Earlier in her life, Mum had been a midwife who rode around the East End of London on a bicycle, catching the babies of women who were living in the extremes of poverty. The stark realities of life for people living in those conditions were made clear to me in the stories she told. So while I had a privileged upbringing in many ways, my mum was always quick to remind me that the purpose of privilege and, later, of power is to advocate for, elevate, and support those who have less. 