For this week’s Community Conversations, our host ST Billingsley spoke with Ramunda Lark Young about her organization PWC SCOPE.
Q: So what is SCOPE?
A: SCOPE is an acronym. It stands for Smart Chicks on Politics and Entertainment. And it’s really four friends that have come together, who are really community advocates. We love Prince William County. We love the activities that happen here, but we’re also women of color. Four women of color, very diverse backgrounds, very diverse histories, and we thought it’d be fun to come together, and really talk about crucial–have crucial conversation about things that are important to us.
The biggest thing we felt like there was nothing in the community giving voice to who we were–to woman of color. There are so many things occurring in Prince William County, and we thought it would be to have lunch, have dinner, just candid conversation, and really talk about issues that affect us, from our voice, from our perspective.
Q: So what are the kind of the conversations that you have?
A: It spans the gamut, from schools, to entertainment that’s happening every year, to politics actually. A lot of us are excited about politics, excited about the different people that are in political office here, and so why not have a conversation about it? So that’s part of it.
We also talked about the whole Black Lives Matter movement. We were having conversations about the whole tax implications here in the county. What does that look like? How do we, you know, women here–how are we affected by it? So it’s a lot of different things that’s around the community, that’s around issues that are important to us. I love it. It’s so much fun, just to chat up, with great food.
Q: And who are the others that are on the show with you?
A: A shout out to my co-hosts from SCOPE. There’s Hala Ayala, Marlo Thomas Watson, Sheyna Burt and then myself. So the four of us, who are always on the go. Always out in the community doing this and that. But have come together to make time to have those conversations.
Q: So, how often do you tape your show?
A: We don’t have a regular schedule [for] taping, because the four of us have such a crazy schedule, but we usually do it once a month, and its online. We release it online as well, so we’re excited about that, but usually once a month.
Our next show is actually a private showing, working with the local organization. And they’re having us to come in and talk about crucial conversations for leaders, and how that impact leaders, having those type of conversations. So we’re having our next taping in May. It’s a private one. But our next community one will be in June, so we’re excited about that.
Check back for the next episode of Community Conversations.
