Marian Wright Edelman! Marian is 82 today. You can read about Marian here, but if it's TL;DR, that's cool, these are some reasons I admire Marian:
- She went to Spelman College, where she earned a scholarship that enabled her to study at the Sorbonne and the University Of Geneva in Switzerland.
- She graduated from Spelman as valedictorian in 1960.
- She studied law at Yale, earning her degree in 1963 (wow)!
- Was the first African-American woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar.
- Worked in the Civil Rights Movement.
- Founded the Children's Defense Fund in 1973.
- Helped establish Head Start for children.
- Won the Presidential Medal Of Freedom in 2000.
- Has worked her entire career attempting to overhaul foster care, supporting adoption, improving child care and the lot of underprivileged children, advocating for prevention of youth pregnancy, for prenatal care, for childcare funding, for increased parental responsibility in teaching values, and calling attention to the amount of violence children are exposed to via mass media.
Some wisdom from Marian:
The first piece of wisdom I ever saw quoted by Marian Wright Edelman, was this piece written as a eulogy for a fellow of very high character named Joseph Overton (not sure of the identity of the author), and it piqued my interest because it states a part of my values system so much more eloquently than I ever could (as long as we keep in mind that everywhere you see the word "men" below, I believe we should substitute the word "people"):
"The world needs more men who do not have a price at which they can be bought; who do not borrow from integrity to pay for expediency; who have their priorities straight and in proper order; whose handshake is an ironclad contract; who are not afraid of taking risks to advance what is right; and who are honest in small matters as they are in large ones.
The world needs more men whose ambitions are big enough to include others; who know how to win with grace and lose with dignity; who do not believe that shrewdness and cunning and ruthlessness are the three keys to success; who still have friends they made twenty years ago; who put principle and consistency above politics or personal advancement; and who are not afraid to go against the grain of popular opinion.
The world needs more men who do not forsake what is right just to get consensus because it makes them look good; who know how important it is to lead by example, not by barking orders; who would not have you do something they would not do themselves; who work to turn even the most adverse circumstances into opportunities to learn and improve; and who love even those who have done some injustice or unfairness to them. The world, in other words, needs more true leaders. More to the point, the world needs more Joe Overtons."
To me, it says alot about Marian that this eulogy spoke to her enough that she would share it. I'm glad she did; It really resonates with me. Marian, I am proud to share a birthday with you. I hope you have a happy one. Thank you for dedicating your life to lifting so many folks up.
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