Marian Wright Edelman, president and founder of the Children's Defense Fund, has been a champion of children all of her life. She believes that children need a strong, effective and independent voice since they cannot vote, lobby or speak for themselves. Her non profit agency is in many states and focuses their good works on behalf of children who are poor or have disabilities.
CDF takes a proactive role in educating the nation about the needs of children, encouraging preventive investments BEFORE they get sick, drop out of school, get in trouble or experience a family breakdown.
She began her advocacy work for children and founded the agency in 1973 but she was active long before that. The first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar, she was involved in the Civil Rights Movement, the Poor People's Campaign and friends with MLK.
From the beginning, under Edelman's leadership, the CDF challenged the US to raise standards by improving policies and programs for children. Her guidance has assured that the CDF is known for impeccable research and independent analyses of how children are affected by state and federal policies. Numerous organizations and individuals have been proud to partner with CDF to build bipartisan support to enact laws that will help children fulfill their potential and escape poverty. Promoting access to healthcare and quality education is the cornerstone of their efforts.
In addition to activism for the rights of children, Edelman is the author of several inspirational and academic books; she has been a liberal mentor to many, including Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton.