Katie and Olivia

The Journey Begins Before You Reach Your Destination


My first two women have set me on my course, discussing their views and actions for peace and a better shared future. Katie has been in my life since she was cradled in her mother's arms and I have had the joy of watching her grow toward her work today - a philosopher of science at the University of Pittsburgh.

Her research is on epistemological and methodological issues in computer science and its scientific applications, such as the use of machine learning for pattern recognition.


Olivia, Katie's partner, is a PhD candidate in English Language and Literature at the University of Michigan. Her research interests are in African-American literature, disability studies, rhetoric and visual culture. Both Katie and Olivia were visiting in Lincoln ( outside of Boston), the first stop on my road to New York.


The conversation began with a questions bout the IPCC ( climate change report) giving us all of 11 years to wake up. I asked Katie how she is working with this news. We spoke about something called the third and fifth sigma range, the bell curve and deviations. We have secure statistical evidence that climate change is not happening by chance but is in fact human caused...helping me to understanding the sigma ranges was Katie's way of introducing me to the article she uses in class. Both women attended the climate march on Washington and that led us to the Overton Window and AOC . She is changing the window!






Katie spoke about her group BITS - Beyond the Ivory Tower in BITTSBURGH:) getting together weekly and writing postcards to senators and cards to encourage voters. Olivia shared an analysis of the Felon Disenfranchisement in Florida and the implications. People convicted of a felony lose their right to vote - and the vote was 65% in favour of the amendment to the constitution in Florida in the past November. I am still astounded at this amendment. Olivia pointed out that 1.4 million votes would be restored in this way --more votes restored than any one act since the Voting Acts Rights of 1965.



I am grateful for our conversations. They ended up helping me through some notes on intersectionality. More to come! Intersection has it's own, often unpredictable perspective!