Marian Wright Edelman

Marian Wright Edelman, born on June 6, 1939, in Bennettsville, South Carolina, became a prominent American activist for civil rights and children’s rights. Her early life in the segregated South significantly shaped her commitment to social justice. A Merrill scholarship allowed her to study abroad at the Sorbonne University and the University of Geneva. In 1960, she was arrested during a sit-in at segregated Atlanta restaurants, demonstrating her early involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. She graduated as valedictorian from Spelman College and earned a Bachelor of Laws from Yale Law School in 1963.

In 1964, Edelman made history as the first African-American woman admitted to The Mississippi Bar. She began her legal career with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s Mississippi office, representing activists during the Mississippi Freedom Summer and addressing racial justice issues. She also played a role in establishing the Head Start program. Relocating to Washington, D.C. in 1968, she contributed to organizing Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign and founded the Washington Research Project, a public interest law firm, further channeling her efforts into child development and children’s welfare concerns.

Edelman established the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) in 1973, creating an organization focused on advocating for poor children, children of color, and those with disabilities. Under her leadership, the CDF became a research and advocacy center. She successfully influenced the United States Congress to reform foster care, support adoption, improve child care, and protect vulnerable children. Her work also contributed to the establishment of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In 2020, after 45 years at the helm, Edelman transitioned to president emerita of the CDF, continuing her advocacy through writing and public speaking.