RED BANK An educator and a leader in her community, the Monmouth County Human Relations Commission awarded Gilda Rogers with the seventh annual Earl Thomas Teasley Humanitarian Award.
Rogers has been a pillar of the community for many years. She is a scholar, a mentor, an author, an advocate, a teacher, a leader, a business owner, an entrepreneur, a social activist, a T.V. host, and altogether a “renaissance woman” of our time, according to an prepared statement from the commission.
John Delaney, the chairman of the Monmouth County Human Relations Commission, gave Rogers the award during a public ceremony on June 12, at the Monmouth County Agriculture Building’s conference room, located at 4000 Kozlosky Road in Freehold.
“I am honored to be of service to others, and knowing what I do about Earl Thomas Teasley and his ceaseless effort to improve better human relations among all people, it gives me great pleasure to carry his torch,” Rogers said.
Earl Thomas Teasley, for whom the award is named, was the chairman of the commission at the time of his death in April 2010. Teasley was a noted advocate for social justice, a beloved counselor and an assistant professor at Brookdale Community College, according to a prepared statement.
A resident of Red Bank for 25 years, Rogers teaches writing at Brookdale Community College’s English Department and is also a community relations outreach liaison for the Two River Theater.
Rogers has taught at several educational institutions. She initiated the program, “Let’s Talk About Race” at the Red Bank Library, according to a prepared statement.
“With the rash of shootings that were occurring often against African American men, I thought the conversation about race in this country needed to be had. Linda Hewitt, who coordinates programming at the Red Bank Public Library agreed and that’s how the program got started and has been going strong for two years,” Rogers said. “The series is ongoing and takes place the last Wednesday of the month from 7 p.m. to closing. There’s been a multitude of important conversations that’s taken place since the series started and they’re usually well attended.”
Rogers is currently leading the preservation and restoration of the T. Thomas Fortune house an African-American landmark, in Red Bank, according to a prepared statement.
“T. Thomas Fortune was one of the most notable African American journalists of the late 19th and 20th centuries. He has been credited with being the ‘bridge to the modern day Civil Rights Movement.’ His work as a social justice crusader during his time, while using his newspaper, ‘The New York Age,’ one of the most widely read Black newspapers, as his platform to speak out against the atrocities and injustices committed against African Americans, helped to change the tide in social relations in this country. His home was designated a national historic landmark in 1976, which is only one of two in New Jersey devoted to African American heritage,” Rogers said.
She is also the author of two books titled, Arrested Development: The State of Black Achievement and Education in Hip-Hop America and Out of the Ashes Came Hope, according to Rogers.
“As a matter of fact, I’m currently writing ‘Voices of Hope,’ which spun off from ‘Out of the Ashes Came Hope,’” Rogers said.
Formed by resolution of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1990, after substantial input from community leaders from all walks of life, the MCHRC combats the causes of bias and discrimination that result in acts of violence, vandalism, and violations of civil rights. MCHRC members are a cross-section of Monmouth County’s leadership, representing government, law enforcement, clergy, minority groups, educators, and business, according to information provided by the commission.
Despite having several different careers, Rogers is still a community activist in her borough.
“I am the co-chair of Citizens for a Diverse and Open Society and we get together every third Thursday of the month at Pilgrim Baptist Church to discuss how to improve race relations and we have recently taken the lead in addressing the Amistad Legislation, that mandates African American History must be infused across the curriculum in public schools. Sid Bernstein is the co-chair with me and he and another member of the group Michael Gordon, recently met with the Amistad Commissioner in Trenton a few weeks ago,” Rogers said.
She said the group hopes to start an institute to better inform teachers on how to incorporate certain subjects into their curriculum.
“Our intent is to work with the commission in helping to insure the legislation is being implemented in schools throughout Monmouth County. Another important factor that came [out] of that meeting was, in conjunction with the Amistad Commission we’re looking to establish a ‘Residential Summer Training Institute’ in 2018. For teachers in the central jersey area to understand the full thrust of the legislation and its importance and to give teachers the tools, guidance and information needed to augment the teaching of what can be a sensitive subject, [such as] African American History, which is an important factor in teaching american history.”
For more information about the Monmouth County Human Relations Commission visit www.monmouthcountyhrc.org.
For more information about “Let’s Talk About Race” at the Red Bank Public Library visit www.redbanklibrary.org/departments/adults/369-let-s-talk-about-race.html.
Contact Vashti Harris at contact [email protected].