anna, anna, anna, anna, anna! Thank you so much for opening this treasure chest of memories for me. I was still in high school when she ran for president. I wasn’t quite old enough to vote but I was a huge fan of Shirley Chisholm. This, of course, put me at odds with all my friends and especially my parents. Both of my parents were extreme racists and they were both extreme misogynists (especially my mother). But Shirley taught me to stand by my convictions no matter how much heat I got from those around me. I wanted so desperately to vote for her.

I had watched her speeches and was always deeply moved. Thanks for sharing those videos that still move me today. They give me hope.

And I’m saying this as a white man!

As for Alexandria Octavio-Cortez, the very, very first time I ever heard about her is when I happened to catch a video of her as she learned that she just won the primary as Democratic representative for her district in New York. I had no idea who she was. I had never heard her speak. I had no idea what her platform was. I had no idea what she believed in…

But in that very first instant of seeing her I had a very, very strong psychic impression that this young woman would some day be our president.

I sincerely hope that I am right. Of course, she will not have a chance at that except for the brave women who came before her like Shirley Chisholm.

Thank you again, anna. You sent vibrations of joy coursing throughout my body. There really is hope for us and that hope lies in the female gender.