“This is us and this is love and this is where I'm home.” - Emile Sande
Meet Millicent
Having grown up in Durham, the words of Emile Sande speak to me. Durham is us. Durham is love. And Durham is where I’m home. That’s why I feel so strongly that we need to make sure that Durham is where all families matter.
On each step of this journey, I have been grateful to follow in the footsteps of my grandmother, Reathie Mae Rogers. She raised nine children, served as President of the McDougald Terrace Residents Association and worked with the North Carolina Fund to create experimental programming to end poverty in NC. She was instrumental in their developing Operation Breakthrough, and the picture of her you see on the left hung on the walls of Durham City Hall - a constant reminder to me to serve the community that has served us so well. I am Millicent Rogers: single mom, volunteer, and public school advocate. I’m following in my grandmother’s footsteps, fighting for a better Durham for our most vulnerable populations.
I am Millicent Rogers, candidate for Durham Public Schools Board of Education in Consolidated District B.
Experience
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Service
I have been fortunate enough to be part of two prestigious service organizations: Alpha Kappa Alpha and the Order of Black and Gold. While at Appalachian State University, I participated in service projects in and beyond Boone, NC. In Durham, I’ve been able to serve on the Board of Directors of Rebound, Alternatives for Youth.
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Parent Teacher Association
When I became a single parent with the birth of my son in 2011, I knew I was committed to investing in the same school system I attended. That’s why I joined the PTA and, among other things, advocated for free access to the school carnival while still generating revenue, applied and received grant funding for an internet safety workshop, and most importantly, successfully advocated for playground replacement when administration had his roadblocks. These successes led me to my current role as the Advocacy Committee Chair with the NCPTA.
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Advocacy
My son is also why I became the Education Team Lead with the People’s Alliance and eventually led the People’s Alliance as Co-President. I advocated for our County Leaders to stop withholding funding from a public school system in need, with DPS eventually securing access to $14.128 million in funding for building maintenance and salary increases for the most overlooked portions of the DPS family: nutrition workers, bus drivers, and custodial staff.
In 2011, I became more than just a young Black woman in Durham. I was looking forward to becoming successful and satisfied with life. But 2011 was the year I became a single parent. This was the single most difficult challenge I have ever faced and one that I set out to do independently. I wanted to carry the baby and all the bags. I wanted to be at work and witness all the firsts the same as a stay-at-home parent. I wanted to be a brilliant role model by investing in meaningful work and still have the energy to play soccer with my son. I quickly learned that nobody can do it all. I had to trust others to be the village that would enhance my son’s life. Without a father in the picture, I was required to work full time just to keep myself and my son safe and healthy. All the big things fell squarely on me: rent, car payments and repairs, trips to the doctor, you name it - it was my responsibility. A responsibility executed with love, but a responsibility nonetheless. As my son grew older, I realized that there was an entire village of support that could help me hold things down. There were daycare providers that were flexible on their payment systems and pick-up times, there were Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Grandma that would show up when I couldn’t.
When my son entered school and I engaged with the PTA, I was excited to expand our village to include bus drivers, instructional assistants, teachers - a whole community of people looking out for him when I couldn’t. In a lot of ways, I found that. But I also found a system that seemed to actively push me out. I was confronted by an administrator that slammed her hand on the table and told a group of us, teachers and parents, that we wouldn’t know when the School Improvement Team (SIT) meets because we weren’t on the SIT team. Along with other parents and teachers, I was told, in no uncertain terms, that I was not welcome in those conversations. As I engaged with other PTA leaders locally, statewide, and nationally I started to understand that this was a systemic issue. Through years of experience advocating for our youth through political activism, non-profit organizations, and the PTA, I have the experience necessary to address these systemic issues head-on. I’m ready to advocate for our children and families to have their voices heard.
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”
Just as Ruth Bader Ginsburg advocated for women to be part of decision-making, I am here to advocate for all families - families of color, families of children with disabilities, literally all families - to be in the places where decisions are being made within our schools. According to census data, 44% of families in Durham are single-parent households just like mine. We all need a seat at the table. I truly believe that we can make Durham a place where all families matter.