Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle Rogers.
Hi Gabrielle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My family has lived in and supported DeKalb for three generations and I am honored to build upon that legacy through my community activism and by running for State Representative for House District 88 in Georgia. I am Gabrielle Rogers, an experienced business professional, wife, parent advocate and lifetime public servant that was born in the heart of Decatur and reared off historic Candler Road.
It was no accident that, like my father, I was born at DeKalb General Hospital and delivered by the same nurse nearly 25 years later. Though my family moved around a lot, I spent much of my childhood toggling between my grandparents’ Candler Rd home and commanding the playground with my friends in East Lake Meadows. The polar differences in these neighboring communities taught me that the health and safety of our district relies heavily on equitable service that is tailored to the needs of our families and businesses.
My parents weren’t rich, but they worked hard to provide for my siblings and me. We were active in every sport you could name and my parents never limited us. As a child, I was very ambitious, bold and talkative. I joked with my parents as to how they did such a great job channeling my drive to always be the very best at whatever I was doing. As the oldest of five, I took pride in being the protector of my siblings and friends against bullies on and off the playground. It was inevitable that when I attended Troy University in 2008, I would major in Journalism, one of the most influential ways to stand up for issues I believe in and garner widespread support behind. While interning at the local newspaper I began to recognize the need for a diverse team of journalists and realized how much representation matters. I believe that leadership should reflect the communities they serve because they empathize with our concerns, articulate our needs, and offer reasonable solutions to address our issues.
Shortly after graduating with my bachelor’s degree in 2013, I met my husband Jonothan Rogers, a USPO union worker. We married in 2017, moved back to our district and blended our family with two smart and active adolescent boys. Though we worked hard to help support a comfortable life for our new family, I was laid off unexpectedly and had to apply for government assistance. As you could imagine, surviving on one income was difficult, but we persevered.
Due to lack of opportunities in our community, ultimately, I capitalized on my talents and entrepreneurial spirit to support our family. In 2016, I’d created Fifth Generation Consulting, Inc., a Marketing Consulting Company that assisted nonprofits and small to midsize businesses with brand management, digital marketing strategies and internal team management. My company increased revenue, by 25%, for over 20 businesses.
In 2018, I served as the 1st African American Marketing and Sales Manager at the #1 Dinner and Show Theater in the world, known locally as Medieval Times Atlanta. As such, I was responsible for managing the company’s million-dollar marketing and sales budget, acquiring corporate sponsorships and building community relationships. My experiences struggling through unemployment, followed by helping others survive underemployment, motivated me to begin working on behalf of organizations that advocated for livable wage employment opportunities in DeKalb and to earn my master’s degree from Walden University.
The more engaged I became in the community, I realized that our district was left behind, resources were not distributed equitably and that my neighbors desired better opportunities but needed support articulating these demands to the right people. DeKalb County was once referred to as one of the wealthiest counties in the nation for black affluence, however, it is gradually losing its position due to the exponential increase in cost of living partnered with lack of economic growth. With my track record of organizing political movements and influencing policy changes in DeKalb, I was encouraged to support our community by running to serve as our next State Representative of House District 88 in DeKalb County, GA.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My passion for speaking up for those that are unable to speak for themselves prompted me to accept a position as a Marketing Sales Director at a major entertainment holding company in metro Atlanta. Over the span of my 10-year career, I’ve managed millions of dollars to successfully create job opportunities, increase minimal wages and offer medical benefits to hourly wage workers. During the 2020 pandemic, the need for advocates in our community began to grow exponentially. I resigned from my position in marketing to reassign my energy and expertise to the organizations that support sustainability and revitalization of opportunities in our community.
When I decided to embark on this journey, I had so many supporters who wanted change and many people who thought I was too young or too inexperienced to run against a 20-year incumbent. But I’m so glad that I didn’t allow the negative to stop me. In fact, it fueled me to go even harder.
This journey hasn’t been a ray of sunshine, I’ve experienced great loss and great ridicule. During the height of my campaign, my biggest supporter, my father, was killed due to a tragic car accident.
He taught me everything that I know and is the reason why I’m a strong, black woman. I know that he is always with me and that I am his living legacy. It gives me great comfort in knowing that he gave me his blessing to run for public office and I will continue to make him proud.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I am running to serve as the 1st woman to represent House District 88 which includes parts of Stone Mountain, Lilburn, Lithonia and Tucker.
Being a servant is my life and I do not take it lightly. I serve and lead in many civic and community organizations in DeKalb County such as the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Decatur-DeKalb Chapter, Inc., DeKalb Section National Council of Negro Women, Junior League of DeKalb, National Women’s Empowerment Ministry and the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce.
As a result of my passion to address issues regarding public safety and criminal justice reform, in July 2020, I joined the Sheriff’s Community Commission on Policy Review to provide insight into community relations.
In November 2019, I was voted as the youngest member to serve on the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. At the 2020 National Women’s Empowerment Ministry Signature event, the Red Dress Brunch, I was the recipient of the 2020 Raising the Profile Millennial Award. I am a founding member of the Stone Mountain Action Coalition (SMAC) and their goal is to make Stone Mountain Park a more inclusive public facility dedicated to healing, transformation and progress. During a Special Election, I was voted as the 2021 President of DeKalb Young Democrats. I am a proud graduate from the United Way of Greater Atlanta VIP Fall 2021 Cohort and a graduate of Leadership DeKalb Class of 2021.
When I look over my life, there’s one word that describes me and that’s Resilience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gabrielleforgeorgia.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielle4ga/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabrielle4ga
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClS00k_hF7Yqtp_l7LuyfNQ
Image Credits
Juliette Johnson Photography – Campaign Headshot and Family photo Elle Danielle – Wedding Photo
