WURD Radio’s Founder’s Day Commemorates the Vision of Walter P. Lomax Jr., M.D.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug. 18, 2022

Contact: Ashanti Martin | amartin@wurdradio.com

PHILADELPHIA – On Aug. 31, 2022, WURD Radio will host its ninth annual Founder’s Day community celebration to honor the legacy of Walter P. Lomax Jr., M.D., the station’s pioneering founder and one of Philadelphia’s leading physicians, entrepreneurs and philanthropists. The celebration will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Free Library of Philadelphia at 1901 Vine St.

A signature event of WURD Radio since 2013, this year’s Founder’s Day marks the event’s first return to in-person programming since 2019. The 2021 Founder’s Day celebration featured virtual programming in addition to a ceremony naming Walter P. Lomax, Jr. M.D. Way at 18th and Wharton streets, the site of his first medical center.

“Founder’s Day is one of the most significant events on WURD’s robust calendar of community events,” said WURD President and CEO Sara Lomax-Reese. “It’s an opportunity to celebrate the importance of Black-owned media outlets like WURD, which my father acquired 20 years ago in order to ensure that Black Philadelphians always had a voice. On Founder’s Day, we center all of our programming and activities on three of my father’s deepest passions: independent media, community health, and Black wealth creation.”

Founder’s Day is free and open to the public. The day’s events will be broadcast from the library, and listeners can tune in on 96.1FM/900AM, wurdradio.com, the WURD app, and WURDTV live-streaming on Facebook and Twitch.

The centerpiece of Founder’s Day programming includes conversations with Philadelphia community and business leaders on topics that impact the city’s Black community and beyond: land ownership and generational wealth, Black women in technology and innovation, and an examination of violence in the city as a public health issue. 

In addition, WURD hosts will participate in a roundtable discussion on the role of independent Black media in turbulent times, particularly in the months leading up to a pivotal midterm election in which eyes across the nation are focused on key Pennsylvania races.

The day’s events also feature a job and resource fair; a mindful movement class; live musical performances; WURD member-exclusive opportunities; and the presentation of the second annual WURD Community Impact Awards.

“Founder’s Day is not only a celebration of my father’s core values and his impact in Philadelphia, it is an opportunity to engage WURD listeners and the broader Philadelphia community,” Lomax-Reese said. “Whether you attend Founder’s Day in person or listen to programming on air or online, you will gain an appreciation for the richness, diversity, and influence of Black people and culture in Philadelphia.”

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Below is an outline of WURD Founder’s Day programming and confirmed featured guests:

PANELS

10 to 11 a.m. – Violence as a Public Health Issue

Moderated by Andrea Lawful Sanders, host of The Source

• Sharrelle Barber, Sc.D., Director of The Ubuntu Center on Racism, Global Movements, and Population Health Equity 
• Seun Ross, Ph.D., Executive Director, Health Equity, Independence Blue Cross
• Carol Penn, D.O., Mind-Body Medicine Expert
• Trooper Sanders, CEO of Benefits Data Trust
• Joseph M. Gobern, M.D., MBA, FACOG, System Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mainline Health

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – This Land Is My Land: Creating Generational Wealth Through Property Ownership

Moderated by Charles Ellison, host of Reality Check

• Charles Lomax, Chairman and CEO of Lomax Real Estate Partners LP
• Ashanti Martin, General Manager of WURD Radio
• Tayyib Smith, Principal, Smith&Roller/Chief Strategist, The Growth Collective
• Kenny Gamble

1:30 to 2:30 p.m. – Black Women Tech Innovators and Entrepreneurs

Moderated by Sara Lomax-Reese, President and CEO of WURD

• Sherrell Dorsey, Founder and CEO, The Plug
• Mutale Nkonde, Leader, AI for the People
• Brigitte Daniel, CEO, Wilco Electronic Systems
• Tiffanie Stanard, CEO and Founder, Stimulus

3 to 4:30 p.m. – WURD Host Roundtable: The Role of the Black Press in Perilous Times 

• Andrea Lawful Sanders, The Source
• Charles Ellison, Reality Check
• Joann Bell, The Source
• Kala J, CrossWURDz
• Brother Shomari, Groundings
• Solomon Jones, Wake Up With WURD

COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD RECIPIENTS

1 to 1:30 p.m. – Awards presentation ceremony

• Lisa Robinson, Founder & CEO My Independence at Home 
• M. Claire Lomax, Esq., (Posthumously) WURD General Counsel and Board Member 
• Joan Myers Brown, Founder of Philadanco 
• Terrill Haigler, CEO of YaFavTrashman LLC
• Richard Gordon IV, Principal of Paul Robeson High School for Human Services 

LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMERS

Musical performances take place throughout the day

• Ashley Scott
• Stan Davis
• Owen Brown
• Rahnda Rize
• Karen Smith
• Jaykia

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