Cargle was raised in
Green, Ohio by her mother, who has
polio. Her father died when she was young. Cargle and her mother lived in
Section 8 housing in a wealthy suburb, which she stated made her aware of economic differences between herself and her white peers. After graduating high school, Cargle served in the
Air National Guard for six years. She cites her time in the military as making her "more critical about these organizations and not automatically trusting that they're serving the people." She attended the
University of Toledo for two years, studying anthropology and sociology before moving to
Washington, D.C. at the age of 23. ==Career and activism==