This Week on WURD: Press freedom, Black history, election threats & emotional healing

Journalist Errin Haines, president of the National Association of Black Journalists, joined Solomon Jones on Wake Up With WURD to discuss an NABJ town hall on press freedom and journalist safety. Haines addressed the arrests of independent Black journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, warned about a chilling effect on reporting, and urged the public to support credible Black journalism as a core democratic protection.

Dr. Yaba Blay, assistant teaching professor and co-director of Africana Studies at Drexel University, joined Dr. James Peterson on Evening WURDs to discuss her essay “Can I Celebrate Black History Month?” Blay examined diasporic tensions, online harassment, and anti-immigrant rhetoric within Black communities, arguing for a pan-African understanding of Blackness rooted in solidarity in the face of attempts to divide.

Attorney Kevin Mincey joined Wake Up With WURD to discuss the federal indictment of his client Jerome Richardson, a Temple University senior who served as a field producer for Don Lemon during coverage of a church protest in St. Paul, Minn. Mincey said Richardson was charged under the FACE Act for actions including sitting in pews and standing near interviews—moves he argued criminalize journalism and violate First Amendment protections.

Malcolm Kenyatta, Democratic National Committee vice chair and Pennsylvania state representative, joined Wake Up With WURD to respond to President Trump’s threats to nationalize elections in cities, including Philadelphia. Kenyatta warned the remarks target predominantly Black cities, outlined successful lawsuits blocking federal election takeovers, and previewed legislation to prevent ICE from intimidating voters at polling places.

Leah Natasha Thomas, Emmy Award–winning filmmaker and creative producer, joined Karen Taylor Bass on Soulful Sunrise to reflect on the Sundance Film Festival’s final year in Utah, the power of original Black intellectual property, and what AI might mean for creative access—especially entry-level jobs. Thomas also talked wellness, community, and why perseverance matters.

Nijiama Smalls, author and founder of the Black Girl Healing project, joined the Midday Break Room with Tiffany Bacon to unpack what emotional wounds look like in real life and what healing actually requires. She discussed self-awareness, trigger-mapping, journaling alternatives, boundaries, therapy, and why healing helps us stop “bleeding on other people.”