Tag Archives: Urban Content

How To Become Better With PODCAST FOR BLACKS In 15 Minutes

Finally, a podcast specifically targeted black and brown folks passionate about living the inner-city urban lifestyle. The Urban Academics Roundtable Podcast is a little different from most. It takes the Ted Talk concept to another level with high levels of interaction with Q&A segment after a story by a different Chosen Visionary. It’s brilliant!

GRAB IT NOW: CLICK HERE for The Urban Academics Roundtable RSS Feed

The Urban Academics Roundtable Podcast will host 15-minute Bonus sections of each full-length HOT-Seat segment (previously recorded). We will release weekly segments every Friday after the pre-planning pilot, and Anchor is currently hosting it.

Here’s the feed for the Urban Academics Roundtable Podcast. Enjoy! Please be sure to leave us a comment or ask your questions in the comments section below.

Fascinating PAY WHATEVER Tactics That Can Help Your Business Grow

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)


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:

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!

A Beautifully Refreshing Perspective On ARTS EDUCATION AND THE THEATRE

The arts in education and theater are not new to the world; each of these phenomenons is expressive models that most people desire. The ability to express oneself does come in many forms. Still, the theatre is not recorded, nor is it edited, and therefore needs skilled performers and talent for ticketed guests to experience something they’ll remember and tell others about.

When we look at black and brown folks in the theatre, it’s not widely a choice for performing artists; Black folks tend to go towards film/movies or rap/sing. This week at the Urban Academics Roundtable, Chosen Visionary Number Fifty-One (51) will share the climate in the theatre when he was a student and graduate from Howard University Drama Department, and whether that distinguished degree made the playing field easy or not?

What does the climate look like today in the theatre for black folks, and what can we do to ensure the next generation of talented young people find their way to the most fruitful opportunities?

WATCH NOW – The HOT-Seat at Urban Academics, Season One

The term “Black Theatre” combines plays and musicals directed, performed, produced, or written by African-Americans (Blacks) over the past 200 years.

The Harlem Renaissance of the late ’20s and ’30s was mostly responsible for causing the blow-up that paved the way for hidden skilled performers and talented acts. There is so much that came out of this era that remains, but what was once there that is no more? Find out at the Urban Academics Roundtable, Thursday at 9:30 pm (EDT). You are invited to join us; It’s FREE; GRAB a Seat HERE.

Three Books You Should Read NOW

  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)

This Week In The HOT-Seat

a graduate of Howard University’s Department of Drama. He Mr. Holtz is a writer, actor, director and teacher with an extensive background in theater, film/video and stand-up comedy.  He teaches theater in the Newark (NJ) Public Schools.

Gregory Holtz, Sr, is HOT-Seat Number 51 - Artistic Director, Actor, Publisher, and Writer Dines With Us At the Urban Academics Roundtable, Thursday at 9:30 PM (EDT)

Notable Accomplishments

  • Film and TV Projects: Chicken Special
  • Film and TV Projects: Field Your Way Through It,
  • Film and TV Projects: The Mission
  • Sitcoms: Beacon Place
  • Sitcoms: South Africans-Americans
  • School Project: Mind Builders-Positive Youth Troupe
  • School Project: NJPAC, Writer’s Theater of New Jersey
  • School Project: New Jersey State Council for the Arts, NJPAC
  • School Project: New York Shakespeare Festival’s Playwriting in the Schools program
  • School Project: NYU’s Creative Arts Team
  • School Project: The Children’s Art Carnival
  • School Project: Theater for the Forgotten’s Changing Scenes
  • Service: Cultural Envoy to South Africa through U.S. Department of State as a playwright
  • Writing Credits: A Christ Mass Story
  • Writing Credits: Ali…From Cassius Clay To Bomaye
  • Writing Credits: Black Codes From The Underground, (produced by Lincoln Center’s Directors Lab 1999)
  • Writing Credits: Grandma’s Hands
  • Writing Credits: Lifeline
  • Writing Credits: The Anansi X-5000
  • Writing Credits: Trip This
  • Writing Credits: Where’s Bobby?

Three Things You Should Do NOW

What’s More?

Mr. Holtz currently serves as Writer/Producer with Think Young, LLC developing docuseries on the life of Andrew Young. If you have any questions for King Holtz, please use the comments section below – We will make sure he gets your message and respond accordingly.

Are You New To Urban Academics?

Who should attend? Administrators, CEOs, 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 comments or questions in the comments section below for any HOT-Seat Chosen Visionary, or for Members of Urban Academics Online. More information is HERE! Thank you for reading, and may God bless you!

If You Want To Be A Winner, Change YOUR BELIEF IN YOURSELF Philosophy Now

Believing in your dreams and that of others is not as easy as it sounds, but doable on all accounts if you only believe. You can do anything you will do in this life, but it’s difficult to drown out the background noise and stay focused on the goal ahead. Chosen Visionaries are born out of

People come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and can be tricky at best. It’s up to the visionary to see what God has purposed in their hearts and then move to that end with the fear present, taking courage in moving forward. Why do some make it while others give up, falling flat on their face more often than not?

WATCH NOW: HOT-Seat at The Roundtable, Season One

The Urban Academics HOT-Seat, Season One Featuring Twelve Chosen Visionaries in the HOT-Seat. You Can Binge Watch by Clicking Below! SUBSCRIBE to Our YouTube Channel NOW & CLICK THE BELL!

Three Books You Should Read Now

  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)

Meet Our Next Chosen Visionary in the HOT-Seat

His week’s Chosen Visionary began a professional life of acting and singing after moving to NYC from Chicago and landing her debut role as a breakout star in the movie MO’ Better Blues (A Spike Lee Joint) and several other movies over the years. What’s so neat was that her role called for a female singer/vocalist; She got the job, and her featured song, Harlem Blues, climbed up the R&B Billboard charts to number one (see the video to her chart-topper below).

Cynda sings professionally for film and the stage. She sings Jazz, Americana, and R&B/Hip Hop Fusion with THe WES Group, Michael Martin Band, and The C & Ronnie G’s Band.

Lady Cynda is also a weekly co-host with DJ Kid Disco on “The Morning Melanated Show” from 10 am-12 pm Wednesday. Catch the Show Here!

Cynda WIlliams, Actress, Author, Singer, Speaker at Pink Pantie Confessions PPC Productions from Greater Chicago on Keeping The Faith

Notable Accomplishments

  1. Author: Pink Pantie Confessions (P.P.C.) by Cynda Williams ($9.99)
  2. Film/Movies: 72-Hours, by Christopher Nolan
  3. Film/Movies: A Change in The World, by Mark Vadik
  4. Film/Movies: Caught Up by Darin Scott
  5. Film/Movies: Kings Of LA by Van Elder
  6. Film/Movies: Life Aint Like The Movies, by Robert Butler
  7. Film/Movies: Mad As Hell by Robert Parham
  8. Film/Movies: MO’ Better Blues, A Spike Lee Joint
  9. Film/Movies: Pieces of David, by Lawrence D Wallace
  10. Film/Movies: Ray Meets Helen, by Alan Rudolph
  11. Producer: Pending Series Podcast on the Anchor Platform
  12. Producer: PPC RADIO SHOW
  13. Television Appearances: ABC – Oprah’s Mini-Series, The Wedding
  14. Television Appearances: BET’s Hidden Blessings
  15. Television Appearances: HBO’s Dorothy Dandridge
  16. Television Appearances: PBS’s Tales of The City
  17. Writer: Creator of Books, Musicals, and Screenplays

WATCH NOW: Cynda Williams “Harlem Blues” Performance

Three Things You Should Do Now

What’s More

Cynda has always liked to volunteer, and when she’s not helping others, she’s working on her many projects. She especially loves the Guiding Light, Inc. out of Muncie, India, where Cynda serves as the nonprofit’s consultant for the arts. Ms. Williams continues to sing and accepts quality roles in film, television, theatre, and she’s here at the Urban Academics Roundtable.

Are You New To Urban Academics?

Who should attend? Administrators, CEOs, 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 them in the comments section below if you have questions for Lady Cynda Williams or Urban Academics. Thank you for reading, and may God bless you!

Easy Ways You Can Turn CHURCH HURT TESTIMONY Into Success

Being a gifted child comes with its advantages and disadvantages too! When you have usable gifts and talents within the Black Church, that can become a whole other level of problems, some of which you can share, and the rest, let us say many folks carry that part to their graves.


The Black Church is responsible for turning out many quality acts over the years, and we’ve heard all of the stories at one point or another. Aretha Franklin, Monica, Toni and Tamar Braxton, so many others. What do you do when it hurts regardless? Most artists tell stories of running away from the church/pain.


This week at the Urban Academics Roundtable, the chosen visionary is here to share his story around hurt experienced in the church because he was gifted and talented. All blessings, bad and good, come through people – But not all people can be who we want them to be. Until we know the circumstance, situation, or overall story, getting it all wrong is easy.

READ THIS PRESS RELEASE ON MANNY JAMES

Three Books You Should Read NOW

  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)

This Week in The HOT-Seat

Manny James, Church Street South Entertainment, recording artist, songwriter, and composer, was born and raised in New Haven, CT. A singer and performer since the age of 8. He grew up in a community that presented many challenges. He says, “We didn’t have much growing up, but we made the best of what we had” Those days and experiences fueled the creativity you see today.

According to Manny, Church Street South, his childhood neighborhood, is honest and remains relatable today. Manny’s approach to life, songwriting, and performing come from Church Street South projects, what was once called the worst housing projects in America during the 1980s.

Manny says his music and performances give back to the people.  

“As an artist, I need to create from an honest space. Writing songs where people relate always makes the best music.”

Manny James, R&B Singer/Songwriter and Community Activists

Notabke Accomplishments

  • Co-wrote and released the YouTube viral sensation “So Incredible” (The Julio Jones Dance) via a Visa/NFL “My Football Fantasy” campaign. The campaign garnered 4.6 million views in less than a week.
  • Debuted in the Top 25 on iTunes (Just Being Honest)
  • He established himself as an artist and songwriter before “Just Being Honest” hit digital outlets
  • James brought no-holds-barred soulful and unique performances
  • Headliner or opening act
  • Known at many of Tri-State’s top venues

Three Things You Need To Do Now

In 2017 the phenomenal “Church Street South” release, named after the neighborhood he grew up in, led to his most successful year to date, gaining twenty-two thousand fans from 57 countries.  

What’s More?

In 2020 Manny formed his record label Church Street South Entertainment and released a new single, “Never Let Go.” The song is well received. A full-length album is next, showcasing unsung musicians and up-and-coming vocal magic. You can contact Manny by using the comments section below.

Are You New To The Weekly Roundtable

Who should attend? Administrators, CEOs, 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 Questions?

Use the Comments Section Below to ask questions or get in touch with this HOT-Seat Chosen Visionary or the Urban Academics staff. Ask away, and she will get to your questions and quickly as possible. CLICK HERE FOR HOT-SEAT INFO!

The Ultimate Guide To BREAST CANCER, CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE, AND MINISTRY

What happens when you combine beauty and smarts, technology and skill, and the called and chosen? A major move in the natural and the spirit! During these days of COVID-19, we are well aware that there must be RAM in the Bush!

Churches are closed, and most schools do not have the capacity to fully open – They can’t begin to understand what today’s kids face in the new world adults have been forced into. Where, or to whom do our children run when they’ve run out answers or tears of their own?

This week’s HOT-Seat Chosen Visionary is one who is seeing great success and living her best life. However, that’s not always been her story; One including Child Sexual Abuse, and even Breast Cancer. Here are survivor stories from one who lived to tell. You must jump on this call – One that can save your mind and ultimately your life. It’s FREE, but you’ve got to REGISTER HERE!

Struggling To Be Me; No Longer Silent and invisible at The Table https://amzn.to/3twZ2OXhttps://amzn.to/3twZ2OX by Rev. Willetta (Lettie) Ar-Rahmaan ($14.00 On Amazon)

Three Books You Should 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)

In This Week’s HOT-Seat

Rev. Willetta “Lettie” Ar-Rahmaan, M.Div., MSIS is an Author, Bi-Vocational Ordained Baptist Minister, employed by IBM Software Quality Engineer Manager. She is the owner and visionary of On The Move Ministries, LLC, the former pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Newton, NC, and former Minister of Assimilation at First Baptist Church West in Charlotte, NC. She’s a native of Hamden, CT, but completed high school in Durham, NC.

Rev. Willetta (Lettie) Ar-Rahmaan, Author, Computer Engineer for IBM, and Ordained Baptist Minister Dines at The Urban Acaemic Roundtable Thursday at 9:30 PM (EST): https://bit.ly/UranAcademicsRoundtableSeat

Notable Accomplishments:

  • A MINISTER: Bi-vocational Ordained Baptist Minister
  • AUTHOR (Best Selling): Struggling To Be Me: No Longer Silent & Invisible at the Table. by Lettie Ar-Rahmaan ($14.00)
  • AWARDS: Technology All-Star award for Women of Color in STEM
  • EDUCATION: Associate of Science in Data Processing from Gateway Community College
  • EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from North Carolina Central University
  • EDUCATION: Master of Science in Information Systems from Strayer University
  • EDUCATION: Master of Divinity from The Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University.
  • PUBLISHED: “Dancing with God,” and a 21-Day Prayer Journal
  • PUBLISHED: “Lord Take My Ordinary Life and Mind” for two women ministries
  • PUBLISHED: A Sermon, “Breaking the Silence,” published in The African American Pulpit. 
  • SPECIALIZED TRAINING: church transformation and church vitality through the United Methodist Church
  • SPECIALIZED TRAINING: Connection Matter Congregation Trainer through Prevent Child Abuse, North Carolina

GRAB A COPY OF REV. WILLETTA (Lettie) Ar-Rahmann’s New Best Selling Book, Struggling To Be Me: No Longer Silent & Invisible at the Table. ($12.00) at AMAZON.COM!

Three Things You Should DO

What’s More?

Rev. Lettie believes through education, we can help people heal and promote awareness prevention. Lettie is the mother of one daughter and grandmother of three young women; Her Tag Line: #educatehealprevent.

Are You New To The Weekly Roundtable

Who should attend? Administrators, Educators, Child Advocates, Entrepreneurs, Guidance Counselors, 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 Questions?

Use the Comments Section Below to ask questions or get in touch with this HOT-Seat Chosen Visionary or the Urban Academics staff. Ask away, and she will get to your questions and quickly as possible.

Why Did Slaves Grow Up In The Southern Colonies

If you’re alive right now, it seems as if the thought of slavery is a thing of the past, like hundreds and hundreds of years ago; And while that is true, it really is not! The truth continues to point to these truths: Not every man is created equal and as petty as it may sound, that truth includes the fact that most folks in the United States have been trained to hate on some level causing many black and brown people to be mistreated.

On the surface, it may appear that we as a people are out of control; or simply have lost the way. Here’s the question: If we are not sure where we came from, how shall we ever return to a place where we know the truth. It seems impossible at best to believe we can ever truly experience what the actual slaves lived within the United States, but it goes down in history as having the largest groups of cash crops in the world.

The “experience” as it were, and its lingering effects are considered horrific, yes, but what would be more horrible is if we do not accurately account for these experiences in our voice as documentalists or story-tellers. But that all ends now with this week’s Urban Academics HOT-Seat Chosen Visionary. She spends her days interpreting the experience of 75-100 slaves who lived and died at the McLeod Plantation in Charleston South Carolina.

Three Books You Should 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)

Who’s In This Week’s HOT-Seat

Reverend Toby Smith was born in Charleston, South Carolina, but grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She’s a graduate of USC, Columbia, and has done graduate work at American University and Colorado Christian University. Toby began her professional career at the Central Intelligence Agency, where she served domestically and abroad.

After eight years with the Federal Government, she returned home and began working at the Charleston County School District as the Public Relations Officer under the leadership of the late Superintendent, Sydney “Chip” Zullinger, who selected her to coordinate the district’s first bond campaign dedicated to repairing old dilapidated schools. That campaign led to politics and, her passion for the political process.

Rev. Smith’s biggest and boldest adventure to date: Commemoration 400, Charleston’s, year-long reflection on the experience of the enslaved and their descendants.  Today, Toby is the Lead Interpretive Aide at McLeod Plantation Historic Site; One of two cultural locations in the US presenting slavery issues from the enslaved perspective. In this role, Toby interacts with guests and visitors from all over the world while telling compelling stories of the 74-100 enslaved people who lived and died at McLeod Plantation.

Rev. Toby Smith, Cultural Interpreter and Licensed Ordained Minister, HOT-Seat Visionary Number 41, Charleston SC
Rev. Toby Smith, Cultural Interpreter and Licensed Ordained Minister, HOT-Seat Visionary Number 41, Charleston SC

Notable Accomplishments

  • FIRSTS: City of Charleston Mayoral Candidate on Racial Reconciliation and engaging communities in need
  • FIRSTS: Charleston Metro Credit Union’s First African-American Director of the Affairs Group
  • MINISTRY: Licensed Ordained Minister at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church (Rev. Willis Glover, Sr., Pastor)
  • SERVICE: Assists the Food and Clothing Ministry
  • SERVICE: Executive Director of Midland Park Community Ministries
  • SERVICE: Expanded food pantry and clothes closet programming and services to Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties
  • SERVICE: Non-Profit Grants development and strategy funding
  • SERVICE: Non-Profit Grant Reviewer for the Compassion Capital Fund
  • SERVICE: Taught financial literacy, first-time homebuyer, pre-and post-bankruptcy, and mortgage default classes throughout the state of South Carolina
  • SERVICE: Weekly Bible study, and Sunday School Classes
  • SERVICE: Worked with Youth and Women’s Ministries
  • Writer: IMARA Woman magazine (Columbia, SC), covering education and financial literacy

Three Things You Should DO

Are You New To The Weekly Roundtable

Who should attend? Administrators, Educators, Child Advocates, Entrepreneurs, Guidance Counselors, 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 Questions?

Use the Comments Section Below to ask questions or get in touch with this HOT-Seat Chosen Visionary or the Urban Academics staff. Ask away, and she will get to your questions and quickly as possible.

Everything You Wanted to Know About GULLAH GEECHEE PEOPLE and Were Too Embarrassed to Ask

We celebrate BLACKNESS every day, but across the world, February is a constant reminder of how far we’ve come as a people; Look @ Us! Closing out Black History Month 2021 COVID-19 Edition is a historian caught in the “Twilight Zone.” Someone who can remember “Before Freedom!”


My mother was born and raised in a tiny little place in South Carolina, not even on the map, one of twelve siblings, yet I’ve never heard her refer to the term “Geechee Gullah, nor Gullah Geechee, but why? Learning of this cultural and wealthy legacy has changed my life, and I pray it changes yours as you travel through time with a tour guide who uses the term “After Freedom.”


Black History month may be coming to a close based on the world’s calendar, but Being black in America will always be a mixed-bag of emotionally charged questions from one generation to the next. However, today is the dawning of a new day where the truth shall make us free. Change has come. Let us not miss this moment.

Gullah

Gullah is a combination of Creolized language taking root through customs, traditions, and awful circumstances resulting from slavery in the US. This “Gullah” language was spoken by slaves settling in both South Carolina and Georgia. It’s not written language; It’s the passage and patios of the Lowcountry.


A good pot of GUMBO passed down over time might sum it up? African, English, and any adaptations, expressions, and words – Even foreign languages picked up, based on slave owner’s nationality.

The word “Gullah” might be a mixture of the African word Gora or Gola (names of tribes living in Sierra Leone). Some believe the Gala or Gallinas are the African connection for the Gullah people in the Sea Islands.

Three Books You Should 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)

Who’s In The HOT-Seat

Alphonso Brown, Author, Entrepreneur and Famous Historian of Gullah Geechee Culture in the HOR-Seat at Urban Academics Thursdays at 9:30 pm EST: https://bit.ly/UranAcademicsRoundtableSeat
Alphonso Brown, Author, Entrepreneur and Famous Historian of Gullah Geechee Culture in the HOR-Seat at Urban Academics Thursdays at 9:30 pm EST: https://bit.ly/UranAcademicsRoundtableSeat

Alphonso Brown was born and reared in Rantowles, SC, a rural area about 12 miles south of Charleston. He graduated from Baptist Hill High School. He received a BS Degree from S. C. State University in Music and a Masters’s from Southern Illinois University. Other Graduate studies in music include The University of SC, Charleston University, and The Citadel.

Notable Accomplishments

Author: A Gullah Guide To Charleston, by Alphonso Brown – BUY THE BOOK NOW

A Gullah Guide To Charleston, by Alphonso Brown ($5.01)

Professional Affiliations, and Memberships

  • Entrepreneur: Owner & Operator, Gullah Tours
  • Lecturer: The Gullah Language & Black History of Charleston
  • Licensed Tour Guide | City of Charleston, SC
  • National Educators Association
  • Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
  • SC Band Directors Association
  • SC Music Educators Association
  • The American Hymn Society

What’s More?

King Alonso is a member and the organist/choirmaster of Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church in Charleston. His concert choir participates in community events throughout the Southeast at colleges, churches, Fortune 500 conventions, and the Kellogg Foundation convention. And the annual Piccolo Spoleto Festival of Churches, where they do an all-Negro Spiritual Concert, looks forward. Also, every other year, the Choir performs the Dubois’ “Seven Last Words of Christ. During Christmas, they fulfill several selections from Handel’s Messiah.


Mr. Brown is a retired Band Director from The Charleston County School District, where he worked at Rivers High/Middle School for many years. He and his late wife, Laquines, are the proud parents of three sons: Howard, Terrence, and Joel, three daughters-in-law, and presently, eight grandchildren.

New To The Weekly Roundtable?

Who should attend? Administrators, Educators, Child Advocates, Entrepreneurs, Guidance Counselors, 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 Questions?

Use the Comments Section Below to ask questions or get in touch with this HOT-Seat Chosen Visionary or the Urban Academics staff. Ask away, and she will get to your questions and quickly as possible.

How Award-Winning Producer and Writer Makes You A Better Salesperson

In business, regardless of a niche market or industry, branding could mean the difference between failure and success. When you combine the skills necessary to make a difference in today’s anxious, busy, and hectic society through social channels it gets even more difficult to navigate because everything is changing so fast.

To be in the know, you’ve got to surround yourself with folks who not only know what they are talking about but also know “how” to do what they are talking about and want nothing more than to share that with you. This week in the HOT-Seat is no different than any other, but one you don’t want to miss.

This week in the HOT-Seat is a Media Mogul who climbed up there all by herself! She’s an award-winning writer/producer skilled in social media branding, television, and movie production. It’s hard getting into a room with this one; But here’s your chance to dine at the table. Don’t miss this great opportunity, and PLEASE don’t keep it to yourself. Share with ALL your family, fans, and followers.

Three Books You Should Read

  1. Enduring The Call: A 14-Day Encounter, 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)

In this Week’s HOT-Seat

Carla Yarbrough is an award-winning producer/writer, digital communications strategist, social media branding and visual marketing consultant, and new media video producer. She comes from the field of communications, television, and video production working in the public and private sector. Carla is also an online adjunct lecturer in the Global Strategic Communications graduate program at Florida International University in Miami. 

Her career began in television at WTNH-TV 8 (ABC) in New Haven, CT. She has worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, DC; the University of California Riverside; the University of Kentucky HealthCare; and the National Council on Compensation Insurance in Boca Raton, FL by leading visual brand strategies and new media projects. She was also an assistant professor at California State University, Long Beach in the department of journalism and public relations, and Cal State Fullerton in the department of communications for 12 years. 

You may not know this, but branding is a marketing practice that includes colors, fonts and can get really deep like language. For Example, at the Urban Academics. Weekly Roundtable, we refer to eating and food because we are “branding” the notion that food is not only physical but much the same it’s education, emotional, spiritual, and probably good for more than that. Your brand should represent you and the customers you seek to serve. Don’t miss this segment if you need to get in front of a qualified professional to ask questions at no cost to you! Use this link to register for a seat at this week’s roundtable.

Three Things You Should Do

  1. Buy a Black History Movie: Hidden Colors by Amazon Prime ($14.99)
  2. BUY a Black History Photo of Barack Obama ($12.95)
  3. BUY A “Free-Ish Since 1895” T.Shirt, by African Pride ($19.95)

Notable Accomplishments:

  • Author: “When The Heart Takes Flight” by Carla Yarbrough
  • Award: Emmy; Co-Producer for the film: “I Am A Man: Lessons in Life”
  • Entrepreneur: Executive Director and Owner of TenOutOfTen, LLC Production Company
  • Producer: Effects of HIV/AIDS on Children & Famliesin Soweto (South Africa)
  • Producer: Several Films at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music (Memphis, TN)
  • Service: The advisory Committee for Soulsville USA at Stax Museum
  • Working Credits: Consultant to CBS Television (Burbank, CA) for a drama series & comedy show
  • Working Credits: Appeared on NPR (KPCC 89.3) providing commentary and examining stereotypes in reality-based television

 What’s More?

The Urban Academics Roundtable is your weekly dose of shareable content around Academics & Education. Each week, the goal is to educate, encourage, inform, inspire, lead, motivate, share, teach black, brown, and poor folks worldwide.

Who should attend? Administrators, Educators, Child Advocates, Entrepreneurs, Mental Health Professionals, Parents, Students, Upward Mobile Professionals, School Systems Interested in Change, Teachers, and any People Involved in Motivating Our Students Higher (P.I.M.O.S.H.) Affiliates.

New To The Weekly Roundtable?

The Urban Academics Roundtable is your weekly dose of shareable content around Academics & Education. Each week, the goal is to educate, encourage, inform, inspire, lead, motivate, share, teach black, brown, and poor folks worldwide.

Who should attend? Administrators, Educators, Child Advocates, Entrepreneurs, Mental Health Professionals, Parents, Students, Upward Mobile Professionals, School Systems Interested in Change, Teachers, and any People Involved in Motivating Our Students Higher (P.I.M.O.S.H.) Affiliates.

Do You Have Questions?

Use the Comments Section Below to ask questions or to get in touch with Lady Carla Yarbrough. Ask away and she will get to your questions and quickly as possible.

Urban Academics Online, Home of the "HOT-Seat" at the Weekly Roundtable. Thursdays at 9:30 PM (EST): https://bit.ly/RoundTabeReservation

How To Make Us Better – Developing Collaborative Partnerships Built With Multi-State A-List

Dr. Ed Joyner has had a lifetime of academic experience, but it wasn’t always easy. He’s the Number Four Chosen Visionary in the HOT-Seat at Urban Academics. His willingness to share his story with such truth has made us all better. Many of our members refer to some of his one-liners often. Some call those “sound-bites,” and they make us better too!

For example, there’s no need to build a platform for one person or type of person – A table should be openly honest and where you can say what you have to. Anyone listening will give you what’s needed to get and keep the chest area clean and clear. Here at the Urban Academics Roundtable, we honor any opinions knowing that some people have salt, others use an herb you’ve never considered but a match nonetheless. We challenge you to listen to this incredible story, and if you move to change, we’ve done well, but there’s more—Check out BETA Membership AT Urban Academics.

The Philiosophy of Collaboration

According to most at the lowest level, collaboration is to share in contributing to a project or work – Something tangible is the outcome. It’s the thought of equal participation by people; animals don’t count and shared results amongst contributors.

Sometimes this concept, easy as it appears, had underlying cons as well as pros. An example of a con/scam would be one or more individuals demanding an equal reward for minimal to no effort to proposed outcomes, thereby causing everyone else to pick up the slack. It leaves a bad taste in some mouths while others could care less. If you’re not careful here – split right down the middle.

Collaboratives of all colors, shapes, and sizes exist for many things with a much broader philosophy. Membership is a better term than a partnership, and I will go over the differences in another post, as for this talk and how we can utilize others’ strengths to accomplish more than we could alone. BETA Membership at Urban Academics provides an opportunity for authors, entrepreneurs, speakers, or others to get their message out to the world. Collaborative content creation is a new way to create fresh content regardless of if folks are prolific thinkers and writers.

The best information or transfer thereof has been because there was more than one thought at the table. The Urban Academics Roundtable is the perfect platform and vehicle for constant Raw, Real, and Relevant Topical Content on Auto-Pilot. Not only that, but featuring real-life black, brown, and other to-notch HOT-Seat Chosen Visionaries from around the country and ultimately around the world. GO TO BETA MEMBERSHIP NOW.

The Raw, Real, and Relevant Replay Number Four – Available NOW! On-Demand! On YouTube! Oh Yes! Subscribe Now https://bit.ly/SubscribeUrbanAcademicsYouTubeChannel

Watch, or Listen To the Video:

The Multi-State A

Urban Academics desires to get everything right, but we know based on experience, things sometimes go wrong. With the BETA Membership programs, we want to partner with folks who wish for their products and services to rise up and above the packs, and we want the same. With BETA Membership, we provide you with services at a fraction of their original costs – In return for genuine and honest feedback. We will determine what works and what does NOT quickly make it better for black and brown folks who sometimes won’t read everything getting themselves into trouble.

So that you know, a “C” is failing in the inner-city urban schools. We know you cannot compete, and few if anyone has the time to step in for students, but Urban Academics wants to change that too! With the launch of Speaker’s Bureau at Urban Academics, we’ll be matching BETA Members through Speaker’s Bureau to speaking opportunities where decision-makers in academia are likely to be. GO TO BETS MEMBERSHIP NOW to learn more about this exciting opportunity.