I was born in Boston, but my younger brother, George, and I grew up in East Texas and Houston, children of a mathematician and a lady barber who eventually divorced. (A “shout-out” to my other siblings Aretha, Gerald and Valerie!)

I’m living proof that a poor Black girl coming of age in the segregated South of the late 1960s could achieve her dream of world travel and a college education. Not that I did it on my own. I acknowledge the struggles and sacrifices of many before me that made it possible. A federal government career led to both domestic and foreign assignments. I never earned big bucks, but the experiences I gained at U.S. Embassies in Latin America, Europe, and Africa deepened my appreciation for the rights and freedoms we Americans enjoy here at home.

Today, I’m retired and living in a small mountain community east of Albuquerque,
New Mexico, where I volunteer as a Spanish teacher. My hobbies include reading and
inspirational Christian music. I begin each day with prayers of gratitude and gentle
physical exercise. My Bible studies embrace both the Old and New Testaments.