Ideas worth spreading

Reflections from a lifetime fighting to end child poverty

1,469,644 views | Marian Wright Edelman • TEDWomen 2018

What does it take to build a national movement? In a captivating conversation with TEDWomen curator Pat Mitchell, Marian Wright Edelman reflects on her path to founding the Children's Defense Fund in 1973 -- from the early influence of growing up in the segregated American South to her activism with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -- and shares how growing older has only made her more radical.

What does it take to build a national movement? In a captivating conversation with TEDWomen curator Pat Mitchell, Marian Wright Edelman reflects on her path to founding the Children's Defense Fund in 1973 -- from the early influence of growing up in the segregated American South to her activism with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -- and shares how growing older has only made her more radical.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Donate to the Children's Defense Fund to support our movement to create a level playing field for all children in America.

Join our community of more than 17,000 Servant Leaders dedicated to service and advocacy on behalf of children.

About the speakers

Marian Wright Edelman

Marian Wright Edelman

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Marian Wright Edelman fights for a level playing field for all children, so their chances to succeed don't have to depend on the lottery of birth.

Pat Mitchell

TEDWomen Editorial Director

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Pat Mitchell is a lifelong advocate for women and girls.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | Beacon Press, 2010 | Book

Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?

I remember Dr. King not only as a great leader and a hero, but also as a mentor and a friend. In the last book he ever wrote, he describes his vision for a better future for America: better jobs, higher wages, decent housing and good education for all children. It's a vision that we must continue to fight for today.

Ellen Meacham | University Press of Mississippi, 2018 | Book

Delta Epiphany: Robert F. Kennedy in Mississippi

After I testified in Congress, Senator Robert Kennedy came to the Mississippi Delta with me to see the harsh realities of child poverty. He brought the media with him and the coverage of the trip began a new chapter in the movement to end poverty in America.

Howard Zinn | Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2015 | Book

The People's History of the United States

Howard and I arrived at Spelman College together in 1956 — I as a freshman, and he as chair of the history department — and he became a beloved teacher, mentor and friend. He taught me to question what I read and heard and to apply the lessons of history in the context of the daily political, social and moral challenges all around us.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Donate to the Children's Defense Fund to support our movement to create a level playing field for all children in America.

Join our community of more than 17,000 Servant Leaders dedicated to service and advocacy on behalf of children.