WURD, Philadelphia Announces Founder’s Day Gala
Urban talk WURD, Philadelphia is preparing to celebrate its annual Founder’s Day Gala on Friday, October 3, at the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The evening will include a tribute to WURD founder, Walter P. Lomax Jr., M.D., live music and entertainment, a dance party, the presentation of Community Impact Awards, and the official
launch of Freedom Journeys, a new multimedia storytelling initiative celebrating pivotal figures in Philadelphia’s past and present. Freedom Journeys, created in partnership with Renee Chenault Fattah and Love Now Media, will highlight 250 iconic Black Philadelphians — living and deceased — whose lives and work have helped shape the city. WURD president and CEO Sara M. Lomax says, “Founder’s Day will be a wonderful evening in a beautiful setting — where we will celebrate my father’s life and legacy, have great food, amazing live music and soul-filling affirmations of our culture. But we also aren’t going to shy away from what’s happening in this country. WURD has never done that, and this year’s Freedom Journeys is both celebration and resistance.”
WURD, in partnership with Renee Chenault Fattah and Love Now Media, will spotlight 250 iconic Philadelphians in the 250 days leading up to July 4, 2026. The series begins at Founder’s Day with a tribute to Walter P. Lomax Jr., M.D., WURD president and CEO Sara M. Lomax says, “Freedom Journeys is a celebration of the people who have shaped Philadelphia’s culture, history, and future. This storytelling project ensures that significant Philadelphia figures are not overlooked as we mark the semi quincentennial of this nation’s founding. We’re thrilled to launch Freedom Journeys at Founder’s Day and to honor my father’s extraordinary legacy with a night of joy, music, and community.”