This week on WURD: NJ city’s slavery reenactment request, activism through politics, the spiritual successor to “Love Jones”

Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Melanie Burney and Salem County NAACP president Nelson Carney joined Wake Up With WURD with Solomon Jones to discuss a controversy in Salem, N.J., where Black students were asked to participate in a slave reenactment for the city’s 350th anniversary celebration. The request, made by Betsy McBride on behalf of the nonprofit Stand Up for Salem, sparked outrage and led to her termination.

Independent filmmaker Nicholas ‘Sixx’ King joined The Midday Break Room with Tiffany Bacon to discuss his most recent film, “Jonesing: When Love is a Habit.” King talked about how the romantic dramedy serves as a spiritual successor to the 1997 classic “Love Jones” while celebrating the complexities of modern Black Gen Z romance.

Clint Smith, author of “How The Word Is Passed: Remembering Slavery and How It Shaped America,” joined Evening WURDs with Dr. James Peterson. He explained how the book takes readers to historical sites across America, while exploring the legacy of slavery to help readers make sense of the nation’s past and present and be better stewards of their own future.

Eric Brown is a fitness champion, bodybuilder and master barber. He joined Soulful Sunrise with Karen Taylor Bass to discuss what inspired him to merge fitness and grooming into one mission. Brown also shared that grooming is a part of wellness, confidence and self-care.

Dr. Nola Haynes is a former member of the International Security Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of State. Haynes joined Wake Up With WURD to discuss the Trump administration’s use of the military against Venezuela, the deployment of the National Guard in democratic cities and the president’s about-face on Ukraine.

Charles Barron, former New York councilman and state assemblyman, joined Groundings with Brother Shomari to discuss the differences between New York and Philadelphia’s city councils. Barron also talked about being a part of the Black Panther Party and developing an activist mindset when participating in local politics.