Your Integrity Or Your Appetite: What Guides Us In Our Choice With Dr. Saundra N. Cherry

We always hold people accountable for who they say they are and what they say they would do. We keep our eye on other people’s lives and question their integrity all the time but what about us? Do we walk the talk? Are we able to live up to the standards that we expect others to follow? In this episode, Dr. Saundra Nelson Cherry takes us on a closer look at integrity and shares insights on what drives us to follow through on our word and what causes us to break it. She also discusses how faith and environment play into our authenticity which causes us to be swayed to choose appetite over integrity. If you are caught between who you are and who you think people expect you to be, don’t miss this episode. Tune in and learn how you can find your calling, live with a purpose, and remain true to yourself and your word because God made you unique and special just the way you are.

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Your Integrity Or Your Appetite: What Guides Us In Our Choice With Dr. Saundra N. Cherry

It’s so much of an honor for you to be here. I’m so grateful for all of the support for everything that you folks have been doing. Thank you. I truly appreciate it. You have been tremendous support for me. We’re here. We’re back. You folks know that our title of this episode and the next couple of episodes is Your Integrity or Your Appetite. Here’s why we’re talking about this.

In the post-COVID era, I’m witnessing so much dishonesty, untruthfulness, an increase in violence, and more. I’m quite sure you’re witnessing it as well. Because of this, I want to discuss personal integrity. You may be familiar with the phrase, structural integrity. When you look it up, you’ll see that it is a building science phrase. The technical definition of structural integrity is the ability of a structure to withstand its intended load without falling due to fracture or fatigue.

Unfortunately, we have seen this type of structural integrity in Miami. You folks remember. What happens when a structure is cracked, fatigued, and not able to bear the load? We see this. This series is not about structural integrity. Instead, we will discuss personal integrity. We are quick to excuse our personal lack of integrity but we are not quick to excuse the breach of integrity in others, especially our loved ones, our friends, and our leaders.

What is integrity? Do you have integrity? If not, what’s guiding you? If so, what is your integrity? Is it about your integrity or is it your appetite? Before we even jump into answering that question, how about I give a definition of what integrity is? It is the resolve and the courage to do the right and noble thing because it’s the right and noble thing to do regardless of the consequences. Integrity isn’t a universal inescapable expectation that assumes and ought to be.

Let me say that again. It assumes and ought to. You ought to. Proverbs 11:3, for those Bible scholars. I’m coming from the New American Standard Bible version. It says, “The integrity of the upright will guide them but the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.” We know we ought to do right when we don’t. What we do will eventually destroy us. Like structural integrity, the failure of your personal integrity impacts other people’s lives especially those around you. Even more so, it impacts those who are the closest to you. Does your integrity guide you?

Here’s the challenge. We don’t know if integrity guides us until maintaining integrity costs us. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to fail but it’s not okay to cover it up and act as if nothing happened. Your integrity is more important than your infallibility. The respect from others is contingent on your integrity and not your failures and your mistakes. The crookedness of the lack of your integrity will destroy you and the people around you. What guides you? The lack of integrity is personal but it’s not private because it impacts people around you. Why is maintaining integrity so hard? It’s because of our appetite.

Our appetites pose a constant threat to our integrity. We have to say no to our appetite to satisfy integrity or say no to integrity to satisfy our appetite. Our appetites compete with our integrity. We will be forced to satisfy one, say yes to one, and say no to the other. We can’t have it both ways. Before we jump into this episode, allow me to take the opportunity to introduce you to our wonderful, special guest that we have here that’s going to share with us about your integrity and your appetite.

Dr. Saundra Nelson Cherry is a native of Newport News, Virginia. She was married to the late Gregory Cherry, Founder and Curator of the James A. Fields House, which was formerly the Whittaker Memorial Hospital. Dr. Cherry found her purpose and love for ministry as a Pastoral Care Chaplaincy when she completed one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education as a pastoral care chaplain intern. She was later ordained and licensed as a minister of the gospel in 1999 and serves as an Elder at the Restoration Christian Church in Newport News.

Dr. Cherry serves as the Chair of the Downtown Newport News Merchant and Neighborhood Association and Corporation and Executive Director of the James A. Fields House. Additionally, she hosts with partners, several community activities for children, youth, and families, including the Gregory Cherry Eagle Soar Youth Summit, Be Your Own Boss Entrepreneurship, Easter Basket Giveaway, Back-to-School Community Fest, Community Fall Fest, and Christmas for the Children. Each of these events provides fun, food, activities, and resources to create and build relationships within the community.

Dr. Cherry is actively involved in the community and is committed to the positive transformation that’s taken place throughout the City of Newport News. Dr. Cherry was elected to the Newport News City Council representing the South District Seat B in May 2014 and reelected in May 2018. She is a strong advocate for social justice. She believes that the voice of the citizen matters. She launched Your Voice Matters South District Monthly Town Hall meeting, a collaborative partnership with the Newport News School Board and the Newport News Police Department for residents in the South District.

Dr. Cherry wants to hear the voice of the community and encourages everyone to get up, get out, get engaged, get involved, and be informed. She believes that one person who cares about others can make a difference and that our communities and neighborhoods are made better when we lend our hands to help, our ears to hear, and our hearts to serve. She is running to win the seat of Mayor of the City of Newport News in the November 8, 2022 general election. Please help me to welcome my friend Councilwoman, Vice Mayor, and candidate for Mayor, Dr. Saundra Nelson Cherry. Welcome. It is a pleasure and an honor to have you here.

Thank you so much for having me as part of your show. I’m excited about being here because you bring excitement to the table. I wanted to say thank you. In all the things that you read about me, the one thing that I said is that I’m a child of God. That’s more important to me than all of those other things that were said but thank you. It’s a long introduction. I appreciate that.

You’re so welcome. It is an honor to have you. I am so excited. The reason why I asked you to be a guest is specifically under this title. For the show, we have a title but we also bring in multiple guests to speak on that topic because we want different points of view, perspectives, and opinions. We want not just one person to speak about it. We want multiple because we’re all different in different ways.

One guest may resonate with a portion of my audience. That’s why we do it the way that we do. Here’s what I want you to do, please. This will be a little challenging because we’re still trying to figure this one out. Share with the audience how we met. Tell them a little bit more about what I missed in sharing about who you are.

Thank you so much. It’s amazing to me because we’re still trying to figure out how we met when we met, or what event it was. I don’t even remember how long ago it was but it seems like it was forever. We met somewhere and I’d say our spirits connected the very first time. From that point, we have been able to do some great things together in the community, and have great conversations. It’s been good.

Sometimes, the Lord places angels in your path. I consider people to be sometimes angels that He allows you to meet for His purpose and carry out His purpose on the earth. Sometimes there are divine connections and we can’t explain how it happened when it happened, but we know it happened. Since it’s happened, it has been all good. My life has never been the same. I’ve been transformed.

I love being around you because you’ve always got so much energy. I want to say thank you for bringing that to the table. Unapologetically, that’s who you are and I like that about you. You step into a room and that’s it. “Here I am.” I liked that. “I liked that about her. I’m going to do that.” I emulate you in that and that’s a great thing. It’s not you walking in pride. It’s just being who you are. That one was a woman of God. I’m like, “Look at that.” It makes me glad to have you as a friend and as a person that I could walk with and talk to at different levels at different times.

We’ve traveled through some seasons in our lives together, short, or long periods. It’s been great. What I like about and love about you is that you hold me true to who I say I am. You do not let me slack. I don’t know what to do with myself but you do not let me slack. If I say I’m going to do something, you hold me to it. You hold me accountable for that. When you asked me to come and share some time with you about personal integrity, I said, “You’re one of the better persons that have taught me how to walk in my personal integrity, how to walk and do what I say I’m going to do, because that’s what personal integrity is all about.”

That’s one of the things that you have taught me. Unapologetically, when I don’t walk in integrity, you taught me how to step into the room and say, “Let me restore my integrity.” I step into the room, I said, “Before we do anything, let me reclaim my integrity because I value your time and who you are. I apologize for being late. However, in order for you to respect me, I need to apologize.” I learned that from you. I had to use it, too. Let me say that.

We go way back. Neither one of us can pinpoint when we met. All we know is that we were in the same room at the same time and we connected. That was it. It’s like we’ve been in each other’s lives forever. It’s an honor to be in her presence. It’s an honor to follow her lead and watch her walk in integrity. Not only in integrity, but in her greatness. When she said I hold her accountable, I call out. You all know the purpose of this show is you are you, unapologetically. I’m going to call you out to your greatness. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it because we all are great.

We both have DR in front of our names but it doesn’t make a difference to each one of us. We’re going to hold each other accountable for our greatness because that’s who we are and the world needs us. The world needs your greatness. It is an honor to have Dr. Cherry on this show and to be talking about your integrity or your appetite. You are a pillar of integrity to me. That’s why I asked you to be here. To jump into our discussion, let me ask you that one question that I ask everybody that comes onto as a guest of our show. What does it mean to you to be you unapologetically?

One of the things that I’ve learned to be unapologetically me is that I have to be authentic. I cannot be somebody else. When I used to teach at Hampton University, we use this phrase, “My brain is trying to kill me.” That’s because people would try to be somebody else. They will be like the Joneses and we used to say, “Be your authentic self because when you’re your authentic self, people can accept you.” I’m the same. If you see me in church, I’m the same. If you see me in the community, I’m the same. If you see me wherever, you’re going to see the authentic me. That’s what you’re going to see.

I understand that I had to first learn who I was and who I am in order for me to say, “When you see me, you see the authentic me.” I’m not going to see somebody that’s trying to perform because that’s not necessary. That’s short-lived. When you’re authentic, you step to the table. You start wherever you go. People will know that’s who you are. That’s what it means for me to be unapologetically me because I can be authentic in my real self.

I love when you said that you can’t be anything else. It’s hard for me to be fake and phony because I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know how to be fake. All I can do is be me. Unapologetically, meaning, “This is what you’re getting.” It’s not in a sense of, “I’m coming, and if I hurt your feelings or say anything, I can’t apologize,” but this is what you’re getting morning, noon, and night. I wake up like this. A lot of people ask me about my energy. That’s a gift that God gave me and I got to use it. Being you unapologetically is part of walking in your greatness. Let me ask you, are you happy with who you are, or are you still working on becoming the person you want to be?

It’s both. I’m happy where I am now but I know that there’s greater that God has for me. I have to step out into those places and spaces that I’ve never been to. There’s still more that God has for me in being me and being who He created me to be. There is greatness within all of us. Sometimes we don’t even realize the greatness in us until we are faced with challenges. That’s when you’re like, “Can I do this?” I can do it because I can do all things through Christ. That’s what I have to stand on. It’s like, “It’s not that I can’t. I can do this,” but I have to get beyond myself, the uncomfortable me to have a growth mindset, and be able to take those challenges in life.

The Word says, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” I can appreciate who I am now but I can also know that there’s more growth in me. If I’m open to growth and have a growth mindset, I can be transformed and be a better person. I do believe that people are attached to me. There’s something in me that someone else needs. If I stay in this one place where I am, then I won’t get any better. Neither will those who are coming that are attached to me. They won’t get any better.

Not only do I set the bar high for others but I set the bar high for myself. I say, “Where else do you want me to go? What else do you want me to do?” I know that there’s more and that I have a purpose. As long as I’m living, there’s purpose. Every day begins and is in His purpose. As I’m beginning to pray, in my devotions, I’m like, “God, this day began and it ends in Your purpose. I’m going to follow Your purpose because I believe that there’s still more.”

I love your answer as well because I also agree that we’re continuously evolving. Off the top of my head, I think of when I first met my husband and we were dating. The only vegetable he ate was string beans. Now, he tries a variety of everything. That’s where he was then. Now, he’s open and willing to try everything. We’re always at that place but you want to be content and happy with who you are now as well. Thank you so much for that. Is it possible for you to share an incident or a situation that caused you to choose your appetite over your integrity? We’re talking about appetite and integrity. Sometimes we get in positions where we have to choose our appetite over our integrity.

I’ve been placed in situations where I can be in a new place and not know the people, the situation, or know the environment that I’m in. People may not be able to understand my authentic self or who I am. I don’t want to say I pretend but I’m not as assertive in that way as I would normally say. I don’t want to say shoot straight from the hip but I’m more cautious. Sometimes when my appetite causes me to step back a little bit and not be my full self in that environment and not knowing how I will be received. I do want to make sure that I’m received.

I can’t worry about how people think. That’s that piece that I have had to get over. It’s like, “You step into the room and be you.” Instead of trying to not be completely who I am. I’m not quiet. I’m energetic. Most of the time if I’m trying to be quiet, I know that I’m choosing my appetite over my integrity because the authentic me will ask questions. The authentic me will want clarity. When I shy away and say, “I’m going to sit here and I’m not going to ask,” that’s not me. That’s choosing a different way. I’m choosing my appetite over my integrity because I’m not being who I am.

As you were sharing about being in an environment, it’s not to say that you’re not as familiar with it. What popped in my head was learning the culture of that environment and the culture of the people that are in that environment. There are many times that people had shared with me that because of how I show up and who I am, I can come off as being offensive but that’s not my intent. Sometimes it’s after the fact. It’s always like, “If you let me know right then and there, then I can address it.”

What you’re doing when you don’t let me know is you’re taking the opportunity or the options away from me so that I can share with you my true intent like my heart as well. I get what it is that you’re saying. I get it 100%. When we talk about being out of integrity, we know that it impacts you and the people around you. Can you share how such a thing occurs? How does being out of integrity impact you? How does it impact the people that are around you?

If I would not walk in integrity, people are attached. We are living epistles being read by men daily. That’s what the Word tells us. We always have to be careful and mindful. It’s not that you live your life on eggshells but you live your life, knowing that there may be someone who’s watching you. Authenticity is my main thing. When I’m not being who I am, people will say, “What’s wrong with you?” They will notice that. It’s important for me to understand at all times that I have to be who I am. I’m not trying to fit in. Be who you are in your natural self. Do you. People are either going to love you or they’re not going to like you but that’s okay. They didn’t like Jesus either, so it’s okay. You’re in good company.

When I find that I’m not walking in integrity, I get bothered. I have to tell you. I’m confessing this to you. I get bothered when I don’t walk in integrity because, at the end of the day, I come home and I know I’ve made a decision. I pray about things. I always think about, “What is the best thing to do?” If I’m swayed and I don’t do what I feel like He’s told me to do. I got myself to look in the mirror and I’m feeling some way about myself.

If you were ashamed of me publicly, then I’m going to be ashamed of you before my Father. Why would you be ashamed? Why would you be fearful that someone’s not going to, for instance, vote for you or support you if you go a certain way? It’s like, “This is your race. This is you.” Either I’m going to stand in integrity and do what is the right thing to do by prayer, believing that You’re guiding me or I’m going to be swayed. The worst is that a double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways. I don’t want to be double-minded. I want to be able to stand in integrity. He’s got me. When I stand in integrity, He’s got me because I said, “I don’t want to be ashamed of doing what is the right thing to do.”

You made me think of when you said that at the end of the day when you look in the mirror, you have to face yourself. When you begin to question yourself, you have that head chatter. That head chatter shows up and starts having a conversation with you. The next thing you know, you’re all caught up with this head chatter. What I know from my experience and my expertise is that head chatter doesn’t know what it’s talking about. That head chatter is not accurate at all.

It impacts not only us but the people that are around us. When you don’t show up and be yourself, those people who are looking for what it is that you have to give, just by you being you, are missing out. You’re shortchanging them. That divine connection is there. They crossed your path for a reason to get what it is that you have to offer.

It can be something as simple as, “Beautiful, how are you or how are you doing?” By their name or whatever to make them smile. If you’re not being you and you’re out of integrity, they’re going to miss out on the blessing that you have to deliver by way of God. Can you share some advice? What advice would you give someone who is still trying to find or maintain their integrity? How can you help them to be truthful with themselves?

One of the things that I’m learning as I’m doing my devotions every day, there’s a word that the Lord gives me every day. Sometimes it’s the word that I can give publicly and yet, sometimes the words that He says, “This is only for you. I need you to deal with you.” When we look at trying to walk in integrity, it’s not being in a place and space with God. It’s spending time with Him to say, “I surrender all. I want to be who You want me to be. I put down my agenda for whatever it is that you want me to do and whatever the calling is on my life.” In order for us to walk in the calling that God has for us, every single one of us has a gift inside of us.

As God stirs up that gift, we have to amble ourselves and go before Him and say, “I surrender everything.” Take everything out of me that’s not like You because I want to walk in integrity. I want to be who You want me to be, not me. Sometimes people don’t want to surrender all. They want to hold on to some stuff and I did, too. He says, “I can’t use you to the fullest because you might be swayed.”

That happened with the children of Israel as well. They were swayed by other gods once they sinned. He says, “I want the first place in your life. In order for Me to be first, you got to let all that other stuff go because then I can use you and I can trust you.” That’s what’s so important. When you walk in integrity, people can trust you to do what you say you’re going to do. They know you’re going to be consistent with it.

They know you’re going to be accountable for it. They know that if you say you’re going to do something, then you want to cause it to happen. You’re going to let somebody know why you could not at that time but what you are going to do to make it better. You ask for grace. That’s one of the things that we have to understand. All of us are given grace. God graces us every single day.

When we are not where we are supposed to be, we have to say, “If You can give me some grace, I’m going to get it better.” Sometimes we’re so hard on ourselves because we’re not perfect. It doesn’t mean that we’re perfect, by all means. We’re perfect and righteous through Him but we’re still going to make mistakes because of who we are as women of God who speak the truth in love.

Sometimes our words can be very piercing and yet we still want to walk in integrity and learn how to speak the truth and love so that people can hear us. Nothing is worse than someone who is as attached to you in the spirit realm and you do something to cause them to be hurt. Christ has said, “If you had done it unto the least of them, you have done it unto Me.” If I find out that I hurt you, I’m going to come back and apologize to you because that’s integrity.

Thank you for that. I want to ask you to dive in a little bit more because you talked about the calling. We each have a calling. You talked about our gifts. If you can elaborate a little bit more on that calling. There are a lot of people that are unaware of their calling, gifts, and talents. That’s one of the reasons why I have on my website where people can download Path to Greatness. Help our audience to understand. What are their gifts? What are their talents? What is their calling?

As a minister of the gospel, I’m always looking for the Word. What does the Word say about our gifts and our callings? The Word says, “Stir up the gift that is in you.” I have to believe that “in you” is in every one of us because we’re created in God’s image. There’s a gift in each one of us that some of us have not even acknowledged that is there.

When he says, “Stir it up,” you have to look and you have to seek him. What is my gift? We do have the five-fold ministry gifts and there are other gifts that are in the Word of God. When I look at the gifts that people have to bring to the table, it could be something that you love to do but you haven’t recognized that it’s a gift from God. I had an opportunity to work with some people for Bible study during COVID.

We were talking about gifts. One person once said, “I don’t have any gifts.” I said, “You do. You have a gift. You decorate gifts. When you give presents to the people in the church, you always have it so beautiful. That’s a gift from God. It’s a wonderful gift.” Getting people to recognize that what you do and what you love is a gift. That’s the gift that God gives you because everybody can’t do it. I can’t do what some other folks can do. I cannot draw. I pretend I can sing.

There are things that God anoints you to do. Nobody else can do you. Even as God gives you the vision to do a thing or stirs up in you to do a thing, somebody else may try it but it’s not going to be the same way. It’s not what God gave them to do. They’re trying to imitate you. When God stirs up that gift in you, it’s your own personal gift. There’s a Bible study that I did with you about a purpose-driven life.

What does that mean? What are your goals? What is it that you want to do in life? How are you going to get there? You need to write some things down and look at what you want to do. The gifts will come to pass. You’re already doing something. We live and don’t even recognize it. We’re just living. When we take a step back and say, “I’m good at this.” You are. God gave it to you.

There were a lot of gifts that were birthed during COVID. So much came out like creativity and things that people didn’t even know that they could do. The gift is in us. Some of us have many gifts and talents. It’s a gift and talent that’s anointed by God between nobody else but you. You are put here on this earth for that purpose. Once you get to know what it is, you can do it with ease.

I love that because anything that you can do with your hands tied behind your back, blindfolded, hopping on one foot, and you love to do it, that’s a good gift. My gift is to talk. I can do that with my hands tied behind my back or even front, blindfolded, hopping on one foot, and I love to do it. That’s a gift as well. Thank you so much for elaborating a little bit more on that. How has walking in integrity made your life better where you learned how to love and accept yourself? Tie all that together. How has learning to love and accept yourself and walking in integrity made your life better?

For one thing, you have to learn how to love yourself and like who you are. You got to like you and who God made you be. He said that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We’re made in his image, so I’m fearfully and wonderfully made. I had to first begin to love myself and like myself, appreciate myself, and admire myself. A good friend of mine helped me to go through that exercise to identify those things in my life that I like, love, admire, and appreciate about me.

Once I was able to identify and continue to rehearse those things, then I learned better. “Be authentic you.” You can’t be anybody else. You have to do you. It doesn’t mean that being me, I don’t make mistakes but one of the things that being authentic and being me, unapologetically me, is this. I admit that I got issues and I know I got issues but, at the same time, you got some, too.

I call them idiosyncrasies.

I can still walk in integrity and still say, “I’m going to do the right thing.” One of the things I’ve learned is to pray about everything. It’s like prayer without ceasing. It’s like, “God, is this the right thing to do?” He’s like, “Do it. You know what’s right from wrong. You’d been taught morally what’s right from wrong. Stand in integrity, do the right thing, and make a decision based on My Word then you won’t have to worry about it.” You don’t have to ask, “Is that the right decision or the wrong decision?” I made a decision based on this. I believe that God is saying to me to do X, Y, and Z.

Now, everybody is not going to like that decision and it’s okay. I also respect people that walk in integrity and tell me when I’m doing something wrong. I need that. I want to be open enough with myself and with others that I trust. When they see me not walking in integrity or doing something wrong, they love me enough to put me on the side and say, “That’s not good. That wasn’t right. What you said wasn’t right.” I appreciate that because I’m not right. I can’t see myself. I don’t know if I’ve done something wrong unless I know I’m walking out of integrity then I know I have and I know it.

When I’ve done what I felt is the right thing to do, then I can walk it out and say, “Choices, chances, consequences, I made this choice. It was a chance that I had to do the right thing. I believe that’s integrity. Do the right thing.” Regardless of what the consequences are, just do the right thing. Don’t worry about it. God’s got you. I want to be able to do that and pray that God will bless what I’m trying to do because I’m doing it with the pureness of my heart. I don’t want any bitterness in my heart to keep me from doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.

I am so excited that you shared so many tidbits with our audience. Thank you. I want to ask you how can our audience get in contact with you? You’re running for mayor. Our audience is all over the country. How can anyone who reads this episode say, “I want to connect with Dr. Cherry?” How can they do that? Please share.

You can send an email at Info@SaundraCherryForMayor.com or you can send it personally to me at Saundra@SaundraCherryForMayor.com. We’re also on Facebook as well at Saundra Cherry for Mayor as well. We have Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. We’re trying to reach to be on that social media platform where many of the young people are, even TikTok. I’m learning how to do Tiktok a little bit. It’s going to take some practice but I’m getting there. I do understand. People can call me. I don’t mind giving out my number because I think your voice matters.

That was one of the things that I truly believe to listen to people. Sometimes I may not have the answer but I don’t mind listening. That’s what I say, you have an ear to hear. My phone number, if anyone’s interested in giving me a call, is (757) 848-6355. You can email me, call me, or send me a message on Facebook and that’s fine. I may not have all the answers. I can promise you, I have little but I don’t mind the question so that I can research and get the proper information to whoever is interested.

It’s important. A lot of times, misinformation goes out in the community. It’s hard to break a lie. Sometimes people will believe a lie before they believe the truth. That’s what standing in integrity is. If I tell you that this is the truth, you can believe that it’s the truth because I have researched it and that’s what I have for you. I will be glad to take calls, emails, and Facebook messages. That would be great.

It has been a pleasure and a true honor to have you on our show because you are you, unapologetically. Thank you, Dr. Cherry. We truly appreciate having you here. Your presence alone makes a difference. I know because I’ve been in your presence. Thank you for being here.

Thank you for the invitation.

Thank you, folks, too for being here because we all know it’s easy to lose yourself in the clashing ideas, conflicting beliefs, and the flood of information. With society’s rigid expectations and endless opinions, self-expression and self-appreciation can feel challenging and daunting. Most of the time, this pushes you to dumb down, hide who you are, and go with the flow. We are here to put an end to this disparity mindset and empower you to begin to own your authentic self.

Join me here on the next episode, in the safe space that initiates influential conversations about being you because you are you, unapologetically. You owe no one an apology for being you because no one is better at being you than you. Thank you. Thank you again, Dr. Cherry. I also call her Dr. C. She calls me Dr. KG. It’s a pleasure for you all to be here, reading this episode. We’ll see you in the next episode. Take care.

Important Links

• Dr. Saundra Nelson Cherry – Facebook
• Restoration Christian Church
• Info@SaundraCherryForMayor.com
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About Dr. Saundra N. Cherry

Dr. Saundra Nelson Cherry is a native of Newport News, Virginia. She was married to the late Gregory Cherry, founder and curator of the James A. Fields House (Whittaker Memorial Hospital).

She attended Newport News Public Schools and is a member of the Last Sophomore Class of Huntington High School (1973) and a graduate of Ferguson High School. She furthered her education receiving an Associate of Applied Sciences Degree in Dental Hygiene from Fayetteville Technical Institute (now College) in 1981; a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Occupational Education from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1987; a Master of Dental Hygiene Degree from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1990; a Master of Divinity Degree from the Samuel D. Proctor School of Theology Virginia Union University in 1999, and her Doctorate of Ministry Degree (Clinical Pastoral Education) from Regent University in 2003.

Dr. Cherry found her purpose and love for ministry and pastoral care (chaplaincy) when she completed one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education as a pastoral care (chaplain) intern at Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center (Richmond) in 1998 and a Chaplain Residency at Riverside Regional Medical Center (Newport News) in 1999.

Saundra was ordained and licensed as a minister of the gospel in 1999 and serves as an Elder at Restoration Christian Church (Newport News).

She is actively involved in the community and is committed to the positive transformation that’s taking place throughout the city of Newport News. She is a strong advocate for social justice and believes that the voice of the citizen matters. Saundra serves as the chair of the Downtown Newport News Merchants & Neighbors Association, Inc. and executive director of the James A. Fields House.

Additionally, she host with partners several community activities for children, youth and families: the Gregory Cherry Eagles Soar Youth Summit, “Be Your Own Boss: Entrepreneurship;” Easter Basket Give-A-Way; Back-to-School Community Fest; Community Fall Fest; and Christmas for the Children. Each of these events provides fun, food, activities, and resources to create and build relationships within the community.

Dr. Cherry was elected to Newport News City Council, representing the South District, Seat B in May 2014 and re-elected in May 2018. She believes that the voice of the citizen matters and launched the monthly “Your Voice Matters” South District Town Hall Meeting, a collaborative partnership with the Newport News School Board and the Newport News Police Department for residents in the South District. She wants to hear the voice of the community, and encourages everyone to Get Up! Get Out! Get Engaged! Get Involved! Be Informed!

She believes that one person who cares about others can make a difference, and that our communities and neighborhoods are made better when we lend our hands to help, our ears to hear and our hearts to serve.

She is currently running to win the seat of Mayor for the City of Newport News in the November 8, 2022 General election.