Public Safety Beyond Policing, SNAP Cuts, and Political Power in Philly

Farewell for Now

Thank you so much for listening to The Week on WURD — and for being part of our community. We really appreciate you spending time with us and following along with the podcast. While this chapter is coming to a close, WURD is just getting started. We’ve got more podcasts on the way, so stay connected. In the meantime, you can keep up with some of our best interviews and conversations by signing up for our newsletter at wurdradio.com [http://wurdradio.com/]. You can also check out our NAACP Image Award–nominated podcast, Exonerated, at wurdradio.com/exonerated [http://wurdradio.com/exonerated]. And of course, you can listen to WURD anytime for live, powerful programming — at wurdradio.com [http://wurdradio.com/] or by downloading the WURD Radio app. Thanks again for listening — we’ll talk to you soon.

Slavery Memorial Fight, Rebuilding the Middle Class, and ICE in Minnesota

Attorney Michael Coard joined Evening WURDs after the National Park Service removed the President’s House slavery memorial in Philadelphia. Coard outlined a lawsuit against the federal government and emphasized the site’s historic significance as the first federal slavery memorial—warning that further dismantling could follow without public and legal pressure. University of Texas law professor Mechele Dickerson joined Solutions with Amadee Braxton to discuss her book The Middle-Class New Deal: Restoring Upward Mobility and the American Dream. She detailed how rising education and housing costs, “domestic outsourcing,” and gig work erode economic stability, and outlined proposals to rebuild upward mobility through schools-as-hubs, job benefits reform, and zoning changes. Civil rights attorney and past Minneapolis NAACP President Nekima Levy Armstrong joined Evening WURDs with Dr. James Peterson to share details of ICE abuses of Minnesotans, including Black U.S. citizens. She also discussed her participation in a church protest, for which she was arrested by federal agents the day after her interview on WURD.  Week on WURD Listen on-demand: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-week-on-wurd/id1821500670] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/show/4rHQDJtCnc2Q4MX3RIRj0V] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@onWURD/podcasts] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠RSS⁠⁠⁠ [https://anchor.fm/s/1833ff0/podcast/rss] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://anchor.fm/s/1833ff0/podcast/rss]Download the WURD App: ⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠ [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wurd-radio/id1555428526] | ⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠ [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hr.apps.n179012] Get the latest from WURD: ⁠⁠⁠⁠wurdradio.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://wurdradio.com/newsletter]  Support independent Black media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠wurdradio.com/support [https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/]  Follow us:  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@onwurd⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://instagram.com/onwurd]  Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@forwurd⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://facebook.com/forwurd]  YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/onwurd [https://youtube.com/onwurd]

Public Safety Beyond Policing, SNAP Cuts, and Political Power in Philly

Jeff Jones, a national award–winning organizer and social impact strategist from Germantown, joined Evening WURDs to talk about reimagining public safety in Philadelphia beyond traditional policing. Drawing on more than two decades of grassroots work, he discussed community-centered approaches rooted in education, sustainability, and economic opportunity, arguing that long-term safety comes from investment rather than punishment. Zoe Reid, a reporter for WHYY, joined Wake Up With WURD to explain upcoming federal changes to SNAP benefits that could affect roughly 140,000 Pennsylvanians, including tens of thousands of Philadelphians. She walked through new work requirements, how exemptions function, and why older adults, people with disabilities, and those with unstable employment may face increased barriers — even if they technically still qualify for assistance. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner joined Evening WURDs for a wide-ranging conversation on crime, public safety, and political accountability. He pushed back on claims that Republican-led states are tougher on crime, pointing instead to structural factors like education and economic investment. Krasner also addressed the broader political climate, making clear that Philadelphia will not shy away from confronting authoritarian threats. Week on WURD Listen on-demand: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-week-on-wurd/id1821500670] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/show/4rHQDJtCnc2Q4MX3RIRj0V] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@onWURD/podcasts] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠RSS⁠⁠⁠ [https://anchor.fm/s/1833ff0/podcast/rss] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://anchor.fm/s/1833ff0/podcast/rss]Download the WURD App: ⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠ [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wurd-radio/id1555428526] | ⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠ [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hr.apps.n179012] Get the latest from WURD: ⁠⁠⁠⁠wurdradio.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://wurdradio.com/newsletter]  Support independent Black media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠wurdradio.com/support [https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/]  Follow us:  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@onwurd⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://instagram.com/onwurd]  Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@forwurd⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://facebook.com/forwurd]  YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/onwurd [https://youtube.com/onwurd]

The Year on WURD

The Year on WURD is a one-hour recap of the conversations that shaped 2025 — featuring powerful interviews, timely analysis, and moments that helped listeners make sense of a challenging year. From national politics and democracy to local accountability, justice, business, culture, and community, this special brings together voices from across WURD Radio’s programming. These are the conversations that informed, challenged, and grounded us — and reminded us why independent Black media matters. If you want to go deeper, you can listen to the full, unedited interviews featured in this special at wurdradio.com/yearinreview [http://wurdradio.com/yearinreview]. If after listening to the podcast, you realize the value of these conversations and of independent black media, consider making a contribution so we can keep doing this work. Go to wurdradio.com/support [http://wurdradio.com/support]. Thank you for listening — and for supporting WURD Radio. Week on WURD Listen on-demand: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-week-on-wurd/id1821500670] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/show/4rHQDJtCnc2Q4MX3RIRj0V] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@onWURD/podcasts] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠RSS⁠⁠⁠ [https://anchor.fm/s/1833ff0/podcast/rss] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://anchor.fm/s/1833ff0/podcast/rss]Download the WURD App: ⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠ [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wurd-radio/id1555428526] | ⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠ [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hr.apps.n179012] Get the latest from WURD: ⁠⁠⁠⁠wurdradio.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://wurdradio.com/newsletter]  Support independent Black media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠wurdradio.com/support [https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/]  Follow us:  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@onwurd⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://instagram.com/onwurd]  Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@forwurd⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://facebook.com/forwurd]  YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/onwurd [https://youtube.com/onwurd]

Paramount vs. Netflix, Prison Justice, and the AI Divide Shaping Black Futures

Film critic Tim Gordon joined Wake Up With WURD with Solomon Jones to unpack the shifting media landscape driven by a high-stakes bidding war between Paramount and Netflix over Warner Bros. Discovery. Gordon examined how growing media consolidation increases political influence, limits creative independence, and ultimately harms consumers and media integrity. Leigh Owens, education and advocacy director at the Pennsylvania Prison Society, joined Evening WURDs with Dr. James Peterson to address the humanitarian consequences of mass incarceration. Owens discussed the aging prison population, referenced the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, and underscored how incarceration separates families. He also highlighted the Society’s low-cost transportation program, which helps families maintain vital connections during the holiday season. Christopher “Flood the Drummer” Norris, chief strategy and program officer at StoryCorps, joined ecoWURD Magazine with P.O.C. to explore the expanding digital divide, particularly for older Philadelphians. Norris discussed the rapid advance of AI and the emerging industrial revolution, the risk of displacement for the Black working class, and the urgent need for equitable access to advanced AI tools. Week on WURD Listen on-demand: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-week-on-wurd/id1821500670] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/show/4rHQDJtCnc2Q4MX3RIRj0V] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@onWURD/podcasts] | ⁠⁠⁠⁠RSS⁠⁠⁠ [https://anchor.fm/s/1833ff0/podcast/rss] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://anchor.fm/s/1833ff0/podcast/rss]Download the WURD App: ⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠ [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wurd-radio/id1555428526] | ⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠ [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=hr.apps.n179012] Get the latest from WURD: ⁠⁠⁠⁠wurdradio.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://wurdradio.com/newsletter]  Support independent Black media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠wurdradio.com/support [https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/]  Follow us:  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@onwurd⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://instagram.com/onwurd]  Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@forwurd⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://facebook.com/forwurd]  YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/onwurd [https://youtube.com/onwurd]