because like you know,
there's there's all like our politicians are Latino and we
are Latino, and you know, and so we just we
feel comfortable telling this country what we deserve and what
(14:30):
we need because like our legislators look like us, and
so like I I grew up poor, and you know,
and yes my life was hard, but I didn't have
this this notion that I could not be what I
wanted to be. I just didn't know where I wanted
to go and what I wanted to do. I mean,
(14:50):
who does really, and and so like that's how I
ended up in politics. Like I realized that there were
people who just weren't given a fair shake. And in
this land of opportunity, we all deserve that and then
some you know, if if we all prosper, like we
(15:13):
all get to benefit from that, if we all like
have our basic needs met like housing, food, shelter, healthcare,
then imagine like this beautiful world we could be living
in instead of like this scarcity that we have been
trained and condition groomed even through our own education system,
(15:34):
our own politicians. But the thing about America, the beauty
of America is that when something's wrong, Like when my
parents gave me the ride to the airport, I was
telling them like this, this is what I do for work,
and we were talking about parental leave and my dad
was like, well, I didn't have parental leave when I
was when we had you. And I was like yeah,
(15:57):
and that's terrible, Like that's bad for you for your
ability to bond with us, and it's bad for the
mother because she's more likely to have postpartum. And so
you know what my brother now had parentally he had
and guess what, Like they're all thriving because they all
had that together, and because we get to fight for
(16:18):
things that matter and make these families all families like healthy,
Like that's that's what makes America great, Like America's been
great because we're a country where we get to like
shape it the way that we want, Like we don't
have to ask for permission, like that's just our job.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Well, speaking of shaping the country the way that we want,
I want to get into the weeds a bit in
terms of like what it is that you actually do.
So earlier, you know, I said that you work in
the fields of advocacy and electoral politics. Okay, so make
that live for us a little bit. Talk to us
(16:55):
about what electoral politics means, and talk to us a
bit about what advocacy means, just so that people kind
of get an idea of what the work, what the
work entails.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
So you know, I'll talk to you as if like
I'm talking to my parents. Electoral politics means that I'm
trying to get somebody elected because I want to have
a certain agenda pushed, and so that means I'm going
to be knocking doors. I'm going to be having conversations
(17:25):
with people with my end goal being that we get
this person elected, or we get this ballot measure pushed
through and voted into you know, whatever it is, whatever state.
And so that's kind of the electoral side the advocacy
side is where you have a cause. And I'll give
(17:49):
you the example of when I worked in labor, we
had people who were getting who are losing their jobs.
And this was because private equity owned a lot of
retail at the time and they were shutting down during
the pandemic, not giving anyone any kind of warning, and
(18:14):
things were really tough during the pandemic. A lot of
people suffered, and so we got those people who had
been laid off and they advocated and they pushed for
a law that if you have this massive layoff, you
get a severance paycheck, and we passed that first law. Okay,
so that's like one example of what advocacy look like.
It can look like a lot of things. It could
(18:35):
be calling your legislator and telling them that you don't
want to have Medicaid cut because it pays for all
of the nursing homes in Florida. That's what that looks like.
But there's people behind that, like setting up those scripts
so that you can call and setting up the phone
numbers and so like there's us doing that. So there's
that big picture, that big legislative that we have like
that I just told you, But then behind the scenes,
(18:56):
like there's people knocking on the door. There's people like
like trying to get you onto your side to either
explain that cause or just like making it happen so
that you can do education, or you can do like
mobilization where you get people, you know, maybe just packing
the house at your your your city hall, that sort
(19:18):
of thing. And then the reason I do these two
things is because like if I have a bill, like
let's say I want to have you know, I don't
want people to you know, in the US, you're more
likely to become homeless from a cancer diagnosis than you
are ever to become a millionaire billionaire, right, And so
(19:39):
I think it's a it's a tragedy that we don't
have that everyone doesn't have equal access, equitable access to healthcare.
So I might want to you know, advocate, get you
all to like call in and push for Medicaid expansion
just we all, we all deserve a safety in it.
And then but I want people well on the other
(20:01):
side that have been that are sitting in office, those legislators,
those lawmakers, and so like I need those people in office.
I need to get them elected so that when I
do this advocacy work like I have those allies, I
have those people, So like those two things kind of
work hand in hand. I love that some people work
both sides. Some people only work one side, but I've
(20:22):
been fortunate enough to have experience doing both.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Okay, you're gonna please yeah, yeah, So you you mentioned
a couple of the campaigns, you mentioned a labor thing,
you mentioned AOC Talk about some of the other things
and other people that you've worked with, because I want
to say that I'm connecting you mentally with like Stacy
Abrams and you know, maybe some other things. So let's
(20:47):
let's let people know just how far this goes or
can go.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Yeah, Like we like to say as organizers that if
you don't have a seat at the table, you're likely
going to be at the menu. So bring a folding
chair with you. Oh right, I have a friend who
(21:14):
I think her ferb is called like folding chair, you know,
consulting something like that. And like you, just in this country,
we don't have to ask for permission or we should
not be required room to think that way, Like this
is the United States of America, for the people, by
the people, and so like I think the way maybe
(21:37):
it's our education system. I don't know why, but I
think civic engagement it's very it's like this very foreign thing,
like Howard Laws made? What is the job of a politician?
You know, It's just it's this weird foreign concept. And
I think it's like that by design because I think
they don't you know, the powers that be or you know,
(21:59):
very powerful corporation. They don't want you to know how
powerful you are. Like at the end of the day,
we pay their bills because we pay our taxes. So
like politicians should be scared of us, not because I'm
condoting political violence or anything, but because like we can
get upset and vote them out. We yeah, let me,
(22:20):
let me.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
I want this to live too, So my bad for
jumping in front of que But under an administration like
this one, obviously there's some people that think this administration
is great, and there are some people that think that
this administration is hostile. Right for those people that feel
(22:44):
like this administration is hostile, but they themselves they want
to do something and want to make some changes. They
want to get out there and be active. But it's
not for that, like they're not a politician there not.
You know, they're not going to you know, and they're
going to vote, of course, but they can't vote for
(23:05):
another two years or four years or whatever. It sounds
like there's a place based on what you're saying, there's
a place for those people. Yeah, so talk to us
about how easy or challenging it might be to become
a political organizer or an advocacy or a you know,
(23:28):
to support electoral politics. Like what does a person go
through to become their city's version of you or their
community's version of you.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
You just have to find your people, find your cause
and find your people, like no one can do it alone.
I know this country preaches rugged individualism, but humans, we
are social creatures. Like and when when I was taught
about organizing, you have to like remember buy in and
(24:00):
just make sure like everyone's like bought into your cause.
You know your your mission and so like ask yourself,
like what is important to you for me right now?
It's saving the Peace Corps from you know, the like
demonic grips of Doge and Elon Musk and so you know,
and it's also like mental health. The National Alliance for
(24:23):
Mental Health also has given a lot to me in
this work. I've I've burned out and stuff. But you
know they're those are like my two passion projects right now.
And so find your passion projects and those people. There
will be people there for you. And if you're not sure,
you know, of course hit me up your political prima
on Instagram TikTok, and I'll help you find your people.
(24:45):
But like find your community or create it and get
together with your friends, your family, your neighbors or you know,
or an existing organization, because we're always looking for people
to come work with us, volunteer their time time or
just like you know, pick up the slack that you
know your representatives might be you know, like putting down.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
And this is like knocking doors, making phone Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
And you can knock doors, make phone calls, like all
these things. Like you can do it yourself or find
a place that does it, because like there's always work.
You know, we're a work in progress the US, and
you know, just find your people and find your happy place.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
And so you mentioned earlier you spent some time living
in the Midwest. I'm from Detroit, Michigan, so I'm a
proud Midwesterner. You may have gotten to be in close
proximity of some of the MAGA movement. Yeah, what are
some common things you think people misunderstand about make America
great again?
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Folks, we only got like thirty seconds. Oh gosh ahead.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
I think both parties have failed the people. I think
there is just so much money and politics and I
won't get into it, but I think both parties are
failing the people. And there's like there's hurt in the Midwest,
like like no weather, and you know, like our systems
(26:14):
are failing us because they're rigged against us. But we
get to we write the rules in this country. If
something's not serving us, we can change that. That's what
makes America beautiful. And so yeah, the pain that I've
seen in MAGA is because corporations, the corporate greed. At
(26:38):
the end of the day, it's corporate greed. It's corporate
greed that got this man elected into office. It's you know,
but don't lose hope, Like this is a country of
very willing people and we just got to find ourselves
to find our people.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Well, that's not the first time we've heard that argument,
but it was well stated. Appreciate it.
Broadcasting from the Hip Hop Weekly Studios. I'd like to
welcome you to another episode of Civic Cipher, where our
mission is to foster ally ship, empathy and understanding.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I am your host, Ramses, job is Ramses Joh, I
am q Ward. You are tuned into civic socie, Yes.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
You are, and we appreciate you tuning in because, uh,
today we're gonna we're gonna learn something. We have a
a new a new teacher, a new instructor in the building.
She goes by the name of Zenya Perez and she's
an organizer and political consultant working in the fields of
advocacy and electoral politics. You can find her on social
media that is TikTok and Instagram, specifically at your political prema.
(00:38):
So welcome to the show.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah yeah, and uh around here with me and Kewit's
business as usual. So we have a uh I'm I'm
really excited for our bae by segment because uh, there
was an epic takedown of a of a young man
in Virginia that I think that folks need to stick
(01:01):
around for because it was inspirational and it's really kind
of what we need nowadays. And I know for Q
because you haven't heard it yet. So this is kind
of my surprise to you that with a lot of
the things that you've been dealing with in your like life,
especially under the new administration and the emboldening of really
(01:24):
some of the worst facets of this country, it's really
exciting to see, you know, people resisting that shift in
the culture in this country. And so I'm excited to
share that with you, and we're excited to learn. Zenya
also is going to be talking to us about really
(01:46):
getting involved on the ground and you know, making some
changes in ways that you can in your own community.
So this is kind of what we need to do
now in order to resist what many people consider to
be an oppressiveministration. And so that is what we're doing
so much more. But before we get there, it is
time for some Ebony excellence.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Shall we?
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yes, we shall, And today's abny excellence we shouting out Shaboozi.
I don't know if you saw Shaboozi's side eye at
the American Music Awards, but I will share with you.
This comes from the National Black Guy. Shaboozi, the Nigerian
American country artist, addressed a viral moment from the twenty
twenty five American Music Awards, where he reacted to co
(02:28):
presenter Megan Moroney's claim that the Carter family basically invented
country music. During the presentation of the Favorite Country Duo
or Group Award, Shabbuzzi gave a noticeable side eye and
chuckle in response to Maroni's statement. The following day, he
took to social media to highlight the significant, yet often
overlooked contributions of black musicians to the genre. He emphasized
(02:49):
the influence of artists like Leslie Riddle, who collaborated with
the Carter family, as well as Rufus Teapot, Pain, Gus Cannon,
and DeFord Bailey, all of whom played foundational roles in
shape country music. Chibuzzi's remarks have reignited discussions about the
historical erasure of black artists in country music. He pointed
out that while the Carter family is celebrated, the black
(03:11):
musicians who influenced them often remain unrecognized. This conversation the
lines with a broader movement to acknowledge and celebrate the
diverse roots of country music, a theme also explored in
Beyonce's Cowboy Carter album, which features Shaboozi and pays tribute
to trailblazers like Linda Martel. So, you know, around here,
we haven't been able to really give Shaboozi his flowers.
(03:39):
You know, he is definitely of any excellence, and it's
fitting that the time, the first time that we're able
to do it is because he's taking you know, he's
using his platform in the stage to resist, even if
it's in a small way. I do recognize he's kind
of a lone, you know, figure in that world in
a manner of speaking, but I love the fact that
he gave that little side eye and elaborated. All right,
(04:03):
so Zania Perez, welcome to the show. Thank you for
taking the time to come and talk to us. I
know that this is kind of a this kind of
came together quickly, but I do appreciate you coming on here.
So allow me to share with you kind of a
little bit about us, and then we'll get a little
bit more about you. So Q and I we felt
(04:27):
that this show is necessary because, in particular, on hip
hop stations around the country, there's a lot of you know,
celebration of black culture, black music, black art, but not
a lot in the way of the advancement of a
decidedly black political agenda or the galvanization of black folks
(04:48):
behind causes that would benefit black and adjacent namely brown
and other marginalized communities. And so we created this show
to highlight people who are actually doing the work and
give them a platform to share their stories. And so,
while Q and I do a great job, I believe
of kind of taking care of this space, it was
(05:09):
built for you because you're the person that is out
there actually making things happen. And what you're going to
do today is teach us and our listeners all about that.
So before we get to that, do us a favor
and just kind of introduce yourself beyond kind of the
brief introduction that we gave you.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Well, I was born and raised in the County of Dade.
To quote a rapper from Miami.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
We like rappers run here, so great for us.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Yeah, it's Rick Ross, you know, like he claims us.
I don't know if we claim him, but you know, so, Yeah,
I was born and raised a county of Dad like Miami,
Dade County. It's just this really great melting pot. Like
you think, it's very Latino, and yes it is, but
it's a city built by black Bahamians, and it grew
(06:07):
with our different waves of immigrants, and so we've got
all sorts of different immigrants and not all Latinos are
a monolith, and so you have the city just being
shaped in different ways. And that kind of just made
me a very curious person. So when I got to college,
my parents were like, you got to make money, and
I was like, no, I got to do something I love.
So I studied anthropology and that ended up, you know,
(06:30):
me serving in the Peace Corps on the sugarcane plantations
of the Dominican Republic. It was kind of like modern
day slavery. But that's a feature of capitalism, I guess.
And then I came back to the States. And when
you go through an experience like that, you come back
(06:50):
a changed person. And I was coming back to what
was the birth of Black Lives Matter. We didn't know
at that moment, but George Zimmerman, a Latino mind you
had just killed, had just murdered Travon Martin. And when
I saw his high school, I d I had the
same high school ID, my brother had the same high
(07:11):
school ID. Like in Florida. It's hot at heck outside,
so they blasted ac. We all go to school with
our hoodies. That could have been me, that could have
been my brother, and so yeah, that wouldn't just hurt
me in the fields and going through an experience like
the Peace Corps living amongst marginalized communities. You know, I
(07:36):
was living with people of Haitian descent in a Latino
culture that was very anti black, even though most of Dominicans,
you know, are are black. And I remember going back
on a trip to visit my people in the Demican
Republic and they were like, how can you say the
US is the best country in the world, Like look
at this NYA, Like what do you mean? And we
(07:59):
all thought in that moment like that's it. America's no
longer racist. President Obama is our president, Like that's it.
We did it, like, you know, let's check this off.
We were very very wrong. A lot of people, a
lot of organizers, are like we did it, and they
turned away. We lost the mid terms. But then and
so yeah, you you by my own students, they they
(08:21):
made me realize that America had things that we needed
to work on, right, But you know, it's a journey,
not a destination, and when I got back, I just
could not go back to my daily grind. I ended
up finding my way into politics. It kind of found me,
and so I got heavily involved in the Bernie campaign.
After that, I worked at Justice Democrats, we got AOC elected.
(08:46):
After that, I worked in labor and you know, did
some cool stuff with really cool, really cool people working
in retail and private own equity. And yeah, and now
I'm here working on vocating for DEI, which I can
tell you my career has been a kind of you know,
(09:07):
beating the political moment in a very interesting way.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
But yeah, listening to your story and how synonymous it
is with ours, like these moments in history that happened
that kind of shaped our view and took us from
something that was adjacent by the nature of who we
are to something direct. You know, we were hip hop
(09:32):
radio DJs. We did a hip hop radio show exactly
what you think when you hear hip hop radio show,
your favorite hip hop artists, concert ticket giveaways, you know,
us popping up at your local high school or local
concert outside with tents and speakers in our turntables, at
your local nightclub and for both of us in the
arena with the local NBA team and similar to that
(09:57):
kind of birthing of Black Lives Matter with George Zimmerman
and Trayvon Martin was George Floyd years later, and that
happening at the same time as COVID nineteen. The world
was in a very unique place to be able to
respond and mobilize during that movement in a way that
(10:20):
you know, not before or since have we been so available,
so off work, so out of school, so you know,
so in tuned, and everybody was outside for seemingly the
same reason, and it was impossible to ignore and having
conversations about what the world was dealing with and what
we saw in the in the streets as we protested
(10:41):
and as we marched, got our hands slapped a little
bit at the radio station, and we went from entertainers
to a moment and a decision turning us into activist.
And like Ramda said, the idea for this show was
that we're DJs. We're not experts in this field. We
don't do this work, but we know people that do,
and they deserve a platform and to have their voices
(11:03):
and their messages amplified. Little did we know that we
would be joining in on that fight because you know,
the moment decided that for us, right, the moment decided that,
and then Ramses decided it for us, specifically resigning from
the radio station that we were at, because they decided
in that moment that they wouldn't they wouldn't live up
(11:25):
to it, they would not answer the call, and black
was too much for them, almost specifically, they don't want
to do a black show where the words that they used,
and Ramses knew in that moment that the decision had
to be made that we would go a different way.
It's a full circle moment to almost have someone like
(11:46):
Ramsay said that we built this whole thing for sitting
here with us. You know, someone who's doing the work,
someone who's experienced life in a way that has kind
of ingrained empathy into your heart and to your mind.
The decisions that you make are based on that. Because
you went to a university and got a degree, and
you could have chased the capitalistic dream and done something
(12:08):
to make far more money than you make doing the
type of work that you do. So we can't express
our gratitude enough for you making decisions really based on
wanting to take care of and show up for everybody
else from Dade County to a red border state to
(12:30):
visit two hip hop DJs and have a conversation. That's
the heck of a story. Making the decisions for that
to be career? How did you get there? Like our
decision was kind of made for us. What was the
kind of lightning in the bottom moment that said to you, Okay,
this is what I need to do moving forward? Because
(12:52):
from the Peace Corps to now being an organizer that
you know, there are adjacent things, but there's a bridge
that you had to cross to get where you are now.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
You know, my parents, I think they asked themselves this
very thing, and they're like, how did you get here?
And I mean, how could I not? It is what
I asked them. Like I think they they our lives
are so political and and what politics ought to be
(13:21):
is just people getting their basic needs met and then
some and I think we kind of like forget that
here in this country. And I tell my parents, I'm like,
I work in politics because I grew up in Miami,
like I grew up protesting Fidel Castro. You know, we
(13:45):
would walk to the Orange Bowl fill that Orange Bowl,
and we would stomp our feet and we would chant
Guba si gastron and you know, when you know, similar
to what we're seeing in Palestine, Like we had we
had groups that would deliver aid to the people in Cuba,
and the Cuban government shot those rescue planes down and
(14:06):
people were up in arms, Like people in Miami are
always upset about something, and we're always going to fight
for what's rightfully yours. Maybe it's because like you know,
there's there's all like our politicians are Latino and we
are Latino, and you know, and so we just we
feel comfortable telling this country what we deserve and what
(14:30):
we need because like our legislators look like us, and
so like I I grew up poor, and you know,
and yes my life was hard, but I didn't have
this this notion that I could not be what I
wanted to be. I just didn't know where I wanted
to go and what I wanted to do. I mean,
(14:50):
who does really, and and so like that's how I
ended up in politics. Like I realized that there were
people who just weren't given a fair shake. And in
this land of opportunity, we all deserve that and then
some you know, if if we all prosper, like we
(15:13):
all get to benefit from that, if we all like
have our basic needs met like housing, food, shelter, healthcare,
then imagine like this beautiful world we could be living
in instead of like this scarcity that we have been
trained and condition groomed even through our own education system,
(15:34):
our own politicians. But the thing about America, the beauty
of America is that when something's wrong, Like when my
parents gave me the ride to the airport, I was
telling them like this, this is what I do for work,
and we were talking about parental leave and my dad
was like, well, I didn't have parental leave when I
was when we had you. And I was like yeah,
(15:57):
and that's terrible, Like that's bad for you for your
ability to bond with us, and it's bad for the
mother because she's more likely to have postpartum. And so
you know what my brother now had parentally he had
and guess what, Like they're all thriving because they all
had that together, and because we get to fight for
(16:18):
things that matter and make these families all families like healthy,
Like that's that's what makes America great, Like America's been
great because we're a country where we get to like
shape it the way that we want, Like we don't
have to ask for permission, like that's just our job.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Well, speaking of shaping the country the way that we want,
I want to get into the weeds a bit in
terms of like what it is that you actually do.
So earlier, you know, I said that you work in
the fields of advocacy and electoral politics. Okay, so make
that live for us a little bit. Talk to us
(16:55):
about what electoral politics means, and talk to us a
bit about what advocacy means, just so that people kind
of get an idea of what the work, what the
work entails.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
So you know, I'll talk to you as if like
I'm talking to my parents. Electoral politics means that I'm
trying to get somebody elected because I want to have
a certain agenda pushed, and so that means I'm going
to be knocking doors. I'm going to be having conversations
(17:25):
with people with my end goal being that we get
this person elected, or we get this ballot measure pushed
through and voted into you know, whatever it is, whatever state.
And so that's kind of the electoral side the advocacy
side is where you have a cause. And I'll give
(17:49):
you the example of when I worked in labor, we
had people who were getting who are losing their jobs.
And this was because private equity owned a lot of
retail at the time and they were shutting down during
the pandemic, not giving anyone any kind of warning, and
(18:14):
things were really tough during the pandemic. A lot of
people suffered, and so we got those people who had
been laid off and they advocated and they pushed for
a law that if you have this massive layoff, you
get a severance paycheck, and we passed that first law. Okay,
so that's like one example of what advocacy look like.
It can look like a lot of things. It could
(18:35):
be calling your legislator and telling them that you don't
want to have Medicaid cut because it pays for all
of the nursing homes in Florida. That's what that looks like.
But there's people behind that, like setting up those scripts
so that you can call and setting up the phone
numbers and so like there's us doing that. So there's
that big picture, that big legislative that we have like
that I just told you, But then behind the scenes,
(18:56):
like there's people knocking on the door. There's people like
like trying to get you onto your side to either
explain that cause or just like making it happen so
that you can do education, or you can do like
mobilization where you get people, you know, maybe just packing
the house at your your your city hall, that sort
(19:18):
of thing. And then the reason I do these two
things is because like if I have a bill, like
let's say I want to have you know, I don't
want people to you know, in the US, you're more
likely to become homeless from a cancer diagnosis than you
are ever to become a millionaire billionaire, right, And so
(19:39):
I think it's a it's a tragedy that we don't
have that everyone doesn't have equal access, equitable access to healthcare.
So I might want to you know, advocate, get you
all to like call in and push for Medicaid expansion
just we all, we all deserve a safety in it.
And then but I want people well on the other
(20:01):
side that have been that are sitting in office, those legislators,
those lawmakers, and so like I need those people in office.
I need to get them elected so that when I
do this advocacy work like I have those allies, I
have those people, So like those two things kind of
work hand in hand. I love that some people work
both sides. Some people only work one side, but I've
(20:22):
been fortunate enough to have experience doing both.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Okay, you're gonna please yeah, yeah, So you you mentioned
a couple of the campaigns, you mentioned a labor thing,
you mentioned AOC Talk about some of the other things
and other people that you've worked with, because I want
to say that I'm connecting you mentally with like Stacy
Abrams and you know, maybe some other things. So let's
(20:47):
let's let people know just how far this goes or
can go.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Yeah, Like we like to say as organizers that if
you don't have a seat at the table, you're likely
going to be at the menu. So bring a folding
chair with you. Oh right, I have a friend who
(21:14):
I think her ferb is called like folding chair, you know,
consulting something like that. And like you, just in this country,
we don't have to ask for permission or we should
not be required room to think that way, Like this
is the United States of America, for the people, by
the people, and so like I think the way maybe
(21:37):
it's our education system. I don't know why, but I
think civic engagement it's very it's like this very foreign thing,
like Howard Laws made? What is the job of a politician?
You know, It's just it's this weird foreign concept. And
I think it's like that by design because I think
they don't you know, the powers that be or you know,
(21:59):
very powerful corporation. They don't want you to know how
powerful you are. Like at the end of the day,
we pay their bills because we pay our taxes. So
like politicians should be scared of us, not because I'm
condoting political violence or anything, but because like we can
get upset and vote them out. We yeah, let me,
(22:20):
let me.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
I want this to live too, So my bad for
jumping in front of que But under an administration like
this one, obviously there's some people that think this administration
is great, and there are some people that think that
this administration is hostile. Right for those people that feel
(22:44):
like this administration is hostile, but they themselves they want
to do something and want to make some changes. They
want to get out there and be active. But it's
not for that, like they're not a politician there not.
You know, they're not going to you know, and they're
going to vote, of course, but they can't vote for
(23:05):
another two years or four years or whatever. It sounds
like there's a place based on what you're saying, there's
a place for those people. Yeah, so talk to us
about how easy or challenging it might be to become
a political organizer or an advocacy or a you know,
(23:28):
to support electoral politics. Like what does a person go
through to become their city's version of you or their
community's version of you.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
You just have to find your people, find your cause
and find your people, like no one can do it alone.
I know this country preaches rugged individualism, but humans, we
are social creatures. Like and when when I was taught
about organizing, you have to like remember buy in and
(24:00):
just make sure like everyone's like bought into your cause.
You know your your mission and so like ask yourself,
like what is important to you for me right now?
It's saving the Peace Corps from you know, the like
demonic grips of Doge and Elon Musk and so you know,
and it's also like mental health. The National Alliance for
(24:23):
Mental Health also has given a lot to me in
this work. I've I've burned out and stuff. But you
know they're those are like my two passion projects right now.
And so find your passion projects and those people. There
will be people there for you. And if you're not sure,
you know, of course hit me up your political prima
on Instagram TikTok, and I'll help you find your people.
(24:45):
But like find your community or create it and get
together with your friends, your family, your neighbors or you know,
or an existing organization, because we're always looking for people
to come work with us, volunteer their time time or
just like you know, pick up the slack that you
know your representatives might be you know, like putting down.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
And this is like knocking doors, making phone Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
And you can knock doors, make phone calls, like all
these things. Like you can do it yourself or find
a place that does it, because like there's always work.
You know, we're a work in progress the US, and
you know, just find your people and find your happy place.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
And so you mentioned earlier you spent some time living
in the Midwest. I'm from Detroit, Michigan, so I'm a
proud Midwesterner. You may have gotten to be in close
proximity of some of the MAGA movement. Yeah, what are
some common things you think people misunderstand about make America
great again?
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Folks, we only got like thirty seconds. Oh gosh ahead.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
I think both parties have failed the people. I think
there is just so much money and politics and I
won't get into it, but I think both parties are
failing the people. And there's like there's hurt in the Midwest,
like like no weather, and you know, like our systems
(26:14):
are failing us because they're rigged against us. But we
get to we write the rules in this country. If
something's not serving us, we can change that. That's what
makes America beautiful. And so yeah, the pain that I've
seen in MAGA is because corporations, the corporate greed. At
(26:38):
the end of the day, it's corporate greed. It's corporate
greed that got this man elected into office. It's you know,
but don't lose hope, Like this is a country of
very willing people and we just got to find ourselves
to find our people.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Well, that's not the first time we've heard that argument,
but it was well stated. Appreciate it.
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