And now my mic back like we can strike.
From headquarters behind.
In the be.
For those just tuning in the civic cecher, I'm your host, Ramsey's job. He is rams this job. This is.
A very emotionally mentally exhausted Q war. And if you if you call it the first half of the show, you have an idea why if you didn't keep listening. We always, unfortunately have enough to keep me feeling like this.
It'll get better. That's what my brother says to me every week. I will uh. Today we're talking about living in the aftermath of anti black violence. Special guests in the studio Marshawn Neely, who just shared a bit of his personal story where he was a victim of police brutality let's be honest and specifically the victim of a police attack dog. And we're going to spend the second part of the show talking about Ralph Yarl and we'd love for you to stick around and share your thoughts
as well. But first and foremost, let's discuss becoming a better ally BABA. So today's BABA was sponsored by Major Threads for the finest in men's sportswear. Check majorthreads dot com. You know, sometime sometimes with the Baba we help with big things in a little way, and sometimes we help with little things but in a big way. And this past week we came across the story from a young lady named Jamia Bratcher or Jamia Bratcher, I'm not sure how to say it, but just one of those stories
that kind of hit me in the heart. She's an individual who was sent to a homeless shelter, dropped off at a homeless shelterer eighteenth birthday, and told to make her way. Can you let our audience know who dropped her off? It was her adopted parents that dropped her off at a homeless shelter because they were no longer receiving money for her. She made a video about it. Someone was interviewing folks on the street, and that video
touched me and the people around me. And normally now's the time I'd list her cash app because she showed her cash app on the screen if someone wanted to help, but she said she didn't know how to work it. And I'll be honest, I sent money and it never got accepted. So I really wanted to talk about her
supporting her financially. But now I'm going to ask since we have stations all over the country, she's gone missing, and I would like for you all to please travel over to my instagram at rams's jahr Am s e Sja. She's the first photo there, and if you've seen her anywhere, you got any information on her, please, you know, contact me or contact anybody that's connected to that, because we need to find her and make sure that she's okay. Again.
We can help a lot in a small way, and this is just on my heart, so I appreciate you anybody supporting that. All Right now, we're gonna move on. We're still talking about living in the aftermath of anti black violence. But another crazy story that has kind of really taken shape over the past week is the story of Ralph Jarl, who was shot by Andrew Lester for knocking on the wrong door when he was looking to
pick up his siblings. I think he went to the right number address, but instead of street, it was lane or lane it was street from something like.
That up some some easily mistakable minor semantic like that.
Yeah, and he rang the doorbell. And I'll read from the Kansas City defender who's a big supporter of Civic Side for a shout out to the Kansas City Defender. Ralph y'arl, a sixteen year old black boy, was shot twice by a white man in North Kansas City after accidentally ringing the doorbell of the wrong home while attempting to pick up his siblings. My understanding was his two
little brothers. The white man reportedly shot Ralph in the head and shot through the glass door, and when y'all was already bleeding on the ground, he shot him again, this time in the head. The family has described it as a hate crime, and community members are calling for justice for the young victim. And just so we're clear around us, the first shot was in the head, was it okay? Okay, so imagine that I read that wrong.
No, you read it right, But then you just added that this time it was in the head until you read about the second shot.
You shot him in the head already through the door.
Yeah, okay, like for all of us to he shot him in the head already, then let me go make sure.
And shoot him again. And he was unarmed, sixteen, an unarmed child, Yes, sir, pick it. I'm just making sure.
Oh yeah, I'm not sure. So one of the things that I want to say here is sad and sick, and we've talked about it on the show before Q and I. There is an audio recording that we came across some months ago of a police person, someone with some authority over normal police officers, suggesting that if an officer draws a gun and shoots someone, that they should make sure that the person dies, because if the officer shoot someone and they live, they could sue and fiscally
that would have a greater impact than if the person was actually dead. Not only that, but they wouldn't have to do it.
But now there's statement that would never happen before if the person was dead. That's where that lack of accountably typically, that lack of accountability typically comes in.
There's no victim statement, there's no with Shawn Neely in the studio, was telling the side of the story. Yes, so so yeah, so this idea of this second shot when he's already been shot in the head, As you said, I don't know for certain, but I suspect that that might have played a role in it, because again, a shot in the head through the door. We have to avoid definitives. Yeah, it's tough because you know.
To maintain our integrity as journalists in this space. It is not, however, lost on me, the reason you shoot this again. If it was fear or defending for your life, you already shot him in the head. I think you'll be fine, especially because he's a child with no weapon and no way to harm you.
I think you'd be fine. We know what the second shot was for. Oh yeah, and you mentioned something in the first half of the show, Q that I want to bring back up. The only quote unquote weapon was that he had melanin in his skin. Yes, too much. That's the only weapon. And as you know, I mean, I'm obviously being facetious here, but that's not a weapon. That is a human condition. Human beings have melanin, original human beings, Homo sapiens sapiens, or melanated individuals from Africa,
the African continent. So if that struck fear in the heart of this Andrew Lester, and he was able to execute this attack on his child under the guise of stand your ground laws, and I think it's time that those laws be re examined to what end. Though right like stand your ground on its face, the term should be interpreted a lot different than ready fireing. Well, then let's let's talk about Trayvon.
Yeah, let's let's talk because that's that's where this versus the first time I ever heard about this stand your ground yep, A man stalked and murdered him and got off on the basis of standing his ground.
In this case, weaponizing your fear of melanid skin gets you off on the idea that maybe you thought this young man was there to do you harm, and you also betting on that second shot doing its child. Because then we don't have we don't have to have a nuanced conversation. There's no other witnesses.
There's you and the deceased, who cannot provide his account of what happened. I love that you said that weaponizing your fear, because I think that's exactly what you were
describing in your story, Marshawn. Because these officers breaking your door, kicking in your in your door, and then grabbing you in the i'm guessing like an atrium or entrance of your home and being able to attack you like this, there's that degree of protection, the qualified immunity, so forth and so on, where if police brutality or overreach or whatever takes place. They often say, well, it was based on a fear for myself or fear, fear, fear, whatever
the case is, and so weaponizing the fear. And obviously you're a black man. Ralph Yarl was a black child, and that's that's really the only way that I can see that existing as a narrative, not a truth, but a narrative in the minds of those who would cause harm to black bodies. So that's a quick question.
Andrew, guy, he didn't get arrested on the scene because there was a stand in your grand law in effect.
Yeah, so we'll jump right there. I'm glad you brought that up. So what happened Initially? The shooter, Andrew Lester, was taken into police headquarters briefly to provide a statement, but was released shortly after without being charged. How about that now real quick, I want to interject something here. You're listening to my voice. You know that there's a black child who's sixteen years old and a white man who was in his eighties. Right, this white man shot
this black child through the door. I want you to do me the favor that I often asked for on the show. I want you to change a couple of these pieces around. Let's make the sixteen year old child a white child, and let's make Andrew Lester black black. Now, now let that play out in your head. Now, the police show up, what happens to Andrew Lester? Does he go into police headquarters briefly to provide a statement and release shortly after without being charged as it happened that way?
No, I think he would have got arrested right on the spot or worse or worse.
I know you for those that can't see cs, I just got a quick quick question around. Yeah.
Do you believe that they charged him because they felt the story was going too viral?
I'm glad you brought that up. Let me read all right, So Andrew Lester was able to go home and clean up any evidence as pressure mounted for police to charge him with a crime.
Can you imagine black Andrew Lester not being shot when the police arrived, not being with the crime or arrested, allowed to go into police headquarters, give his statement and then go home and clean up any potential evidence. Now, especially because in his statement, yes I shot him.
Okay, thanks for your statement, sir, have a good one.
Not let us keep your own custody while maybe a crime scene investigator goes to see if the story checks out since we don't have any other witnesses. No, you're fine, man, go home and get your affairs together so we can make sure you're going to be okay. I mean, all you did was shoot a black kid, ye, and you know we all know that's not a big deal, right man, you be keeping it real.
This is so sad, but you're telling do you think that if Andrew was black, that he would have got to do the peaceful surrender because he got to have his last meal?
DN go turn himself in after the charge has got brought against him. You know what, I think you're touching on something that is a theme around here, and I will uh summarize the criminal justice system in the United States of America treat you very different if you are white and guilty than if you are black and innocent. It'll treat you worse if you're black and innocent then if you're white and guilty.
Now, come on, Ramses, you know, conversations like this are intellectually beneath us, and you need to be a higher thinker because of course, things aren't that simple. They don't just treat you worse because you're black and innocent and.
Better for those that don't white and guilty. Would Q was obviously being facetious here you can't see his face, but but yeah, this is a theme that and this is a big part of why the show exists in the first place, is that you know, you weren't around obviously, but in twenty twenty when George Floyd was murdered and we all saw and be murdered, and we saw that there was initially no accountability. The idea that in spaces where this show is broadcast, in particular hip hop stations,
there were people who were profiting from the culture. There were people who were chronicling a narrative of what it means to be black in this country. And there was a visibly absent moment that was necessary, a moment of clarity where we talked about, indeed the fullness of the black experience in this country. We need to talk about systemic oppression. We need to talk about systemic injustice. We need to talk about white supremacy, white supremacists institutions. We
need to talk about economic inequality. We need to talk about housing, We need to talk about healthcare outcomes. We need to talk about the criminal justice system, among other things. And so to your point, that is indeed the reason the show exists. So I appreciate you bringing that up. I want to read a little bit more because, believe it or not, it gets deeper. Charges. A first degree assault and armed criminal action came two days later. Okay,
I want to stop here. Okay, So two days later he's charged again because of mounting public pressure, as you mentioned, Marshall, and he's charged with first degree assault, armed criminal action. That's not attempted murder. You said he got shot in the head, right, first shot, and then then he got shot again, and then you shot him again. Okay, So that sounds to me like attempted murder. They didn't even charge him with that, right, It probably felt like him
like felt to him like successful murder. Yeah, probably in that moment, sounds like capital murder. Well, we're grateful that Ralph is recovering for those that have story, and we're grateful that you're recovering too, Marshaun, because we don't often get stories like this. A lot of times you end up talking about people and they can't say anything. So we're really appreciated. I want to make sure that that's a Stabbs. We're grateful that you could come to the
studio and tell your story. Yes, but yeah, you know when you said that, they hit you with a bunch of charges that they ultimately had to drop. And let's be honest, they forced you to take a plea deal to get out of solitary confinement so you can go back home and recover. Q calls that trumped up charges. Right, we're talking about the same criminal justice system. Q. I'm
gonna ask you a question. Does first degree assault and armed criminal actions sound like a fair charge for what happened here with Andrew Lester shooting Ralph y'arl in the head? Is that trumped up charges? It's barely anything anything. Yes, it's a slap on the wrist. Let's charge him with something so that the people right. Okay, okay? Does it sound like there's two different criminal justice systems operating in this states?
Does it sound like I've said, now many times on this show, the conversation that you are attempting to have, it's intellectually beneath us. I need you to subscribe to a higher vein of thinking and remove this very very elementary idea that racism is always prevalent in these in these stories.
You know.
You know what's funny is that there are people who actually feel that ways you have to interject race into everything. Well, as I mentioned, I'm not talking to you, of course, I'm talking to people that would have that weird argument against you know what we're saying here again, We've talked about on this show housing discrimination. It's a real thing. You don't have to listen to the show to find
that out. You can research it yourself. We've talked about a tax on history, critical race theory, and educating people so that we have a more empathetic and understanding society and way to relate to each other. We've talked about the legacy of redlining and the economic inequality that black
people are enduring in this country right now. We've talked about the failed War on drugs and how drugs once upon a time were criminalized and black people were put in jail disproportionate sentences, and indeed, drugs were pushed into black communities and everyone was just like just say no. And then when the tables turn and it's fentanyl. Now, all of a sudden, it's a health problem. It's not a criminal issue. And that's not because it's s fentanyl.
Hang on, hang on, because white people are known. But let me finish. We're talking about environmental racism, right. For those that don't know what environmental racism is, please look it up. I would love to tell you more about it. We've talked about it on the show. But if you don't know, please look up what environmental racism is. Find out that black communities are polluted at a higher rate than white communities because people in power, people that are
elected at local governments, who themselves are hateful. I see you, Oklahoma, I see you North Carolina, and local governments have no problem polluting black and brown communities. Okay, we're talking about the fiscal implications of the unequal disbursement of the GI bill in this country. We're talking about policing. We're talking about judicial sentencing. We're talking about the legacy of black codes. We're talking about the legacy of the New Deal being
unevenly distributed to America's population. White people benefited vastly more than black people. This is what we're talking about. And the people that people that might the people that might say what you were saying earlier, real quick, that's not unique to the new deal, and and many others. Absolutely, absolutely, that's probably true for everything, whatever you want. Yes, absolutely, But the folks who might say that an argument is
intellectually beneath me. I have all those and so many more.
Have we talked about. We haven't even talked about health care outcomes, and how racism is cooked into the medical books, you know that than indoctrination, and how a lot of those experiments that white people benefit from were performed on black slaves and the legacy of that, and how doctors think that we've taken more oxygen and have thicker skin and feel less pain, and and real health care outcomes that cause us to die more exist in the world right, So welcome to civic sife for everybody.
All I'm saying ramses because I don't understand all that data, statistics and facts why you guys feel the need to always interject the idea of race into every discussion you have.
I don't understand. To people who might say that, again, Q is being funny, But to people who might say that to me, not funny. People who might say that to me, he was not being funny. Well, Q was being annoyed.
That's a better way to say it, because these are the exact things that people say to us, yes in person and direct messages on our lives, on our Facebook and our comments that we are somehow looking for the racism and all these stories.
As if it's not blatant, it's super there, super obvious. This is not hidden overt stuff we're talking about. This is in your face, overt, proud. It's written into the law. It's written into the bylaws. You can see it the government documents. This isn't guessing, This isn't even data. For people that feel like data and alternative facts and all that sort of fake news stuff, you can look at the laws themselves and trace indeed the legacy of those laws.
Speaking of lass, let's get back to this criminal quote unquote Andrew Lester that shot this child in the head and then shot him again and they headed in the shoulder, I believe. So guess what happened after he was hit with those baby chargers. He was able to post a two hundred thousand dollars bond and it's now free again. If that means, of course, that means he came up with twenty thousand dollars, and right now, well as of this recording, he's walking around Kansas City free as a burden.
He can fight his case disgustingly, I'm sure being celebrated by some of his exactly now, hold on, hold on a second. Did you have to take a plea deal, Marshawn? Yes, okay, okay, that's what I wanted to know. Did you did you hurt anybody?
No?
Did they hurt you?
No?
I mean no, no, no, no, they hurt you? Yes, I remember the story. Okay. I just want to make sure that we are all subscribed to the same reality here and that these things are happening and I'm not in a dream world half the time or whatever. This is the same shared experience for all of us. I do want to say this while we have a few seconds left. Ralph y'all. He's at home now and he's healing.
But a couple of questions that I want folks to ponder, because again we're dealing with living in the aftermath of anti black violence. What will his future be like? In Marshawn? These are questions that we would ask TFT sure trauma, community trauma, because it doesn't just affect you, you mentioned it affect your kids. I'm sure Ralph is going to have this trauma with him for a long time. What does this teach the country about what's okay? It's not okay?
And to who? Why were the charges so light? Why didn't they charge him with assaulting a minor? Even? You know? And as always keep thinking what if Ralph was white and Andrew Lester was black? And now it's time for the Way Black History Fact. There's a Way Black History Factor sponsored by Underground Beach Club from the streets to the beach, the finest in beachware. Visit Underground Beach Club dot com. Today we are reading from the Hockeywriters dot Com.
I will begin in January twenty twenty, Canada Post released a special stamp and first day cover featuring what is undoubtedly Hockey's greatest secret. The stamp features teams and artwork
of players from the Colored Hockey League. Between eighteen ninety five and the early nineteen thirties, all black ice hockey teams in the Maritimes thrilled mixed audiences and news reporters alike as they challenged each other to exciting matches and buyed for the ultimate prize, The Colored Hockey Championship, created as a means of drawing more men church and strengthening their religious path. All Black hockey also served to dispel
myths about black people's abilities. With their fast paced, physical games and down to the ice style of goaltending, the players made real contributions to the game. While winning on the ice was a moment to celebrate, the greater triumph was the pride experienced by black communities across the region.
Hockey fans may know of the Montreal Wanderers, the Ottawa Silver Seven, the Winnipeg Victorias, and the Vancouver Millionaires, as well as the Seattle Metropolitans and some of the teams from the early years of the Stanley Cup, but very few have ever heard of the Africville seasides the Halifax Eurekas and the Halifax Stanley who were the original teams that formed Canada's first organized hockey league, the Colored Hockey League more than a century ago. Hockey played a huge
role in Canadian black culture on the East Coast. The black leaders of the day recognized it, and they used hockey as a vehicle for advancement. The Colored Hockey League has perhaps the most intriguing history of any sports league in North American history. It was formed in eighteen ninety five, predating the formation of the NHL by more than twenty years. The league also predates the Negro Basketball League sorry Negro
Baseball League in the United States. What makes it interesting is that the league was actually formed by the Baptist Church. The mandate of the league was to use hockey as a way of advancing young black men to a level equal to their white brethren through a game that would instill the qualities of leadership, community organization, pride, teamwork, and determination. Henry Sylvester Williams and brother James Borden were two of
the visionaries who guided the formation of the league. They were both churchmen who saw the social and political importance of using hockey to encourage advancement of black men. They also saw it as a way to attract young men in families to churches that were suffering from stagnating attendance. Williams's Cornwallis Baptist Church in Halifax would form two teams,
the Halifax Stanley and the Halifax Eurekas. Across the Harbor Bordon would form the Dartmouth Jubileef from his Lake Baptist Church. The league was operated by the church, making it unique in North American history. The official rule book was the Bible. First ever colored hockey league game was played on February twenty seven, eighteen ninety five, at the Dartmouth Curling Rink, and the Eurekas and Jubilees skated to a one to
one tie. The league received press and coverage from the Acadian Recorder, which was one of three Halifax newspapers of the day, and it was Baptist owned. The Recorder reported that the game featured a much more physical style of play than the more gentlemanly white teams would play, as players would partake in body checking and cross counters short punches. The Recorder also reported that through the first season, ladies would turn out in full force for the games, cheering loudly.
There were no nets and curling stones were used as posts. The star of the Jubilees was their goalie, Henry Brace's Franklin and an ice cutter by trade. Franklin revolutionized his position as he was the first goalie who reportedly went down on the ice to make saves in the game's history. Franklin's butterfly style was eventually made popular by goalies like Glenn Hall and Patrick Roy. Another innovation of the Colored
Hockey League was the slap shot. It may have been made famous by Bernie Boom, Boom, Geffron and Bobby Hull, but it was Colored Hockey League star Eddie Martin who invented it. The Stanley would win the first championship, while the Eurekas would win the next five. The season was short, usually running from late January to early Marches. Artificial ice was not available in the Maritimes. The league also had to take whatever ice times were available as they had
to work around the schedules of the white teams and leagues. Regardless, attendance was strong. Some playoffs and championship games drew more than a thousand spectators. The caliber of play was considered by many to be on par with the scene in the best white leagues. Unfortunately, as the league was striving, politics and racism became an obstacle. Expanded rail service onto the Port of Halifax led to the annexation of land and from many families in Africville, the black community in Halifax.
A five year legal battle ensued, and many rink owners refused to rent ice time to the league or any of its teams. Under pressure from municipal and provincial officials, the local newspapers stopped covering the league. There are no newspaper accounts of any Colored Hockey League play from nineteen eleven to nineteen twenty, but in nineteen twenty one league resurfaced in the public eye. Three teams, the Victorias, the Seasides and the Halifax all Stars formed a three league team.
The league was not strong, not as strong as it was in its prime in the nineteen thirties. The league would fade away. Many black families left the economical repression they suffered in Nova Scotia for the greener pastors of Boston. Although new teams like the Affricville Brown Bombers, Halifax Diamonds and Halifax Wizards, New Glasgow speed Boys and Trudio Cheeks would emerge, the league was gone and forgotten. By the
time World War II had begun. Little history on this hockey league, which is why Canada's post twenty twenty Colored Hockey League stamp series is so significant. In two thousand and four, hockey researchers Darryl George Frosty researched a book entitled Black Ice, The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League in the Maritimes eighteen ninety five to nineteen twenty five. The Hockey Hall of Fame also has an exhibit that
includes information on the Colored Hockey League. The Changing Face of Hockey Diversity in Our Game is a permanent exhibit that brings to light the challenges faced by marginalized people across in North America in their struggle for societal sorry, for social equity and acceptance in the great Game of hockey. The display plays homage to the pioneers who confronted discrimination
from the hockey world. Through their perseverance, talent, and courage, they have enriched the cultural landscape of hockey and established a tangible forum in which to fight prejudices still faced by many, both in hockey and in life. To date, there have been nearly one hundred black players to lace up and play in the NHL. Some like Ore have been pioneers, Some like Rant Ferr, have been Stanley Cup Champions. Some like Jerome Iginla, have become superstars. They have all
become household names to hockey fans. Obviously I'm not sorry, but this is a cool story and it's time for players and teams in the Colored Hockey League to become widely known in the hockey world as well. Again, I want to shout out the Hockeywriters dot Com for providing us with the source material for that something that I didn't know. Normally, I throw all the sports stuff to Q because he knows a little bit about that. But I didn't know if hockey would be something that you
would know any more about than me. But I still think it's cool because obviously we need to know that. I wouldn't have known it otherwise. Yeah, it's it's interesting.
No matter what type of history we're talking about, be it sports, be it climate, be it ego, be it community, be it whatever.
There's humps of racism. It out fait everywhere at good time. Yeah, not interjected by us actually in the history. Yeah. And Ramses used to remind our audience that Google was free. I'll do it on his behalf today. Appreciate thank you, but that's going to do it for us here on Civic Cipher. So once again, thank you for tuning in and I am your house. Rams's jaw and I am still qwar. A big shout out to our guest Marshawn Neely. Thank you again, brother, all right, thank you, thank you.
I just want to give you guys your flowers.
Man, if no one else does.
No, we appreciate it, man, We appreciate We're trying to do something here. And if you want to support us on our way again, check us out on social media. I'm at Ramsy's jaw. I am q ward. I'll go ahead and drop your social media. I still got to make one, okay, Well, shoot Marshawn Neely m A R s h U. And for folks who want to follow that story as well, and hit the website civicacer dot com, make a donation, follow us on social media at Civic Cipher.
You can download this in any previous episode as well, and of course subscribe to our YouTube. Are building something special there and when you need to be a part of that, that Civic Cipher on YouTube cid I c c I PhD RN. Until next week, y'all go. Please make sure we had.
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