Edelman, Marion Wright (1939–)

Marion Wright Edelman was born in Bennettsville, South Carolina, on June 6, 1939, to Rev. Arthur Jerome and Mrs. Maggie Leola Bowen Wright. The southern, segregated context of her upbringing nurtured her lifelong interest in social justice concerns, particularly [Page 509]as related to inequities based on race, gender, and social class. Moreover, she was encouraged to address such concerns through initiatives grounded in collective empowerment and uplift.

After graduating from high school, Edelman completed her undergraduate education at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, from 1956 to 1960. During this time, she was influenced by the teachings of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, former president of Morehouse College; Howard Zinn, a former Spelman faculty member; and Charles E. Merrill, Jr., former chairman of the Morehouse College Board of Trustees, who collectively encouraged her to adopt a transformative approach toward her life and work. A 1958 Merrill Fellowship enabled Edelman to situate such a perspective into an international framework by providing financial assistance to study throughout Europe. Following her studies at Spelman, Edelman completed requirements for a law degree from Yale University Law School in 1963. In 1964 she was, notably, the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar.

Professionally, Edelman applied her legal training to goals and aims of the civil rights movement by registering black voters, securing funding for Head Start programs, and directing the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Mississippi. She additionally served as a staff attorney for that fund in New York City, directed the Harvard University Center for Law and Education, provided counsel for the Poor People's Campaign, and assisted in the establishment of the Washington Research Project of the Southern Center for Public Policy in Washington, D.C. In 1973, she established and became president of the Children's Defense Fund, an advocacy organization for underserved children, families, and communities, a position that she continues to hold. Her publications include Lanterns: A Memoir of Mentors, The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours, Guide My Feet: Meditations and Prayers on Loving and Working for Children, Stand for Children, and Families in Peril: An Agenda for Social Change.

Edelman has received numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Robert F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award, the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Prize, the Heinz Award, a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, and more than 100 honorary degrees. She is married to Peter Edelman and is the mother of three sons.