Today we’d like to introduce you to Corisha Rogers.
Hi Corisha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in Third Ward by a single mother, I’ve long had a passion for being politically involved. I saw the importance of voting, thanks to people in my life showing me the importance of investing in community. As a child, after-school programs like Project Row Houses helped uplift me and Agape Development playing a big role in my adulthood and assisted me in becoming a homeowner before I turned 30.
Since I graduated in 2012, I have been consistently working to increase voter turnout, working in grassroots organizing, community development, and public service. My work has been geared to help my community find their voice by building power. My personal experiences helped me understand it is necessary to center community and opportunity, investing in others to make an impact on decisions affecting their lives.
A little over a year ago, I made a decision to stop from behind the scenes and run for office because I saw a deeper need for community investment. While it didnt turn out how I planned, it did gave me an entirely new perspective on leadership and how much work goes into asking my community to put their trust in me.
Today, I’m the Co-Chair of the Houston Progressive Caucus, helping to build an environment to bring more working class people in the conversations around politics and to challenge the status quo. Our elected leaders need to invest more in the working class, rather than personal or special interest campaigns. I hope my work will help open opportunities for future generations to have their voices heard, and create space where a person, no matter their background, feels allowed to run for office, witha love for their community and the drive to see their passion through.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has most certainly not been a smooth road. As a child, I experienced the challenges my mother went through to make sacrifices for myself and my brother with the limited amount of resources she had. She was still give us the opportunity to grow into our best selves, supported by community. During my college years, I made the tough decision to step back from college and prioritize working and earning income to be able to survive in a world with constant rising costs. This was a difficult decision many are forced to make.
I’ve had my share of challenges as well. Working behind the scences of politics for over a decade, helping other people build their campaigns and expand their careers, and along this journey, I’ve had situations where my contributions weren’t always recognized, when loyalty wasnt reciprocated, and where I had to learn hard lessons about navigating political relationships. I’ve had to believe in my own potential event when the people around don’t necessarily see it. I am a Black woman working in politics and I belong here as much as anyone else.
Running for Congress brought its own set of challenges. There’s so much personal sacrifice involved in running a campaign and the system is not designed for an average person to run for office.
Even with those realities in front of me, I have not and will not give up. I’ve learned to be resourceful, advocate for myself, and to understand that my circumstances don’t have to determine my future. I’m using these experiences to grow and become a person who can create opportunities for the people who will walk this path after me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The majority of work I do focuses on grassroots organzing and voter mobilization. Having political strategy in my background helps me activate my community. Working across political campaigns, nonprofit work and civic engagement initiatives, I’ve made it my specialty to helping people better understand and see through all the legal jargon and use that to build their political power. The work I do creates an organzing infastructure, where engagment is both meaningful and a strategic participation.
I would say my biggest accomplishments was working at the Harris County Democratic Party from being apart of the work that help shift Harris County blue in 2018 to returning in 2023 as the Organizing Director to help build and establish the need for our team to invest in long term organizing so that communities can build the power necessary to make meaningful changes in our community. Elections are just a step in the change, we have to build relationships, be consistent in our engagement, and be willing to do the work long before an election cycle begins.
I’ve consistently taken on difficult assignments from the work at the Democratic Party, to advocating for my community in the state legislature, and working with the Houston Progressive Caucus to challenge traditional approaches to local poltics. I consistently gravitate towards approaches where I can help move things forward.
What sets me apart is that I have no interest in maintaining the status quo. Politics has to be more than just cycling through faces, building political caeers, and engaging communites when its just time for an election. I want to help develop a culture where community members have a powerful influence, where community holds leadership accountable, and where public services become a responsibility and not a stepping stone.
I’m more than proud of the work I have done behind the scenes, and I’m looking forward to challenging myself to step into leadership roles. Overall, I want my work to be measured not just by the campaigns I’ve helped, but by the people we continue to empower, crating new opportunites and making a lasting impact on the communities we enter.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was the kind of girl who marched to beat of her own drum. I always had interests and differing perspective on things and really wasnt interested in following the crowd just because everyone else was doing it.
I was (and still am) a big fan of video games and anime. I remember the weekends where I would hang out with friends and play video games together, I think this also connects to my love of anime, where I would get with friends who exposed me to shows like Fullmetal Alchemist and just the overall community aspect when it came to enjoying activities like this.
As an older sister I have felt a personal responsiblity to set an example for my younger brother and move through life in a way that we both can be proud of and as I’ve gotten older it has evovled into wanting to be a person he can turn to for advice, perspective and guidance as he makes he journey through adulthood.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve consistently told my teachers, friends and community members that I desired to be President of the United States. I’ve always wanted to do something that would leave a lasting impact on my community and inspire others that their dreams are possible.
And if you were to ask any friend about me, I think they would say that I’m outgoing, fearless, and will never hesitate to support a friend. They appreciate the fact that im able to just be myself, speak up and be someone they can call in a time of need. I greatly appreciate that I’ve been able to keep that independent streak throughout most of my life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @corishafortexas
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corisha-rogers-897537124
- Twitter: @corishafortexas
- TikTok: @corishafortexas
