Two Black radio hosts have revealed that they own the trademark to the controversial phrase, “White Lives Matter” according to CNN.
In a chess-like move, Ramses Ja and Quinton Ward, hosts of Civic Cipher, a radio show based in Phoenix shared that they own the clothing trademark for “white lives matter.” The news comes as a shock, just weeks after Ye (formerly Kanye West) debuted shirts brandishing the charged three-word phrase during Paris Fashion Week.
The racial justice pair shared with CNN’s Laura Coates and Alisyn Camerota that they had no intentions of doing anything with the trademark, as “nothing is plenty.”
“It’s really about controlling who can profit from it,” Ja said.
By trademarking the phrase, they can now police who uses the phrase in connection to a product for monetary gain.
Black Lives Mattered has transitioned from a hashtag to a global social movement. Coined in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, the phrase came into the American lexicon following the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Martin was returning from a store run, where he only had Skittles and an Arizona tea when he was killed by self-appointed neighborhood watch George Zimmerman.
White Lives Matter, All Lives Matter and even Blue Lives Matter have since been used as counter protest chants.
It is almost shocking how no one, especially from the Right hadn’t already trademarked the hate slogan used amongst white supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan.
This moment wasn’t something Ja and Ward actively sought out to do. They duo told CNN, a listener of their show actually secured the trademark first and transferred its ownership to Ja and Ward’s company Civic Cipher LLC weeks later. The savvy listener who wished to remain anonymous, believed Ja and Ward would appropriately deal with the ownership.
“The phrase was intended to affirm our lives having value,” Ja told CNN. “Being able to be the decider feels very important. It’s among the heaviest things we’ve ever had to do.”
Both men are very clear about there not being any ill feelings toward Ye or even right-wing mouthpiece, Candace Owens.
“We just don’t like the hurt that comes from that message,” Quinton said. “We’re just trying to limit, as much as we can, the amount of people that have to relive trauma, or be triggered, or feel pain from a message that has such negative intentions.”
