Overdose deaths are rising fast in Black and Indigenous communities. What can be done to stop them?

ICYMI: Here’s a roundup of the biggest topics of conversation last week on WURD Radio.

Drug Deaths: Daliah Heller, VP of drug use initiatives at Vital Strategies, discussed the historic number of overdose deaths, the fact that overdose deaths are rising fastest in Black and Indigenous communities and what can be done to stop them.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/reality-check-72822-daliah-heller 

Maternal Mortality: Layla Jones, a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, joined Wake Up With WURD to talk about how America’s maternal mortality crisis traces back to Philadelphia.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/wake-up-with-wurd-72122-layla-jones 

Doulas for Pregnant Prisoners: Gerria Coffee, owner/founder of Genesis Birth Services, talked about her work with a program that provides doulas for pregnant Pennsylvania prisoners.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/wake-up-with-wurd-72722-gerria-coffee 

Brian Westbrook: The former Philadelphia Eagle discussed his latest book for children, his career and an upcoming event.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/wake-up-with-wurd-72622-brian-westbrook 

Philadelphia Parks & Rec: Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell spoke about activities the department offers for kids and teens.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/wake-up-with-wurd-72722-kathryn-ott-lovell 

Student Loan Debt: 5 Strong founder Andrew Ragland spoke about how 20 years after graduating college, Black grads owe an average debt 18 times greater than their white counterparts.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/reality-check-72822-andrew-ragland 

Elections: David Salvo and Rachael Dean Wilson from the Alliance for Securing Democracy discussed election security and disinformation ahead of the 2022 midterms.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/reality-check-72722-rachael-dean-wilson-and-david-salvo 

​​Celebrating 100 Years: Eric Griffin and his mother, Wallicia, joined The Source to speak about Wallicia turning 100 years old on July 23. Griffin also discussed lessons he has learned from his mom, who shared her “secret” to reaching 100.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/the-source-with-andrea-lawful-sanders-7212022-eric-wallicia-griffin 

Sharswood: Philadelphia Housing Authority CEO Kelvin Jeremiah discussed how PHA is targeting gentrification and making affordable housing open to residents in the Sharswood community. Donta Rose, owner-operator of the new Grocery Outlet Bargain Market in Sharswood, also joined the show.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/the-source-with-andrea-lawful-sanders-72622-kelvin-jeremiah-and-donta-rose 

Monkeypox: Dr. Anuli Mkparu, an orthopedic surgeon in Philadelphia, talked about monkeypox, its severity and actions people can take to prevent contracting the virus.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/the-source-with-andrea-lawful-sanders-7282022-dr-anuli-mkparu 

Sesame Place Backlash: Envy McKee, host of The Envy McKee Show on WURD, and Chris Norris, WHYY’s managing editor for community and engagement, discussed a recent incident at a “Sesame Street”-themed amusement park in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, in which a costumed employee appeared to snub two Black girls during a parade.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/evening-wurds-72522-envy-mckee-and-chris-norris  

Racism: Milagros Phillips, known as “The Race Healer,” is a keynote speaker, TEDx presenter and author. She joined Evening WURDs to discuss racism in our society.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/evening-wurds-72522-milagros-phillips 

Leadership: Journalist Ernest Owens spoke about the recent New Leaders Council convention in Philadelphia, why networking is important — and how people can take advantage.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/crosswurdz-72622-ernest-owens 

Anger Management: Dr. Jason Branch spoke about how people can control their anger, five resources needed to do so and what happens when those resources are depleted.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/crosswurdz-72722-dr-jason-branch 

Industry Talk: Creative director Layla Synclaire spoke about her path from modeling to directing, her passion for fashion and why more Black faces are needed in the industry.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/crosswurdz-72522-layla-synclaire 

​​Ice Cream: Adriane Stewart, founder and CEO of the Lotus Scoop ice cream brand, joined Savory & Sweet to dig into the hidden Black history behind the American ice cream industry. 

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/savory-sweet-71022-adriane-stewart 

Honey’s Kettle: Restaurateur Vincent Williams, founder and head chef of Honey’s Kettle, discussed how he has dedicated his life to perfecting his homemade, farm-fresh fried chicken.

https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/savory-sweet-71022-vincent-williams