Marian Wright Edelman

Founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), Marian Wright Edelman has dedicated much of her life to advocating for the rights and well-being of at-risk children. She was the first Black woman to be admitted to the Mississippi Bar and tackled racial injustice and child welfare issues while working for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund (1964–68).

After moving to Washington, D.C., in 1968, Edelman established the Washington Research Project—a public interest advocacy initiative that gave birth to the CDF in 1973. Regarded as the nation’s foremost child advocacy organization, the CDF strives to ensure a safe, fair, and healthy start for every child. In 2000, then-President Clinton awarded Edelman the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Renowned Colombian-born photographer Ruven Afanador made this portrait of Edelman for Essence magazine. With images of abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, Edelman’s pendants signal her commitment to social justice.