Dr. Charles R. Rogers

12/21/2025

“They told her it was nothing. By the time they listened, it was Stage 4.”

Two days ago, I had my first colonoscopy.

In the fall of 2009, my Aunt Joann was misdiagnosed 5–7 times by two major health care systems in North Carolina at age 52. By the time the truth came out, it was Stage 4 colorectal cancer. That loss changed my life forever.

Since then, from Kenya to Japan to Jamaica and beyond, I’ve committed my career to increasing awareness of a cancer that is preventable, treatable, and beatable with screening.

Here’s the part that matters most right now:

During my colonoscopy, my provider found two small polyps. They were removed easily. Not cancerous. If I had waited years longer instead of going now at age 42, because of my family history, the outcome could have been very different. Because I went, I don’t need another colonoscopy for five years.

On this past Thursday, I posted:

“Colonoscopy prep is temporary. Colon cancer is not.”

What I’ve learned since then is just as important.

Many people don’t know they can advocate for how they prep.

I asked for the pill-based prep (Sutab). No pushback. No debate. It was sent straight to my pharmacy. Life happened, and I couldn’t pick it up in time, so I used Suprep instead.

Let me be very clear:

🌀 It was 16 ounces total, not a gallon

🌀 That’s 87.5% less liquid

🌀 Paired with Glacier Freeze Gatorade or even just water, it was very manageable

Fear, misinformation, and outdated stories keep people away from life-saving care. Advocacy changes that.

If you’ve been delaying, doubting, or afraid, please hear this: early action works.

If I had waited to get screened, the next time I told this story, I might not be here to finish it.

12/20/2025

The death of D’Angelo a few months ago shook something in me.

But what hurts more?

How familiar this pain is.

In this week’s , I reflect on the health crisis too many aren’t naming—Black men dying too soon—and why being alive and well has become an act of resistance.

🧠 Discernment.
🩺 Leadership.
🧬 Legacy.

We’re talking about all of it.

🟡 Read + share here: https://open.substack.com/pub/drcharlesrrogers/p/fatherhoodfriday-the-shadow-work?r=5y89ei&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

12/18/2025

Colonoscopy prep is temporary. Colon cancer is not. 💩

12/14/2025

Your dream isn’t too big if it scares you.

Your God might be too small if it doesn’t.

Yesterday's marked the eve of 12 years since I earned my PhD at Texas A&M University—and I took some time to reflect on what I’ve learned about purpose, pressure, and pacing since.

Catch the full post now on The Purpose Pause—link in bio + https://open.substack.com/pub/drcharlesrrogers/p/fatherhoodfriday-the-fear-that-built?r=5y89ei&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true.

12/10/2025

Some jobs are quietly killing people long before retirement, and almost no one is talking about it.

Last week, our new study in The Lancet Oncology looked at nearly 450,000 cancer deaths among working-age adults in the U.S. (ages 20–64) from 2020–2023. I was honored to serve as a coauthor on this work alongside some of the best in the game, including Drs. Adana A. M. Llanos, Electra Paskett, and Jesse Plascak [senior author on this impactful study].

Here is what we found 👇🏾

🧑‍🏭 Your job can double or even triple your risk of dying from cancer.

In some occupations, cancer death rates were 2–3 times higher than the average worker.

Some of the jobs with the highest cancer death rates included:

▪️ Fishing and hunting workers

▪️ Mining machine operators

▪️ Construction laborers

▪️ Funeral directors

▪️ Manual laborers who move freight and stock

▪️ Supervisors of landscaping and cleaning crews

These are not “rare” jobs. These are the people who move our goods, bury our loved ones, cook our food, and keep our communities running.

This is not just about one toxic chemical here or there. It is about:

▪️ The air people breathe at work

▪️ The stress and strain of long, unstable hours

▪️ Whether a job comes with health insurance or paid time off

▪️ If workers can afford to get screened, take time off for a colonoscopy, or start treatment early

Cancer risk is not only about “lifestyle.”

It is also about working conditions, power, and policy.

If you care about:

▪️ Worker safety

▪️ Health equity

▪️ Fair benefits and protections

…then this is your issue too.

📄 Free full-text access (no paywall):

For more than a month, anyone can read or download the article for free.

Click this personalized link before January 24, 2026:

👉🏾 https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1mDjb5EIIgTSnl

No sign-up. No registration. No fees. Just data that we cannot afford to ignore.

If this hits you in any way, please like, comment, save, or repost so this reaches workers, employers, unions, health leaders, and policymakers who can turn this evidence into change.

A paycheck should never be a death sentence.

12/06/2025

My son and I weren’t even trying to find wisdom...just music. 🎧

But then a Disney song we almost skipped hit us both hard and reminded me of a truth I can’t unsee:

If you don’t dig deeper into who you are, you’ll end up serving a life that doesn’t reflect your purpose.

This week’s unpacks what a children’s song taught me about identity, leadership, and alignment—especially for Black fathers raising Black sons.

📝 Read the full post entitled, 🎶 Dig Deeper Before You Lead Higher 🎶 here: https://open.substack.com/pub/drcharlesrrogers/p/fatherhoodfriday-dig-deeper-before?r=5y89ei&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

11/30/2025

💙 Kindness Can Change Everything 💙

Giving Tuesday is almost here on Tuesday, December 2nd!

At the Colorectal Cancer Equity Foundation, we are on a mission to stop colorectal cancer from being unfair to anyone, no matter their job, income, or community. But we cannot do it alone. We need caring people like you to join us.

Maybe you have lost someone you love.
Maybe you have walked beside a friend or family member fighting this disease.
Or maybe you simply believe that everyone deserves a fair chance to live a healthy life.
Your kindness makes that belief real.

When you give, you help bring education, early detection, and support to families who need it most. You remind them that they are not alone and that compassion can truly save lives.

💪🏾 Every dollar makes a difference. Every act of kindness brings hope.

✨ This Tuesday, be part of something bigger.

Visit CRCequity.org or tap the link in our bio to make your Giving Tuesday gift today.

Together, we can create a future where health equity and hope go hand in hand. 💙

11/29/2025

Whole Foods Market isn’t giving pennies back anymore.

I saw the sign—finally—after walking past it for weeks.

Turns out, the U.S. Mint discontinued pennies. And instead of giving exact change, they just round up to the nearest nickel.

It might not seem deep. But standing there, I couldn’t stop thinking:

How much of our time are we rounding away... without even realizing it?

This week’s reflection explores:

✔️ Why some storms don’t make sense until you’re out of them

✔️ The power of choosing peace over pressure on Black Friday

✔️ Donald Glover’s health scare & what it means for our hustle culture

✔️ What a penny shortage can teach us about time, values, and leadership

And yes, it’s personal. Because this isn’t just about money.

It’s about the price we pay when we don’t protect what matters most.

⏳ Read it now → https://open.substack.com/pub/drcharlesrrogers/p/fatherhoodfriday-change-without-pennies?r=5y89ei&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

11/28/2025

✨ This , Be a Part of Kindness ✨

A little kindness can go a long way. 💙

Today, your kindness can help save lives and bring hope to families affected by colorectal cancer.

At the Colorectal Cancer Equity Foundation, we believe everyone deserves access to early detection, quality care, and the chance to live a healthy life, no matter who they are or where they live.

Your gift, big or small, makes a real difference. Together, we can create a future where equity, compassion, and hope lead the way. 💪🏾💙

👉🏽 Donate today at the link in our bio or visit CRCequity.org

11/12/2025

The older I get, the more I realize peace is the most expensive thing I own.

But here’s the truth:

Your body remembers every season you refused to rest.

This week’s free post is live and it’s one of the most honest ones I’ve written about burnout, balance, and boundaries.

📌 Full read is on The Purpose Pause — link’s in the comments.

Friday’s will build on this in a way I hope shifts your perspective.

11/04/2025

💔 In case the algorithms made you miss it last week 😶 … our latest study in JAMA Health Forum lays bare how “structural racism” shapes heart health across America.

🏙️ What we found:
Across 71,000 U.S. neighborhoods, communities facing the highest levels of “structural racism” had the highest rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and obesity.

This is not about individual choices — it’s about systems:
▪️ How schools are funded
▪️Who gets good jobs
▪️Where people can safely live and play
▪️How opportunity is distributed across ZIP codes

🩺 Why it matters:
Your cardiovascular health shouldn’t depend on your ZIP code. Yet the data are clear — neighborhood-level “structural racism” is a measurable, deadly determinant of heart health.

📊 Key takeaway:
If we want to prevent heart disease, we must address the policies and structures that created these inequities in the first place. Health equity is not politics. It’s prevention. It’s justice.

As I was quoted in STAT News:
“Calling this kind of research ‘unscientific’ or ‘ideological’ ignores both the evidence and the lived experiences of millions of people. Refusing to study that truth does not make it go away; it only deepens the harm.”

🔗 Read the coverage & study here:

1️⃣ STAT News: https://lnkd.in/gy5pwadg

2️⃣ JAMA Health Forum: https://lnkd.in/gJ_6fZ9Z

🙏 If this resonates with you, please like, comment, or share.

Let’s make sure this evidence reaches the policymakers, health leaders, & community advocates who can turn data into action.

10/31/2025

💔 Your ZIP code shouldn’t determine whether your heart keeps beating — but in America, it still does. 🖤



Today, Anil Oza with STAT News spotlighted our new paper published in JAMA Health Forum, “Manifestations of Structural Racism and Inequities in Cardiovascular Health Across US Neighborhoods.”

👉 Read the coverage below or here: https://www.statnews.com/2025/10/31/structural-racism-impacts-health-nih-scientists-publish-new-study/

Our team analyzed data from over 71,000 neighborhoods across the United States and uncovered a painful truth:

Communities with the highest levels of “structural racism” have the worst cardiovascular health — higher rates of high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, smoking, and stroke.

This is not coincidence. It is consequence.

The result of decades of disinvestment, inequitable policies, and systems that were never designed for everyone to thrive.

Heart disease is not only a medical issue.

It is a mirror reflecting the structures of our society.

How we fund schools.

Who gets safe housing.

Where grocery stores open.

Who breathes clean air.

As I shared in the article 🔊 :

“Calling this kind of research ‘unscientific’ or ‘ideological’ ignores both the evidence and the lived experiences of millions of people. The data are clear: Neighborhoods with higher levels of ‘structural racism’ have worse cardiovascular health. Refusing to study that truth does not make it go away; it only deepens the harm. Studying structural racism is not about politics. It is about protecting lives, improving communities, and making sure health equity is more than just a slogan.”

We now have the data. What we need is the courage to act.

⚖️ Health equity is not charity. It is prevention. It is justice. ⚖️

If you feel moved by this work led by Dr. Wayne Lawrence, please like, comment, or share. Let’s get this into the hands of decision-makers & community champions alike.

NIH-led research on structural racism was published Friday, even as the Trump administration has cancelled and discredited such work