"A lot of people only know me from certain areas in my life, and a lot of people don't know how hard it was to get where I am," Love, 48, tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week's issue, on stands Friday.
We got government cheese, my mom didn't have money, at times we only ate potatoes, at times we did go hungry,” Love says.
At work, a black engineer Love refers to as Mr. Arnold saw her reading Malcolm X’s autobiography and became a father figure to her, encouraging her to apply to college.
For more on Loni Love, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday
Anderson Cooper and son Wyatt on the cover of PEOPLE's Pride issue