Former member of the Texas House of Representatives (D-Austin). Memories of childhood and education in all-black schools of Chicago, Illinois; family involvement in Chicago politics; education at Fisk University; marriage to Exalton A. Delco, Jr., and his experience as first African American Ph.D. student in biology at UT-Austin; Exalton Delco’s experience as a biology professor and administrator at Huston-Tillotson College in Austin; involvement in community issues, including PTA work, leading to decision to run for elected office; election to Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees in 1968; difficulty of desegregating Austin schools in a manner that shared resources equitably with all groups; 1974 election to Texas House of Representatives seat representing Travis County; service on Committee on Public Education and Committee on Higher Education; development of Black Caucus and Women’s Caucus in Texas Legislature; service of Speaker Pro Tem of the House; involvement in National Conference of State Legislatures, including efforts to encourage divestiture from apartheid-era South Africa; involvement in efforts to reform Texas higher education funding system; commitment to education as life’s work.