I believe God places particular persons in my life to help me navigate through my journey. One of those persons is former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder.

I met Gov. Wilder a few months before I attended Virginia Union University. He did not know me. I was a volunteer campaign aide. 

Gov. Wilder became my mentor. He took time to talk to me about my aspirations. Evidently, I expressed hesitation, but he had a theory. It was “pull yourself up by your own boot straps.”   

I debated about how difficult his theory was. He simply said, “Johnnie, you can do it!”

He spent long hours mentoring me. I was always safe.

Governor, thank you for being one of the “gentlemen” in my life. And, by the way, I graduated.

YVONNE ARCHER JOHNSON

Richmond