Dr. Charles R. Rogers

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

10/30/2025

🎯 Perfection is the enemy of progress.

When I started writing earlier this summer, I didn’t have a perfect brand, polished strategy, or guaranteed audience. Just the courage to say: “This matters. I’m ready.”

Over time, it’s become so much more than a weekly post.

It’s grown into a private community for leaders, fathers, and everyday people learning how to lead with heart, build legacy without burnout, and stay grounded in their values—especially when life gets real.

This is your invitation to go deeper.

🆕 Starting now, expanded reflections and behind-the-scenes leadership lessons will be exclusive to paid subscribers.

If you’ve been moved by these weekly drops, this is your sign to join the journey fully.

💥 Subscribe now via the link in my bio and the comments section below.

The next post drops tomorrow. And trust me, it’s one you don’t want to miss.

Let’s keep growing together.

10/28/2025

This past Saturday in the Windy City, I had the honor of delivering “When Silence Costs Lives: What Colorectal Cancer Advocacy Reveals About Who Gets to Survive.”

I spoke as a husband, father, behavioral scientist, and Founder and President of the Colorectal Cancer Equity Foundation, because silence around cancer doesn’t just hide pain — it costs lives.

Some truths from my talk:

💥 Stigma kills. When people believe is an “old white man’s disease,” they delay care. The same happens when lung cancer is labeled a “smoker’s disease.”

💥 Your ZIP code predicts your outcome. Where you live still shapes if and how soon you get screened and treated.

💥 Equality ≠ Equity ≠ Justice. The same message isn’t the same access, and neither fixes the system. Justice removes the barriers altogether.

💥Data without dignity fails. Numbers must be paired with lived stories.

💥Representation matters. Who’s in the room, and who isn’t, still determines who gets to survive.

Deep gratitude to my fellow panelists:

💙 Kimberly Richardson reminded us that your cancer story gives meaning to the mission, but the mission must serve more than one story. Stories move hearts, but evidence moves systems.

💙 Troy Karnes grounded us in self-care, reminding us that positive thinking may not solve everything, but it helps you do everything better — in cancer and in life — than negative thinking ever will.

Special thanks to Dr. Eugene for organizing such a powerful event and for continuing to push forward even in times when equity is often unwelcome or dismissed. That is real leadership. 🫡

It was also a pleasure meeting Aminah Abdullah (our panel moderator), Angela James, Dr. Sophia Brown, Michael Mejia, and Peyton Brent, among others who are deeply committed to making an impact in their own spaces of influence and interest.

I left Chicago more convinced than ever that we cannot silo our compassion. What saves lives in colorectal cancer can help rewrite the story in lung, prostate, breast, and every other cancer.

Let’s replace stigma with science, silence with storytelling, and despair with data-driven compassion. Onward.

10/25/2025

Your time is either building your legacy or someone else's comfort.

This week’s dives deep into what a whale-watching trip in Hawaii taught me about time, leadership, and boundaries.

Read now & subscribe to the full series: https://open.substack.com/pub/drcharlesrrogers/p/fatherhoodfriday-whales-time-and?r=5y89ei&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

10/24/2025

Earlier this week, I got my first PSA test — simply by giving blood.🩸

As you can see in the image, my result came back at 0.37 ng/ml, well within the normal range (≤ 4.00 ng/ml). 🙌🏽

I’m confident it’s low because every day I do my best to live a lifestyle that honors the body God gave me — to be here a while longer to love my wife, raise my son, and keep serving my purpose.

But here’s the reality we can’t ignore:

👉🏾 Black men are 70% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

👉🏾 Twice as likely to die from it compared to White men.

👉🏾 And often diagnosed at a later, more aggressive stage.

This isn’t just about biology — it’s about barriers, bias, and broken systems that keep too many of us from getting tested early and often.

For me, this test wasn’t just a health check.
It was an act of resistance, responsibility, and love.

Awareness saves lives.
But silence? It costs them.

So brothers, here’s my ask:

🩺 Talk to your doctor.
💪🏾 Know your numbers.
🗣️ Start the conversation — even if it feels uncomfortable.

We can’t change what we don’t face.

Let’s normalize prevention, not funerals.

10/23/2025

Allow me to reintroduce one of Rogers Solutions Group’s rising stars:

MONITORING, EVALUATION, & RESEARCH SPECIALIST — Ms. Khalida Saalim

When you meet Khalida, you notice right away that she’s driven by purpose.

Her work is all about making systems more fair and more effective, whether in health, education, or social programs.

She’s a researcher, an evaluator, and a storyteller through data.

Khalida knows how to design studies, manage complex projects, and turn findings into action. She’s skilled in qualitative research tools like NVivo and Atlas.ti, in data analysis programs like STATA and R, and in data visualization with Tableau and PowerBI.

Her passion for maternal health runs deep.

She spent time in Ghana’s Greater Accra Region, leading research on postnatal care and helping reduce stigma for people living with HIV. Those experiences taught her that research is not just about numbers—it’s about people, and the stories behind the data.

Khalida holds degrees from Georgetown University and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and she brings both academic rigor and compassion to every project she touches.

⸻

💡 But here’s where her story really begins to shine

For 6️⃣ months, Khalida kept pitching ideas and applying for projects.

Each time, she was met with “no,” “not yet,” or “so close.”

She could have stopped.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she refined her message, improved her proposals, and kept showing up.

She stayed focused on opportunities that matched her values and vision.

Then, 1️⃣ month ago, something changed.

She found the right project.

She pitched it.

She shaped it.

Now, she’s leading it.

This wasn’t just a personal win.

It was a team victory.

Because at RSG, we believe in growing people, not just projects.

When Khalida told our CEO, Dr. Tiana N. Rogers, that she wanted to start her own consulting business, Dr. Tiana didn’t hesitate.

“Amazing,” she said. “I’ll teach you everything I can.”

When Khalida asked if she could take on projects that inspired her—even smaller ones—Dr. Tiana said yes.

Why?

Passion fuels persistence.

Persistence changes lives.

⸻

🫡 This is what RSG stands for 🏅

We don’t just deliver results.

We build leaders.

We invest in people whose confidence matches their competence.

We help changemakers grow into the kind of professionals who transform communities and industries.

If you’re ready to work with a partner who delivers results and develops the next generation of leaders, we’d love to connect.

👉🏾 Visit RogersSolutionsGroup.com to learn more.

10/18/2025

After a long outreach day, I just wanted a lemonade.

What I got was a swarm of yellow jackets…and a fresh reminder:

Your purpose might attract chaos. Show up anyway.

This week’s will challenge how you protect your calling.

Read it here → https://open.substack.com/pub/drcharlesrrogers/p/fatherhoodfriday-when-purpose-attracts?r=5y89ei&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

10/14/2025

We are losing Black men far too soon, and we’re not talking about it enough. 😡

Today, the world mourns the loss of Michael Eugene Archer, known to us as D’Angelo, who passed away at just 51 years old from pancreatic cancer.

A Grammy-winning, soul-redefining visionary.
A father of three.
A man whose music gave voice to Black love, faith, and vulnerability.

And yet, like too many of our brothers, his time here was cut heartbreakingly short.

This is not an isolated tragedy.
It’s a pattern.
It’s a public health emergency hiding in plain sight.

🩺 Black men in America continue to face the lowest life expectancy of any racial or gender group.

The reasons are complex but not mysterious: structural racism, chronic stress, inequitable access to healthcare, underdiagnosed diseases, and a culture that too often tells men to “push through the pain” rather than seek help.

When we look back, the names tell a devastating story:
• Chadwick Boseman (43) – colon cancer
• Heavy D (44) – pulmonary embolism
• Nipsey Hussle (33) – gun violence
• A.J. Johnson (55) – complications from chronic illness
• John Singleton (51) – stroke
• Pimp C (33) – sleep apnea and drug interaction
• DMX (50) – cardiac arrest
• Michael K. Williams (54) – accidental overdose
• Teddy Ray (32) – heart disease
• D’Angelo (51) – pancreatic cancer

Each name a son, a father, a friend, a creative force.

Each life a mirror reflecting the same painful truth: our systems are failing Black men’s health.

This crisis demands conversation, accountability, and transformation in healthcare access, research investment, mental health support, and community education.
We cannot normalize losing our men before they see 60.

Behind every obituary is a community of people asking, “Why didn’t we see it coming?”

💔 We cannot keep burying brilliance this young.

The loss of D’Angelo must shake us, not just in mourning, but into movement.

Rest well brother. 🙏🏾

📸 Mark Metcalfe/Getty

10/13/2025

I do this work so my son will live in a world where our stories end in survival, not silence.

That’s the heart of my recent conversation on the I Am Dad podcast with Kenneth Braswell:

🎙️ “Fatherhood, Legacy & Colorectal Cancer Awareness”

🎧 Watch here: https://youtu.be/FYEaAIl1uf0?si=xNucLhLvvDxnxc9_

In this episode, I share:

💠 What it means to be a present father while leading in health equity work

💠 The legacy I hope to leave for my son and community

💠 Why we all need to talk more about colorectal cancer screening

If you’ve ever tried to balance your calling with your family or wondered how purpose and fatherhood connect, this one’s close to my 💙 .

Let me know what resonates with you in the comments. Let’s keep pushing for awareness, prevention, and love in action.

10/10/2025

Too many say they support you… until it’s time to show up.

This week’s FatherhoodFriday is about real collaboration, donor-powered equity work, and why purpose should never come with the price tag of burnout.

👉🏾 https://open.substack.com/pub/drcharlesrrogers/p/fatherhoodfriday-when-purpose-costs?r=5y89ei&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true