Philadelphia, Pa. – WURD Radio LLC has hired veteran writer and creative marketing strategist Ashanti Martin as its new general manager. With more than 20 years of experience as a journalist and communications professional, Martin will be responsible for maintaining and enhancing the quality of WURD and its content across its multimedia platforms and robust community engagement initiatives.
WURD Radio is the only African-American owned and operated talk radio station in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and one of only three remaining in the United States. Started in 2003, over the past two decades WURD has evolved into a multi-media, multi-platform communications company that reaches deeply into Philadelphia’s Black community through radio, events, digital and social media. It is considered the go-to media channel to engage, interact and connect with Philadelphia’s Black community.
Martin will be responsible for achieving the Company’s overall financial goals while growing its influence and impact in the Philadelphia marketplace. She will work closely with WURD President and CEO, Sara Lomax-Reese, to build all of WURD’s multimedia platforms including 900AM/96.1FM, wurdradio.com, WURD TV, the WURD App, events, forWURD membership and its Lively-HOOD and ecoWURD initiatives. Martin will focus on building partnerships with corporations, non-profits, foundations, and other stakeholders to expand WURD’s visibility and financial growth.
“We are excited to welcome Ashanti Martin to the WURD team,” said Sara Lomax-Reese, WURD Radio President and CEO. “We are at a pivotal juncture in our growth as we approach our 20th anniversary in 2023. Ashanti’s unique skill set will help us continue to evolve so we can continue to serve Philly’s Black community – and beyond – during these complex and challenging times.”
Ms. Martin’s experience spans newspaper journalism, higher education, and startup organizations. In October 2020, Ashanti wrote an article for the Sunday edition of The New York Times about Black LinkedIn that galvanized a movement to transform the workplace experience for Black and other marginalized communities. In 2021, Ms. Martin co-founded an organization that raises awareness and helps reclaim stolen Black land. She has been featured in numerous publications and outlets including Forbes, NPR, Reuters, and USA Today.
“The issues facing the Black community in Philadelphia require conversations with truth telling and urgency that also center our wellbeing and self-determination,” Ms. Martin said. “This is the legacy of WURD Founder Walter P. Lomax, Jr., M.D., and I am honored and excited to pour myself into this mission and show the world the importance of independent, Black-owned media.”
Ms. Martin has lived in Philadelphia since 2011. She was born and raised in Yonkers, N.Y. and attended Rutgers University, where she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and communication. Ms. Martin was a staff writer and criminal justice reporter at The Record newspaper in New Jersey and held marketing roles at Rutgers, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Wharton School. For her work, she has received awards from the Garden State Journalists Association, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, and the Germantown Mennonite Church.
ABOUT WURD RADIO, LLC
WURD Radio, LLC was founded based upon the principle that communication and dialogue are central components to empowerment. WURD Radio, LLC is engaged in the business of original content creation, marketing and distribution across various communications platforms including radio, internet, and special events.
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