The Domino Dialogues: Jugando con las Memorias

In this audio short from Episode 6 of The Domino Dialogues, Inez Ramos reflects on the women she watched growing up in Philadelphia’s Kensington and Norris Square communities. She shares how mothers, neighbors, and organizers shaped her understanding of advocacy and helped guide her toward learning her Puerto Rican history and identity.
Her story is a reminder that many of the people who shape movements and communities are not always the most visible, but their impact carries across generations.
Episode 6, The Courage to Fight, releases March 15 in recognition of Women’s History Month.
If this story reminds you of women who shaped your own path, we invite you to share their stories and help us continue preserving the living history of Philadelphia’s Puerto Rican community.

In this short from Episode 6 of The Domino Dialogues, the conversation turns to a Philadelphia graffiti artist known as Spel, remembered for turning clothing into wearable art during the 1980s. His hand-painted jackets, shirts, and custom pieces became part of the visual identity of the community, with many proudly wearing his work as a form of self-expression.
During the discussion, both Inez Ramos and Eddie Ramirez recall owning and wearing Spel’s designs, highlighting how art, fashion, and neighborhood culture often intersect in ways that aren’t always formally documented.
After this clip was shared, community members began responding with photos of original Spel pieces, helping preserve a small but meaningful piece of Philadelphia’s cultural history.
Episode 6, The Courage to Fight, releases March 15.
If you have photos or memories connected to Spel’s artwork, we invite you to share them as part of this growing community archive at our website.

This audio clip comes from Episode 5 of The Domino Dialogues, titled “Breaking the Mold.” The episode features Captain Maria Ortiz-Rodriguez of the Philadelphia Police Department and Captain Cecilia Ortiz of the Philadelphia Fire Department.
In this moment, Captain Cecilia Ortiz reflects on the importance of conversations that connect history, culture, and lived experience.
She explains that what stands out about The Domino Dialogues is how accessible the conversations feel. Instead of presenting history as a lecture, the stories unfold naturally around the table.
Captain Ortiz also reflects on growing up in an area that was once labeled the “Badlands” by media coverage in the early 1990s. Within the community, many residents see it differently and refer to it as the “Goodlands,” a reminder that neighborhoods are defined by the people who live there, not just by headlines.
Moments like these show how storytelling can reshape narratives about place, identity, and community.
As host Edwin often says, the goal of the show is simple: listeners and viewers should feel like the fourth player at the table.
This clip highlights how conversation can become a way of preserving history while keeping it connected to the present.

This audio clip comes from Episode 5 of The Domino Dialogues, titled “Breaking the Mold.” The episode features Captain Maria Ortiz-Rodriguez of the Philadelphia Police Department and Captain Cecilia Ortiz of the Philadelphia Fire Department.
In this segment, Captain Cecilia Ortiz shares a story from her work with the Fire Explorers youth program. During an EMT training session, the group began to lose focus and treat the training casually. Captain Ortiz made a decision that caught everyone off guard.
She told them to pack up their things and go home.
The message was simple: if the work isn’t taken seriously, the training stops.
Captain Ortiz explains that in the fire service, the job is never about one individual. Firefighters operate as a unit, relying on each other in moments where lives are on the line. The discipline required in training reflects the reality of the job.
The lesson worked. The group returned with a new understanding of what teamwork and responsibility look like.
This clip highlights how leadership sometimes means setting clear expectations and holding the line.
This short is part of the ongoing promotion for Episode 5: “Breaking the Mold,” a conversation about leadership, service, and the experiences of two women who rose to the rank of captain in Philadelphia’s police and fire departments.
 

This audio clip comes from Episode 5 of The Domino Dialogues, titled “Breaking the Mold.” The episode features Captain Maria Ortiz-Rodriguez of the Philadelphia Police Department and Captain Cecilia Ortiz of the Philadelphia Fire Department.
The conversation begins with a joke from host Edwin: “Is there any way we could get your mom a pension with the police department?”
The laughter opens the door to a meaningful story.
Captain Maria Ortiz-Rodriguez shares that her mother once hoped to become a police officer herself but never had the opportunity. Years later, when Captain Ortiz-Rodriguez was working as a young detective in the Long-Term Missing Persons Unit, the work became emotionally exhausting and discouraging.
At one point she considered stepping away from the assignment.
Her mother reminded her why the work mattered. Families were calling the unit hoping someone would give everything they had to help find their loved ones.
That perspective stayed with her and gave her the push to keep going.
This short highlights how encouragement, especially from family, can shape the way someone carries responsibility in public service.
This clip is part of the ongoing promotion for Episode 5: “Breaking the Mold,” a conversation about leadership, service, and the experiences of two women who rose to the rank of captain in Philadelphia’s police and fire departments.

This audio clip comes from Episode 5 of The Domino Dialogues, titled “Breaking the Mold.” The episode features Captain Maria Ortiz-Rodriguez of the Philadelphia Police Department and Captain Cecilia Ortiz of the Philadelphia Fire Department.
In this moment, host Edwin reflects on an early experience in his career when he felt out of place in professional spaces. At the time, he was still learning how to carry himself, including how to dress for the rooms he was entering.
One day, someone named Miss Maria pulled him aside, fixed his tie, and told him something simple but powerful: he belonged there.
That moment stayed with him.
Sometimes confidence begins with someone else recognizing potential before we see it ourselves. A few words of encouragement can shape how a person walks into every room after that.
This clip captures a reminder about the power of mentorship, affirmation, and the small moments that can plant the seeds of leadership.
This short is part of the ongoing promotion for Episode 5: “Breaking the Mold,” a conversation about leadership, service, and the experiences of two women who rose to the rank of captain in Philadelphia’s police and fire departments.

This audio clip comes from Episode 5 of The Domino Dialogues, titled “Breaking the Mold.” The episode features Captain Maria Ortiz-Rodriguez of the Philadelphia Police Department and Captain Cecilia Ortiz of the Philadelphia Fire Department.
In this segment, Captain Cecilia Ortiz speaks about the responsibility that comes with answering emergency calls. When people dial 911 or reach out for help, it is rarely a routine moment in their lives. Something has gone wrong, and for many families it may be the worst day they will ever experience.
First responders arrive in the middle of those moments. They witness crisis, trauma, and fear, and they are expected to show up ready to help.
Host Edwin reflects on the emotional resilience required for that kind of work. The conversation highlights the human side of public service and the reality that first responders often carry the weight of those experiences long after the call ends.
This short clip captures an important truth about the job: firefighters, police officers, and other emergency professionals regularly meet people at their most vulnerable moments, and that responsibility becomes part of the role.
This clip is part of the ongoing promotion for Episode 5: “Breaking the Mold,” a conversation about leadership, service, and the experiences of two women who rose to the rank of captain in Philadelphia’s police and fire departments.

In this audio clip from Episode 5 of The Domino Dialogues, Captain Cecilia Ortiz of the Philadelphia Fire Department reflects on where she spent her afternoons growing up.
Her family lived above Santos Cheesesteaks, but most days after school were spent at her grandparents’ homes while her parents worked long hours. Dinner happened there. Homework happened there. The day slowed down there.
For many families, especially in Latino households, grandparents helped hold that in-between time together. The hours between the final bell and the evening routine. The quiet structure that shaped discipline, memory, and responsibility long before careers took form.
This clip moves through those early routines and the role elders played in raising a generation that would later step into leadership.
If this conversation resonates, follow The Domino Dialogues wherever you listen and leave a review. It helps more people find stories like this. You can also share your stories on our website, www.SomosSociety.com

“The worst thing you could do is be dead while you’re alive.” In this clip from The Domino Dialogues Episode 4: A Holiday at Centro Musical, Edwin talks about why community spaces like The Lighthouse exist. They exist so people can live fully, show up for one another, and stay connected to the work that came before us. At some point, responsibility belongs to all of us. 
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Episode 5 of The Domino Dialogues brings Captain Cecilia Ortiz of the Philadelphia Fire Department and Captain Maria Ortiz-Rodriguez of the Philadelphia Police Department to the table.
This conversation traces long arcs.
Captain Maria shares how she began as a teen in the Police Explorers program in Philadelphia and later became Captain in the same district where she once volunteered. What started as exposure became direction. What felt like a possibility became a career.
Captain Cecilia talks about starting the Fire Explorers program years ago. Her own children were part of the first group. Today, they serve as firefighters in the same department. That kind of continuity doesn’t happen overnight. It grows through mentorship, structure, and people willing to stay.
We also move through memory. Growing up above Santos Cheesesteaks. After-school hours spent at grandparents’ houses while parents worked long days. Dinner there. Homework there. The TV on in the background. Then home later in the evening, only to begin again the next morning.
For many families, especially in Latino households, grandparents helped hold the middle of the day together. That steady presence shaped discipline, identity, and responsibility long before uniforms or rank entered the picture.
This episode is about women leading in spaces that were not built with them in mind. It is about youth programs that plant seeds early. It is about staying close to community while carrying real responsibility.
Leadership here is not framed as achievement. It is lived as consistency.
Pull up a chair.