This week on WURD: DC police takeover, mental health at work, Black immigrant rights

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner joined Wake Up With WURD with Solomon Jones to discuss the recent federal takeover of the DC Metropolitan Police Department, whether this could happen in Philadelphia and the legalities that are in place to prevent this from occurring under state laws.

Future Cain is a social-emotional leadership and workplace wellness expert and the CEO of Future of SEL. Cain joined Tiffany Bacon on The Midday Break Room to talk about mental health challenges in high-pressure industries, shared her thoughts on managers being trained to respond to mental health concerns and provided examples of companies successfully integrating mental health into their policies.

Award-winning journalist and Producer Gia Peppers joined Dr. James Peterson on Evening WURDs to discuss her “Healed Girl Era” podcast—a loving space for women who are in the midst of, or on the brink of, healing, the long history of Black people vacationing at Martha’s Vineyard, and the recent federal takeover of law enforcement in Washington, DC. 

Michael Coard, attorney and founding member of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), joined Wake Up With WURD to discuss the ongoing fight to preserve Black history at the President’s House site in Independence National Historical Park. In 2002, ATAC successfully negotiated with Independence Park to ensure the history of slavery was centered in the exhibit. Now, 23 years later, Coard says the movement is working to stop the Trump Administration from erasing that history through an executive order.

Rahmo Abdi is the director of organizing and campaigns at Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans and Jennifer Joseph is the senior pastor of Zion Community Church. Both joined Amadee Braxton on Solutions to discuss the plight of African and Caribbean immigrants facing Trump’s ICE immigration forces, detailed the sense of terror and fear in Black immigrant communities and explained how the people can protect themselves.