Broadcasting from the Hip Hop Weekly Studios. I'd like to welcome you to another episode of Civic Siger, where our mission is to foster ally ship, empathy and understanding. I'm your host, Ramsey's job.
He is Ramsey's job. I am q ward.
Most of the time.
My mother calls me different names when she's upset, so sometimes she does full print time with the strong pronunciation of the oh.
But today I will be Q awarding you. I listened to Civic side. Indeed you are. We have some special guests in the building because we have a lot to talk about. We'd like to welcome back some some dear friends. Or I said welcome some, I should say welcome some dear friends. But this is an organization that we've been working with very closely. We have Angela Salazar from the ye WCA as well as Marta or Banowska. All right, I got it, all right, all right, that's my thought, okay.
And Angela is the equity programs director, and Marta is the brand manager for the HYE WC. And we're going to get into all of that. The reason that they're here today andason why we want you to stick around is because there's been a lot going on with respect to bodily autonomy, women's rights, women's ability to choose, and government's intervention toward that end. And the y w c A works with Women's the Young Women's Christian Association. If
I'm not mistaken as the acronym but women, I remember. Okay, so you're going to educate me too. But I know that you work very closely with with with women. And these are the sorts of fights that are very important. And you know on this show we communicate with allies and potential allies, and so we're an honor to have you up here to help us, help inform us on how we can best advocate for the outcomes that really shape the things that you're pursuing. So that and so
much more to stick around for. But before we get there, first and foremost, we like to start things with some avenue excellence, shall we? I think we shall. So today's avenue Excellence sponsored by Major Threads for innovative fashionable sportswear. Check Major threads dot com. And today I'll be sharing from Huffington Post. Now, to be fair, this is an older article but we're just getting to it. So just letting you know anyway. At twenty seven, Hunneth Johnson is
the youngest district judge in Pennsylvania. Johnson won the seat in the general election for the Dauphin County Magisterial District in Pennsylvania, becoming the youngest magisterial district judge in the state. The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native began his term in January and will preside over cases within the predominantly black state capitol. Johnson is no stranger to the other side of the law. He's been in jail three times and ran through the
streets as a teenager. As a student at penn State University, Johnson ran a foul of the law again, this time as a member of his fraternity, Omega Sci Fi. While he was president of the fraternity, he was charged in connection with hazing allegations. Quote I went to jail for two weeks, went to trial. Thank god I wont unquote, Johnson recalled. He goes on to say, quote that was one of the happiest days. I just felt like my
life was going to be taken from me. Unquote. Now Johnson has an opportunity to make a difference quote, being that I live in the area they know me, I know the people. I know what's going on. Unquote. The father of one said goes on to say, you have single moms that can't pay a parking ticket. I have the control to make life easier for her, rather than someone from out of town who doesn't understand that one hundred dollars ticket might be too much for her and
she ends up in jail over that ticket. Quote. So you know, one of the things that we have to deal with is being associated with criminal behavior. And one of the things that the criminal justice system doesn't do is rehabilitate people. And so when you see stories like this that not only are people being rehabilitated, but indeed they end up getting power and shaping outcomes, we have to salute that as ebony excellence. So even though it's an older story to you, Honey Johnson, all right, now
we have to have a conversation. It's been busy, all right, let's do it. All right. So I'm still learning about the y w c A. I I know that there's a lot of good things that the organization is is doing. When I do get a chance to speak with or listen to Debbie speak, at least in Arizona, Debbie Asparza. I hear all of the things that the National y MC y w C A sorry is is doing to shape outcomes for for women specifically, but I also hear
some things that the organization is up against. Right, So before we get there, and just know that I'm learning, I speak for Q two, I know what you was learning to. Before we get there, let's ask just kind of in a general sense, for the benefit of our listeners, for those who might not know, discuss angel will start with you, discuss the role the YWCA plays in society.
Yes, so the role that we play in society. First of all, YWCA is a very old acronym from when it first started. In general, our mission is to eliminate racism and empower women. So that does make us won't women focused? However? Are The first part of that mission is eliminate racism, which is encompasses every day.
Yeah, yeah, I love that too.
Right, It's not just a women issue. Racism affects all of us, even people who think they're not being affected by it. Systemic barriers are kind of blanketed across entire communities and entire society. So that's our focus. That's our mission, that's the work that we do. We do it in programming. We have conversations regarding tough topics such as the one we'll be talking about, but we hit on everything to
try to promote advocacy. So we're just using this catchphrase because we've been having these conversations a lot more lately because societies it's getting it's getting tough out there right now. So we've been saying we educate to activate, So we teach people about things that are going on, whether or not they're in communities are being affected by it. So a community member who may not even know about racism, tactics, systemic barriers, things about health, mental wellness, they have no
idea what's going on. We teach them about what's going on in society and then aha moment happens a lot of times and then they're like, oh, I can kind of relate to that, or I know somebody now that has been affected by it. What can I do to help make change? And so we're trying to push on
that piece, what can you do to make change? And so we're a convener, we bring other organizations together, we'll bring we're trying to bring corporations together whoever wants to listen basically and have those conversations and just plant the seed of potential advocacy.
I appreciate you being so thorough with the explanation the different ways that the YWC affects not just Arizona, but society at large, because, like Rahmsa said, it's not just us that are listening, but this conversation is being had over airways where people who don't even live here will be able to learn a little bit about what you guys are doing.
Marta.
With the choices that you made at some point as a young person to get involved with the YWCA, what is it in particular that drew you to that organization that made you want to work in the space that you're in.
Wow, it's a great question, I think for me, and I think for a lot of you know, these younger people who are growing up, we're tired of it, Like we don't want to leave live in these systems that are oppressing us, you know, and I don't want to be I work in marketing, which is a numbers in a sales game, but I didn't want to be pushing
a product or a service. I wanted to be advocating for something I truly believe in, and I think I speak for you know, my generation and for people in the generation below me, that we're not going to let this continue to happen. And that's kind of what we do at y b C is we're looking at a system systemic approach. So we are talking to these corporations and these partners who have money and dollars and who are perpetuating these things that are again oppressing people. So
we're starting there. We're starting with these big ticket people and being like, hey, you know these things you've been doing for hundreds of years, We're not going to take it anymore.
Nice. Well, I have another question too. You mentioned your role as the marketing and brand manager. What is that encompass with respect to why w C, Like, how's how what? What does your job entail?
Yeah, it's definitely advancing and growing in different ways. We're now a team of two in marketing, but we recently just published an op ed about the topic we're about to be talking about about reproductive rights in the state of Arizona. But of course that affects women all across the country, so we're really getting bolder in our messaging and we're you know, we're talking to bigger audiences and we're getting ourselves out there.
Well, I want to I want to make sure that we say this that y w c A is nationwide. So there are y w c A. I guess they would be chapters, right, associations associations if you know, depending on where you're listening to us from, there's bound to be one within driving distance of where you live. And on the ground there is a national concerted effort to
check certain boxes. The eliminating Racism mantra I think or a positioner, I'm not sure what it's called, what it's referred to, but that statement that exists, yeah, the mission statement.
There you go. That is across the board WCA. Right, So anyone that hears what we're talking about today, can We're going to give you the information to plug in with this local chapter here that's doing some great things, but also in the in your local communities where you're listening, that exists for you to tap in and make a difference in a measurable way where you can see as well.
So I was gonna ask Angela about equity programs. Just when I read that. It was something that I got excited about because part of the mission statement with it being racism, and you know what people would probably understand from the older acronym, you know, the position of avocacy for women. Explain a little bit more about what equity programs is and what your role entails.
Yeah, I'm glad you asked that because we get that question a lot. What is equity in society as a whole? Equity usually is related to the housing fields. However, equity means for us at least you know, trying to I hate to use this phrase, but level of play and field right, Equity is not the same as equality, meaning we're meeting the person's needs based on their needs. It's not, oh, we're going to give everybody. We're gonna solve hunger by
giving everybody a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It's what does this person need to, you know, starve off the hunger. Maybe they have a peanut allergy, maybe they can't eat gluten, so we're going to give them what they can eat, not versus we're just blanketing equality everywhere and saying, hey, everybody have a sowuch. So when we talk about equity, it's meeting the person's needs or in the community individual, whatever the case may be, meeting that need where it's needed.
Okay, you know it's funny because that's something that we talk about on the show, you know, equality versus equity quite a bit, because what I've what we've seen in such a long time, and one thing that I've found very frustrating. I'm speaking for myself, but I know Q is way more frustrated than me, so, but even I found it to be frustrating is that the difference in our space between equity and equality is much bigger than
the difference in our opposition space. Almost like those people that are, let's just to pick a person, a super far right conservative that has a very limited view of how the world works outside out of you know, their own ecosystem socioeconomic bubble. They might think that equality solves everything. You know, you had the same thing that I had,
so let's let's let's get it right. And that's again a frustrating thing that we have to deal with too, because equality is a great first step, but equity shapes outcomes in a way that equality cannot. And that's one of the things that we often again, we bump our heads with people that oppose us, you know, on the show,
and we try to teach the difference. But again that that the gap between those two is much bigger for us than it is for those folks, because they think, well, if you started off where I started with the same things, then you should be able to make it there. And it's like, I get how with a limited viewpoint you could say that to yourself. I would I would probably say that too if I had the same perspective. But so I'm appreciative of us having this conversation.
I like that you mentioned that least though, because that is part of our our work that when we do learning lessons, we have discussions, we do different types of programming, and with margin's help also we we craft our language. We're constantly changing the language that we use in these programs because again we have to meet the needs of the community. Wherever we're talking to we're switching up our
language consistently. It could be if we're in corporate spaces, right, we can't say the things that we say talking to grassroots organizations because it's not going to connect. So grassroots organizations have a different language that we use because they can understand almost everything that we're throwing at them, but it's at a different viewpoint. On top of that, when you're going to corporate spaces, you kind of have to tread lightly. Yet we're still trying to push the boundary
that is. So that's equity work right there in a sense, but it is open up those eyes and minds.
To be fair, they people call us all the time. We have to fly all over the country and we have to figure out what the angles are because I think that our the underlying operating presumption is that, especially if they have us in the room, that people are wanting to do better, or at least appear to do better, you know, whatever their their story is. And so that's not nothing. So we got it. You know, if anybody's
willing to take any steps, we'll meet you there. We you know, allyship looks very different for a lot of people, and our job historically has been to kind of bolster that and increase what that increase that footprint for, or allow people to increase their own footprint toward that end. So I do want to get to the discussion that we're supposed to have. So you know, the total abortion band in Arizona, which there was a couple of ups and downs with that, and now it's been fully repealed,
so thank god for that. But I do want to kind of get a sense of what it was like at the YWCA when you heard about this news, So Martin this time, let's start with you and then just kind of talk us through how that felt individually and maybe how it impacted the organization.
Yeah, well breaking it was breaking news, and I think all of us were immediately emotionally triggered by it. Right because this is the band that took effect in this state was from eighteen sixty four, which is pre statehood, which is still the time of the Civil War, so it's irrelevant completely. It does not need to take place
in today's day and age at all. So immediately just emotional like, how is this possible as a young woman like myself, It's like my mother had more rights than I did today.
Wow, I didn't think about that. Wow, it's crazy.
And then it was all hands on deck, right, it was stop everything, and it's okay, what are we going to say? And we have a sister association in Tucson, so we contacted Tucson immediately and we said, what's our message, what are we going to tell people? How do we tell people how to take action now? And there's a ballot initiative taking place in the state, so of course, sign the petition, find someone who's who has it and
go sign it immediately, and what else? And then we said, go register to vote, because we I mean, we have a voice and we have to use it if we don't want this to ever happen again.
We reached out to why WC, why WCAUSA, so we're constantly in communication with them as well, because we want to make sure our messaging was going to be online. We knew we were going to be one of the first to react, and so we didn't want to step on tools if they were gonna, you know, send us something to share out. But we also wanted to be on the forefront of it, and so we reached out
to them. They gave us resources to help craft our language in this statement that we put together along with our sister associations, so we didn't just like run over all these people and say hey, sign on this. We actually got their feedback, we got therapies on it, and then we reached out to other organizations to see, you know.
It was our language appropriate.
On top of that, to make sure that because we're not the experts on this, although we do monitor it very closely, it's it's it's a constant education even for us in this field, we're constantly having to do research and read about it. And so when we crafted that that statement, we were just like all day just emailing people and making sure we were getting everybody's feedback on it.
Sometimes the way that politics work for me is not just frustrating but confusing. With Republicans, you know, blocking repeal the first time around, and it, you know, finally being something that's successful, you have to understand it. In some of those rooms, there are women voting and supporting against their own best interest, in their own autonomy. What does that feel like? Because I know how some of the things that we come up against while.
We're dealing with black people that we're dealing with black people vote and organize and.
Speak out almost aggressively against their own best interests. In a case like this, when it's women's rights and you expect it to be something that women are one hundred percent aligned on, and then again you see those who maybe you didn't vote for, But who are supposed to be representing your best interest in spaces like this not be as supportive as you would like. We get to deep breath and exhale that this total band was repealed,
but not unanimous and not the first time around. What does that look and feel like for you guys?
So that goes back to the whole education piece. I always talk about people only know what they know, and so I'm a backtrack. Even before this happened, Uh, we had put together an event to highlight abortion, the abortion rights movement back in the seventies. So we did this probably a month prior, yeah, a month prior to the to the band happening, just to bring awareness like this could this could happen?
Like, hey, we're not.
It's not a done deal, right Uh, Roll versus Way got a return. Now let's educate you on the history of it. Why uh we pushed for roll Versus way back of the day, why it was necessary. So we did a piece where we educated people on all the goal stuff that was happening when people really needed an abortion. You know, it could have been medical, it could have
been just a personal choice. But we didn't want to go back to that, and so we did a piece where we were educating people to try to make them again take agency of their own education, like read up more on it, and then also going back to the petitions, sign the petitions or be vocal about why we shouldn't be going in this direction. And to your question Q, women who are in support of a band, I always say they probably are just not aware of this history
of it. They're they're buying into social media, They're probably just running with the movement of their circle, right uh. And then it does go back to politics. It's almost like a gain mentality if you say something outside of that circle. Or again, what's the rustier game members going to look like?
You know, there was once upon a time. I so for me my experience, you would know better. But just to share with our listeners, I knew people that considered this to be a faith based issue, which, to be fair, that's if your faith is your faith, then you know, be great. But there's in this country a separation between faith and politics. Right anyway, it's supposed to be well anyway, this individual says, well, abortions, what if what if you had the person that could cure cancer and you aborted
that person and then cancer never got cured. And I remember pushing back on that faith based argument, this argument that something amazing could happen, and I said, well, what if you had the next Hitler or the next Hitler? And that shut them up. So anyway, we're gonna we're gonna keep talking about this