900AM-WURD and Philly Mag Announce Social Justice Podcast for MLK Day


MLK photo by the Associated Press

MLK photo by the Associated Press

Radio station 900AM-WURD and Philadelphia magazine announced on Wednesday that they have teamed up to create a special podcast around the topic of social justice.

The podcast will be released on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 16th, and hosted by Christopher “Flood the Drummer” Norris, an activist, journalist, regular contributor to WURD Radio, and the CEO of Techbook Online, and Malcolm Burnley, an associate editor at Philly Mag.

Inspired by the lengthy letter Dr. King wrote while locked away in a Birmingham jail, in which he expressed disappointment in the white church and white moderates, the podcast will feature local and national guests exploring the topic of effective white allyship. They include Rev. Dr. Mark Kelly Tyler of Mother Bethel AME Church; Rabbi Julie Greenberg of Congregation Levy Ha-lr, Heart of the City; Leslie Mac, co-founder of the Safety Pin Box, a subscription service that offers measurable tasks for white people to complete in order to be allies in the fight for black liberation; and George Ciccariello-Maher, associate professor of politics and global studies at Drexel University, who made headlines recently with a tweet about white genocide.

The podcast will be available at www.phillymag.com and www.900amwurd.com, and aired on WURD Radio.

“At this moment in time, in a city like Philadelphia, I can’t think of a more important topic to cover, from multiple vantage points, than social justice,” said Sara Lomax-Reese, president and CEO of WURD. “At WURD, we talk about issues of racial and social justice on a daily basis. And we are excited to partner with Philadelphia magazine to expand this dialogue beyond our audience, to engage other segments of the Philadelphia community.”

“Social justice is obviously one of the most important issues facing our city and country, particularly in these challenging political times,” said Tom McGrath, Philadelphia’s editor. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with WURD to explore the topic.”

Norris is an award-winning journalist, online content producer, and professional drummer who currently serves as the CEO of Techbook Online, a news and event company that’s the largest and most active publisher on Comcast’s www.PhillyinFocus.com. Since 2014 he has co-produced and co-hosted numerous podcasts via The Dr. Vibe Show, an international broadcaster based in Toronto. He has been a guest host and regular contributor at WURD, and can be heard on the station every Friday evening at 6 p.m.

“Social justice is a theme that interests all demographics, as proven by the partnership formed by Philadelphia magazine and 900AM WURD — companies that at times serve dramatically different audiences,” said Norris. “It’s my hope that the partnership between the two media companies foreshadows a broader unification where communities across Philadelphia and the nation find common ground and work together to pursue and promote fairness, unity, liberty, and justice for all.”

Burnley, a native of Staten Island and 2012 graduate of Brown University, has written extensively for Philadelphia magazine and its website, including pieces on Philly’s unending trash problem, Voice contestant Anthony Riley’s last days, and navigating his own biracial identity. He has also done pieces for Next City, Washingtonian, and The Atlantic, and has appeared on NPR’s Weekend All Things Considered, On the Media, and the CBS Evening News.