WURD Radio held its annual gala over the weekend at the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center, recognizing the contributions of Dr. Walter P. Lomax, the founder of the station. The event celebrated the station’s 13th year of existence and highlighted the impact WURD has had in informing the Black community in Philadelphia.

“I really just want to thank everyone who is here,” said Sara Lomax, president and CEO of WURD Radio. “These are really challenging times for an organization like WURD. We sit at the intersection of media, which is under attack, and Black media empowerment, which is absolutely under attack.” Lomax expressed deep gratitude for the support the station has received from its listeners and the community at large.

At the event, WURD announced the launch of “Freedom Journeys: Celebrating the Lives of 250 Phenomenal Philadelphians,” a multimedia project that will spotlight the work of Black residents—both past and present—who have made a significant impact. The two- to three-minute video presentations will air on WURD leading up to Philadelphia’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday in 2026.

“The point is we’re under attack right now,” said City Council President Kenyatta Johnson during the event. “We know African American history is American history, so this evening is an invitation for all of us to stand and speak truth to power.”

This year’s recipients of the 2025 Community Impact Award included:

– Loree Jones Brown, CEO of Philabundance
– Solomon Jones, WURD Radio host and executive director of ManUp PHL
– Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at the Franklin Institute
– Dolores Robinson, trailblazing talent agent and producer

“At this moment when our nation’s leaders are not demonstrating compassion, our work is even more important,” said Loree Jones Brown. “The weight of these challenges and the scale of the work can be overwhelming—that is why I am grateful not to have to labor alone. Nights like this lighten the burden.”

Jones Brown added that she hoped everyone who attended the event felt encouraged, knowing they are all part of the fight to make Philadelphia, the country, and their communities better places. “Everything I’ve done, I’ve done out of love for my people,” she said. “I am honored to be honored by my own, and I am grateful for the platform that I have been given at WURD. I love our folks.”

The Founder’s Day event also included a “Defenders of Democracy” panel discussion featuring attorneys Michael Coard, Keir Bradford-Grey, and Dorothy Robinson. Moderated by WURD host James Peterson, the panel focused on the state of democracy in the United States, legal strategies to protect the civil rights of African Americans, immigration issues, and the military occupation of American cities.

The discussion helped attendees and listeners understand the moment they are living in and connected them to legal resources.

“People often say that things are getting worse in America—that’s not really true,” said Michael Coard. “Racism is more visible in America; we’re figuring out a plan to reignite the civil rights–type litigation of the 50s and 60s.” Coard also emphasized the vital role that Black media has played in Black activism in America, helping to tell the stories of struggles and issues faced by Black communities and the nation as a whole.

Mayor Cherelle Parker, who also spoke at the event, reflected on the significance of the gathering. “What it (the meeting) affirms for me is that all of us, in our own right, have a role,” she said. “There are different ways that we can contribute to the social and economic advancement of African and African American people here in our great city.”

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**Panel Photo Caption:**
The “Defenders of Democracy” panel featured attorneys Michael Coard (second from left), Keir Bradford-Grey (center), and Dorothy Robinson (right). The discussion was moderated by WURD host James Peterson. — TRIBUNE PHOTO/KYLAN WATSON

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https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/wurd-holds-founders-day-gala-to-recognize-contributions-of-dr-walter-lomax/article_e8442cf1-6886-4520-af6d-55b89c367424.html

WURD Radio held its annual gala over the weekend at the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center, recognizing the contributions of Dr. Walter P. Lomax, the founder of the station. The event celebrated the station’s 13th year of existence and highlighted the significant impact WURD has had in informing Philadelphia’s Black community.

“I really just want to thank everyone who is here,” said Sara Lomax, president and CEO of WURD Radio. “These are really challenging times for an organization like WURD. We sit at the intersection of media, which is under attack, and Black media empowerment, which is absolutely under attack.” Lomax expressed deep gratitude for the ongoing support from listeners and the wider community.

During the event, WURD announced the launch of “Freedom Journeys: Celebrating the Lives of 250 Phenomenal Philadelphians,” a new multimedia project spotlighting the work of Black residents—both past and present—who have made an impact. These two to three-minute video presentations will air on WURD leading up to Philadelphia’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday in 2026.

“The point is we’re under attack right now,” said City Council President Kenyatta Johnson in his remarks. “We know African American history is American history, and so this evening is an invitation for all of us to stand and speak truth to power.”

### Community Impact Award Recipients

This year’s recipients of the 2025 Community Impact Award included:

– Loree Jones Brown, CEO of Philabundance
– Solomon Jones, WURD Radio host and executive director of ManUp PHL
– Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at the Franklin Institute
– Dolores Robinson, trailblazing talent agent and producer

“It’s moments like these, when our nation’s leaders are not demonstrating compassion, that our work becomes even more important,” said Loree Jones Brown. “The weight of these challenges and the scale of the work can be overwhelming. That is why I am grateful not to have to labor alone. Nights like this lighten the burden.”

Jones Brown also shared words of encouragement for all who attended. “We are all in this fight to make Philadelphia, the country, and our communities better places. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done out of love for my people,” she said. “I am honored to be honored by my own, and I am grateful for the platform that I have been given at WURD. I love our folks.”

### “Defenders of Democracy” Panel Discussion

The Founder’s Day event featured a “Defenders of Democracy” panel discussion, moderated by WURD host James Peterson. The panel included attorneys Michael Coard, Keir Bradford-Grey, and Dolores Robinson. They focused on the current state of democracy in the United States, legal strategies to protect the civil rights of African Americans, immigration, and the military occupation of American cities.

“People often say that things are getting worse in America; that’s not really true,” said Michael Coard. “Racism is more visible in America, and we’re figuring out a plan to reignite the civil rights-type litigation of the 50s and 60s.” Coard emphasized the importance of Black media in activism, telling the stories of the struggles and issues that Black communities face across the nation.

Mayor Cherelle Parker, who also spoke at the event, said, “What this meeting affirms for me is that all of us, in our own right, have a role to play. There are many ways we can contribute to the social and economic advancement of African and African American people here in our great city.”

—

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– **Keep it Clean:** Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist, or sexually-oriented language.
– **Turn Off Your Caps Lock:** Avoid using all caps.
– **Don’t Threaten:** Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
– **Be Truthful:** Do not knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
– **Be Nice:** No racism, sexism, or any sort of -ism that degrades others.
– **Be Proactive:** Use the ‘Report’ link on each comment to notify us of abusive posts.
– **Share With Us:** We welcome eyewitness accounts and background stories related to our articles.

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*Photo caption:* The event included a “Defenders of Democracy” panel discussion featuring attorneys Michael Coard (second from left), Keir Bradford-Grey (center), and Dorothy Robinson (right). The discussion was moderated by WURD host James Peterson. — TRIBUNE PHOTO/KYLAN WATSON
https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/wurd-holds-founders-day-gala-to-recognize-contributions-of-dr-walter-lomax/article_e8442cf1-6886-4520-af6d-55b89c367424.html