This week on WURD: Philly budget, mass firings, cancer disparities in Black women and continued attacks on DEI

Keir Bradford-Grey, head of civil rights at Marrone Law Firm, and veteran HR administrator Karla Hill joined Solomon Jones on Wake Up With WURD to discuss the legal and civil rights implications of mass firings under Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and focused on the historical role of government employment in providing stability for Black workers and families.

Dr. Alpa Patel, co-investigator of the VOICES of Black Women study — an initiative by the American Cancer Society — joined Plyshette Wiggins, a Philadelphia-area VOICES ambassador, on Reality Check with Tonya Pendleton to shed light on cancer disparities affecting Black women. They discussed the disproportionate impact of cancer on Black women and the urgent need for greater participation in the study.

Cheyenne Gross is an EMT and full-spectrum doula. She joined Soulful Sunrise with Karen Taylor Bass and discussed the difference between midwives and doulas, the importance of doulas for Black mothers and the type of support that doulas provide.

Tracey L. Rogers is an activist and recipient of the Charles P. Monroe Civil Rights Award given by the Arlington, Va., chapter of the NAACP. Rogers is also a certified DEI professional and joined Dr. James Peterson on Evening WURDs to talk about the current challenges of DEI, building infrastructures of change, casualties of the culture war and advice for fellow activists.

Lauren Cristella is the president and CEO of the Committee of Seventy; Andrew McGinley is the group’s communications director. They joined Evening WURDs with Dr. James Peterson to preview a new three-part virtual series entitled “Understanding the City Budget: How Philadelphia Sets Priorities and Spends Your Money.”