WURD Radio

Director Carlton Williams of the Clean and Green Initiatives Office about Philly’s Summer 2025 “One Philly, United City” Cleaning Program. We discussed how the city plans to tackle litter, blight, and vacant lots by working directly with communities. Williams emphasized the importance of resident involvement and how this program supports health and environmental justice citywide.

Dr. Janice Johnson Dias is the President of the GrassROOTS Community Foundation, Associate Professor of Sociology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and author of Parent Like It Matters: How to Raise Joyful Change Making Girls Proud. The GrassROOTS Community Foundation is a global public health organization co-founded by Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, the lead emcee of The Roots, and dedicated to women and girls’ health and wellbeing.

Dr. Dias joins the show to talks about a 5k run GrassROOTS is having at the start of Philadelphia's famous yearly concert event, The Roots Picnic, on May 31st, 2025. She also talks about the initiative behind GrassROOTS, the importance of Menstrual Health Day, and more.

Jennifer Jones is the author of the book “Becoming Spectacular: The Rhythm of Resilience from the First African American Rockette.” This book details Jennifer’s journey of becoming the first African American Radio City Rockette. The Radio City Rockettes are a legendary American precision dance company best known for their high-kicking chorus line performances.

Jennifer joins the show to talk about her journey in becoming the first African American Rockette. She’ll also talks about what motivated her to write a book about it.

Rosey Lee, the 2025 Georgia Author of the Year nominee for her debut, The Gardins of Edin. Today, she's here with her newest novel, A Gardin Wedding.

Marvin Bing is the founder of the gaming social impact firm - Corner Store Studios, who co-sponsored Twitch The Vote with the New Georgia Project, ran by former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacy Abrams; and founder and executive director of JustUs Ideas Week—a national cultural accelerator conference, to build bold justice solutions.

Marvin Bing has held many national roles in organizing activism, including with the NAACP and Amalgamated Transit Union.

Marvin Bing isn’t just building movements — he’s building ecosystems where justice, creativity, and impact thrive—rooted in lived experience, powered by collaboration, and designed for transformation.

He joins Dr. Peterson to discuss the inaugural conference JustUs Ideas Week, to connect justice-impaired individuals, key changemakers, and bold action being held at the Community College of Philadelphia from June 9th - 13th.

Arthur “Silky Slim” Reed, whose dedication to societal transformation led him to collaborate with the nation’s leading civil rights firm, Ben Crum Law, where he holds the role of Investigator. Under the mentorship of civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, Attorney Reed has applied his personal experiences to contribute to groundbreaking cases that garnered national attention.

He joins Dr. Peterson to discuss a murder and case that garnered all of our attention on May 25, 2025 - George Floyd.

Ellie Rushing is a Philadelphia Inquirer journalist who covers criminal justice and law enforcement in Philadelphia, including how crime and the court systems impact communities. She returns to Evening WURDs to discuss the verdict of the Mark Dial trial; a police officer who was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, possession of an instrument of crime, and reckless endangerment in the 2023 shooting death of 27-year old Eddie Irizarry.

PA State Rep. Rick Krajewski of the 188th legislative district discusses the hidden measure inside the Trump spending and tax bill that would outlaw state governments from regulating Artificial Intelligence in their states, and his House Bill 1040 that would regulate the use of algorithms to set rent prices in Pennsylvania.

Rebecca Subar is the member of Jewish Voice for Peace. She joins Amadee to discuss the state of the movement to end genocide in Gaza, the murder of two Israeli embassy aids by a Palestinian rights activist, and the use of antisemitism claims by the Trump administration to divide us.

Tavis Kordell is an actor and singer from Raeford, North Carolina, currently captivating audiences as Jerry/Daphne in the national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical, "Some Like It Hot". Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, Some Like It Hot is the “glorious, big, high-kicking” (Associated Press) story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime.

Tavis joins the show Tavis will further discuss his role in Some Like It Hot, the context of the musical, and what he hopes audiences can take from viewing the musical.