Food has been the cornerstone of African-American life since landing here on these shores of America, especially the coast of South Carolina, where the low country reign supreme. Imagine combining a Chosen Visionary with the spirit of stick-to-it-ness, and you have a recipe for the Urban Academics Roundtable.

The Roundtable was started as a direct result of COVID-19 (April 16, 2020). As educators, school systems and PIMOSH providers through the expansion of 2019, we knew something was brewing in education late 2018.

For the first time since 2004, The PIMOSH Network was making moves with folks we’d been talking to for years around the idea of expansion/subsidiary opportunities in South Carolina being one of the expansion states. Things were changing – seemingly for the better, still more of the same bureaucracy. 

THREE BOOKS TO READ

1. Enduring The Call; A 14 Day Journey, by Jocelyn Fagan ($14.00)
2. The ZOLA Experience: A Journey of Recovery From Loss, by Katurah A Bryant, LMFT ($14.99)
3. When The Heart Takes Flight, by Carla Yarbrough ($9.99)

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A fight was on our hands, and we knew it – Here was COVID-19, schools were closed, parents didn’t know what hit them, and now we should have higher levels of respect for teachers, especially those within inner-city, urban school systems. On top of everything else – There was a presidential election.

With most public schools closed and limited supplies getting to inner-city kids at certain times during the pandemic, there was a woman in Charleston who took it upon herself to feed and help everyone! Here’s the thing – Her idea of food forever was planted years before COVID-19. Again, food draws people in general. How much more the children?

This Week In The HOT-Seat

Ragina Scott Saunders is a Charleston, SC native – A true Gullah Geechee girl. She’s also the brainchild and owner of Scotts Grand event center located at 5060 Dorchester Road in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Her love for cooking and hospitality came from her grandparents.

“There was always a pot on the stove that was supernaturally never empty, no matter what the circumstance. Everybody always got to eat!”

Ragina Scott Saunders, Author, Entrepreneur & Philanthropist Scott’s Grand Event Center N. Charleston

Scotts Grand celebrates art, family, and business through special occasions, catering, and corporate events. Her outgoing and self-driven nature, coupled with a personal passion for “helping people connect, has found blessings and much success as an expert throughout the catering, event management space.

Lady Ragina continues that tradition passed down from her grandparents, feeding folks through the Destiny Community Café, the area’s only Pay-What-You-Can Healing Community café; She’s the founder and executive director.

The purpose of Destiny is to raise the level of awareness about food insecurity (hunger) in this country and reduce food waste while also being a catalyst for change in our communities. The Cafe works to reduce food waste while serving and giving from the heart.

Notable Accomplishments:

• Author: “If She Can; Encouraging Stories of Faith, Fire and Fight ($17.99)”
• Awards: Jefferson Award for Volunteerism
• Contributor: Gullah/Geechee Kitchen
• Creator: The Soul Food Foundation
• Entrepreneur: Destiny Community Café
• Entrepreneur: Scotts Grand Event Center
• Movies: The Circus: Inside The Greatest Political Show On Earth (Amazon Prime, Netflix & Showtime)

Ragina Saunders is no stranger to media and TV interview – Here’s a recent piece of press bestowed on the Queen of Soul Food …

She is also the creator of the Soul Food Foundation and contributor to Gullah/Geechee Kitchen bringing chefs, cooks, and restaurants together around “soul food” to preserve the culture, history, and roots of the soul food industry.

What’s More?

She is a wife of over 28 years with great faith. As a mother of three, two daughters, and one son, she is blessed with a granddaughter who is now 4-months old. They all live happily with “Sparrow,” their dog.

Whenever Lady Ragina is not saving the world, she is on the beach reading a book with family nearby.

Are You New To Urban Academics?

Who should attend? Administrators, C.E.O.s, Child Advocates, Civil Service Members, Content Creators, Educators, Entrepreneurs, First Responders, Guidance Counselors, Journalists, Mental Health Professionals, Parents, Political Figures, Students, Upward Mobile Professionals, School Systems Interested in Change, Teachers, and People Involved in Motivating Our Students Higher (P.I.M.O.S.H.) Subsidiaries. GRAB a Seat HERE.

Do You Have Any Questions?

Please post your questions and thoughts in the comments section below; For any HOT-Seat Chosen Visionary or members of the Urban Academics family. More information is HERE! Thank you for reading, and may God bless you!