St. Louis native Larry Rodgers left the city as a teenager and headed to the West Coast with dreams of making it in entertainment. Decades later, he has returned home with a goal of helping others tell their stories.
“St. Louis made me, Oakland, California, paid me, and L.A. kind of raised me,” said Rodgers, whose entertainment career included touring the world as MC Hammer’s hype man in the early 1990s. “And now back in the Midwest, back in the Lou, we’re going to make it do what it do.”
Rodgers, his wife, Paris Rodgers, and their son, Langston Rodgers, own and operate ForWord Books Publishing, a faith-based publishing company that works with authors to turn their ideas into finished books.
Rodgers said a major reason he started ForWord was to provide aspiring authors with a platform to publish their work without being taken advantage of by predatory publishing practices.
He said he has been writing since he was 12 and has been an avid reader throughout his life, but began focusing on publishing in 2022. “Young People Moving Forward,” a quarterly children’s lifestyle magazine, became the starting point for his publishing venture, followed by journals, books and other projects.
Rodgers said the purpose of the magazine is to uplift, spotlight and celebrate local youth through storytelling, community events and literacy initiatives. He said the magazine was intentionally designed to create a sense of nostalgia for those who remember publications such as Jet and Ebony, while introducing that style of publication to a new generation.
“I wanted our youth in this generation to have it and see what quality really looks like,” Rodgers said.
Issues of the magazine sell for $10 to $12. Past issues have featured local stories on topics ranging from the history of Homer G. Phillips Hospital to St. Louis artist Brock Seals.
“I don’t cut no corners when it come to the quality of the books and the magazine,” Rodgers said.
Beyond the magazine, Rodgers has helped 10 authors publish books and is currently working with several others on their projects.
Willie Mae Anthony, a Berkeley councilwoman and author of three books, worked with Rodgers in 2023 to publish her children’s book, “The Duck That Was Afraid to Swim.”
“I sent the words, and they turned my book into something awesome,” Anthony told The American.
She said she came to ForWord with only a manuscript.
“He helped with the illustration. He helped with the printing. He helped getting the word out,” Anthony said of working with Rodgers and his family.
Her book is now available for purchase through Amazon.
Robert Powell III, founder of Bruh Got Game Foundation, was featured in “Young People Moving Forward” and has remained connected to the Rodgers family since.
Powell said he did not know what to expect at first because people often approach him with promises of what they can do for his organization.
“I just went along with it. I made sure that I got him all of my source material,” Powell said. “He was able to come out to some of my events.”
Powell said Rodgers took time to learn about the foundation and the impact of its work before publishing the story.
“I was floored because I couldn’t believe how just clean and nice and beautiful it was,” Powell said. “I’m like, man, you really put your journalistic hat on to actually put in real thorough content for me.”
Rodgers said his years of experience in the entertainment industry have prepared him for what he is now offering through ForWord.
A multifaceted entertainer, Rodgers sings, dances, acts and performs comedy. He got his break in 1990 when he was hired as MC Hammer’s hype man and toured the world with him until 1993. His career also included working with other household names, including Janet Jackson.
Rodgers also worked as a stunt performer and live-action tour actor for the Black Power Ranger in the 1990s. He now performs comedy skits on social media featuring characters he created, including Reverend Rufus and Detective Larry Eats.
Rodgers said entertainment remains part of ForWord’s broader mission. He said the company can work across books, movies, plays and music, as long as the material is positive and uplifting.
“I want my people to have major professional platforms where things are done with godly excellence, done very professional,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers is planning the ForWord Christian Book Festival from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Deaconess Foundation, where community members can fellowship, meet local authors and learn more about the process of publishing a book. The event is free and open to the public. ForWord also plans to select one attendee to receive a free book publishing deal.
“I feel like everybody in this world has a story,” Rodgers said. “No matter what race or even age. … As long as you’re breathing, it’s never too late.”