WURD Radio

Molly Weston Williamson, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and nationally recognized expert on paid leave policy. Previously, Molly was the Director of Paid Leave and Future of Work at A Better Balance, where she led advocacy around paid leave laws across the country and directed efforts to address the needs of all workers in a changing workforce.

Molly’s recent MSNBC article is regarding “DOGE’s attacks on Social Security could have dire consequences, as SSA announced its intent to eliminate 7000 jobs, slicking the agency’s already skeletal staff down to the marrow.” She joins Dr. Peterson to discuss social security and why it matters.

Professor Carole Boyce Davies of Howard University talks about the life of Claudia Jones, Caribbean American communist, journalist, and activist who was targeted by the FBI in the 50s and deported to London where she did some of her best work.

Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O'Rourke joins Dr. Peterson to discuss in detail the People's Tax Plan, which is a tax plan that will benefit small businesses and working families. The plan calls for wage tax refund expansion, small business tax relief and to reintroduce the wealth tax.

Clarke Dickens is a double major Junior, studying Criminology and Modern Middle Eastern Studies at Penn. She belongs to student organizations: Descendants of Afro Americans at Penn, the Africana Undergraduate Advisory Board, and QBlack.

Aisha Ali is a double major Junior, who is studying Health and Societies with a concentration in Global Health, and Nutrition Science at Penn. She belongs to the student organizations: Descendants of Afro Americans at Penn, Faces of Black Penn and the African American Arts Alliance.

They both joined Dr. Peterson to discuss the tone at University of Pennsylvania after scrubbing DEI from its public facing materials, black student & faculty empowerment and the current black student experience at the university.

Kelvin Phillips and Sofiya Ballin from Brightness in Black, join the show. They share with us a conversation between Cherri Gregg and Mary Gregg

Carniesha Kwashie is the Director of Corporate Community Impact at PECO, where she leads corporate social responsibility initiatives and oversees key community partnerships and sponsorships across the region. She joins Dr. Peterson to share PECO's workforce development opportunities for the youth.

Jerome Shabazz is the Executive Director of the Overbrook Environmental Education Center. It's a community based center dedicated to promoting environmental education, conservation, public health, and personal enrichment. They have lost a multiyear grant worth $700,000 to DOGE cuts. Mr. Shabazz joins Dr. Peterson to discuss more about the grant loss and what it means to the Overbrook Environmental Education Center.

Rev. Greg Holston of the Defend Democracy coalition discusses the habits of oligarchs and the need to organize ourselves to defend democracy and build a better way forward.

Rick Sauer, Executive Director at Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations (PACDC), joins Amadee Braxton to talk about the Mayor's housing plan.

Kathia Woods is a regular entertainment correspondent on Reality Check. She is a Philadelphia Tribune contributor and an entertainment reporter with her own show, "Cup of Soul Show" on YouTube.

Kathia joins the show to talk about her Interview with the cast of the new Tyler Perry film, “Duplicity,” out now on Prime Video, and The upcoming American two-part documentary: “Number One on the Call Sheet”.