June 22, 2024 • 22 mins
In the second part of the show, we give a bit more time to Denise Resnik as she explains the cracks in society that neurodivergent individuals can fall into. We discuss interactions from police, housing issues, and economic opportunities and how challenging these can be for those with autism, as well as how problematic it can be when society gets it wrong.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Keep on riding with us as we continue to broadcast
the balance and defend the discourse from the Hip Hop
Weekly Studios. Welcome back to Civic Cipher. I am still
your host, Ramsy's job.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
He is Ramsey's job. I am q Ward. You are
either still with us or just joining. If you're just joining,
you're in for a treat because we have an incredible
guest with us today. And to all of those that
are listening, I hope everyone is having or had an
amazing Juneteenth.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah yo, and shout out to everybody that rocked with
us on our live on Juneteenth. That was fun as
we livestream the Canon Friends concert. But right now, back
to the woman of the hour, Denise Resnik again, I'm
going to say this first a mother, but also the
founder and president and CEO of First Place a Z.
(00:45):
We're going to continue having a very important conversation regarding
the intersection of being autistic and a minority in this country.
But before we get there, it is time for Baba
becoming a better ally. Baba and today's Baba is sponsored
(01:06):
by Friends of the Movement. You can sign up for
the free voter wallet from fotmglobal dot com to support
black businesses and allied businesses as well as make an
impact with your spending. Again, that's Fotmglobal dot Com and
today's Baba. I'm going to shout out my darling, Nikki.
I have a neighbor who did something that was very
(01:27):
kind this past Juneteam. And I mean, if she told
the story, she saw me get emotional in my doorway.
But the fact is is that this is this sort
of thing goes a long way, and I'm just sharing
a personal story with you. She brought a book to
my house on Juneteam. It was a children's book. Longtime
listeners will know that I have a nine year old.
(01:47):
She brought a children's book. It's called The ABC's of
Black History. And she dropped off a note and then
after I read the note, she gave me a hug
and it was just energizing. The note says Ramsy's wishing
you a wonderful and cell abatory June teenth. It is
a joy and a privilege to know you and call
you a friend. Thank you for your patience, grace and love.
(02:07):
As us allies show up to the party clumsy, so
clearly she listens to the show you are changing our
world in the world one podcast, I assume radio show
and kindness at a time. We're never too old to
receive the gifts we should have had available.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
To us as kids.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
No one is too old for a children's book help.
This gives you a smile, and you are able to
share it with anyone who needs it. Sincerely, Nicki. So
this is the first I never got a present for Juneteenth.
This is the first time anything like that has ever happened.
And it mattered. And I'll always remember this. And I
(02:45):
didn't establish this, but NICKI is a white woman, but
a kind human before that. And to know that, you know,
this is a holiday that matters to me. To bring
a gift and to just share a little bit of kindness.
I think she's this week's example.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah, that's powerful. That's powerful, man.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Yeah, I was like she asked, She's like, can I
give you a hug? Like career. I'm sure that added
to your old man. It was a moment anyway.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
All right, Denise Resin, It's such a joy to have
you here. Just your your passion is infectious and and
the way that you care, uh is infectious. Now, when
I first met you at first place, you shared a
(03:39):
bit of a story about and I don't know if
it was a true story or now, but basically a
story about how the transition from adolescence to adulthood can
be problematic, because that's a major fail point. You know,
the story I'm talking about.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
I have a good idea, but you'll stop me if
it's not the same story.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
I'm sure it is, but.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Just to kind of bring you a little bit closer,
this story that you told kind of transported me into
a home where I'm able to observe an individual with autism,
and I'm able to observe this individual's let's say, caretaker, provider,
(04:29):
support system, whatever, and you know a lot of times again,
as I mentioned, you know a lot of times when
at least for me, I would think of autism as
something that kids dealt with, not necessarily that adults dealt with.
And one of the things that happens is that when
you no longer have a caretaker as an adult, you
can fall through the cracks in society. So go with that.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Let me start with a statistic. There are one point
eight million adults living withism and intellectual developmental disabilities with
caregivers like me over the age of sixty, and that's
a slippery slope, and we're seeing an increase in displacement
and homelessness real quick.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
Before you continue, the individuals with autism are being cared
for by individuals.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Aging parents, aging parents, aging parents, and aging family members.
And it's a slippery slope because we don't have enough
options for those individuals and we're not allowing that dignity
of risk and trusting enough places who can help them
learn how to live more independently. And we need more
(05:41):
of those places that are not only beautiful, but that
have data and efficacy and that we can trust. And
so my background actually started in senior housing. I worked
for the Dell Web Corporation, the granddaddy of senior housing,
some sixty years ago. And think about senior housing, you know,
you start with independent living and then semi skilled and nursing,
(06:04):
and think about what we're doing in reverse. We're starting
with more intense supports early in adult life to increase
that level of independence to the greatest degree possible, increase
their quality of life, increase their options for where they
might live next, and reduce costs throughout their lifetime. And
we're proving that and that's really important to recognize that
(06:26):
people can learn, but not all people with autism are
the same. It is a big broad spectrum. And so
our son, who is more profoundly impacted by his autism
than perhaps your cousin, wouldn't qualify to enroll in such
a program that we have because there's not a one
size fits all. And if you think about it, just
(06:47):
in the senior housing market, which many of us are
familiar with. You know, some sixty years ago here we
had sun City. It was a retirement community. Fast forward today,
now we have all these different price points and locations
and amenities and services, and people have choice. Well here
for people with autism and intellectual developmental disabilities. We don't
have sixty years to wait. So what is it that
(07:09):
we can do in our local markets and in our
communities to develop a trusted ecosystem so we can create
more programs, more options, where people can live with pride,
with purpose, with all kinds of possibilities, and where families
like ours can have peace of mind. Because I will
assure you that the family members like me who may
(07:32):
be listening on and parents specifically have that same looming
question of who's going to care about him when I'm
no longer able to do so, And Who's going to
make sure that that somebody's watching over him? And the
answer lies in community, and community doesn't just happen. It's
each of us coming together with those job opportunities, with
(07:55):
those healthcare opportunities, with some intentionality, that's right. And so
in your local communities, who do you know in the
police department or the county sheriff's office. We knew Sheriff
pen Z owned. He brought forty of his officers and
deputies to First Place and they sat side by side
with residents with autism and intellectual developmental disabilities, and we
(08:18):
had a pretty broad spectrum represented. They not only were
learning by what we had to say in training, they
were learning from real life experiences. And then we brought
our residents down to the Sheriff's office and they learned
about the k nines, and they learned about the different vehicles,
and they learned about what you need to do when
(08:38):
a person of authority says stop, and how we respond.
And it doesn't just happen, It takes training. And so
so I'm not one to miniaturize ambitions and dreams. I
am a dreamer and have been dreaming about this for
(08:58):
decades of how do we fast track a development, a
community development in communities across the country and what kind
of ingredients do we need? And that's why we created
the first Place Global Leadership Institute, and that's why we're
hosting our thirteenth Global Leadership Institute Symposium this October. People
can find that on our website at www dot first
(09:21):
Place Global dot org and bringing thought leaders together from
across the country and around the world, because we don't
have a corner on all the great ideas here in Phoenix.
We have a lot, but we're learning from each other.
There's a lot of reciprocal learning that continues to take place.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
So RAMS is mentioned and I guess Nikki in her
letter mentioned sometimes some of us show up eager and
intentional and we want to help and we want to
be involved, but sometimes we're clumsy. For those of us
who will be new in this space that want to
be the best versions of the type of help, the
(09:57):
type of assistance, the type of allies that you would need,
what is some advice for those who are not just
clumsy but afraid to mess up or get it wrong.
How would you what type of advice would you give
people that want to be more involved in that want
to help more, but have a bit of hesitancy because
of their own personal fears of doing it wrong or
(10:18):
not showing up as the best versions of what you
would look for in a brother, a sister, or an ally.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Start with what you can control and where you are strong,
you do beautifully in front of a microphone, you asked
or you offered. You know that I suggested that I
need to get in front of more microphones. Well that's
what you could do to help me. It just takes
one It just takes one person to open the door
at that grocery store, at that doctor's office, you know,
(10:46):
at that space, to say, you know what, let's give
that person ahead of me a little more time because
I see that he or she is struggling and they
may have autism. Let's be aware we can control that.
And one of the greatest, greatest films I've ever seen
about this topic is called In a Different Key. It
is the best expression of community and of the spectrum
(11:09):
of autism. It was aired on PBS. One point three
million people saw it. It is amazing and it also
tells the story of people of color and doctor Stephanie Parks,
who's a UCLA doctoral student, who's a mother of a
child with autism, who talks about who talks about keeping
(11:30):
her child alive, and not only the autism, but how
the community would misinterpret a black man now an adolescent,
a young adult in the community maybe acting out or
showing those autistic signs. So how do we become more
aware so we can control what we read. Your listeners
are demonstrating that right now, the fact that they've tuned
(11:52):
in and stayed with us, they're becoming educated. And when
I say it just takes one it just takes that
one interaction with the police to say who can we
talk to? Who can we talk to about bringing a
training program here? Or what kind of training program do
you have? Or can I bring my child there? Can
I bring my classroom there? Can I bring my neighbors there?
(12:12):
So it's really when we think about community, it's all
of us building that one person can't build a community,
and you can't build a community for one person.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah, first of all, thank you not just for answering
my question, but for all of the information and the
learning that you're helping us do today, not just Rams
and I, but as you mentioned our listeners, I think
empathy is the start, but education takes it to the
next level. Right, wanting to be involved is one thing,
but you're giving us the proper information and kind of
(12:42):
pointing us in the right direction, thus far more than
you realize. And there may be some that listen that
want to know you know why it's so important, especially
with regard to you having sheriffs come and sit and
learn interactions with law enforcement, especially when those who are
in power are the ones that are least educated and
(13:02):
least prepared. We had a story about a young man,
Elijah McClain. I'm sure you were familiar with his story.
Think of we can all think of how different the
outcomes would be for situations like his if the people,
not just the officers, but the people in the call centers,
even the people calling nine to one one were more
well versed in how to deal with people who are
(13:25):
experiencing a life in a different key than theirs. And
Elijah McClain's story is one that I remember very specifically
affecting Ramses a lot while we were on the air
talking about it, because he understood that had someone that
showed up been more prepared that that young man's outcome
would have been completely different. And in the space that
(13:47):
you're in, have you ever encountered stories like Elijah's where
people who are mis understood and those who show up,
who are supposed to take care of them, who are
supposed to protect them, are not able to do so
because they don't know any better.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
I have, and that's why I've dedicated myself to this
work so that doesn't happen. I'll never forget what I saw,
what I smelled, and what I experienced in those places
that I visited when Matt was very young, and I
wasn't going to let that happen to him. And I
(14:23):
lived and I have lived this life of both fear
and love. You know, I fear what if we didn't
do this work, and I won't stop because I love
him and his sister very much. His sister is just
seventeen months older, and we've never wanted our daughter to
have to replace us as his parents. And it's really
(14:44):
important that we build that community. So like you, I
could show up clumsy today and believe me, I wanted
to do a little homework so I could be as
not as clumsy as I might have been perhaps, but
it's really important that we're open, that we open our hearts,
that we ask the questions. You don't know that somebody
(15:04):
is diagnosed with autism, but maybe that mom or dad
needs a little extra help.
Speaker 5 (15:10):
Can I want to jump in right here. There's another
thing that you told me where and you you touched
on this briefly, but I want to make this live
a little bit more. Talking about community, he was talking
about how understanding each other, understanding that we all come
in different different there are different versions of humanity expressed
(15:33):
in its society. And often when you are man, male,
physically bigger, and my understanding is that autism is happens
more frequently in male children. Oftentimes if you're black or brown,
(15:55):
there there's a there's a fear element that's associated that
that comes into play for before let me see if
I can understand the rhythm of this individual. Right You
talked about Elijah McLain who lost his life.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
And there's other stories.
Speaker 5 (16:08):
That's just kind of an easier one to get to
individuals with autism that are that are coming up against society.
Someone looking at that and feeling afraid as opposed to
because I remember him was wearing a mask because he had.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Like sensitivity sensory issues perhaps.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
And when you go even further, you know the story
that you were starting to tell, another story that I
remember hearing from you is there's an individual, I don't
know if this is a real person or not, an
individual living in a home with someone taking care of him,
let's say him, and then you know that caretaker passes away.
(16:54):
The individual with autism has been cared for by this
this other person who's now.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Passed away whole life.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
And now they have no one else to take care
of them. They are not Elijah McLain's age. They are
probably thirties forties. Maybe they don't have the same capacity,
have not developed it, or they just lack the capacity
to get throw all together to have a go at
(17:23):
life on their own. They can't pay the rent where
they live, they can't get food. You know, they've had
someone taken care of now their caretaker is gone. So
what happens after a time These people end up on
the streets. When they end up on the streets, all
of the social welfare programs that we subsidize comes into play,
(17:51):
and these individuals end up criminalized for a health issue.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
We've talked about that quite a bit on the show.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Yes, we have where people's you know, drug abuses criminalized.
Of course, we've talked about, you know, people who have
any any form of what we would consider a disability.
I'm still learning the language. I'm trying my best to
be kind, So as language evolves, please communicate with me,
y'all you know better than me.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
But but individuals with different.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
Types of abilities, you know, whatever their story is, oftentimes
the easiest and simplest and most valuable, depending on what
your portfolio reflects, is to criminalize always being and to
lock these people away. And that's sort of saying, rather
(18:43):
than providing them what I believe to be a productive
and inclusive framework that doesn't relegate these folks further into
the margins, I see a facility like first Placed for property.
(19:04):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Yeah, I got to learn like first place being something
that other.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
Cities could incorporate as well. So I wanted to make
sure that I talked about that. Now we only have
about a minute or so. I want to make sure
that we discuss vote the spectrum, the non partisan voter
registration initiative, So just speak on that give me about
(19:34):
you know, thirty seconds to a minute on that. I
know you.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
I'm sorry we run out.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
Of time, no problem, and thank you so much for
filming a little peace on Vote the Spectrum too. So
Vote the Spectrum is a registration initiative, a voter registration initiative,
and we have teamed up with other disability groups and
the County Recorder's office and the Secretary of State's office
to launch Vote the Spectrum. We need more ours, d's
(20:00):
and i's who have our back, who you understand that
people with disabilities and people who are family members of
people with disabilities and autism vote and we need to
get our butts out there and we need to vote.
We need to vote this year. We need to vote
every year. Your local jurisdiction will decide the zoning for
that next property. Your governors, your mayors, people in policy
(20:23):
elected policy places can do a lot of good to
advance supportive housing. They can do a lot of good
to help us create more inclusive communities and healthcare and
employment and education. And they can do a lot of
harm too, knowingly or unknowingly, unravel all the good we
in the charitable nonprofit sector and other sectors have done.
(20:44):
So it's really important that we get out there and
vote the spectrum and you think about it, think spectrum
of autism, spectrum of disabilities, and when you think about
the spectrum between red and blue, we can get it
right for a lot of communities and a lot of people.
And so that's what we're inuring people to do. And
I've got bookmarks and I've got stickers for you too,
(21:05):
and we hope that you use them, and we definitely will.
We're eager to help spread the word not only based
on our example here in Arizona, but in states across
the country. And they can go to vote the Spectrum
dot org to learn more and download our toolkit and
learn about some of the people and some of the
messages that we have to convey because people with disabilities
(21:25):
they have a lot to say.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
And do me a favor to.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
The first Place website, the global one that you mentioned.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Let's make sure people.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
That would be first place global dot org and spell
out first first place global dot org.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Okay, and they can go there and get more information
on first Place, more information on you, more information on
how they can have some meaningful, impactful, actionable steps in
their lives that help, you know, make a difference for
not just individuals that are dealing with autism, but you know,
(22:03):
families again, communities and you know, doing the right thing
just because it's the kind thing. So thank everyone for listening.
Thank you all for listening. I've been your host Rams's Jah.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
He's still Ramsy's Jah. I'm Qward most of the time.
I'm definitely que Ward today in their presence of Esteemed Company. Yes,
thank you for allowing us to be a part of
this conversation. And hopefully this is something that continues. I
know Ramsyes will insist, but I want you to. I
want to be able to look at you in the
eyes and let you know that I want to be
as involved in as much of a resource as I
(22:32):
can as well.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
So thanks Ki, He's telling the truth and for everyone else,
do us a favor. Hit the website Civiccipher dot comic
download this in any previous episode. You can also submit
any questions any topics. Make a donation. The show grows
with your support. Tap into us all of our social media.
For those that missed our live for the pop out
with Kidd and Friends, that's on YouTube at YouTube dot com.
(22:54):
Slash Civic Cipher and until next week, y'all peace,
Keep on riding with us as we continue to broadcast
the balance and defend the discourse from the Hip Hop
Weekly Studios. Welcome back to Civic Cipher. I am still
your host, Ramsy's job.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
He is Ramsey's job. I am q Ward. You are
either still with us or just joining. If you're just joining,
you're in for a treat because we have an incredible
guest with us today. And to all of those that
are listening, I hope everyone is having or had an
amazing Juneteenth.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah yo, and shout out to everybody that rocked with
us on our live on Juneteenth. That was fun as
we livestream the Canon Friends concert. But right now, back
to the woman of the hour, Denise Resnik again, I'm
going to say this first a mother, but also the
founder and president and CEO of First Place a Z.
(00:45):
We're going to continue having a very important conversation regarding
the intersection of being autistic and a minority in this country.
But before we get there, it is time for Baba
becoming a better ally. Baba and today's Baba is sponsored
(01:06):
by Friends of the Movement. You can sign up for
the free voter wallet from fotmglobal dot com to support
black businesses and allied businesses as well as make an
impact with your spending. Again, that's Fotmglobal dot Com and
today's Baba. I'm going to shout out my darling, Nikki.
I have a neighbor who did something that was very
(01:27):
kind this past Juneteam. And I mean, if she told
the story, she saw me get emotional in my doorway.
But the fact is is that this is this sort
of thing goes a long way, and I'm just sharing
a personal story with you. She brought a book to
my house on Juneteam. It was a children's book. Longtime
listeners will know that I have a nine year old.
(01:47):
She brought a children's book. It's called The ABC's of
Black History. And she dropped off a note and then
after I read the note, she gave me a hug
and it was just energizing. The note says Ramsy's wishing
you a wonderful and cell abatory June teenth. It is
a joy and a privilege to know you and call
you a friend. Thank you for your patience, grace and love.
(02:07):
As us allies show up to the party clumsy, so
clearly she listens to the show you are changing our
world in the world one podcast, I assume radio show
and kindness at a time. We're never too old to
receive the gifts we should have had available.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
To us as kids.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
No one is too old for a children's book help.
This gives you a smile, and you are able to
share it with anyone who needs it. Sincerely, Nicki. So
this is the first I never got a present for Juneteenth.
This is the first time anything like that has ever happened.
And it mattered. And I'll always remember this. And I
(02:45):
didn't establish this, but NICKI is a white woman, but
a kind human before that. And to know that, you know,
this is a holiday that matters to me. To bring
a gift and to just share a little bit of kindness.
I think she's this week's example.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah, that's powerful. That's powerful, man.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Yeah, I was like she asked, She's like, can I
give you a hug? Like career. I'm sure that added
to your old man. It was a moment anyway.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
All right, Denise Resin, It's such a joy to have
you here. Just your your passion is infectious and and
the way that you care, uh is infectious. Now, when
I first met you at first place, you shared a
(03:39):
bit of a story about and I don't know if
it was a true story or now, but basically a
story about how the transition from adolescence to adulthood can
be problematic, because that's a major fail point. You know,
the story I'm talking about.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
I have a good idea, but you'll stop me if
it's not the same story.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
I'm sure it is, but.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Just to kind of bring you a little bit closer,
this story that you told kind of transported me into
a home where I'm able to observe an individual with autism,
and I'm able to observe this individual's let's say, caretaker, provider,
(04:29):
support system, whatever, and you know a lot of times again,
as I mentioned, you know a lot of times when
at least for me, I would think of autism as
something that kids dealt with, not necessarily that adults dealt with.
And one of the things that happens is that when
you no longer have a caretaker as an adult, you
can fall through the cracks in society. So go with that.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Let me start with a statistic. There are one point
eight million adults living withism and intellectual developmental disabilities with
caregivers like me over the age of sixty, and that's
a slippery slope, and we're seeing an increase in displacement
and homelessness real quick.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
Before you continue, the individuals with autism are being cared
for by individuals.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Aging parents, aging parents, aging parents, and aging family members.
And it's a slippery slope because we don't have enough
options for those individuals and we're not allowing that dignity
of risk and trusting enough places who can help them
learn how to live more independently. And we need more
(05:41):
of those places that are not only beautiful, but that
have data and efficacy and that we can trust. And
so my background actually started in senior housing. I worked
for the Dell Web Corporation, the granddaddy of senior housing,
some sixty years ago. And think about senior housing, you know,
you start with independent living and then semi skilled and nursing,
(06:04):
and think about what we're doing in reverse. We're starting
with more intense supports early in adult life to increase
that level of independence to the greatest degree possible, increase
their quality of life, increase their options for where they
might live next, and reduce costs throughout their lifetime. And
we're proving that and that's really important to recognize that
(06:26):
people can learn, but not all people with autism are
the same. It is a big broad spectrum. And so
our son, who is more profoundly impacted by his autism
than perhaps your cousin, wouldn't qualify to enroll in such
a program that we have because there's not a one
size fits all. And if you think about it, just
(06:47):
in the senior housing market, which many of us are
familiar with. You know, some sixty years ago here we
had sun City. It was a retirement community. Fast forward today,
now we have all these different price points and locations
and amenities and services, and people have choice. Well here
for people with autism and intellectual developmental disabilities. We don't
have sixty years to wait. So what is it that
(07:09):
we can do in our local markets and in our
communities to develop a trusted ecosystem so we can create
more programs, more options, where people can live with pride,
with purpose, with all kinds of possibilities, and where families
like ours can have peace of mind. Because I will
assure you that the family members like me who may
(07:32):
be listening on and parents specifically have that same looming
question of who's going to care about him when I'm
no longer able to do so, And Who's going to
make sure that that somebody's watching over him? And the
answer lies in community, and community doesn't just happen. It's
each of us coming together with those job opportunities, with
(07:55):
those healthcare opportunities, with some intentionality, that's right. And so
in your local communities, who do you know in the
police department or the county sheriff's office. We knew Sheriff
pen Z owned. He brought forty of his officers and
deputies to First Place and they sat side by side
with residents with autism and intellectual developmental disabilities, and we
(08:18):
had a pretty broad spectrum represented. They not only were
learning by what we had to say in training, they
were learning from real life experiences. And then we brought
our residents down to the Sheriff's office and they learned
about the k nines, and they learned about the different vehicles,
and they learned about what you need to do when
(08:38):
a person of authority says stop, and how we respond.
And it doesn't just happen, It takes training. And so
so I'm not one to miniaturize ambitions and dreams. I
am a dreamer and have been dreaming about this for
(08:58):
decades of how do we fast track a development, a
community development in communities across the country and what kind
of ingredients do we need? And that's why we created
the first Place Global Leadership Institute, and that's why we're
hosting our thirteenth Global Leadership Institute Symposium this October. People
can find that on our website at www dot first
(09:21):
Place Global dot org and bringing thought leaders together from
across the country and around the world, because we don't
have a corner on all the great ideas here in Phoenix.
We have a lot, but we're learning from each other.
There's a lot of reciprocal learning that continues to take place.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
So RAMS is mentioned and I guess Nikki in her
letter mentioned sometimes some of us show up eager and
intentional and we want to help and we want to
be involved, but sometimes we're clumsy. For those of us
who will be new in this space that want to
be the best versions of the type of help, the
(09:57):
type of assistance, the type of allies that you would need,
what is some advice for those who are not just
clumsy but afraid to mess up or get it wrong.
How would you what type of advice would you give
people that want to be more involved in that want
to help more, but have a bit of hesitancy because
of their own personal fears of doing it wrong or
(10:18):
not showing up as the best versions of what you
would look for in a brother, a sister, or an ally.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Start with what you can control and where you are strong,
you do beautifully in front of a microphone, you asked
or you offered. You know that I suggested that I
need to get in front of more microphones. Well that's
what you could do to help me. It just takes
one It just takes one person to open the door
at that grocery store, at that doctor's office, you know,
(10:46):
at that space, to say, you know what, let's give
that person ahead of me a little more time because
I see that he or she is struggling and they
may have autism. Let's be aware we can control that.
And one of the greatest, greatest films I've ever seen
about this topic is called In a Different Key. It
is the best expression of community and of the spectrum
(11:09):
of autism. It was aired on PBS. One point three
million people saw it. It is amazing and it also
tells the story of people of color and doctor Stephanie Parks,
who's a UCLA doctoral student, who's a mother of a
child with autism, who talks about who talks about keeping
(11:30):
her child alive, and not only the autism, but how
the community would misinterpret a black man now an adolescent,
a young adult in the community maybe acting out or
showing those autistic signs. So how do we become more
aware so we can control what we read. Your listeners
are demonstrating that right now, the fact that they've tuned
(11:52):
in and stayed with us, they're becoming educated. And when
I say it just takes one it just takes that
one interaction with the police to say who can we
talk to? Who can we talk to about bringing a
training program here? Or what kind of training program do
you have? Or can I bring my child there? Can
I bring my classroom there? Can I bring my neighbors there?
(12:12):
So it's really when we think about community, it's all
of us building that one person can't build a community,
and you can't build a community for one person.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah, first of all, thank you not just for answering
my question, but for all of the information and the
learning that you're helping us do today, not just Rams
and I, but as you mentioned our listeners, I think
empathy is the start, but education takes it to the
next level. Right, wanting to be involved is one thing,
but you're giving us the proper information and kind of
(12:42):
pointing us in the right direction, thus far more than
you realize. And there may be some that listen that
want to know you know why it's so important, especially
with regard to you having sheriffs come and sit and
learn interactions with law enforcement, especially when those who are
in power are the ones that are least educated and
(13:02):
least prepared. We had a story about a young man,
Elijah McClain. I'm sure you were familiar with his story.
Think of we can all think of how different the
outcomes would be for situations like his if the people,
not just the officers, but the people in the call centers,
even the people calling nine to one one were more
well versed in how to deal with people who are
(13:25):
experiencing a life in a different key than theirs. And
Elijah McClain's story is one that I remember very specifically
affecting Ramses a lot while we were on the air
talking about it, because he understood that had someone that
showed up been more prepared that that young man's outcome
would have been completely different. And in the space that
(13:47):
you're in, have you ever encountered stories like Elijah's where
people who are mis understood and those who show up,
who are supposed to take care of them, who are
supposed to protect them, are not able to do so
because they don't know any better.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
I have, and that's why I've dedicated myself to this
work so that doesn't happen. I'll never forget what I saw,
what I smelled, and what I experienced in those places
that I visited when Matt was very young, and I
wasn't going to let that happen to him. And I
(14:23):
lived and I have lived this life of both fear
and love. You know, I fear what if we didn't
do this work, and I won't stop because I love
him and his sister very much. His sister is just
seventeen months older, and we've never wanted our daughter to
have to replace us as his parents. And it's really
(14:44):
important that we build that community. So like you, I
could show up clumsy today and believe me, I wanted
to do a little homework so I could be as
not as clumsy as I might have been perhaps, but
it's really important that we're open, that we open our hearts,
that we ask the questions. You don't know that somebody
(15:04):
is diagnosed with autism, but maybe that mom or dad
needs a little extra help.
Speaker 5 (15:10):
Can I want to jump in right here. There's another
thing that you told me where and you you touched
on this briefly, but I want to make this live
a little bit more. Talking about community, he was talking
about how understanding each other, understanding that we all come
in different different there are different versions of humanity expressed
(15:33):
in its society. And often when you are man, male,
physically bigger, and my understanding is that autism is happens
more frequently in male children. Oftentimes if you're black or brown,
(15:55):
there there's a there's a fear element that's associated that
that comes into play for before let me see if
I can understand the rhythm of this individual. Right You
talked about Elijah McLain who lost his life.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
And there's other stories.
Speaker 5 (16:08):
That's just kind of an easier one to get to
individuals with autism that are that are coming up against society.
Someone looking at that and feeling afraid as opposed to
because I remember him was wearing a mask because he had.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Like sensitivity sensory issues perhaps.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
And when you go even further, you know the story
that you were starting to tell, another story that I
remember hearing from you is there's an individual, I don't
know if this is a real person or not, an
individual living in a home with someone taking care of him,
let's say him, and then you know that caretaker passes away.
(16:54):
The individual with autism has been cared for by this
this other person who's now.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Passed away whole life.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
And now they have no one else to take care
of them. They are not Elijah McLain's age. They are
probably thirties forties. Maybe they don't have the same capacity,
have not developed it, or they just lack the capacity
to get throw all together to have a go at
(17:23):
life on their own. They can't pay the rent where
they live, they can't get food. You know, they've had
someone taken care of now their caretaker is gone. So
what happens after a time These people end up on
the streets. When they end up on the streets, all
of the social welfare programs that we subsidize comes into play,
(17:51):
and these individuals end up criminalized for a health issue.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
We've talked about that quite a bit on the show.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Yes, we have where people's you know, drug abuses criminalized.
Of course, we've talked about, you know, people who have
any any form of what we would consider a disability.
I'm still learning the language. I'm trying my best to
be kind, So as language evolves, please communicate with me,
y'all you know better than me.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
But but individuals with different.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
Types of abilities, you know, whatever their story is, oftentimes
the easiest and simplest and most valuable, depending on what
your portfolio reflects, is to criminalize always being and to
lock these people away. And that's sort of saying, rather
(18:43):
than providing them what I believe to be a productive
and inclusive framework that doesn't relegate these folks further into
the margins, I see a facility like first Placed for property.
(19:04):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Yeah, I got to learn like first place being something
that other.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
Cities could incorporate as well. So I wanted to make
sure that I talked about that. Now we only have
about a minute or so. I want to make sure
that we discuss vote the spectrum, the non partisan voter
registration initiative, So just speak on that give me about
(19:34):
you know, thirty seconds to a minute on that. I
know you.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
I'm sorry we run out.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
Of time, no problem, and thank you so much for
filming a little peace on Vote the Spectrum too. So
Vote the Spectrum is a registration initiative, a voter registration initiative,
and we have teamed up with other disability groups and
the County Recorder's office and the Secretary of State's office
to launch Vote the Spectrum. We need more ours, d's
(20:00):
and i's who have our back, who you understand that
people with disabilities and people who are family members of
people with disabilities and autism vote and we need to
get our butts out there and we need to vote.
We need to vote this year. We need to vote
every year. Your local jurisdiction will decide the zoning for
that next property. Your governors, your mayors, people in policy
(20:23):
elected policy places can do a lot of good to
advance supportive housing. They can do a lot of good
to help us create more inclusive communities and healthcare and
employment and education. And they can do a lot of
harm too, knowingly or unknowingly, unravel all the good we
in the charitable nonprofit sector and other sectors have done.
(20:44):
So it's really important that we get out there and
vote the spectrum and you think about it, think spectrum
of autism, spectrum of disabilities, and when you think about
the spectrum between red and blue, we can get it
right for a lot of communities and a lot of people.
And so that's what we're inuring people to do. And
I've got bookmarks and I've got stickers for you too,
(21:05):
and we hope that you use them, and we definitely will.
We're eager to help spread the word not only based
on our example here in Arizona, but in states across
the country. And they can go to vote the Spectrum
dot org to learn more and download our toolkit and
learn about some of the people and some of the
messages that we have to convey because people with disabilities
(21:25):
they have a lot to say.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
And do me a favor to.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
The first Place website, the global one that you mentioned.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Let's make sure people.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
That would be first place global dot org and spell
out first first place global dot org.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Okay, and they can go there and get more information
on first Place, more information on you, more information on
how they can have some meaningful, impactful, actionable steps in
their lives that help, you know, make a difference for
not just individuals that are dealing with autism, but you know,
(22:03):
families again, communities and you know, doing the right thing
just because it's the kind thing. So thank everyone for listening.
Thank you all for listening. I've been your host Rams's Jah.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
He's still Ramsy's Jah. I'm Qward most of the time.
I'm definitely que Ward today in their presence of Esteemed Company. Yes,
thank you for allowing us to be a part of
this conversation. And hopefully this is something that continues. I
know Ramsyes will insist, but I want you to. I
want to be able to look at you in the
eyes and let you know that I want to be
as involved in as much of a resource as I
(22:32):
can as well.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
So thanks Ki, He's telling the truth and for everyone else,
do us a favor. Hit the website Civiccipher dot comic
download this in any previous episode. You can also submit
any questions any topics. Make a donation. The show grows
with your support. Tap into us all of our social media.
For those that missed our live for the pop out
with Kidd and Friends, that's on YouTube at YouTube dot com.
(22:54):
Slash Civic Cipher and until next week, y'all peace,
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