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Events

Writing as Liberation: Honoring Black Writers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

By Sara M. Lomax | WURD RadioEarly in my journalism career, my favorite professor, Samuel Freedman, proclaimed: “Good writing is good writing.” I interpreted that to mean that it doesn’t matter whether you're writing the great American novel or a business plan, the tenants of good writing traverse all genres. I have clung to that notion since my career has been rooted on the business side of journalism. I have […]

todayFebruary 13, 2025

Featured

This week on WURD: Recovery process for Northeast plane crash, Black History Month, Black representation at the Grammys

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel told listeners on Wake Up With WURD with Solomon Jones all they need to know about the plane crash in northeast Philly, which is under active investigation. Bethel talked about the recovery process for the surrounding community and the city’s resources to keep people safe.Director of Social Studies for the School District of Philadelphia, Ismael Jimenez, joined Evening WURDs with Dr. James Peterson and talked about the […]

todayFebruary 7, 2025

Social Justice

Phenomenal Black Writers: An Essential Reading List to Survive 2025

Celebrate Black History Month with WURD Radio by focusing on phenomenal Black Philly writers as we create our essential reading list to survive 2025. Please see the essential reading list from several Philadelphia Black writers below:Lorene Cary's RecommendationsThe Price of the Ticket - James BaldwinYour favorite Black children’s book and one new one to read to a child.See Origin, by Ava DuVernay, since a movie script is a powerful form […]

todayFebruary 6, 2025 2

Featured

Alarm around Musk’s DOGE probe of sensitive Treasury payment information

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the leadership of Elon Musk is already causing major privacy concerns around taxpayers' information. Associated Press Reporter Fatima Hussein joined Wake Up With WURD with Solomon Jones to break down how Musk’s newly acquired power has raised questions about how much power unelected officials can and should have. DOGE was created to eliminate governmental “waste” to make government agencies, such as the U.S. […]

todayFebruary 6, 2025

Politics & Government

13 states mandate paid family leave. A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants Pa. to be next.

Photo Courtesy of Amanda Berg / Spotlight PAKate Huangpu /Spotlight PAThis story first appeared in How We Care, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring original reporting and perspectives on how we care for one another at all stages of life. Sign up for free here.Pennsylvania lawmakers plan to again propose a statewide program to financially support families during critical medical events such as giving birth and recovering from illness.Under current […]

todayFebruary 4, 2025

Featured

This week on WURD: Confronting anti-DEI, senior citizens organize tenant union, ICE raid in Northeast Philly

Bill Dorsey of The Business Center and Brian Olgesby of the Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council joined Solomon Jones on Wake Up With WURD to discuss the economic and political consequences of cutting DEI initiatives. Olgesby also emphasized the need for an aggressive approach to push back against DEI rollbacks. Residents of the Hardy Williams Veterans Senior Apartments in Southwest Philadelphia are facing serious security, safety and quality-of-life issues. They joined […]

todayJanuary 31, 2025

Featured

Will a tied state House halt Harrisburg again? Pa. Democrats won’t say.

Photo Courtesy of Amanda Berg / Spotlight PA Kate Huangpu | Spotlight PA Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania House is kicking off the new legislative session with an incomplete chamber after a representative unexpectedly died and left Democrats without their one-seat majority. Last […]

todayJanuary 30, 2025

Featured

Power in Unity: Solomon Jones on Building the Black Agenda

By Solomon Jones | WURD RadioAfter the 2024 election I realized that we needed a Black agenda, because our enemies have an agenda of their own.Their agenda is designed to stop Black progress, to hide Black history and to harm Black people. But our response can’t be about them. It must be about us. That’s why Black Philadelphians came together Saturday, Feb. 25, at Germantown’s Center in the Park, in […]

todayJanuary 28, 2025

Featured

This week on WURD: President Donald Trump’s flurry of executive orders, federal protection roll-back sparks fear in Philadelphia, PA politicians rally for communal resilience

Governor Josh Shapiro joined Solomon Jones on a special broadcast of Wake Up With WURD from Girard College on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which coincided with Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. Shapiro encouraged listeners to embrace King’s teachings by maintaining hope and taking action for change.Linn Washington is a Temple University journalism professor. He joined Wake Up With WURD to honor the legacy of local Black activists who fought against police […]

todayJanuary 24, 2025

Featured

Can We Talk About the Roundhouse Now?

By Courtney DuChene | The Philadelphia CitizenPhoto Credit: Beyond My Ken, via Wikimedia CommonsLast month, as City Council was about to vote on the now-scuttled plans to build a new 76ers arena in Market East — the team officially announced they’ll build in the South Philly stadium district instead yesterday — an issue quietly reemerged that could be a bellwether not just for one Philly neighborhood, but for how we […]

todayJanuary 17, 2025

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