Introducing ecoWURD | Exploring the Green Divide
Philadelphia is a city of many paradoxes and many divides. It is one of the largest cities in the United States, birthplace of modern democracy, and a massive East Coast metropolitan hub of business, academia, medicine and technology. But it’s also one of the poorest of big American cities, perpetually plagued by high levels of poverty and distress. And while it is home to Fairmount Park, long celebrated and revered as one of the world’s largest urban green spaces, it is also a troubling collection of systemic environmental threats that disproportionately impact the health, well-being and future of its massive majority Black population.
WURD Radio, the only African American-owned talk radio station in Pennsylvania, and one of a only a handful in the United States, is about to revolutionize the way that topic is discussed — and how it is addressed.
With its new environmental justice journalism project dubbed “ecoWURD,” WURD Radio has assembled a talented team of thought leaders and reporters who will aggressively tackle Philly’s “Green Divide.” Covering tough, uncomfortable issues is nothing new to WURD. As an independently owned, talk radio station focused on Philadelphia’s Black community, WURD has always found itself on the front line of critical issues most relevant to Black life in this complex city. For 15 years, the station has developed grassroots credibility with its large loyal Tri-State-area (PA, NJ and DE) audience, well-known as a community pillar of discourse, intelligence and essential advocacy for the city’s voiceless.
As WURD sees it, the city’s green space is clearly not equal. But, the problematic condition of Black Philly, as it struggles to achieve a better collective quality of life, is inextricably linked to the state of its surrounding environment. The city’s Black residents are perpetually battling broader issues of air quality, water quality, residential displacement, pollution, climate change and toxicity — all of which both instigate and aggravate stubborn racial and socioeconomic disparities. WURD sees the fate of Philly’s stressed environment as central to the overall fate of Philly’s over-stressed African American community.
As a result, WURD has branched out to form ecoWURD, an innovative multimedia journalism initiative examining Philadelphia at the intersection of race, income and the environment.
ecoWURD also represents the thirteenth First Fleet Newsroom that will run on Civil. It includes veteran Philadelphia journalists Sara Lomax-Reese, Charles Ellison, Sofiya Ballin, Martin Pratt and D.L. Chandler.
Since its inception in 2003, WURD has evolved into a highly influential voice in the national Black community. And ecoWURD aims to build on that hard-earned trust by reporting more deeply on how environmental issues uniquely affect Black communities in Philadelphia and across the country. The African American community, according to ecoWURD Publisher Sara Lomax-Reese, who’s also president and CEO at WURD Radio, is disproportionately exposed to environmental toxins and stressors more often than other racial groups.
“ecoWURD will create original content around a critically important topic that we’re calling the ‘Green Divide.’ We’ll create audio as well as video content that will provide an opportunity for exchange between WURD and ecoWURD,” she said. “We’re going to take the firepower that we already have to increase awareness and quickly grow ecoWURD’s initial audience.”
“This will allow our content to be free and accessible to those most affected by what we’re covering, and giving them an option for supporting us financially when appropriate.”
As Lomax-Reese sees it, the “Green Divide” is emblematic of barriers that often exist between resilience programs and low-income communities. It’s persistent in urban cities and rural areas alike, and it is especially prevalent in Philadelphia. Many conversations about climate change and environmental issues, ecoWURD’s founders say, don’t focus on vulnerable communities who are typically on the front line of these issues.
That problem spurred the creation of ecoWURD, which will cover a variety of environmental issues such as climate change and the use of space, as well as public health impact issues like deteriorating air and water quality. Additionally, ecoWURD will explore job opportunities in the green economy and how communities of color can access them. The heightened emphasis on these issues will give a new voice to the communities most impacted by them.
According to Charles Ellison, Managing Editor of ecoWURD, launching on Civil has the opportunity to make local journalism sustainable and accessible to the public. “Journalism should be a mechanism that drives public discourse and serves the public good in a way that grows civil society,” he said. “We can’t just report facts. Our reporting must foster real, positive change while enhancing quality of life. That’s the eloquence of this partnership between WURD and Civil.”
To stay updated with news on ecoWURD, consider joining the WURD mailing list, visiting wurdradio.com or simply jump into the digital discussion @onWURD.
