Growing up as a Black student in the public school system in Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Dwight Rogers’ story wasn’t supposed to end with success.

Now the director of Diversity, Equity, and Family Engagement with Stockton USD, Rogers explores his experiences with school discipline, identity and educational equity in a new book, “Change the Narrative, Don’t Let the Narrative Change You.”

Published in August by Xulon Press, the book is both a memoir and a call to action. Rogers includes reflection questions with each chapter, which he hopes will spark introspection in young people, educators and others — “because reflection is where transformation begins,” he said.

EdCal asked Rogers to share what he hopes educators will learn from the book and the turning point that helped him reclaim his story.

What narrative was written for you when you were growing up? The narrative written for me growing up was one of limitation. I was a young Black boy from Brooklyn, raised in the Vanderveer projects, who had a speech impediment. Society didn’t expect me to lead or to succeed, it expected me to survive.

But my mother’s voice changed that for me. She taught me that I didn’t have to accept the world’s version of my story. I could rewrite it. Her strength and love became my foundation, and they still guide me in everything I do today.

What was a turning point for you where you started to reclaim your story? Losing my mother in 2013 changed everything. It was one of the hardest experiences of my life, but also one of the most defining. Through that pain, I found purpose.

Her passing forced me to reflect on who I was and what I was carrying. I realized I had spent years living under narratives that didn’t belong to me. That moment, that heartbreak, was when I made the decision to own my story, to heal, and to live with intention.

How long have you been writing this book? In a sense, I’ve been writing this book my entire life. Every classroom I taught in, every school I led, every student I counseled, they all became chapters in this journey. It took a few years to put the manuscript together, but the lessons and stories span decades. Writing “Change the Narrative” wasn’t just a creative project, it was a healing one.

What did you learn about yourself in writing this book? I learned that healing isn’t always linear. I learned that strength doesn’t always look like control, sometimes it looks like vulnerability.

I also realized how often I poured into others without refilling my own cup. Writing this book forced me to look at my life through a lens of truth and grace. It reminded me that real leadership begins with self-awareness, honesty, and the courage to face your own story before trying to guide someone else’s.

How has your lived experience affected your leadership of schools? My lived experience is my leadership. Growing up as a young Black male in a system that often overlooked students like me has shaped every decision I make as a school and district leader.

When I walk into a classroom, I see the faces of children who remind me of myself — full of brilliance, often misunderstood, and hungry for affirmation. That’s why I lead with empathy and urgency. My role as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Family Engagement has never been about position, it’s about purpose.

I believe that true equity leadership means standing in your truth and creating spaces where every student feels seen, valued, and free to dream.

What lessons do you think other education leaders will learn from this book? They’ll learn that equity is not a checklist, it’s a mindset. It’s deeply personal work. This book challenges leaders to move beyond compliance and toward connection. It’s a reminder that data may tell you where the gaps are, but stories tell you why they exist.

I hope leaders walk away understanding that transformational leadership requires both courage and compassion, the willingness to confront systems and to heal hearts at the same time.