By Charles EllisonOn Tuesday, April 4, we shared our very last broadcast of Reality Check with Charles Ellison on WURD Radio. That happened after a full month of being off the airwaves, dogged by a bit of speculation over what had happened: Why had I suddenly, without warning, disappeared?Monday, March 6, was that fateful day when it all happened. I was struck with a very sudden seizure during a live […]
Education: This past Tuesday, March 28, Jason Wingard, the first Black president of Temple University, resigned as the faculty union was preparing to hold a vote of no confidence.Listen to the interview that Solomon Jones did with Wingard on Wake Up with WURD about a month ago, where they discussed the killing of Officer Chris Fitzgerald, safety concerns and how the Temple community will move forward as they deal with […]
Philadelphia to pay over $9 million to protestors in new settlementMichael Coard hosted a discussion with lawyers Marni Jo Snyder, Riley Ross and Paul Hetznecker about a settlement announcement regarding the protesters that got pepper sprayed on the parkway during the George Floyd protests. The settlement includes $9 million in damages to those impacted and the establishment of a community mutual fund of $500,000. https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/sets/protest-settlement?si=d14d1fed5b2345049c781995bb9efff0&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing Race: Massarah Mikati is an award-winning journalist […]
While many education forums have focused on policy, WURD’s listeners wanted to know what the candidates to be Philadelphia’s next mayor would do about issues that don’t get as much attention. By Denise Clay-Murray For many Philadelphians, the most important issue that the city’s next mayor will have to deal with is education. From schools being closed due to asbestos to students being victimized by gun violence going to or […]
By: Alesia Bani | The PlugOver the course of the last year, I have had the opportunity to cover my hometown, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. The Plug chose to focus on Philadelphia to highlight the abundance of excellence emerging from the city’s burgeoning Black tech and innovation ecosystem.These are a few of my favorite stories:Why are Black Founders Headquartering Their Startups in Philadelphia?This is one of the first […]
Local: Shawn Mooring, head of Philadelphia programs for The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, joined Wake Up With WURD's Solomon Jones to talk about the survey that asked citizens about their views on the state of the city of Philadelphia. https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/wake-up-with-wurd-3142023-shawn-mooring Environment: Russell Hicks from POWER Climate, Justice and Jobs; Ayana Bradshaw, executive director of health promotion services at PHMC; and Mathy Stanislaus from The Environmental Collaboratory at Drexel University joined […]
This past Wednesday, Mar. 8 was International Women's Day. To celebrate, we wanted to take a look back at some recent interviews with extraordinary women. Music: Legendary singer, actress and television host Dionne Warwick and her son, multi-platinum record producer Damon Elliott joined Wake Up With WURD's Solomon Jones to talk about "HITS! The Musical,” in which they are both co-producers. https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/wake-up-with-wurd-3323-dionne-warwick-and-damon-elliot Arts: Vashti DuBois is a social practice artist, […]
ICYMI: Here’s a roundup of the biggest topics of conversation last week on WURD Radio.Politics: Newly elected Pennsylvania Speaker of the House State Rep. Joanna McClinton joined Reality Check to discuss being the first woman to win Speaker of the House in the 341-year history of the Pennsylvania Assembly. https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/reality-check-3123-st-rep-joanna-mcclintonMural Arts: Jane Golden is the executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia. She joined Wake Up With WURD's Solomon Jones to talk […]
Education: Temple University President Jason Wingard joined Wake Up With WURD's Solomon Jones to talk about the school's latest news including the killing of Officer Chris Fitzgerald, safety concerns and how the Temple community will move forward as they deal with grief. https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/wake-up-with-wurd-22323-jason-wingard Politics: Seth Anderson-Oberman and incumbent Councilmember Cindy Bass joined Solutions host Amadee Braxton to discuss their campaigns for the 8th district seat in Philadelphia City Council. https://soundcloud.com/onwurd/sets/city-council-races […]
Philadelphia is the birthplace of America. Home to the constitutional convention, the City has a history deeply entrenched in this country's founding and its governing laws and rules. However, these principles dedicated to life and liberty have often only been applied to a select few, leaving many behind, especially Black Americans.The paradox of a country defined by freedom yet still enslaving people and limiting their human rights inspired numerous movements […]
