I remember the day I met her. She was standing among a small group in a Houston high-rise condo, the host having invited us all to meet this dynamic woman on a mission: “To ignite the power in girls by teaching them the skills to thrive and believe in their ability to be unstoppable”. As I watched her engage, I witnessed her igniting the passion of her rapt audience, reeling them in ever so effortlessly with the sheer force of her conviction. Whether they knew it or not, they were toast! They would all soon be volunteering in some capacity to help the Girls Empowerment Network and its fearless leader, Julia Cuba Lewis. And so would I. Fast forward a year or so and several meetings later, and here I am serving as Honorary Chair of GEN’s 2019 We Are Girls Houston Conference! Why did I jump in head first? And why is her work so important to our democracy? Listen to or watch my interview with Julia and it will soon become clear.

Linda Lorelle