WURD Radio

Zak Berkman | Evening WURDs - 7.15.26 by WURD Radio

Guest host of Evening WURDs Roxi Fab, interviews both Tawanna Campbell, who plays Nell, and Chabrelle Williams, who plays Armelia, who plays Charlaine in the People's Light Theatre Company's most recent production, Aint Misbehavin.

Guest host of Evening WURDs Roxi Fab, interviews Andrew Watring, Community Programs Creative Director & Resident Associate Director with the People's Light Theatre Company.

Guest host of Evening WURDs Roxi Fab, interviews Candace Thomas, who plays Charlaine in the People's Light Theatre Company's most recent production, Aint Misbehavin.

Guest host of Evening WURDs Roxi Fab, interviews Dorse Brown, a choreographer who plays Andre in the People's Light Theatre Company's most recent production, Aint Misbehavin.

Guest host of Evening WURDs Roxi Fab, interviews Marcus Allen Jorndon, Associate Director, who plays Ken in the People's Light Theatre Company's most recent production, Aint Misbehavin.

Guest host of Evening WURDs Roxi Fab, interviews Gina Pisasale, Director of New Works & Resident Dramaturg, about People's Light Theatre Company's most recent production, Aint Misbehavin.

Dr. Keith Kantor is a Trichologist and Clinical Director of Regen Therapeutics, a specialized medical practice located in Sandy Springs, Georgia. The clinic focuses on advanced, non-surgical regenerative medicine. It is widely recognized by Georgia medical professionals as a leading practice for regenerative hair restoration. Dr. Kantor notes that while many people assume hair loss after rapid weight loss is always temporary, in some cases it can become long-lasting or permanent if the underlying biological causes are not properly addressed. Dr. Kantor joins the show to talk about why hair loss is common for certain people after weight loss.

Renee Washington is a sports broadcaster, professional speaker, career coach, and founder of Renee Washington Media & Consulting. Through her work in media, storytelling, and live events, she helps lead impactful conversations across sports, business, culture, and personal development. As a former three-time All-American, Hall of Famer, Renee had an opportunity to play professional soccer before transitioning into a dynamic career across media, communications, and live events. She currently works across some of the biggest platforms in sports media, with broadcasting and hosting experience that includes FIFA, NBC Sports, ESPN, the NWSL, and other national and international outlets. Spain has advanced to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after defeating France. The remaining semifinal match features Argentina taking on England on Wednesday, July 15. The tournament concludes with the third-place match on Saturday, July 18, and the final on Sunday, July 19th. Renee joins the show to talk about the remaining teams in the FIFA World Cup. She will also give her thoughts on the MLB All-Star game in Philadelphia on July 14th.

Frances Hoover is the Executive Director of the Smith Memorial Playground. The 6.5-acre playground has multiple zones for climbing, swinging, spinning, and exploring. The mission of Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse is to provide and promote opportunities for unstructured free play. The Smith Memorial Playground will be rolling out its Smith's Hear Us! The Children’s Time Capsule Project. This initiative is designed to preserve the voices, artwork, and lived experiences of Philadelphia’s children today and preserve them for future generations. Throughout 2026, children across Philadelphia will be invited to contribute letters, drawings, poems, photographs, and recorded messages reflecting their lives, hopes, and visions for the future. These submissions will be collected through dedicated “Time Capsule Stations” located at Smith Memorial Playground, schools, libraries, recreation centers, and other community hubs across the city. All collected materials will be sealed in a specially designed time capsule during a public ceremony scheduled for November 7, 2026, at Smith Memorial Playground in East Fairmount Park. Once sealed, the capsule will remain untouched for 50 years. It will be reopened in 2076, coinciding with the United States’ 300th anniversary. Frances joins the show to talk about Smith Playground's “Hear Us!” Time Capsule Project.

Future Cain is a social-emotional leadership and workplace wellness expert who is the CEO and Founder of Future of SEL and the host of Healing Our Future videocast. She is an international speaker who has been featured in Forbes and the New York Times. Future is a certified culture facilitator, is one of LinkedIn’s Top Black Voices to follow, and a trusted consultant for a variety of organizations. Future joins the show to talk about why our brains tend to crave constant stimulation, and why silence feels uncomfortable for some folks.

Devon Horace, is a Black serial entrepreneur, Angel Investor, author, speaker, and business consultant with a deep commitment to building inclusive economies and empowering underestimated founders. Khadijah Robinson is the founder of AQUA Waterproof Headwear, a patented line of stylish, 100% waterproof turbans and headwraps designed to protect hair from rain, water, humidity, and UV exposure without sacrificing style. Every July, communities across the nation come together to celebrate National Independent Retailer Month. This month-long event shines a spotlight on the unique charm and value that independent retailers bring to our local economies. Beginning Saturday, June 27th, “Mom Your Business” (MYB) will continue its partnership with the Reading Terminal Market Summer Marketplace, bringing a vibrant lineup of Black women-owned businesses to the Plaza on Filbert Street every Saturday and Sunday through Aug. 2, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. They both join the show to discuss how Independent Retailer Month is creating opportunities for Black women entrepreneurs at Reading Terminal Market this summer.

Paury Flowers is the Deputy Director at Mt Vernon Manor CDC. She joined Dr. Peterson to discuss the upcoming Mantua Community Fun Day event happening Friday, July 17th from 3 PM to 6 PM.

Paige Shoemaker DeMio is the Senior Policy Analyst for K-12 education policy at Center for American Progress. She joined Dr. Peterson for the Center for American Progress segment to discuss how congressional Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill threatens access to free school meals.

Michelle Kuppersmith is the Executive Director of Campaign for Accountability. She joined the show to talk about new research on private equity-owned hospitals and the growing cost of healthcare. We explored how rising medical bills disproportionately affect Black and Brown communities already burdened by environmental pollution, chronic illness, and healthcare inequities, and why transparency and accountability are essential to building healthier, more just communities.

Tracy Carluccio is the Deputy Director of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. She joined the show to talk about proposed LNG projects in Delaware County and what they could mean for nearby communities. She discussed her research, the environmental and public health concerns surrounding liquefied natural gas, and how residents can stay informed and engaged in decisions that impact their neighborhoods.

Dr. Timothy Golden is a visiting Professor of Philosophy at Whitman College. For 20 years, he was a criminal defense attorney in Philadelphia and in the federal courts. He joins the show to talk about the death of Nolan Wells in Mississippi is under investigation. What happened in this case, and why is it dredging up the racial history of Mississippi and of America?

Dr. Nola Haynes is a former adjunct senior fellow for the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, and served in the Biden-Harris administration as a member of the International Security Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of State. She joins us to talk about the Collapse of the Iran peach agreement after both sides have resumed strikes.

Host Chris Murray sits down with Dr. Kyle Morris-Sol, a community leader, advocate, and gunshot survivor who partners with the Philadelphia-based nonprofit Black Men Heal to promote black mental health awareness and the trauma that black men face. Dr. Morris-Sol also discusses the pressure black men face as providers in the family while advocating for therapy, particularly with black therapists and mental health professionals to better connect with.

LaToya Stroman is the founder of Girl Talk Global, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization committed to expanding opportunities for girls through leadership development, mentorship, international travel, and global education. Through the organization's signature "Up Up and Away" Study Abroad Program, LaToya has helped young women broaden their perspectives beyond their neighborhoods by introducing them to new cultures, educational experiences, and leadership opportunities around the world. On Aug. 1, eleven young women from the Philadelphia region won't just board an international flight to London, they'll step into a future they once only imagined. For many of them, it will be their first time leaving the United States. Some have never flown on an airplane. Others have never held a passport until now. Together, they will travel to London through Girl Talk Global's "Up Up and Away" Study Abroad Program, an annual initiative that introduces girls ages 13 and older to international travel, global education, leadership development, and cultural exchange. The experience is designed to shift how they see themselves and what they believe is possible. LaToya joins the show to talk about the initiatives of Girl Talk Global, its Up Up & Away Study Abroad program, and the importance of traveling.

Renee Washington is a multi-platform sports anchor, analyst, and storyteller with experience across professional and collegiate athletics. She has worked with leading networks and organizations, including ESPN, NBC Sports, FOX Sports, MSG Networks, FloSports, BET, Front Office Sports, the NWSL, CONCACAF, the Queens League, and USL. At NBC Sports, she has contributed to Olympic Trials coverage and Peacock broadcasts, while also serving as a sideline reporter and analyst for ESPN. Renee joins the show to give some updates on the activity taking place in the FIFA World Cup.

Ben Tinsley is a French teacher based in Colombia, South America. A teacher of almost 2 decades and a lifelong student, Ben has dedicated his professional and personal life to the pursuit of substantive diversity, equity, and belonging in education. In the classroom, he has had the opportunity to work with teachers and schools around the world to develop curricula that center Black Indigenous Communities of Color and other historically marginalized peoples. Ben joins the show to continue teaching WURD listeners small French words and phrases.

Dr. Dacia Russell Goman is a dual board-certified physician in Emergency Medicine and Obesity Medicine, a healthcare executive, and the founder of Apex Metabolic. She is an expert in women’s metabolic health, muscle preservation, longevity, and evidence-based weight care. Dr. Goman joins the show to talk about the importance of maintaining a healthy metabolism, and how having a healthy metabolism can affect one’s longevity.

On this episode of Life and Tech with Tech Life Steph, host Tech Life Steph goes overs various community events in the tech field or targeted at younger audiences going on in the summer. She is joined by Vernon Ray Jr. of "Shoot Cameras Not Guns" to discuss his summer youth program. Later on Steph is also joined by Camille Smith, the founder of STEM So(ul)cial, a global community that empowers Black professionals in STEM.

On this episode of On The Record, host Ernest Owens investigates the nature of the Deferred Retirement Option Plan or DROP program, which allows eligible career city employees to retire on paper while still allowing the retiree to be able to work after the fact.

As we mark Black Mental Health Awareness month, therapist Dr. Helena Fontes joins the show. She talks to us about domestic violence and how it affects mental health

Ernest Crim III is an Emmy-nominated producer, public school teacher, and antiracist educator, who uses Black historical narratives to empower and educate through a culturally equitable lens. Former high school history educator of 12 years and who now advocates for social justice issues and teaches Black History to the world through social media, with a platform that reaches millions of people each month. He joined Dr. Peterson to discuss the story about Nolan Wells, and a Black woman who was surrounded by White Nationalists on a DC metro train.

Carol Kuniholm is the Co-Founder and Chair of Fair Districts PA. She joined Dr. Peterson to discuss Fair District PA's mission, initiatives, and the civic engagement of Pennsylvania residents.

Lev Mandel is the author of Money is Weird, a workbook that helps people organize and sort through their psychological ties with money. Lev will join the show to talk about people's psychological ties with money, especially as it pertains to doom spending, money dysmorphia, and financial anxiety.

Renee Washington is a National Sports Anchor and analyst with FIFA, ESPN and NBC, Professional Speaker, and former Three-Time All-American and Soccer Hall of Famer. She joined Dr. Peterson to share updates on the FIFA World Cup including Thursday's quarter-finals matchup between France and Morocco.

Dr. Michael C. Grayson is a nationally recognized credit expert, financial educator, author, and consumer advocate who has spent more than 25 years helping individuals improve their financial standing, eliminate debt, and understand the credit system. He currently holds all three credit industry records, including the highest recorded credit score. He is the founder of the Credit and Debt Management Institute (CDMI) and creator of educational programs focused on financial literacy and consumer empowerment. The U.S. Departments of Education and Treasury recently announced an agreement transferring management of defaulted federal student loans to the Treasury Department. For borrowers who have fallen behind, this represents a major escalation in collection authority and enforcement. Dr. Grayson will join the show to further discuss the issues that could arise with federal student loans now being managed by the US Treasury Dept.

Kathleen Marcath is the creator of the bestselling picture book My Monster Truck Goes Everywhere with Me. Inspired by her grandson's love of monster trucks and her background in Deaf Community Studies, Kathleen created a unique children's book series that seamlessly weaves American Sign Language into engaging, relatable stories. Kathleen will join the show to talk about the context of her book, and to discuss how learning sign language encourages creativity and confidence in children.

Chris Norwood joined Dr. Peterson for this week's Critical Commentary segment to discuss Trump's suggestion about the end of the US-Iran ceasefire, and the online racist and anti-Semitic backlash that was directed at a high school musical "1776" performed at the High School for Creative and Performing Arts.

Stephanie Reid is the Director of the Yale National Initiative. She joined Dr. Peterson to discuss the work of the Yale National Initiative, and it's involvement with the New Haven community in the 1970s.

Renee Washington is a National Sports Anchor and analyst with FIFA, ESPN and NBC, Professional Speaker, and former Three-Time All-American and Soccer Hall of Famer. She joined Dr. Peterson to discuss the possibility of Lebron James choosing to join the Sixers, hosting the coverage of the HBCU Swingman Classics with WURD Radio's Chris Murray, and share more updates on the FIFA World Cup.

WURD Radio's General Manager Ashanti Martin joined Dr. Peterson to discuss the HBCU Swingman Classic happening Friday, July 8th at 7 PM.

Adam Mansbach is the Author of the book, "Go The F to College". He joined Dr. Peterson to discuss in-depth about "Go The F to College".

Dr. Delana Wardlaw and Dr. Elana McDonald are board certified physicians and they are twins. The join us to talk about researchers who say that moms who don’t respond quickly to their child’s vocalizations increase the risk of the child developing a specific kind of disorder.

Dr. Tiffany Towers is a licensed clinical psychologist and Clinical Director at Seasons in Malibu. With a doctorate in clinical forensic psychology and years of experience treating substance use and mental health disorders across Southern California, she's known for blending traditional clinical work with drama and narrative therapy techniques drawn from her background in the arts. Dr. Towers joins the show to talk about what high-functioning addiction is, how that looks from person to person, and what people can do to overcome it.

Gwen Ragsdale joins the show. She is co-curator of the Lest We Forget Slavery Museum in Germantown. Gwen talks to us about, ‘Hurts us to the core’: Institutions tell Philadelphia’s history of slavery amid Trump censorship threat at President’s House Site"

Tavis Smiley is the host of The Tavis Smiley Show on KBLA Talk 1580. He joined Dr. Peterson to discuss the flaws of the Democrats and how they screwed Bernie Sanders, and the missing Mississippi teen Nolan Wells.

Dr. Kemi Oyewole is a Provost's Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. She joined Dr. Peterson to discuss her thoughts on instructional coaches, the role of an instructional coach, how to bring morale and community in education, and how she got into her profession.

Adam Mahoney is the Climate and Environment Reporter at Capital B News. He joined Dr. Peterson to discuss his recent article regarding young Black men committing suicide.

As America 250 fades into the distance, Police commissioner Kevin Bethel joins us to reflect on how the City Police Department handled security for the events and what they learned for future event preparations.

Dr. Robin Buckley is a cognitive-behavioral coach and creator of Marriage Inc., a framework that applies business strategy principles to building thriving relationships. With a deep understanding of human behavior and executive coaching experience, she helps high-achieving professionals and couples turn challenges into growth opportunities, from communication breakdowns to decision fatigue to intimacy struggles. Dr. Buckley joins the show to talk about some misconceptions that people have about maintaining a long & healthy marriage.

Dr. Debi Silber is the world's leading expert in betrayal recovery and the founder and CEO of The PBT Institute — the world's leading organization devoted to betrayal recovery research, education, and transformation. A PhD-credentialed researcher, two-time TEDx speaker with over 2 million combined views, two-time #1 international bestselling author, globally ranked podcast host of From Betrayal to Breakthrough, and founder of National Forgiveness Day, her work has been validated across 100,000+ people in 50+ countries and has redefined what's possible for individuals, teams, and organizations ready to move forward. Dr. Debi joins the show to talk about the dynamics that come into play when a close friend or close family member betrays you, and how that can affect one's psyche.

Dr. Anna Elton is a licensed marriage and family therapist, clinical sexologist, speaker, and author of the upcoming book, The Formula of Desire. She works with both individuals and couples, specializing in anxiety, relationships, intimacy, and emotional well-being. Dr. Elton is a frequent media guest who provides practical, evidence-based strategies to help people improve their mental health and build healthier relationships. Dr. Elton joins the show to talk about the dynamics of anxiety and panic attacks.

Tuomi Forrest is the executive director of Historic Germantown, a partnership of 20 extraordinary historic houses, destinations, and museums in Northwest Philadelphia that have joined together to protect, preserve, and share some of Philadelphia’s prized historical assets. The Historic Germantown Visitor Center will be unveiled on July 9th. The $100,000 reimagining of the Germantown Historical Society building expands the Visitor Center into a welcoming gateway featuring two new exhibition galleries and a gift shop. The space was created to help visitors better understand Germantown's rich history before exploring the neighborhood itself. Tuomi joins the show to talk about the significance of the unveiling of the Germantown Visitor Center.

Ben Tinsley is a French teacher based in Colombia, South America. A teacher of almost 2 decades and a lifelong student, Ben has dedicated his professional and personal life to the pursuit of substantive diversity, equity, and belonging in education. In the classroom, he has had the opportunity to work with teachers and schools around the world to develop curricula that center Black Indigenous Communities of Color and other historically marginalized peoples. Ben joins the show to continue to teach WURD listeners small French words and phrases.

Julia Cadwallender is the Managing Director of Read by 4th. She joined Dr. Peterson for this month's Philly Reads segment to discuss updates on Read by 4th's work, the school facilities in need of improvement, and the Philadelphia School District's public partnership dashboard.