Duo Ramses Ja and Q Ward, owners of the “White Lives Matters” slogan, recently sat down for an interview to provide insight into their trademark ownership and the interception of West’s merchandise. And what the two had to offer was insightful and enlightening.
Ramses Ja & Q Ward’s Interception
Nov 3, 2022, West was put on notice; he couldn’t market merchandise with the “White Lives Matter” slogan anymore. The news left many wondering who was responsible for the interception of West’s marketing exploit.
As it turns out, two radio hosts from Arizona were behind the interception. And for those wondering how these two did it, the answer was simple. They were the trademark owners of the slogan “White Lives Matter.”
In one of his more controversial moments, Kanye West went public with t-shirts that brandished the slogan “White Lives Matter.” When asked why he wore the controversial t-shirts, West responded,
“My dad is an educated ex-Black Panther, and he put a text to me that said, ‘White Lives Matter hahaha.’ And I said, ‘I thought the shirt was funny.’ So I said the idea of me wearing it was funny.”
However, the issue escalated beyond any point he tried to make via dark humor on apparel. His choice of statement is not what led to the order to cease and desist. But what set off alarms were attempts to capitalize on the controversy. So now, the duo has drawn a line.
Who Are Ramses Ja & Q Ward?
Ramses Ja and Q Ward are the hosts of “Civic Cipher.” Beyond that, they are activists motivated to uplift the community. After the civil unrest following George Floyd’s death, the two joined forces to bring “Civic Cipher” to the masses. They built their platform out of a need that they saw within the community. According to Ramses Ja
“We experience a lot of injustice, and these things were largely absent from the hip-hop broadcasting space.”
After the outright rejection of a proposal, the two went out on their own to fulfill the need. So as Ramses Ja contends, their platform “was born out of the protest.”
How Did The Pair Gain Trademark Ownership?
Both got the trademark as a gift. Someone interested in the pair’s platform and mission gave the brand. According to the duo, upon granting, the owner of the trademark also said,
“They were doing good work. They stood for black and brown people and were educating them. And it appeared they were good folks with a good temperament.
This drove the decision to gift the trademark. Ultimately the owner felt the two were in a better position to decide how it should benefit Black and Brown communities.
Ramses Ja & Q Ward’s Response To Kanye’s Merchandise
Kanye’s branding had nothing to do with what the duo wished to promote. And according to the pair,
“in terms of clothing that says White Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, the classification we have for our trademark grants Civic Cipher, LLC the exclusive right to sell, for profit, articles of clothing and offer entertainment.”
So West has no legal standing to market or to sell merchandise with the slogan. The larger perspective now is for the duo to maintain the integrity of the gift. In their words,
“The one thing the original trademark owner wanted above all else was to allow people breathing room, so no one had to walk down the street and see somebody wearing a hurtful phrase in the name of fashion because they’re huge fans of an individual who is probably not really in the best place mentally right now, and is actively harming his people.”
What Happens now?
Theoretically, no one can legally make or sell t-shirts with the slogan any longer. However, as the duo notes,
“We can write cease and desist to people selling these shirts … But that’s a big monster requiring teams of lawyers and thousands of dollars we do not have,”
And nothing can be done about the apparel that has already been purchased.
In Conclusion
The moral of the story is just because something seems like a good idea doesn’t mean it is. Furthermore, from a business perspective, one must ensure all t’s are crossed and i’s dotted before moving forward with potential merchandising.
Hopefully, merchandisers will do the right thing and also pull the apparel from their racks and shelves. But, unfortunately, as most know, only some people are out here to do the right thing.
