From Abuse to Advocacy with Kenneth Rogers, Jr.
Are you ready to take a deep dive into one of the most powerful stories of resilience and advocacy? Join us for an inspiring episode with Kenneth Rogers, Jr., a male survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Kenny endured years of abuse, depression, and isolation before he was able to begin his journey of healing.
After finding success in speech and debate, Kenny turned to writing as an outlet for his pain, producing his memoir, Raped Black Male, and the How To Heal Your Superhero Series, which discusses various coping mechanisms related to superheroes such as workaholism, hypervigilance, and so on. Kenny has gone on to become a powerful advocate in the fight against child abuse.
Listen as we talk with Kenny about his incredible journey through trauma, what he is most grateful for today, and more. Plus hear from Neil Parekh and Candace Sanchez who also share their personal stories of survival while offering ways that we can all get involved in making a difference.
Episode Highlights:
10:32 - I decided to write my memoir, Raped Black Male, and that opened the door. Because when I wrote that book, there was so much in the news, just like there is now about armed black male, hostile black male, so much negative connotations towards black males.
11:22 - I started writing my How To Heal Your Superhero Series, which started off with Heroes, Villains, and Healing. I really saw in my therapy and in my healing, the parallels between superheroes and the healing process and the healing journey of an individual, and how a lot of those different superheroes are very much reflective of the healing process and the coping mechanisms that we have as survivors.
23:34 - I was more afraid that I would die with this knowledge that other people wouldn't be able to use. So, for me, with disclosure, it's never really been like, "Oh, they may not like me, or they may get upset, or this is taboo," but more of there are other people that need this.
35:19 - I signed up with RAINN Speaker's Bureau and there's no real definite commitment. You're in their database, so that if someone in the area is looking for a survivor, they'll shoot you an email and say, "Hey, this individual is looking for survivors who can possibly come and speak."
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