Moving Forward: A Statement of Unity and Healing

Moving Forward: A Statement of Unity and Healing

We are living in a deeply divided, volatile time. It is playing out nationally and globally. At WURD, we always strive, as Gandhi said, to “be the change we want to see in the world,” modeling an approach that will allow us to learn and grow individually and collectively so we can meet the demands ahead for our community.

With that spirit in mind, we would like to clarify and correct some information that has been reported about recent events that have unfolded at WURD Radio. On July 4, an interview with the sitting President of the United States was aired on WURD. The interview was coordinated independently by our former host, Andrea Lawful-Sanders. This should have been a moment of pride for our station. However, it has been overshadowed for reasons that diverge from our shared mission and values.

We have known Andrea to be a person of integrity and character. We want to express our deep gratitude for Andrea’s five years of service and her heartfelt contributions to our station. Her advocacy and care for our community have left an indelible mark on WURD. It is important to state, unequivocally, that Andrea was not fired, nor asked to resign.

Since her departure, we have remained in touch with Andrea and are exploring potential ways to model and cultivate unity, empathy, and conversations around reconciliation for our community. All parties are committed to what is best for our listeners, their needs, and our collective healing. In any and every instance of discord, to restore what has been fractured, challenges must be faced head-on with care, accountability and transparency. We are committed to examining the impact of our response with the intention of moving forward in the restorative process with Andrea in a spirit of grace, compassion, and mutual support.

There are many lessons we can learn from this experience. We recognize this as an opportunity to reinforce our policies, procedures, and practices along with the importance of WURD’s independence. To be clear, the use of suggested questions is not accepted or encouraged at WURD. We know and believe in the power of ownership and the power of independent media, which is why we are fiercely protective of our voice. We will continue to ensure that Philadelphia’s Black community can speak and be heard in their own voice.

We remain dedicated to maintaining the trust of our listeners, leading by example for our community, and upholding the integrity of our station.