Author Spotlight– Dr. Tamecca Rogers

Author’ s Spotlight

Dr. Tamecca Rogers

Interviewed by Jennifer Diaby

Please introduce and tell the readers a little about yourself. Hello. I am Dr. Tamecca Rogers and I hold a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, a Master's in Business Administration, and a Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. I love education. I have served five years as a Hospital Corpsman in the United States Navy and a combined six years as a High School instructor and College Enrollment Counselor. I have also held Adjunct Professor positions at multiple postsecondary institutions. I have worked at Tulsa Technology Center since 2010 and I am currently, the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. I am most proud of being a mom to Ian, Chazen, and Keith, and we live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They keep me on my toes. We enjoy road trips, beach vacations, and camping in a RV. We tried the tent thing before, but we prefer RVs and cabins.

Dr. Tamecca Rogers, you have written several educational children’s books. What inspired you to become an Author and write

books that will impact children in a positive way? As a child, I would always write in diaries and journals. It just made me feel good. As, I became an adult, I stopped writing for fun. I became busy with work, school, and taking care of my children. As the world was turned upside down with the pandemic, my everyday life changed. I started journaling again as a stress reliever mechanism. I worked from home and my youngest son had to go to school from home. So, we were literally together 24/7. I had to realize, my son was going through his emotional struggles, as well. He is a social person. He loves his friends and his teachers. I encouraged him to write or draw about his feelings and we discussed it whenever he was ready to talk about it. While at home, I felt as if we went through so much trauma.

As a Black mom of three sons, I have already had “the talk” with my boys. However, with my youngest son, I just touched the surface of the hurtful topic. As mothers, we try to protect their innocence for as long as we can, but unfortunately, with the world we live in, we are forced to have that talk, sooner, rather than later. During our time at home together, I had to talk to him about Ahmaud Arbery getting gunned down while jogging unarmed in a neighborhood and not less than a week later, I had to talk to him about George Floyd, while we watch as he was murdered, laying on the ground, begging police for his life, struggling to breathe, handcuffed, with a knee on his neck, blocking his carotid artery. George used his last breaths to call out for his momma. These situations that continues to happen is exhausting to say the least. And as a parent, I was struggling with having these conversations with my 9-year-old.To make a long story short, I felt if I was struggling with these sorts of conversations and topics, other parents and caregivers could be struggling with the same thing. Therefore, environmental situations, raw feelings, and parenting inspired me to write books, articles, and blogs that would help both children and adults. The books are thought provoking, uplifting, and encourage conversations about racism.

Please tell us about your book titled, “A Promise Deferred: The Massacre of Black Wall Street written by you and your

co-author Keith Ross?” A Promise Deferred: The Massacre of Black Wall Street, is about a boy (Keith) and his grandma having story time together. During this story time, grandma realizes that her grandson has never heard the story of Black Wall Street. She realized that he never heard of the vibrant Black business district ran and owned by Black entrepreneurs that once existed in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He’s never heard that it sustained over 600 businesses, churches, schools, libraries, theaters, clothing stores, restaurants, and a hospital. It had ice cream and candy stores too. He has also never heard that the first bombs that ever fell on American soil were on Black Wall Street. And he has never heard of the terrible events of May 1921 that razed it all to the ground. Keith’s grandma explains to him about what happened to the thriving Black community that once was in his own home town. The book also has curriculum that consist of a word search, matching vocabulary exercise, reading comprehension, critical thinking exercise, economic development activity, how to be an entrepreneur worksheet, a coloring exercise, and a glossary of terms.

Growth Women’s Business Networks Magazine is all for empowering and being an inspirations to girls at a young age. I absolutely love that you wrote the book, “Girls Can Be Anything” about Vice President Kamala

Harris. Tell us what is the main reason you wrote this book. For countless women and girls around the world, Vice President Kamala Harris’ achievement of becoming Vice President of the United States represents hope, validation and the shattering of a proverbial glass ceiling that has excluded women and especially women of color. My eight-year-old cousin and I wrote the book to inspire women of all nationalities that sometimes what we think is impossible, is very much possible.

It is wonderful how you write books to bring awareness to what is happening right now in our society. Dr. Tamecca Rogers, you and your co-author Keith Ross wrote the book, “Does My Life Matter.” Tell the

readers about this book and the purpose for writing it. In the Does My Life Matter? book, Keith is a kind and friendly kid who has a big heart for his friends and family. One day, his best friend (Max) invites him to his birthday party. However, he soon learns his best friend has different views about the “Black Lives Matter” movement versus “All Lives Matter.” This situation has the potential to break up their friendship or make their friendship stronger. Keith searches for the best way to explain to his best friend “Black Lives Matter” does not mean other lives do not. The purpose of this book is to explain in the easiest way possible why “Black Lives Matter” does not mean that other lives does not matters any less. Somehow, there seemed to be a confusion in what “Black Lives Matters” truly means. This helps children, parents, caregivers, and educators have a better understanding of the movement.

What advice would you give to those who are thinking about becoming an Author and writing a book? I would say, just write. Write about what you are passionate about, gather your ideas and write….and always be authentically, you.

As an Author and Education Professional, how do you think a great education impacts our children’s future? Education is one of the most important investments we can pass on to our children. A great education can lead towards a path of good health, empowerment, and economic wealth. It just doesn’t affect our children’s future, but it also impacts society as a whole. Great education for EVERYONE, leads to thriving, prosperous, healthy communities. As adults, we cannot solely rely on schools for all of our children’s education. Education starts at home. Our children learn more from what we do, than what we say. Feed them positive affirmations and plant constructive seeds for growth that allows room for critical thinking. We must pour into our children and encourage them to ask questions and research answers. Teach them about balancing their bank accounts, taxes, owning a business, purchasing property, and being accountable for their own actions. Many times, these skills are not taught in our everyday K-12 school system but it impacts our children’s future, even more so, than what’s in the traditional text books.

What is one of your greatest accomplishments in life? My sons are the greatest accomplishments in my life. They are my encouragers and motivators. Everything I do is because of them. I gave birth to them but they gave life to me.

Do you have any upcoming conferences, events, or workshops? I have our first Black Children’s Book fair coming up on May 23

Give us some words to educate, inspire, and encourage women and all of our readers of Growth Women’s Business Networks

Magazine. Always be authentically, unapologetically you. So many times, we make ourselves, smaller just so others can feel comfortable. Be the girl that walks into the room and inspires others to be themselves. Be the girl that encourages and supports other women. The things we can accomplish together as a team, is limitless, we just need to genuinely love and support one another.